THE HOROWHENUS BLOCK.

Evening Star, Issue 9581, 29 December 1894, Page 2

THE HOROWHENUS BLOCK.

* WELLINGTON, Deokmbeb 29. Natives airp* threatening trouble in connection with, the Horowhenua„ Block, and the manager of the State farm wired yester-~ day that some uneasiness had been caused to the women folk resident on the estate. Instructions have been Bent to the manager to proceed civilly against the Natives, hot if they themselves a nuisance, and attempt to 'resort to violence, to telegraph for police assistance.

The Minister of Lands complains that the effect of the judgment re the Horowhenua Block has been misstated. In the first place, he says the Grown were not represented in the aotion, and the Crown's title was unaffected by the judgment of the Court. The land known as " the State farm" at Levin, in the Horowhenua Block, is 15,000 acres in extent, and the price agreed to be paid for it is £6,000, £2,000 of which has been paid to Hunia, and the other £4,000 is retained by the Government until the proper owners are ascertained. On the payment of £2,000 to Hunia, the valne of his interest, the Government got a clear title under the Land Transfer Act, and the decision of the judge does not in any way affect the title of the Crown. All that was done in connection with the block by the Government was dpne under the advice of the Crown lands officers, who were so sure of the Crown's position tbat they did not deem it necessary for the Crown to be represented at the trial of tbe case Kemp and others v. Hunia Hunia sold as trustee, out no more money was paid to him than his own interest in the land was supposed to represent. If the title to the Crown could possibly be upset, then the discussion must open up the whole question,of the trusteeship of both Kemp and Hunia, and the large are* which was sold to private individuals by Kemp as trustee, without the consent of Hunia, must be similarly affected, and the titles accepted from Kemp by Sir B. Stout, Mr Sievwright, and Sir Walter Buller, all able lawyers, must be in precisely the same position as that held by the Crown.