WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8375, 1 October 1890, Page 6

WEST COAST SETTLEMENT RESERVES.

[BY TJSXEGUAPH.—OWN COKKK.SPONDKST ] Wellington, Tuesday. I am told that the native owners are likely to bring their claims to the Supreme Court as toon" as the Suspension Act passed in 1888 shall have expired. That will be in three months after the expiration of tho present Parliament, The position is as follows :—The native owners petitioned the Legislature agaiustthe lessees in 1887 upon the , ground that the holdings were rented below their value. An Act was passed in the session (1889) providing for an Arbitration Court. The Court Hat, but the Maoris would not go before it. They refused to accept service of the summon -s to attend. The arbitration was held, and fixed the rents at rive per cent, .ijjon tho value after deducting improvements. The Maoris repudiated this as a fair rent. The duty of collecting the rents devolved in some cases upon the Public Trust Office, and in others upon the West Coast Reserves Commissioners. The natives claimed the improvements, and refused any other terms than the restoration of their lands. Many of the lessees, however, had erected buildings of various kinds, and had ploughed and improved the lands. A joint committee inquired into all these matters last session, of which the Hon. J. C. Stevens was chairman. After hearing a larce number of Maori witnesses, also the lessees and the oflicers of the Trust Of ice, they made a report, recommending that the leases should be continued for 30 years, when the land should return to the Maori owners, but the Maoris would not accept these terms. They were represented on the inquiry by three lawyers, namely, Sir It. Stout, Mr. Sinclair (formerly of Auckland), and Mr. Levi. The lessees were represented by Mr. H. D. Bell and Mr. Tripp. The evidence is one of the most voluminous documents ever issued by a Parliamentary Committee. When the recommendation of the Joint Committee was made known to the natives they made a counter proposal to the effect that the lessees might continue to occupy for five years at a peppercorn rent, the land at the end of that period to revert to the native owners. This proposal wan rejected by tho lessees. So the offer is for the present "hung up." The Suspension Act, to which reference has been made, had the effect of staying all actions and legal proceedings affecting the West Coast settlement reserves. It is now declared that upon its expiring three months after the expiration of the present Parliament, writs will be issued against the lessees. It is stated that there are between 200 and 300 native owners, but the test acti ,n will determine two sets of leases, which include all the others. The result will therefore govern the whole of the cases in respect of which the Maori claims have been set up.