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A Compendium of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs in the South Island. Volume Two.

[introduction]

The first sitting of this Court which has been hold in Canterbury was opened at 10 o'clock this morning. The old Town Hall was crowded with Natives, and as many Europeans as could find standing room. Throughout the day much curiosity was manifested in the proceedings, as might well be expected from the fact that no sitting had before taken place under " The Native Land Act." A marked contrast was apparent between to day's sitting and those held from time to time in the North Island. There, the frequency of the sittings has taught the Natives that an observance of the strictest order is essential to the speedy adjudication of their claims; and if more confusion was created to-day than should have been, it is to be attributed to ignorance, not disrespect, on the part of some of the Natives. Although timely notice had been given in the Gazette, many of the claimants came into page 187Court entirely unprepared in the claims they sought to establish, occasioning thereby the waste of much time. At one period of the day the confusion was so great that the Judge was obliged to adjourn the Court for an hour, in order that matting might be put on the hall floor for the purpose of lessening the noise.

The cases set down for adjudication are of three descriptions. First, there are "succession" cases, or those in which the parties seek for orders to succeed their deceased relatives in the possesion of lands occupied by them iu their lifetime; the second order of cases is that in which tribes or hapns conteud for the possession of certain reserves made by the General Government in 1848, and subsequently; and the third class is made up of claims on the part of portions of the Natives to various sections in townships (not omitting Christchurch itself), which have even been conveyed to Europeans by the Government. The "succession" cases were proceeded with first of all. Mr. Mackay appeared to watch the proceedings, in some cases for the Crown, and in others for the Natives; Mr. Maxwell was sworn in as Interpreter; Mr. Wyna Williams cross-examined in cases where Natives claimed land held by Europeans by Crown grant from the Government; and Mr. Rolleston, Under Secretary for Native affairs, also took part in the proceedings.

At the opening of the Court, Mr. Wiiliams intimated that in the Port Levy case he appeared in opposition to the Kaiapoi Natives, and he had to apply for an adjournment, as he had not had time to look into the matter. The Chief Judge adjourned the case until Wednesday morning, and directed the "succession" cases to be called on. These were seven in number, and referred to sections in Kaiapoi. Hariata Pohata sought for an order of succession to Section No. 107, formerly held by Honi Pohata, deceased; Honi Hikana for an order to Section 27, formerly held by Tame Teio, deceased; Ramari for an order to Section 75, formerly held by Paora Tau; Wiremu Naihiri for an order to Section 19, formerly held by Marakaia Hape; Teoti Karatiti for an order to Section 102, formerly held by Pitama Karatiti; Reoni Te Meibana for an order to Section 37; and Hoani Maka Hape for an order to Section 43, formerly held by Ihaia Taibewa.

Hoani Maka Hape deposed: The piece of land I want to inherit is No. 43, at Kaiapoi. I live at Kaiapoi. This piece of land is held under Crown grants (produced). I am a nephew of lhaia. Ihaia has no children nor grandchildren. I am the eldest nephew. My uncle made a disposition of his property before he died. I have brothers and sisters. My hapu are agreed that I should succeed to the land.

The Court decided that the claimant could take an order of succession—no objection being raised by any Natives to Hape's possession of the land in question.

The other succession cases were called on but as none of the claimants had brought their Crown grants with them (some saying that they were in Mr. H J. Tancred's possession), the Chief Judge said he could not proceed with them. He would therefore adjourn them until next morning, so as to give claimant an opportunity of obtaining subpoenas for whatever witnesses they required. Claimants had better go to the lawyers for advice (as required by the rule of Court), for it was not his place to act in that capacity for the Maori people.

The cases were ordered to stand over accordingly.