ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. The Land Claimants. (To the Editor of the Southern Cross.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume I, Issue 33, 2 December 1843, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. The Land Claimants. (To the Editor of the Southern Cross.)

Sib,— The arrival of our new Governor is anxiously looked for by all classes of our small community, in hopes that many important questions will be settled which have hitherto retarded the progress of the Colony. Amongst those who have severely felt the injustice of the present system, perhaps none have more just cause of complaint than the unfortunate Land Claimants. Nearly four years have elapsed since their titles were declared invalid, and they were deprived of their pioperty by the confiscation Proclamation of Captain Hobaon. We could not at the time believe that he acted by the authority of the Home Government in issuing that Proclamation ; we gave the Cabinet of Great Britain credit for more honesty, more sterling worth, than to impute such an act of downright robbery to them. We could not for a moment credit they would violate the sacred rights of property, and resort to such mean artifices as to wring from the enterprize and hard earnings of her self-exiled sons their honestly acquired possessions ; indeed, now, we would rather impute these oppressive acts to the wilful and corrupt perversion of facts, the systematic mendacity that has pervaded the official reports relative to the European settlers and natives of New Zealand, which have blinded the eyes of the British ministry, and led them to stray so far from the path of rectitude, honor, and sound policy. But what shall we say to one of the late dispatches of Lord Stanley : " The quantity granted for any single claim shall not exceed 2560 acres, for (mark the reason) it has teen found inconvenient for large tracts of land to be in the hands of individuals." Admirable reasoning this for a member of the British legislature, a conservative too J Let us turn over and sift this new and specious ! doctrine, which is to serve as a precedent for tramp, ling on the sacred rights of property, and Bee how it will bear when applied to the aristocracy of England ; suppose the poor and industrious classes should get i the upper haad, and enact a law that on no account shall any man possess more than for it has been found extremely inconvenient for large turns of money to be in the hands of individuals. This is merely putting the same principle in another point of view ; doubtless it would be thought very hard and unjust by the rich, bus the poor pould plead a precedent in the tyrannical and oppressive acts of the Government towards the Land Claimants of New Zealand. ' '

The plain facts of the case are these : the native;of New Zealand about 100,000 in number, are acknowledged the proprietors of these Islands, a territory larger than England, Ireland, and Scotland; they alienate a portion of this land to Europeans, and receive a payment in their estimation more than equivalent to the lands they sell, besides the advantages they derive from civilized people residing amongst them, which cannot be estimated. The Government of England professing great regard for the natives and fearing lest the Europeans should have overreached them in the bargain, no doubt from very disinterested motives, resolve to investigate these purchases ; consequently a Court of Inquisition is established, consisting of three Commissioners, who have interpreters, native guides, &c, &c, with all the parapharnalia of an expensive establishment; here begin the -tender mercies of the Mother Country towards her selfexiled sons ; the natives arg indirectly bribed to deny the purchase by the Society of Propagationists, misnamed Native Protectors, who are employed in stirring them up to make objections to the Claims, assuring them that the land will reveit to them, if they only attend the Commissioners' Court, and deny having sold, or state that they were not aware they were selling the land when they signed the deed. These, and innumerable other low tricks are resorted to in order to complete the ruin of the L*»nd Claimants, the pioneers of civilization in New Zealand, who prepared the way for the colonization of our adopted country, and who, upon the landing of Captain Hobson received his solemn assurance that it was not the intention of Her Majesty's Government to deprive them of one single acre of land fairly purchased. And, after all the trouble of attendance and proof before the Commissioners, the paying of fees, and expense of getting natives to attend, what do we get awarded us ? One acre for every five shillings proved to have been paid to the natives, but no allowance made for the exorbitant fees paid the Commissioners ; but here I am wrong, we have waited four years and there are no claims settled ! we have got nothing yet ! ! ! the acre for every five shillings paid the natives is only a promise to some of us, so far removed in perspective that the rays of hope scarcely dawn through the interminable vista, The question is naturally suggested, why all thiß i cruel delay ? This vindictive process of slow torture ? Why did they not crush all hopes at once, and seize all the lands purchased by Europeans ? This would, have been kindness compared with the system they have adopted ; claimants could then have turned their attention to something else, and not have been placed in their present distressing situation, having pecuniary ! demands on them they cannot meet, and ready to be devoured by their ci editors the moment that small ! portion of property is awarded them ; which downright shame alone has compelled these legalized brigands to promise to return them. Twelve months would have amply sufficed for the investigation of all the claims, especially as the three Commissioners acted separately; but then to be sure a great evil would have ensued ; the large salaries of the Commissioners and then interpreters would have ceased.and they would have been compelled to get a living iv some honest way, instead of amassing a fortune while they withhold the miseruble pittance promised the Claimants. In searching for the motives which have induced the Government to these outrageous acts, we are lost j unless it be their intention to seize all the surplus lands themselves ; if so, their interference on the plea of jus-ice to the natives falls to the ground ; their own dispatches say that it is inconvenient to allow large tracts of land to remain in the hands of private individuals. Why then deprive those who have fairly purchased them, in order to return them to the natives who have princely domains still left of their own ? Besides, are they to commit unheard of acts of injustice to avoid an imaginary inconvenience ? Is the good faith existing between the Crown and the people to give way to the paltry expedients of the Secretary for the Colonies ? Has the Government yet to learn that the same integrity which binds the people to the Throne, guarantees them all constitutional rights ? and they have yet to prove that it is illegal for a British subject to purchase lands in a foreign country, whose independence was previously acknowledged, and Subsequently confirmed by the treaty of Waitangi. We all know that mere Proclamations are not law, and are only binding when founded in some existing law. Let us thon unite, and use all constitutional means to obtain justice ; let us petition the Governor upon his arrival, and as much must be left to his discretion, there can be no question but we shall get better terms ; the fees and expenses attending the Commissioners' Court, will in fairneßS be allowed as portion of the sum expended on the land, and considered in the quantity granted, and a compensation for the delay and loss of time should be urged ; standing firm in the integrity of our cause, let us unite to obtain those just rights that will enable us to liquidate the pecuniary embarassments many of us have been plunged into by the illegal and impolitic attemptß made to deprive us of our property. I am, Sec , &c, VESITAS. Auckland, November 28, 1843.