THE PREMIER AND JUDGE BARTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9493, 24 April 1894, Page 5

THE PREMIER AND JUDGE BARTON.

QBY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Gisborne, Monday. A strong feeling is expressed here at the manner in which the Government are delaying the setting up of a Validation Court. A number of settlers have already spent large sums in preparing cases, advertising applications, etc., to come before the Court, but owing to the delay ib is unlikely they will, as was promised, be able to get their titles validated at the next sitting of Parliament. With reference to Mr. Seddon's statement that the delay was caused through the rules drawn up by Judge Barton having been declared unworkable, and having to be re-drawn by the law officers of the Crown, it is stated on the best authority that the only alterations in the rules submitted by Judge Barton were quite immaterial, the principal having relation to the franking of correspondence with slight immaterial amendments. Judge Barton'B rules were, after several months delay, approved and gazetted. The Premier remarked that the colony should not be pub to the expense of validating illegal transactions of those who had been breaking the law, bub it is pointed out that many of the settlers have been placed in the most unenviable position with regard to their titles, solely because of the incapacity of our legislators. The highest judicial authorities have repeatedly stated that the native land laws are in a hopeless state of confusion, a mass of conflicting contradictory matter, utterly unintelligible to anybody. The Premier made a complaint to the Press Association at Wellington, while the report of the judge's remarks, telegraphed by the agent here, measured four inches, his reply was comfressed into one inch of reading matter, n reply to this, the Association agent here states that both telegrams were only abbreviated reports. Judge Barton said fully four times as much as Mr Seddon, and the telegram sent regarding the matter contained merely a fair summary of his remarks. In reply, in defence of the Government over the matter, the Wellington Ministerial morning journal states that " the Premier informs 'us that shortly before he left Gisborne a member of the legal profession who was in court when Judge Barton and Mr. Finn made the remarks which hare been so industriously circulated throughout the colony, informed him that it was a stupid reporter who was to blame in the matter, and that the qualifying remarks of Judge Barton had been omitted in reply." To this the Herald states that there was no other lawyer present on the occasion, the only persons in courb being the judge, Mr. Finn, the interpreter, and the reporter. Judge Barton read from a written statement, which was afterwards handed bo the reporter and published without any omission or alteration.