POLITICAL NOTES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3163, 1 October 1892, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

(BY TKI.KiiItAIMI il'm.U, C-)llUI-:sl"ONIiKNT) Wki.i.i.nciun-, l,a-l, Night, NAT I VK LAND LAWS.

Dl'KiXi; the seend readim: of the N dive Land Titles Valid llinn Bill, Mr Roes the .House back to a very remote period of .Maori history, to.idling on tho treaty of Wuitiinei. the HawUe's Hay Native Land Commi"ion |,ivsi,ie<l ~wr by.Mi- .lii-iice Richmond, and the various native land laws tint Intvr" tie,-n paxs-d (run time to time since, llespiikn strongly against the present iiill, and said that to propt.se to d.al \V:th the native land business by mollis of such a ISill was trying to t-tein a torrent with a straw. There were now he said, no fewer than 115,000 cases bef, re. the Native Lands Court, and s,,o:e of the jndaus of these courts were not lit to act as resident magistrates. O:ie case had lasted fourteen months, and absorbed in costs t'30,000, while another, involving lan-: worth .tl.")0,000, had been deposed of in half an hour. As to the Hill before the, ll.i-.usfi, the Attirney-lieneral, in introducing it in the Couneil,'-aid iie .lid li't understand it, and read an exposition from the Chief Judje, who, it was equally cleir, was as ignorant as the Attorney -General himself. It was a case of the blind leading tl)3 blind. What they needed was a specialy constituted unquestionably competent coirini-sion, winch would lie cheap even if it cost £1,000. Mr Buckland, who generally speaks in opposition 11 Mr Rees, especially on native matters, suppoited the Ii i 11. and said that tho reason why Mr Rees opposed it was owing to his personal hostility to the Native Minister. The N,,tive Affairs Committee recommended that the Validation ot Titles Bill be allowed to proceed with amendments, and ll.e committal of the measure was fixed for Monday. DEPUTY CIUKI' , JUDGK. Mr Cadiuan, this afternoon, introduced a Bill which provides for the appointment of a Deputy Chiet .fudge for the Native Lands Court. The reas-m for the appointment is that the Chief Judge, Mr S-tti Smith, has obtained six months' 1-avn of absence owing to failing eyesight, and it is b'lievnl that, ho intends proceeding to Kugland for medical advice. A CHINESE PETITION. A petition has been presented to the House by Ah Sinn, Lee Siinf.' ai:d 2-1 other Chinese fruiterers and market gardeners carrying on busine-s in and about Wellington, praying tho Hou-e n'->t to pass the Hawkers and Pedlars Bill. They desire to be heard at the bar of the House in support i>£ their petition.