NATIVE LAND COURT AT CAMBRIDGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2720, 17 December 1889, Page 2

NATIVE LAND COURT AT CAMBRIDGE.

On Saturday the Court did notsit, as Judge Miiir and Parateno Nsrata, the native assessor 'vent to Waotu, to inspect the land being adjudicated, upon No. 2 13. Waotu North. When the Court resumed yesterday, an application by certain natives, to be included a3 owners in a block of 8000 acres, at ToAuao, Waikato, waslnard. Tl:e application was made under tho Iviuitabie.Oivner's Act, 1886. Mr W. M. Hay appeared for the surviving trustee, Mr W. N. Searancke, and produced a trust deed by which fivo out of six of the owners had conveyed the land to the late Major Heapey, commissioner of native, reserves, and W. N. Searancke, then Resident Magistrate, and their heirs to hold the land upon trust for the benefit of the grantors and their successors, to be leased with the sanction of the grantors for a period of 21 years, and he contended that the wording of section five of the Equitable Owners Act, 1880 ousted the jurisdiction of the court, the land having been conveyed. It was found that the Maori translation of the Act simply providod tor cases of sale, but the English version provided for sale or conveyance, and it was a question with the Court whether this was a conveyance within the meaning of the sections. Mita Karaka who appeared for the applicants contended that the intention of Parliament was that it should only apply to conveyances by sale, and he was authorised if the applicants were admitted as owners to state that the trustees should be upheld. The surviving trustee would not be prejudically affected by the inclusion of the applicants, whereas the exclusion of the rightful owners would cause trouble among the natives themselves. The Court decided it had no power to deal with the cise, and it was struck f.ut as the Native Land Court Act of last session allows a period of two years from its passing, during which time the names of owners wrongfully left out of deeds may be inserted.—Mr Hay applied for cists, but the Court refused to allow them. --.Just before tlie court closed, Wiremu Te Whitu (Paddy Regan) delivered a lengthy harangue, regarding the subdivisions of Maungatautari, Nos. 1 and 2, and finished up by threatening to shoot anyone who attempted to carry out the survey as laid down by the court.—Wiremu had evidently been imbibing, and Major Mair intimated that it was Wiremu that was uttering the words, but the" waipero" that was coining them.—Judgment will bo given this morniv. the Okauia and Maungatautari No. 3a blocks. The court will then close.