A NATIVE LAND DISPUTE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1024, 16 October 1891, Page 23

A NATIVE LAND DISPUTE.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Toloqa Bay, October 13.

The trouble which has been brewing between Mr Andrew Reeves, sheep farmer, and the Natives, culminated last week, when the Maories took possession of a large part of Reeves’ run, driving his sheep off and setting up fences around his woolsheds to prevent him working his sheep. The Wharebaka property was purchased by Mr Andrew Reeves some years ago, and its title is defective owing to legal irregularities, omissions, and technical defects in tho original transactions. Reeves is unable to take proceedings to eject the Natives owing to an Act passed last session suspending all litigation, and he is put to great 1033 by being prevented from working his sheep. For the purpose of ereoting their fences tho Maoris seized and used a number of posts belonging to Reeves, for the value of which the latter to-day sued. The plaintiff stated iu evidence that the Maoris had taken possession of his woolshed and stable, and would not allow him to go on the land. He offered to let them have the section of land adjoining, larger in area than that on which the sheep yards stood, but the Natives would not agree. The defendants’ solicitor raised a nonsuit point that some of the posts claimed for having once been in the land were par -of the freehold, and the freehold being in dispute, the question of title could not be adjudicated by his This point was reserved for argument in Gisborne.