TEE CAMBRIDGE LAND COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6570, 7 December 1882, Page 5

TEE CAMBRIDGE LAND COURT.

[BT TELEGRAPH. —ONYN- CORJSF.SPOKDKNT.] Cambridge, Wednesday. Tuk Whetu No. 3 case is now proceeding. It is a claim of some five thousand acres, and not involving any great intertribal question. It does not appear to excite much interest among the natives. Many of the people have returned to their homes. [FROM A CORRKSPONDENT.I Cambridge, Tuesday.

Business at tho Cambridge Court is proceeding slowly, but it is probable that the Waotu case, the centre of attraction, will close on Saturday next. Meantime the Court has taken up the Whetu No 3 case, giving parties in the Waotu case two or three days longer to come to an arrangement. There can be no doubt that the meeting which is to take place shortly after Christmas at the Waotu between the King party and the outside natives will be a most important one, and it will probably be the means of closing up all our present troubles. With a view to having a large meeting, both sides are sparing no efforts, and now Te Heuhen, of Taupo Hauauru Te Ngakau, and other important chiefs, have come over to Cambridge, with a view to arrange matters. The Cambridge Court has been one of the best conducted gatherings of native people that have taken place in Cambridge. It is now beyond all doubt that, apart from official or technical objections, the Court will have the chance of putting through an enormous area of the Kin;.; country, being the block known in the Gazette as the Hurakia block. It is beyond question that if Mr. Bryce had given a day or two longer to the people to consider their position, he would have had complete agreement with his proposals. To some extent, the action being taken now by Mr. Fenton will tend to keep matters open a little while longer, though public opinion in Waikato is in favour of the course being taken, and it is thought generally that the time has come when negotiations on a general basis have been carried far enough, and that the real object of all those negotiations may be attained without what is called a Kingite meeting. Of course, there will bo opposition to the application, because any proposal to take the Court's business away from Cambridge, simply means high treason in the minds of a number of business people in that township. Looking at the important fact of the necessity of opening up the King country, taking the railway through Taranaki, and settling a question of this kind, a request coming from an important chief like Rcwi is one which no Court is likely to disregard. A few notes and cheques which are now circulating in Cambridge might find their way into the hands of business people in Kihikihi and Te Awamutu ; a lamentation might go up from Cambridge, but there will be rejoicing around the hearthstones of Kihikihi for some weeks to come should the Court think it proper to accede to the request of Rewi.