THE Temuks Leader. SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1892. AN OLD CLAIM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2368, 11 June 1892, Page 2

THE Temuks Leader. SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1892. AN OLD CLAIM.

Some time ago, we received a cablegram stating that a native chief had offered 500,000 acres of land to General Booth for the purposes of his settlement. It turns out now that this was all a mistake, as shown in a recent issue of the Otago Daily Times. It really had no reference to the matter at all, and dealt with an old dispute concerning 500,000 acres of land, which an American subject claims. The case is stated as follows by the Otago Daily Times : —“ Webster’s history is that when a young man, he came to this colony with OOOOdol invested in goods, to trade with the Maoris. He purchased from them the right to sot up a trading station at Coromandel, and was the first white man to settle there. Me learnt to speak the Maori language, and largely increased his capital by trading in pork, timber, and other productions. He bought land at or near the present site of Auckland, and was the first white man to settle there. As he prospered, he increased his land purchases, established a shipbuilding yard, and generally claims that he was the pioneer of civilisation in that section of the country. He sought to convey to the United States the Great Barrier Island, then largely resorted to as a whaling station. fie claims that when Great Britain took possession his lauds and other property were worth one million sterling. The treaty concluded deprived him of this property. His land included 850 acres at Coromandel Harbour, 2500 acres at its head known now as Taupiri, and 1000 acres known as Waiau, 1500 acres on the Thames, 8000 acres on the Piako river, 20,000 acres being the whole of Big Barrier Island, Areas in other districts and other islands bring up the total to about 500,000 acres. Webster, after losing his property, as he alleges, by British Government assuming sovereignty over New Zealand, went to the States to assert his rights, and fell into poverty. In his petition to the United States Senate he claimed an indemnity of 78,145d0l for loss and damage up to January 1840, and G,573,000d0l for loss and damage for land purchased from 1835 to 1840, The United States Senate, it may be stated, passed a resolution that the claim for indemnity was founded on justice, and deserved the cognisance and support of the Government of the United States, and the President was requested to take such steps as he thought proper to secure William Webster a just settlement and final adjustment of his claim against Great Britain.” When Sir Sobert Stout was in office he investigated the subject, with the result that he reported to theSecreta+y of (State that he was “ Satisfied equally with Lord Carnarvon that Webster had been treated with liberal justice, especially seeing that awards were uiade in his favour, or in favour of his acknowledged assigns, pf every single acre which the Native ovynprs whether claiming as a British subject qi- as an American citizen.” The matter is evicjenjtly bping revived onpe more, but whether it will come to anything remains to be seen,