NATIVE LANDS COURT, CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1912, 7 October 1884, Page 2

NATIVE LANDS COURT, CAMBRIDGE.

„ Friday. — (Before His Honour Judge Puckey, and Assessor Waata Tipa.) SUPPLEMENTARY JUDGMENT IX TJIE M/YUNGATAUTA7U C'\SK. Thk Court sat at 10 o'clock, when his Honour delivered the following supplementary judgment in the Maunjjatautaii case : — The Court has already given judj • ment as regards ancestral title over this block. Our present decision, therefore, simply applies to the alleged occupation of parts of the land before the court by some of descendants of the original owners Ngatiraukawa. It appears from the evidence before us that after the Ngatimaru had driven away the Ngatiraukawas some few persons did not migrate. They lived at Wbarepuhunga, and sometimes on this block, and a short time before Tamutawiwi, They sought shelter at Otawahao and that after Taumatiwiwi Marutuahu having returned to Hauraki they resumed occupation which continued to the war in Waiitato, 1861, when they removed to Wharepuhunga and other places which do not appear to be possessed or occupied by Marutuahu. The question before us is, was this occupation, (the ancestral title having been destroyed), sufficient to entitle these persons, to class amongst the owners. Our answer is, it is not, and we say so on this ground, that they merely occupied by sufferance such places as they did occupy after the land had changed owners, and that occupation having terminated do right now exists. In such case nothing but continuous occupation could confer a right to the use of the sites of the wbares and the cultivations, but that could give no right to the land whatever beyond that so occume.d.' That occupation pnee terminated the right; to pgfiupy ceases to be." His Honour intimated to the natives that they would be given until Saturday, week to arrange the subdivisiona among themselves. In case they did not succeed before' then the court would take in hand %o settle them for them. ■ The court then atfqurned till Saturday,