THE PUKEKURA and PUAHOE EJECTMENT CASE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1736, 21 August 1883, Page 2

THE PUKEKURA and PUAHOE EJECTMENT CASE.

Twenty Writs Served on the Natives.— £soo Damages. Sixes, the memorable forcibly entry case, in which a number of the Ngatikauwluta natives were the complainants, and Messrs E. B. Walker, Jno. Gricc, W. H. Grace, and about thirty otheis weie the defendants, and which, it will be remembered, occupied the Resident Magistrate's Court, Cambridge, for sevouil weeks in January last, the natives who were forcibly ejected from their tenements have continued to reside upon the land in full enjoyment of all the rights of undisputed owners ; with the exception, probably, that they have not since ventured to, improve or cultivate the surrounding country } and the remains of the fences which were destroyed, and thewhares which were pulled down, have not been disturbed since the memorable forcible ejectment case of which we .have heard so much. The proceedings against fclie Europeans having come to a close by the payment of an equitable sum by Mr Walker by way of compensation for damage done to plantations, whares, and fences, the grantees (Messrs Griee and Benn, who are represented by Mr E. B. Walker, under power of attorney), determined that the matter should be definitely and conclussiyely cemjjested and decided once and for ever. They accordingly issued twenty-eight writs of ejetofment and for damages against the nath es at present squatting on the land. Saturday was the Jast day for service for the ensuing sitting of the Supreme Court, giving the defendants twenty-eight days to plead. The damages claimed are ,tf2i?o qn account of Pukekiua and £250 on account of Puahop, with exclusive possession of the land. A large number of the natives came into Cambridge on Friday to talk with Mr A. McDonald (familial ly known as the wb^jte chief of Ngatikanwhata), and to arrange' witij him matters in connection with the land.' They |taye,d in town over night, and in the morning nine of them were served by Messrs Grace and Walker. These gentlemen then proceeded £,9 $jo Mangapiko settlement on the blo.ck jf, 0 sejrve thp remainder, and on their arrival there a}} the natives gathered into the large whare pr meetinghouse, where eleven more were served. There was no difficulty whatever experienced in disposing of the documents, j ,one old gentlemaii,' who r looked on the ajfttiras" an excellent Joke, hisrwritt as^n^ejpistle^f ilovfe/ qr^jo'dearJ B^nfcr^np^ther^ai di|h^jvwQler,affai|' ■, waV

while others pleaded an inability to interpret the figurative language of the law. Among those served were a few old women, regarding whom one native asked how were they to carry those old people to Auckland. This the Emopeans would have to do. After the writs had been served and the Europeans hadt\ken their departure, a tangi was inaugurated, in which several of those present heartily joined, Just after Messrs Walker and Grace had performed their duty a number of natives from Cambridge were seen riding down over the hill at full gallop, presumably with the object of warning those at the settlement that they were about to be served with writs, so that they might take advantage of this intelligence as they thought best. Saturday was the last day upon winch service could bo made for the next sitting of the Supreme Court, but eight of those against whom writs were issued could not be found, and so these will have to stand over for another sitting. Each wiit costs nearly £20, which represents co.sts to the losing party to the extent of between •£500 and £000, setting aside the question of incidental expenses, lawyers' fee?, etc. This latest development in native land transactions foretells a heavy amount of expenditure to some party. Doubtless the result will be looked forward to with much interest by 7iiany of our readers in Waikato.