Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1880. NATIVE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 69, 23 April 1880, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1880. NATIVE COMMISSIONERS' REPORT.

The second part of the interim report furnished hy the Native Commission deals with " The question of Parihaka," by which is meant " the question of Avhat is to be done with the country between the Oeo and Stony Bivers ; which belonged before the confiscation to the Taranaki tribe, and contains about 125,060 acres of available land, of which 34,000 are open plain." In dealing with this question, the Commissioners in the first place attack the popular idea that within these boundaries there is a vast area of valuable land which will one day bring in much money to the Treasury. Eegarding this idea they say "No delusion could have been greater," and proceed to show that from Waimate Plains to Stony Eiver — a distance of thirty miles — there are four divisions of land as follow : Stony Kiver, 18,000 acres ; Parihaka, 58,000 acres ; Opunake, 44,000 acres ; and Oeo, 26,000 acres. These areas are obtained after following the streams to their sources in Mount Egmont. But the Stony Eiver and Opuuake blocks have both been returned to the native owners, and of the remaining two blocks a great portion of the mountain included is worthless, arid after making the necessary deductions there will remain only about 60,000 acres, and of this not more than 80,000 acres are open country. Against even this modest extent must be set two liabilities. First, there are awards of the Compensation Court of 1866 still to be satisfied, estimated at 10,000 acres ; secondly, " and far beyond the first liability in importance, is the one caused by the necessity of providing for the Parihaka people. This question, quite independently of any opinion as to how far the land of men like Te Whiti himself, who never were in arms against the Queen, was really taken by the confiscation, is a serious one, and ought to be f^ed at once." Accepting the view that Te Whiti and his people must be provided for, the report goes ou to show that allowing the Native Land Act scale of 50 acres for each native, reserves for Te Whiti's people would noessitate our giving up at least half of the available land. But there is a further fact of great importance, viz., that the 80,000 acres of land that will remain to the Crown after making the necessary reserves for the Parihaka natives wiil be a strip along ten or twelve miles of coast entirely isolated between the

two large blocks returned to the tribes years ago. This being the case, the Commissioners regard it as very doubtful whether, for a long time to come, it would be right to let settlers g:> upon such a strip of land It v» r ill therefore be seen that instead of the vast area generally supposed to bo lying idle on the West Coast, the Crown will be able after making the necessary reserves and awards, to deal with only some 80,000 acres, of which only half is open land ; whilst even that is in such a position as to bo of doubtful utility for immediate settlement. The report proceeds to say : "No good will come of putting off the day when the question of reserves for the Parihaka people must be decided. The people are there, and they must have land to live upon ; and, what is more, being there, they certainly will not go away. The sooner every one makes up his mind to that the better ; and the sooner every one makes up his mind that any idea of appreciably replacing out of Parihaka land the vast expenditure going on is illusory, the better too." The Commission therefore advise his Excellency to at once set apart 25,000 acres of the land for the use of Te Whiti's people, so long as they live there in peace ; and that the land seaward of the road now being «nade along the coast be kept in the hands of the General Government to satisfy compensation awards that may be made.

