THE HOROWHENUA BLOCK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10376, 3 June 1895, Page 3

THE HOROWHENUA BLOCK.

-There are some new developments (sayd the Post) in respect to the Horowhenua. block. The original block contained E>2,000 acres, and this was cut up into a number of subdivisions! with respecb to wHich dealings were effectedi No. 3 was a typical division of 11,000 acre3| ■with 106 ijwners entered in the certificate of title, and the ownership was undisputed. In 1889-90 these certificated owners effected a partition of , their interests, and the greater portion of the laud has since been sold'to Europeans, who have registered their transfers of fee simple and leases under the Land Transfer Act. In some cases the original transferees hiivo again sold or leased, and various transactions have taken place since the Land Transfer title wt£s established. Borne transactions, however, fire still uncompleted, and these were set down for hearirig at thfe Native Land Court now being held at Levin, when the decision tif the Cdtttt of Appeal as to Hnnia'g trusteeship was given. ... To "jhe amazement of all the parties, the individuals who tad brders executed and awaiting confirmation were informed by the presiding judge of the Native Land Court that ho had received a communication from the Native Land Purchase Commissioner instructing him not to deal with any of the cases. It was ultimately found that the Government bad discovered in the archives of the Native department a long-forgotteri and disregarded proclamation of 1887, giving the Governmnnl pre-emptive right of purchase over the wbnle blobk. So completely forgotten was this, afad so absolutely has it been allowed to remain a dead letter.that the Land Transfer Office has gone on registering titles and transfers idryeark past in respect of the 1 and proclaimed: arid now all who have been dealing with these lands in good faith find their titles threatened and all dealings of any kind with their lands stopped. ~.,,,