A MAORI APPEAL CASE.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11996, 24 July 1907, Page 4

A MAORI APPEAL CASE.

Wellington, July 23. A native case occupied the Appeal Court to-day. It appears that in 1865 the Te Akau block, of 160,000 acres, situated between, the mouth of the Waikato river and Raglan was confiscated, but some 95,000 acres were returned to the loyal native owners of the Ngatitahunga and Tainui tribes. There were fifty-eight members of the former, and thirty members of the latter. Ever since 1865 the proper allocation of the land has been in dispute, and at intervals has been the subject of enquiiie^.by Courts and Commissions. Eventually it was relegated to the Native Appellate Court, which decided that the Te Akau block never had been confiscated, and that the Maori customary title still existed. That Court thus confirmed deoisions arrved at in 1891 and 1904. It awarded the Tainui tribe 15,000 acres, fixing t*ie dividing line along the old tribal boundary. The Tainui natives are now appealing against that decision on the grounds (1) of the bias of Judge Browne, (2) that tho Native Appellate Court exceeded its jurisdiction. Mr Bell, K.C., and Mr Ostler are appearing for the whole of the Ngatitahunga tribe; Mr Bell, K. C, and Mr Bloniiield foi a certain section of the same tribe; Mr Earl and Mr Morrison for tho Tainui tribe; and Mr Skerrett, K. C, and ,Dr Findlay, K. C, for the Judges of the Native Appellate Court. The case will be continued to-morrow.