POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume V, Issue 644, 8 August 1891, Page 2

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

[special to th® standard.] Wellington, last night, A large meeting of Maori Members and Chiefs was held in the Parliamentary Buildings this morning. Mr Rees ex? plained the provisions of the Native Land Bill as it affected Natives. He pointed out the enormous power given to the Governor, while it was really the Undersecretary who pulled the strings. Mr Rees impressed upon the Natives that there was urgent necessity to have a E/faori Board appointed to act in their own interest, algo a Maori Committee to make preliminary inyestigqtions f qpd advise with the Maori Board. Mi* Rees also took exception to the power given to Judges of the Native Land Courts in the clause requiring the deposit of a sum of money as security before hearing any case, or before allowing an appeal. Mr Rees further referred to the power given to the Judge to summarily fine or imprison Natives for assaulting persons connected with the Court, or for giving what ajudgemightconsiderfalse evidence. The Maoris were apparently thunderstruck by the apparent etjornqities pointed out, and the significant remark was made by one of the number, that |f the Act passed, additional gaql accommodation would be reqqired for 40,000 persons. The natives are now considering the Rill amongst themselves. It is not giving satisfaction to the Maori members, nor to any of the members interested in Maori matters, and is likely to be referred to a Select Committee and to get a considerable cutting up. Many objections to the Bill are urged, principally to Parliament compiling any one purchasing native land to 3'ring<tha seller before a Land Court Judge. The •natives say that where there are forty or fifty owners to ' a block, and many of the claimants are old men, it is impossible to bring all these from the different parts to a Judge who is perhaps a hundred miles away. Government had a majority 0(41 to 16 on the second reading of the Taxation Bill.