NATIVE LAND PURCHASES.

Evening Star, Issue 4130, 23 May 1876, Page 4

NATIVE LAND PURCHASES.

Sir George Grey has addressed a long letter to the Governor protesting against the permission granted by the Government to favored individuals empowering them to purchase lands within districts that have been reserved from sale by the exercise of the pre-emptive right of the Crown. His remarks have special reference to a large block of land, 13,000 acres in extent, m Upper Thames, purchased by Mr Mackay on behalf of Mr Thomas Russell, and passed through the Lands Court this month. He says:— I think I neither err nor exaggerate in stating that to apply such pre-emption to the poor and defenceless, and to exempt from its operation the powerful and wealthy in some districts, wonld be a moral crime of grave character; and if the powers of the Crown and authority of the Queen should be used for the perpetration of such an offence, then a crime would also be committed against the majesty and justice of the Empire. Tour Excellency will, I feel assured, admit that the Crown authority should not bo used such purposes as this; and that no Governor could venture in defiance of law to attach his name to a grant of land which a breach of all public law and justice allowed to be obtained by an individual by the Ministry of the day on such principles. The Gbremor replies throwing the responsibility upon the Miaistiy, to which Sir George sent an answer, stating that it was the names of the Queen and Crown that were being used, and that if trouble arose from wrong done to the Natives, which was not unlikely, the Governor alone would be responsible. He requested that the correspondence be forwarded to the Imperial authorities.