THAT £500,000 CLAIM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 540, 22 June 1909, Page 5

THAT £500,000 CLAIM.

"TBE KING (HP WAHKKJ* ' STORY OF'THE EAfltY ORYB. . . ATI INQTIIRT BY SIR ROBESX/feTOOT. ' (By Talcgraph.-fipcoial Correspondent) . .... ' Auckland «fano 21. In connection with tho claim of huff a, mil-.'", lion mndo by tho American Government bohalf of one of its citizens against tho New, , Zealand Government, it is admitted tiiat it ' concerns a hwgo area of land in AricMaad province acquired for a more song from, the . Natives prior to 1840 by a man named Webster, and the story is told as follows:— When < tho country was constituted there lived on tho little strip of land inside the Coromandel Harbour,, and known as Here- .'] kino, a man who has been described; as a big, stout/' jolly: individual, loud of voice , and free of manner, possessing, in addition to a strong American accent, a personality that forced its.domination upon all and sun- . dry with whom 1 ! he tamo in contact. Ho had' arrived somo years before as a ship's carpenter npon an ; American whaler, and i seeing " possibilities both pleasant ancT profitable' in lifo ashoro in-New Zealand that an>Amorican whaler would never offer, he cast in his lot ■■. among tho small'band of pakqhas that were \ scattered here and. there'in , tho midst of> the cannibal lords of tho land. William Webster was his name, and very .Boon .from one ; of the simple "maters of nation" in Now Zealand ho, became the dictator aiid arbitra-, tor, between Native and European over |a wide, range of country, including the Hauraki . Gulf and all its neighbouring lands.' In ~ short, without the medium of William, Web- \ stor no pakoha'could, obtain so ; muoh land:';;: as would suffice, to give resting room to his / tent or whare; and he was the bosom friend of the great! Cqromandol chief, Hooknosoj whoso daughter he wae; given in marriage. ',-: ■.■;.';, v; .Vast; Aroas.'-: /V: [';'),/'■ So Wobster settled in the land and pros- ; perod.* His., busymind ■;> xiot content -with '■■, more idle,proprietorship of, tlio vast-areas of '••■ Native, demesnes ho had either acquired; ;or'.',•' of which he had claimed possession, ho, os- !,: tablished trading stations all over' tho Gulf! and Firth of Thames,,mid- through,thoso he■>' reaped, a rich - profit at the 'time' of .the:in-•;■'.. flur of' immigration to. Now, South; Wales by. '-'••■ buying .shiploads - , of maize,:, .potatoes,;: and : other food from ■ the Natives; and sending, them across.-to'New'South Wales', ,and his,v headquarters wero at'this little spot of' Hero-, kinoV. wliero'ho kept a baardinghouso for • tho'cqnvenionco of tho humorous- adventnr-;-, ous spirits: who.; came- and ■■'■went; , and : wit-h • • wlionii money .or,kind-was, frequently! plenTi- ' ful/ From tho influence and-power he oxer-;. cis<id, both qver'.Maori'and pakoha, Wobster i obtnined the sobriquet of."King of iWailiqu." - When; tho commission. was appointed by Governor Hobspri-in. 1841,,t0 inquire; into and • ■ settle: thfl auestirin "jof"' theso land: dlaitns' and , ■ grants, Webster's ''claim to' landed , property, was found'to; fit: with'the enterprise of such ' a man, hisnosscssions, ,or claims.of posses- \ sions, including big /areas in- tho choicest spots bordering tho gulf,'tho Waitemata hav- ■ ing . been ari : nnparpntlv favourite pegging- '~ out plaoe of his: long ,hefora : tho. Now. Zea-' lend; Government thought of ; maKrig it'the, provincial capital.'' "or eveii before any ' sign; ; of. Enropenn'' habitntio.n !. manifested '■ itself r/Mind its shores/ Hβ also, it is, authentic- , n'.lv.'' stated, - Inid; t 'clnim .'. to ~: > the/' j'hnlev.of: ''".the .1 Great.;.'■Barrier''.- Island,',':', "''ilo the Pinko ivnuntry met with eonsider•>Wn attention/;. When those various "land- , holder/; , .'.: were.'required an account', : of ■ thoir proprietorship nnd its oripin :Web,stor agreed to declare himself a clamant ns ; , an Englishmnn: and not- as an American citi-' > Beny.'and .when, the, wore mndo ■ his, hnpro'.eststes dwindled; down to mere : ; backyard' sections by, comparison. : ,, ,: ■; >!■ ■-■."; ;V ,;'ln the Early Firtlesc / ; ;■■. v;;: '■; Apparently;, with the majority of the, other dispossessed ones, ho accoptod the situation.! as philosophically as \ might' be, and Jittlo or ' nothing was' hoard ;in;protest from him until;. in tho oarly. fifties, wlieii :ho loft :NoW Zea- ' land for,:the Californian goldfiolds in search of; further fortune; : Somo .time after,.:hav-;. ing left the colony; a claim was. received by .the New '.Zealand;:-Government-, from! Wob-'i. ster.,, who V.was - then' in. Sin nnd" '* 'fithjr the original claimant pt his hpirs have at intervals , , boon ■pressing' their olainae, against the. New Zealand Govormnont' i for, tins' dispossessed, property, '.r ' . t ~; ,' Somo few, years ago, however, Sir Robert.' ;Stout was commissioned, .to , sift-' tho : whole •; matter, arid; report upon .and tho. result was.thnt,.Webster,'as a claimant, was ruled'V out of Court. .It is almost certain W-obster .',■'. is tho man referred to inthfe claim respeeting ',' which tho Solicitor-General is going to England,' ;but'it also seems pretty clear that there' is littlo likelihood of thn claim being ,, for before'tho Crown settled •'■'■ tho rights of c)aima.nts\to land; the Native..': .rights'; were, invariably extinguished first by.," pitrchasoV.sdUhat, in the. ovent o( ' ]n olaim,« being disiillqwed, the land, 'by tight of pur-.:'! chase, .Averit'to tho:,Crown.■-. ■ i. ,'. .'.,■ : ';:, ;