Native Land Matters.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 253, 2 November 1901, Page 3

Native Land Matters.

(Special to Tntsi.) Wellington, last night. In the course of a conversation I had with Mr W. L. Rees he informed me that the Courts have not yet heard the last of the Tahora block case. In

view of yesterday’s decision of the Court of Appeal he is now taking steps to movp the Supreme Court to set aside a caveat lodged by the Bank, and he states that he does not anticipate serious opposition. The ease will come before the Court at Gisborno at au early date. Amendments in one of tho Native Land Bills now before Parliament will give the Validation Court extended jurisdiction in matters affecting tho administration of native lands, although it will probably not go the length of allowing it to deal with the removal of caveats as in the case of Tahora, which is of a special character.

An application was made by Mr Rees to the Court of Appeal this afternoon for leave to the natives to appeal in forma pauperis in three Gisborne native land esses—Mere Koihi and twelve others, Panapa Waihopi and others, Teira Ranganui and others against the Glasgow Bank Assets Co. The cases involve a charge as to the methods of acquiring the blocks known respectively' as Waingaromia Nos. 2 and 3 and Kangatira, comprising altogether about 38,000 acres, said to be worth over a hundrod thousand pounds, and which ultimately passed into tho possession of the j Assets Company. ! Mr Rees, in reply to the Chief Jusj tico, said that the facts were practically I tho same in the two Waingaromai I cases, but different in the other one. | Affidavits had been put in by the j i natives concerned that they had no j means beyond what they might get as j a result of litigation, and three diff'ej rent solicitors had certified that it was j a proper case for appeal. ; After consultation the Court ani nouucod that in view of tho opinion I expressed by Judge Conolly in dis- I missing the cases from tho Supreme j Court, it thought tho natives should i be allowed an opportunity to appeal in forma pauperis, but one case would suffice and would save expenso. Mr Rees replied that the two Waingaromia cases could bo lumped together, but tho other was distinct. Eventually it was agreed that as tho point immediately’ involved was not the merits of plaintiff’s claims, but whether the decision of tho Judge in dismissing the action was correct, one case should be brought as a test, that of Mere Rolii. It was intimated that the easo could not bo heard until the next quarterly sitting of the Court of Appeal.