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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3744, 16 July 1883, Page 2

The Native Land Settlement Bill, that is now attracting so much attention, comes on to-morrow for its second reading. The sixth claaso has been expunged by consent of the promoters, so that no special power for purchasing , nativo lands is now sought by the Bill. It however, still seeks to acquire and hold native lands in trust; it still seeks to obtain the special assistance of the Native Lands Courts, mid it still aims to be independent of the Trust Commissioner under the Frauds Prevention Act. In a petition that has been numerously signed for pi'csentation to Parliament it 13 set forth

That the Bill is dangerous to the general interests of the people of this colony, inasmuch as it confers on a favored few the power of land monopoly, nntl the creation of vast estates, whicli power, if so conferred, would be unjust, injurious and diametrically opposed to the interests of the inhabitants of the colony generally, and ruinous to the prospects of tho country.

That the Bill seeks to divert into tho hands of the company tho control of nativo land matters now exercised by tho Hon. the Minister for Native lands, abolish his office, and vest the power exercised by him in the hands of private individuals.

That the Bill seeks to divest the natives of the protection afforded them by tho Native Lands Fraud Prevention Act, and virtually seeks to repeal that Act, and the Maori ileal Estate Management Act. That tho provision contained in the fifteenth clause of the Bill for incorporating tho Roads and Bridges Construction Act, 1881, giving thereby to the company the powers of duly constituted local governing bodies, for applying for, and receiving public money (without the concurrence of the ratepayers being , first obtained) from the revenue of the colony, is, in itself, a monstrous claim for any private individuals to make the Parliament of this colony—is diametrically opposed to tho principles of manhood suffrage and true local government, and debars tho ratepayers as well as their representatives in Parliament from having a voice in tho disbursement of the revenue of the colony. That the power sought to be obtained by the aforesaid clause of the Bill enabling privato individuals to contract with the Minister of Public Works or the Colonial Treasurer, and by the passing of a resolution by the company to roceive sums of pubiic money, is unjust to the tax payers of this colony, is disrespectful to your Honorable House, and if such a power be ever granted, it cannot fail to be productive of grave and startling abuses.