THE WEBSTER CLAIM.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2488, 5 July 1909, Page 5

THE WEBSTER CLAIM.

THE PRICE OF 80,000 ACRES. Auckland. June 28. Ry the courtesy of Mr W. F. Porter, of Huntley, who has permitted a “Herald” reporter to inspect an attested copy of the original deed of conveyance from the natives to William Webster in 1839, of a block of land at Piako, some interesting particulars of the transaction have been Sublished. The copy was made by Mr Irewer, solicitor at Kororauka, in 1840. Mr Porter doubts whether the original document is in existence now, as the Government offices at that time in Official Bay were destroyed by lire in 1842 or 1843, and most of the books and documents in the buildings were lost. The attested copy of the deed shows that a very complete conveyance was made, not only of the area of 80.000 acres of land in question, hut of its timber and vegetable productions, mines, metals and other minerals. The document bears the signatuies of the following chiefs: Tekaraka, Te Harare, Te Nuiri, Te Wearo, Te Nooko, Wiretnu, Kana Kerota, Ha Te Kopa, Maiki, Ware Cawa, Te Hohoe, Te Wareponga, Nanura, Te Huia, Ngati Rauhea, Ngati Wata, Tumakcre, and Ngangira. The consideration for which the chiefs conveyed the land to Webster is set down as “several articles of merchandise” of the value of £llOs, and the following list shows what this merchandise consisted of:-Twenty blankets, 2501b tobacco, two coats, two casks of powder. 20 cartridge boxes, 100 cartouche boxes, 20 pieces of print, 240 yards of dungaree, 40 pairs of trousers, 20 chests, two pieces of print, two iron pots, two gowns, 52 casks of powder, 120 blankets, 80 hoes, 80 spades, 82 iron pots, 10 superior double guns, 70 muskets, 40 coats, 40 shawls, eight dozen skirts, 1000 fish-hooks, and 40 razors. The only cash considerations noted in the deed comprise two items of £ls and £2O or £35 in all. Mr Porter states that in addition to this attested copy of the deed quoted, he has a deed of conveyance from Webster to Felton Mathew (at the time SurveyorGeneral), who laid out the city of Auckland, and to George Cooper (Collector of Custom-), of the Piako land, for which he states they paid Webster £IOOO. Mr Porter also has a conveyance from Cooper to his (Mr Porter’s) father of hip Wj of Wwlf for /wp of #OO,

This deed, he says, was drawn by the late Mr T. Russell in 1856, so that even at that date people must have thought Webster’s title good. As, however, the Government disallowed his claim, the money paid was, says Mr Porter, “a total loss to us all.”