NATIVE LAND COURT, CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2422, 19 January 1888, Page 2

NATIVE LAND COURT, CAMBRIDGE.

The Court was opened yesterday before Chief Judge Macdonald, Mr Edger acting as clerk, and Mr Hammond as interpreter. The solicitors present were Messrs Alexander, of Auckland, and Hay, of Hamilton. There were also present Messrs L. Aland W. S. Grace, Mr Lewis, U. S. Native Department, Cape. Blake, and several other native interpreters. The Chief Judge said it was not a sitting of the Court m the ordinary sense, but was hold to hear what was to be said for and against the decision of the Court held at Taupo. He should like everyone to thoroughly understand that the present proceedings were not a re-hearing, but were being held to decide, as propriety of granting a re-hearing. The applications were nineteen in number, and it was a matter of indifference to him which were taken first, as he would take any in which the persons were ready to address him. Huiatahi Moanapnpnku asked to have his cases, No. 1-1 and 17 on the list, taken first. Mr Hay appeared for respondent. The Court asked the applicant to point out on a ma|i the lands to which his application referred. He said he could not, but that his clerk could. Clerk produced. Court to applicant: "Is this the man that is dissatisfied, or is it you V Applicant : "It is me ; he is only my eves." The clerk failed to point out the land. The applicant said Waimariuo was , the portion of the block with which he ■ and his hapu were di<<atislied with the , decision of the Court ; lie did not know the ' Court was sitting, and he was away at the . Court being held at YVangamu. The Chief Jndf/e said he should not attach any importance to the statement of any on/i who said they did not receive 1 t.l/e Gazette. The law provided that 1 proper notice should be given, and in the ' iiiture. he should not take any notice of an ' appeal founded on such grounds. The applicant in continuing his evidence fro- ' queutly contradicted himself, and said that ' if a rehearing was not granted lie would ' take the case'to Wellington, to which the - Judge replied that he would give his deci- < sion in writing, and lie would then be " enabled to take that to Wellington with

linn. ~ ~ Mr Hay said the application was frivolous, and asked for costs. The Judge said that costs would not be allowed in any of the eases, and in place he thought they nu"-ht to subscribe to pay the costs of the Government, for he was there for the mutual convenience of both applicants and respondents. He. would in all the cases give his decision in writing, and it would probably be some days before he did so. Continuing his evidence, Huiatahi said that at the Taupo Court he had been injured by the Government, where the evidence of drunken people was taken. He had also been injured by the Government commissioners two of whom were present, pointing to the Messrs (Jracc. He complained that Tongariro had been given to the Queen by the people to whom it did not belong, and that two courts had been held at the same time for the purpose of discomfiting thorn. He claimed the land by ancestry and continued occupation, and at the present time his liapu had 200 wharcs on it. This closed the case. JIAHAKKOA-HUHAKIA block. Mr Alexander for applicants, Mr Hay for respondents. This is the block about which there has been so much dissatisfaction expressed with the award given at the Taupo Court, and groat interest was taken in the evidence by a crowded court of Maoris and Europeans. Taonui said he was elected to represent his hapu at the Taupo Court, but ho was subpwnaed to atattend at Cambridge, on a libel case, and although he sent a teleram to Taupo when, he arrived there ho was told that ho was too late for the case had been adjudicated upon. Mr Alexander said his clients admitted that Ngatiwharetoa were interested, but claimed that Ngatiraukawa also were entitled to a large portion of the block adjudicated upon. It was a very large one. and it certainly seemed that thomanuer of the Wanganui and Taupo Courts being held at the same time had been carefully arranged, so that a large number of the natives should be discointited. Taonui said he belonged to the Xgatimaniapoto tribe ; ho was not present when the Court at Taupo in January, .1 Si?o, being, as he had before stated, at Cambridge. He was summoned to appear at the Cambridge Court on the HLh, and the case lasted till the loth. He wired, asking the Court at Taupo to go on with the eastern portion uf the block,_ but to leave the western until he arrived. One of his people sent the telegram; it came from them "collect," They reached Taupo on January ISth, and when they arrived the case was finished, and the whole of the block had been awarded to NgatiWharetoa. Ho applied to the Court on the 10th and Ulst of January, to have the case adjourned, but was told he was too late, and again in March he made a similar application, when he was not only refused, liia also lined. After that he went home thoroughly disgusted, and has not been to tho Taupo Court since. Mr Hay said the applicant arrived in Taupo in ample time to give evidence, tho Xgatimaniapoto were however well represented by the chief Uewi and others being present. Taonui continuing, said Hitiri was with him at Oambndge, and that they kft to goto Taupo on January Kith. He and the other applicants had a'title to the lands comprised in their application, viz., Maraeroa-Hura-kia, Tuhua, Waihaka, and Pukelapu. He here pointed out the boundaries on a map, and said, "We claim those grounds though ancestry and occupation." He also named a number of their ancestors through whom the lands had been handed down. The houndaiy linp as spt out in tho gazette was objected to by tho Ngatimaniapoto ; that was tho reason he was selected to go to the Court. Mr W. H. Grace said the boundaries were altered on the loth January by.the natives and not by the Court. The applioantsaid he knew Peretania. It was a settlement of their's. The reason he wanted the adjournment was because the ary as laid down took it in. They had occupied the land right up to the boundary he hail given. He did not point out the boundary at Taupo, as he saw how badly the Court was being conducted. He was constantly at tho Court, but only spoke on the throe occasions mentioned. Had the

Court granted his application for an adjournment, he should then have pointed out the boundary as he had done that day. No Ngatimaniapoto had assisted in surveying the block. Ho then gave evidence as to Nyalnijiui's boundary line wlpch was very similar to his own. Mr Hay wished to call Judge Scanpcll, but' the Chief Judge would nut allow hint to <lo so. ]'ae||i]a Matekau was called by the Court and gave 'evidence- which substantiated that of Taonui. The case then olosed.