CIVIL SITTINGS. [Before his Honor Mr. Justice J. S. Moore.]

NATIVE LANDS COURT.— Wednesday. [Before F. D Fen ton (Chief Judge) and H. Monro, Esqrs.]

JVDGtaKNT IK TM TIRITIRT-MATANai 01 SB, The Court met at ten o'clook, for the purpose of giving judgment in the case of Tiritiri-Matangi, Mr. J. Russell appeared for the Crown ; the claimants were not represented. The Chief Judge read the following judgment : This is a claim by Matine Murupaenga and others, aboriginal natives, to bavea oertiiicate of title issued in their faVour for the island of Tiritiri-Matangi, in the Gulfof Hauraki. The case was commenced on the 3th of December feat, and was adjourned to the 13th of, March, was then further adjourned for jux -vrqcka to, enable the Crown to procure certain docu- and was again further adjourned for one month, those documents which were alleged to he necessary to the case of the Crown not having been received by its represent ttives here. The case has now been concluded, and comes up for judgment. The proofs for plaintiffs' case rest on the evidence of persons of the Aga'tlppataniwha and'Ngatitaihawa tribes'aud their relatives and' co-olaunants, ! and oon sist mainly of ancient ocenpanoy, chiefly before the time of the Ngapuhi incursion into this part of the country — the main facts being that the ancestors of the claimants lived there, and cultivated there^ were buried there, and had built a pa there, the' remains ol which have been seen by the present generation and may, as was stated by one witness, be discovered at the present day. From the time of the Ngapuhi inrasion the ancient possessors do not<api>ear to have held permanent possession of >> the island, or indeed to have exercised any- dominion over it, beyond acts of a very transitory - nature* indi cating only temporary occupation, and no intention of permanent domicile. Although the oase thus made out ia in itself meagre, yet it is of sufficient validity to justify this Court in ordering a certificate of '-title if no counter claimant or, objeotor had appeared. But there appears as an opponent and c<mn ten claimant the Crown, whose oase must be , carefully considered. 