NATIVE APPELLATE COURT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXIX, Issue 116, 19 May 1906, Page 2

NATIVE APPELLATE COURT.

AN IMPORTANT DECISION

[PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

HASTINGS, May 18. An important decision was delivered by the Native Appellate Court this doad, during an illness, adopted two dead, during anillness, adopted two minors — Kathleen Blake and Ralph Holden Rellwood—as heirs to her estate The next-of-kin to the deceased, Hakupa Te Ahanga, sought to set aside this adoption on the grounds that the children never resided with deceased.

The case had been before two Native Land Courts, whence it was sent to the Appeal Court, who referred it to a special sitting of three judges pre.viously engaged in the case. After two days' argument here, a lengthy judgment was delivered this morning in favour of the children. The case involves between fifteen and twenty thousand pounds. Messrs H. D. Bell, A. t. D. Fraser, and D. Scannel appeared for the claimants, and Messrs Q. P. Skerrett, and J. M. Fraser for the objector. Judges Edgar, Johnson, and Mair heard Me case. - : " ; "