Supreme Coiurr — Thn sittings of the Supreme Court will begin at Wauganui on Tuesday next, and witnesses in the rospec* tive cnses will therefore need to go through per rail on Monday evening. Mo understand Mr C ish, of Mnrton, has been engaged for the defence in the case of Hermann Rockel, charged with forsrery. and intends to make a vigorous defence on behalf of his client. Mail Day. — Persons having Home correspondents are reminded that the English Mail via San Fransisco closes at Foxton this evening at half-past eight o'clot k. An'otuei!. — Palmerston has on increasingly largo supply of the legal profession. The latest lawyer who has settled there is Mr Ernest W. Perkins, a gentleman who has recently concluded his " articles " with Messrs Buller and Lewis, of Wellington. A Medal. — On Tuesday last, while the down coach was waiting at Otaki for a change of horses, an interesting ceremony look place, when Sir Wm. Fox, who was a passenger, presented Mr Jen)ci»s with the Royal Humane Society's bronze inedii], in recognition of his services in saving life :it the wreck of tho City of Auckland. Sir Win. Fox also handed to Mr Jenkins the sum of £50, voted by the New Zealand Parliament last ses.sion.that he might divide it amongst the cre^v who pulled with him in the boat. Cuoiur, Society.— The Foxton Choral Society held a practice at the Public Hall on Wednesday evening, and though the attendance was small good work was done. The next concert will probably bo held on Wednesday, May 5. The first part will consist of selections from ■' Maritana," the choruses including " Sing, Pretty Maiden," "Oh, what Pleasure," " The Angelus," and 'Lo,the organ ; " besides the choruses there will be the ever popular songs, " Let me like a soldier fall," " Scones that are brightest," "In happy moments," iV'c. The second part will comprise the usual miscellaneous selection of glees, duets, songs, &c. We anticipate a most successful concert. Ohisekakaeo Br-ocic. — The abovo block of land, which was recently advertised in this journal by Mv Thos Bills, of Otaki. has been sold to Mr Clause Pascal at 20s per acre. The land is said to be very good, and the price is therefore remarkably cheap. A Gooj) Cuance Missud.— The cases of Jenkins v. Hewson, for obscene language, and Hewson v. Jenkins, for assault, which were heard on Wednesday last, were provocative of some of the heartiest rounds of laughter we ever heard in a Court. During the two cases, which were heard simultaneously, Jenkins persisted in interjecting remarks which appeared in almost every case to touch the Doctor " od the i\iw,"much to tho amusement of those in Court, but when at last he rehearsed thequarrul.imitating the alleged gestures, facial contortions, and lunguageof his adversary, the laughter became uncontrollable. This was part of Jenkins' evidence : — After the row had been going on some time, the Doctor said to me " you'll go to — , you — !" so I said, " Well if I do 1 wout be alone while the likes of you are about !" "Me?" he said, " Why I've been to heaven already and seen — ," so I replied, li Well, you've missed a chance ; you should h^ve stayed, thereof or perhaps you'll never have such a chance as that 11 gain." The effect of this was eh ctrical, and literally " brought down the house." The Docior was fairly nonplussed, and on being asked if ho would cross-ex-amine the witness said in a most significant tone, " Cross examino him! There he is ! Look at the fellow !" Nokbitox. — We Would remind persons desirous of obtaining good building sites, either as an investment or for immediate use, that Messrs Thynne, Linton &Co., will to-morrow (.Saturday), at 2 p.m., sell by public auction, at their sale rooms, the village settlement of Norbiton. As very full particulars have been made known by advertisement and circuLr, we will simply remark that the land is only a few minutes' waik from tho centre of the town, is extremely rich in quality, and in every way an eligible investment. Sufi'ereks ~y THE Flood. — Wo nnderstand that Air Lark worthy has handed to Mr M'Cullocb, County Clerk, a cheque for £15 as a donation towards the relief of those seUlera who were the greatest sufferers by the recent heavy floods. Cattle. — A large mob of cattle, in charge of Mr R. Steven*, passed through Foxton yosterday on their way to Wellington. The cattle, which came fron» a run at Ran^itikei, were very hard to cross, and the whole day was occupied in getting some of tho refractory beasts across the river, llepeutedly, during the day the beasts took p )S^C3sion of the streets, and several persons had rather narrow escapes of beius charged. One fine animal, after swimming about the river for some time, became half-drowned, and its throat had to be cut. Liter in the day a valuable horse, ridden by Mr G. Fdwards, was gored on the off-hind quarter, whilst Mr Steven9 was compelled to take to the river on his horse to avoid the infuriated animal. A Feather in 00 b Cap.— The following paragraph from Mr Foulis' report bears high testimony to the excellence of our worthy muster, Mr Hulke. It will be seen that the Inspector places the Foxton primary school, iv the matter of science, on a par with the Wapganui High School, which

is. we need hardly say, a high compliment to Mr Hulke. The residents of Foxton are to be congratulated on having their school presided over by a gentleman who is so devoted a worshipper of practical science, and who evidently makes his private studios h ■.>• d'ront'v on thp prluciifion "f t'lose I placed under his charge. Mr Fouiis s;iys '• ! -- i'-ie facli^M in this youna' di- ■ iob have not as yo»- gone verj' far outride tho essential subjects necessary to secure a pass However, a start in science has been made in the Wanganui District High School for boys, and in Foxton, Marton, Sandon, and Halcorabe .Schools Good results nre already apparent in the Wanganui District High School for boys and in the Foxtoii School. Text books not being used, the children rely entirely upon oral instruction. A Deservei » Compliment. — When Sir Win. Fox was presenting" tho medal to Mr Jenkins on Tuesday last, he incidentally referred in high terms to the services rendered by the popular -joach driver, George Pugsluy, at the wreck of the Felixstowe. He said : — " Before concluding I >«ust. allude tn tho other unhappy wreck — that of ths Felixstowe — when you were again »i prominent actor, aided by others, some of whom I see in this room, particularly Mr Pugsley, who, though better accustomed to hold the ribbons of a coacb. than the stesroar of a boat, rushed into the waves, and with great risk of life saved several ; and, indeed, all who could get hold of a rope, at least a hundred white men und Maoris, did their best to aid."