THE WAOTU NATIVE OBSTRUCTION CASE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1851, 17 May 1884, Page 2

THE WAOTU NATIVE OBSTRUCTION CASE.

At the R.M. Coiut, Cambridge, ycstciday, Mr At. K. Kecsmg, on behalf of Natana and the other natives recently fined for obstmcting Mr Donald Stubbmg's survey paity at Waotu, applied for an extension of tune in which to pay tlie money. It will bo lenicmbered that the lines were very he.i\y, amounting jointly with the costs to about £80 ; but, in ordei to deal leniently with the defendants, Ins Worship piomised them they should not be pushed for time. The extension applied for yesterday by Mr Keesmg was four months, and on the gioundb that the natives concerned weie at piesent residing at Kihikihi attending to their mleiests in the Maungatautaii case now before the court. They wero not at piesent very handsomely circumstanced, and to have to pay the money required would seriously inconvenience them. The whole of the costs had been paid.— The bench enquired if the road thiongh the bush which the defendants had dehbeiately closed up had since been cleaied of obstruction.— Natana lephed that the load icfei red to h.ul not since been opened, but it was not through any further obstruction on their part that it remained closed.— The bench thought they who closed tlio road should open it.— Natana said he was quite willing to throw the io,id open for liafhc — The bench enquiied if he would have it opened at once by his own people. The stopping up of this load was a gieat incoin enience to pakehas as well <.s i\laoi is— Natana lcplied that the y had opened up .another load outride of the bush which was equally comenient and good for bugsry traffic. His Worship then asked if on their leturn from the Land Com t at Kihikihi would they open up the ro.id again, so that any one wanting to use it might do so? N.itana in icply to this question stated that the land thioiigh which the load passed did not belong to them, a-, decieed uy the Land Comt ; and ho undei-tood they weie about tobcieinoved fioin the land by the c >mpany. As the land was not now m the hands of the lightful owneis, they did not think they were instihed in opening the load. Let those people In ing on the land go to the tumble of clearing away the obstruction. It would take them (his J paity) a long tune to do the woik ot clearing, and as they were now expecting eveiy day to be tinned off the land they could not undeitake the work. The bench granted the extension of time applied for.