COURT OF APPEAL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 642, 20 October 1909, Page 5

COURT OF APPEAL.

' historic' maori lands at kaiapoi. QUESTION Ol\ SUCCESSORS. ■ Argument',as ;to:.the'.disposal' .of., certain ./ .Maori holdings, in Canterbury, was heard yesterday in 'tho Court of Appeal, before the -full .benoh; Their; Honours. Justices Williams ■ (Act- • . in£-(shie£? Justice), Denmston, Edwards, .Cooper, and. Chapman.' ;.'.. .. . Thojcaso;had 'been removed from the Supreme Court by .coiiscnt, \and by order of Mr.Jusbus •Denniston. A' motion: for judgment .was now. r'hrought Attorney-General at the relation ; of Hero To- Aifca and ,Tini Ara- ,. . pata/ aboriginal Natives of : Kaiapoi, and these i f . two.Natives,in their,own: rights;. Defendants . were: ltuiha 2{onotTe;Aika (Kaiapoi), Rahora Whitau; (lcmuka),' Amma iTemara (Temuka), : ■ Tupae Reihana, and Eruera .l'o Aika (Kaiapoi); aboriginal Natives; : I , ; Mr. D. for .the Attor- ■ . ney-General,; Mff Stringer,; K-.C.'' (of Christchurch), -&&&4 , y«Xen. for the Native plaintiffs, , and,: Jlr. • G. Harper : (of Chnstchurch) for tho defendants. In-, the statement of claim, it, was set out that -tho section, with which the action was concerned,, was . portion' ,of .20,070,314 acres, Canterbury province, formerly . known as Kemp's Purchase, which, was bounded on the north by.a;straight line from:Cape.,Foulwind on the West Coast to about-, a mile north of the mouth, of tho Kaiapoi River on tho East Coast; on the south by a straight line from Milfbrd'Sound running towards a point about ■ i : twenty miles south .of Nuggot Point, but stopping about twenty miles from the ocean, and :• thenco curving; to NuggotPoint on tho East: (Joast. :/The eastern and western - boundaries vera the; ocean.. The deed commenced.— ' . v ' "Hear all-yo ,people: We,, the, chiefs - : ffld .people ..of Ngaitahu, who'have signed ■ ■surnames and marks to.this deed on tho;. :; v -■ v. ,15th. day;, of.. June,"lß4B,, consent' -to survrender 1 lor ever-to Willmin : Wakefield, - < agent for-the New Zealand Company .. . ■■■ /■. all our lands and all our possessions;; . . . 'Oar places of residence and cultivations are to.be' reserved, for us and our. children after ■ :us, and it shall be for: the.Governor to sat •apart for- us some portion'for us when the land is purveyed; 'but the greater part .of the.land-lsunrcsorvedly given;up to the ■ " i Europeans for ever.'' : ,'The deed ended .with a provision for-payment : of ,J22000 oonsidoration.: i Pursuant to this, deed, /rosorvos to the Natives were made ;by the New , Zealand-LandCompany, .and aftenfraids by the Government who , succeeded tho • company., Among'the reserves was, the one. at Kaiapoi,, the subject of the; present action.', It con-, t ;tained 2040 acres,'and'fcas reserved :.;by |vilr. . , Commissioner Mantilin.S-IS4S,' ,' iii '-'terms'\i-oi- -. Kemp's Purely re. ; .Section ■ 75, which' • contained' 14 acres 1 rooil i,;" ! ' 'perch; was?: awarded -to Aperahama: Te >Aika, under the Crown Grants' Act, 1852, by a Crown . grant dated Septeabor'l9; 18Co.V'Tho',grant'ijpnv tained/. a restriction-in the' following' terms i- 1 :' 'TVovided'that no-disposition of the lahd: in-: chjHed 'in 1 this/grant "by "way of sale; mortgage, loois!'.or;otherwise shall be'jriade the .conjsnt, in writing : endorsedytherebiijf/of the Governor-or-.'Sofne- plDtsonT duly .appointed; By him, 'jr otherwise 'duly authorised by law jn ; that: hehalfc'Prondod.also that upon.' the "death i of ;th« ptatee. 'the Governor mayj ,-without jra-' judfca any .sale, ; mortgage,'lease' or" other ' - dlinoatioji: made with; suon;'consent as' hereinbefore,mentioned,, direct the succession and distfei at: mh- land :in ateofda&c#' witii this -prt* ■ visious.oi'thp Intestate Natives Succession Act, ; •1881, or .ptherwise, according to thtf law in that •behall .being. in force."' .The Native plaintiffs ,were* ollegeirto be the devisees of A4>erahama''.Tp "Atko.iandthe' defendants'were , : hfs ; successors according to Native custom. They ■ claimud.-this.'lahd-atithe death■ ofiAperahama .ppon ths. ground\tliAt the provisos m xhe 'grant {rom <ind 'device :.was't)ier6iore ToidivvProbate'tt : the. by the Nahve'iand Court on iPebrtiaryl3;:lßs2. iPlainhffs claim-that . :; '.the' Crown: 1 grant •• restricting . 'Aperaha»a's : j>j)*et, of alienation .had beeii inBorted wit|io r a£ lawM authority by/the Crown : and Tfere. Void,' 'And that; therefore- the devise yas -inialid.., Plainbfis prayed that tjie Court , ' ' jßight declare.,that the provisos had been m--s®rted without 'lawful authority and: inralld;; ap'i-thwtJiS'. Cjpwiifertiilt.niiglit'bore-

. called anil rectified'fey the omission of the provisos, an.l. reissued as so rectified. •' • Couusjl for plaintiffs hud not concluded their addresses; when the. Court rose. V