G.—2.

Monday, the 10th Day of September, 1894. Upon reading the application aforesaid of the said Edward Circuit Latter and Harry Joseph Beswick filed in this honourable Court, and upon proof of the service thereof upon the objectors named in the said application, and upon hearing the evidence adduced before the Court by all the parties appearing before it, and upon reading the several documents exhibited in evidence, and upon hearing Mr Finn, of counsel for the said applicants, this Court doth declare, order, and decree as follows :— 1. It is declared that the several contracts for sale to Eobert Heaton Ehodes, of Christchurch, Esquire (now deceased), made by the following persons, owners in the said Kotorepaia Block—Tuta Nihoniho, Eerata Hape, Heri Nohoaka, Hori te Ori, Erara Eauhaere, Peti Poihakera, Eruera Ariari, Peti Matekiro, Kararaina Turaki, Eopata Wahawaha—for the sale of their respective freehold interests in the said Kotorepaia Block to the said Eobert Heaton Ehodes, are contracts invalid and incapable of being enforced without the assistance of this honourable Court, by reason of their having been respectively made not in accordance with the requirements of the statutes then in force (but now repealed) regulating the sale of the said interests in the said block. 2. It is further declared that the said several contracts are contracts which, irrespective of form, had they been made between Europeans, touching and concerning lands held under Crown grant, would have been valid and binding contracts capable of being enforced in the Supreme Court. 3. It is further declared that the said several contracts were not in any respect contrary to equity and good conscience. 4. It is further declared that the said several contracts were fully and perfectly understood at the time they were entered into by the contracting parties, and were fair contracts for reasonably sufficient and lawful considerations at the time and under the circumstances in which they were made. 5. It is now ordered and decreed that the said Edward Circuit Latter and Harry Joseph Beswick shall be entitled to an estate of fee-simple in possession, free from all encumbrances, in all that parcel of land containing by admeasurement 794 acres, more or less, situated in the Hikurangi Survey District, and known as the Kotorepaia No. 2 Block, as the same is delineated on the plan drawn hereon edged red, and it is further ordered and decreed that all other titles to the said parcel of land known as Kotorepaia No. 2 Block shall be henceforth void, destroyed, and of none effect, and it is declared that the certificate of title issued by the District Land Eegistrar of Hawke's Bay under the provisions of the Land Transfer Act to the said Native owners shall be cancelled, and deemed as of none effect, and that a certificate of title under the provisions of the said Land Transfer Act be issued in favour of the said applicants, Edward Circuit Latter and Harry Joseph Beswick, therefor. Leave is hereby reserved for the said applicants to move for any further or other decree in the premises. Witness the hand of his Honour George Elliott Barton, Esquire, Judge, and the seal of the said Validation Court, this 10th day of September, 1894. G. E. Baeton, Judge.

PAEKAWA No. 2 BLOCK. In the Validation Covet at Gisboene. In the application of Edward Circuit Latter and Harry Joseph Beswick, both of Christchurch, trustees of the estate of Eobert Heaton Ehodes (deceased) for validation of thirty-seven contracts for sale of freehold interests in the Paekawa No. 2 Block, situate in the Gisborne Native Land Court District, and within the jurisdiction of the Validation Court sitting at Gisborne. Monday, the 10th Day of September, 1894. Upon reading the application aforesaid of the said Edward Circuit Latter and Harry Joseph Beswick filed in this honourable Court, and upon proof of the service thereof upon the objectors named in the said application, and upon hearing the evidence adduced before the Court by all the parties appearing before it, and upon reading the several documents exhibited in evidence, and upon hearing Mr. Finn, of counsel for the said applicants, this Court doth declare, order, and decree as follows :— 1. It is declared that the several contracts for sale to Eobert Heaton Ehodes, of Christchurch, Esquire (now deceased), made by the following persons, owners in the said Paekawa Block—Mere Waimanuka, Kerana te Purai, Eopihana Huatau, Erana Eauhaere, Te Honiana Auriri, Mere Whariki, Euira Wharekohu, Mere Arihi Tawhara, Natama Maukau, Piripi te Awarau, Te Hemara Moana, Heni Mohoaka, Eenata Apawai, Hori Tutere, Pipi Taweka, Mokena Horua, Perenata Kaiwi, Mere Euawahine, Euira Kahawai, Eaana Pakau, Wiremu Taika, Hare Maruata, Piniha Tahiriri, Eiwai Tauranga, Nepia Hurikara, Naera Otutu, Mokena Kahu, Wi Pahau, Wiremu te Owai, Eruera Ariari, Heni te Aomihia, Eenata Hape, Kereama Kaipara, Apirana Tatua, Peti Poihakena, Ham iora Ngarimu, Himiona te Moana —for the sale of their respective freehold interests in the said Paekawa Block to the said Eobert Heaton Ehodes, are contracts invalid and incapable of being enforced without the assistance of this honourable Court, by reason of their having been respectively made not in accordance with the requirements of the statutes then in force (but now repealed) regulating the sales of the said interests in the said block. 2. It is further declared that the said several contracts are contracts which, irrespective of form, had they been made between Europeans, touching and concerning lands held under Crown grant, would have been valid and binding contracts capable of being enforced in the Supreme Court. 3. It is further declared that the said several contracts were not in any respect contrary to equity and good conscience.

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