STUPID NATIVE LAND LEGISLATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4330, 30 January 1893, Page 3

STUPID NATIVE LAND LEGISLATION.

Tho following report extracted from the shows how Btupid lee®ffl®in native matters is forcing persons interested in native laud into eudless and unprofitable litigation, The Resident Magistrate's Court at Greytown last Wednesday had a rather unusual matter to deal with. It was an application by a Native, Irnia te Whaiti, under " The Fencing Act, 1881," to have fixed by tho Court a certain line of fenco between blocks of land called Watarangi, owned by MrPharazyn, and a portion of the Kawakmva Block leased by Itaia te Whaiti from the other Natives. Mr for Iraia and Mr Izard appew"for Mr Pharazyn, Theoutcomo of the proceedings was that as tno Magistrate was about to dismiss the proceedings on the ground of want of jurisdiction, the defendant's solicitor offered tho other side an adjourn nient sine die, which was accepted, so that we may hear more of the matter hereafter. From tho speeches of tha solicitors engaged in the case it appears that unlets tho matters in dispute between the parties are amicably settled we shall have a repetiiion of tho lengthy action of Paboro v, Cuff: for the facts, to put them liriefiy, and not with the verbosity of a lawyer, seem to be as follows.

Mr Pharazyn has occupied tho Watarangi station, consisting of freehold aud leasehold lands, for some 10 years, In October, 1891, his bsi's (torn tho Natives ran out, In 1880 he obtained from certain Natives an agreement to lease their sbarrs,and in December of the same year, certain of the Natives who had signet) the aji cement and owners of tho Kawakawa Block executed a lease to Mr Pharazyn of their shares in the block; hut it appears that some who signed the agreement lefuaed to sign tho lease, and shortly after that dato Iraia te TVhaiti obtained from the laat mentioned Natives and from other Navjaes leases of their shares in the Bio® So it seems that some Natives have signed an agreement to lease, and also a lease to Mr Pharazyn, Some have signed to lease to Mr Pharazyn and also a lease to Iraia te Whaite; some only a lease to Mr Pharazyn and some only a lease to Iraia te Whaite. It is a beautiful complication—for tho lawyers only. Proceedings are pending in tho Supreme Court to compel tho Natives to carry out their agrement to lease to Mr Pharazyn. In last December Iraia te Whaite proceeded to drive Mr Pharazyn'a stock off tho Kawakawa block, but was prevented by an injunction of tho Supreme Court (whatever that may mean). So at present Mr Pharazyn is in occupation of the land, and both sides seem determined to'fight out the matter to the end.