THIS DAY'S TELEGRAMS.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 136, 6 November 1874, Page 2

THIS DAY'S TELEGRAMS.

Auckland, November 5. The Star to-night publishes the summary of another petition by Sir Geo. Grey, addressed to the Superintendent, reviewing the position of the colonial land fund. The petition sets forth that he (Sir George Grey) recently received a copy of the Lyttelton ri'nr* of the 11th, from which lie became acquainted with the nature and origin of the compact of 1856, which took away the rights of the inhabitants of the province of Auckland to their share of the land fund of the colony. He therefore reports that thereon the petitioner proceeds to set forth, that in 1845 the British Parliament placed in the hands of the Governor of New Zealand £IO,OOO, to be employed in purchasing land from the natives and in extinguishing the Native title over land suitable for settlement, the land so acquired to be brought into the market as it was thought expedient. That it was foreseen that the property acquired would become very valuable as settlement progressed, and that its sale would afford the means for extinguishing native titles over land in other districts. It was provided in the terms of the grant that, while the profits from the land so acquired might be applied to immigration and public works, the original sum of £IO,OOO was to be deducted from the sales, and applied to the purchase of land in new districts. The operation was to be repeated as long as the native title could be extinguished. In this way very large tracts of land were acquired in the Middle Island and part of the North Island, a portion of which remain, and are, as well as other portions disposed of, very valuable. They were acquired with British money, and were the property of the Biitish people. The lands first acquired were, of course, those most easily obtained, owing to the smallness of the native population, and for the same reason, were those likely to be most easily colonized, and in which the land would advance proportionately in value, giving speedy prospects of a land revenue available for public services in all parts of New Zealand, and for extinguishing native titles over the other districts. That 1852 the Imperial Parliament granted a constitution to the colony, providing for the representation of the people in purely local legislation, and also a General Assembly. That the people were perfectly represented in the Provincial Councils, but not so much so in the General Assembly in which two estates out of the three were nominated by the Crown. That in the New Zealand representation Act of 1852, careful proclamations were adopted for preserving the system already provided for extinguishing native titles. Such lands as were acquired for the British nation were vested, and as there is reason to believe, are still vested in the Crown. The acquisition of these lands with an Imperial grant, and in a way which should previously lie in operation, was specially insisted upon. In the despatch to the Governor from the Imperial Government transmitting the New Zealand Constitution Act, the Governor was authorised to use money and the Assembly was restricted from interference, the surplus l arising from the value of land only being placed at the disposal of the Assembly. The p°titioner here adduces several proofs that the surnlus only could be dealt with by the Colonial Legislature, and that only the Governor and Superintendents were empowered to extinguish native titles. This wise provision was made in order to create a valuable public estate, and it was foreseen that the capital provided would be constantly augmenting, and last for generations. The principle involved was one which recognised the duty of the most flourishing parts of the empire to assist the poorer parts. It was by this means that the influence and commerce of the British Empire has been raised to their present high position. It was to the interest of the whole colony that native titles should be extinguished in other parts of the colony, because the land estate for the colony in this way was being constantly acquired. That the people of Auckland were particularly interested in the extinguishing of native titles, because they were generally small farmers, living with their families in the midst of native territory. A large area of the province was also covered with forests, and was much broken, rendering the construction of the public works, necessary to open up communication, difficult and expensive. The petitioner set it out, as a general principle, that if the more powerful Governmept deprived the weaker of its revenue, the latter gradually sinks, and ultimately becomes an object of contempt to our citizens, who might in this way be led to let another Government rule them. The petitioner then proceeded to state that the depression of the province of Auckland had mainly arisen from a resolution passed by the General Assembly in 1856, advocating the giving to Provincial Governments the control over the lands that belonged to the Crown, and further that the British Parliament, on representation being made to it in 1857, passed an Act amending the Constitution originally granted to New Zealand, but this Act clearly defined its intentions, namely, to relieve the territorial revenue of charges previously made upon it, other provision for meeting those charges having been provided. That in these measures the Provinces were ignorant of the extent and scope of what was being done. The petitioner respectfully submitted that due provisions was not made as required by the amending Act of the Imperial Parliament, and for these reasons it seems doubtful whether some Acts of the General Assembly, in dealing with the waste lands of the colony, were not open to question as to their validity and force. The petitioner here reviews the restrictions that were placed around the original grant, for which provision was made wlfen the Constitution was granted, and subsequently for preserving and maintaining the system of creating a public estate, and adds that it seemed doubtful whether the Act removing the charges upon the land fund, which had been created for the people, would have seemed best in the Assembly without any special provision to that effect. The Act assumed powers which that Legislature never possessed, and which the Crown itself could not exercise without a special Act of Parliament. The petitioner then jiroceeds to set forth that a resolution has been recently passed by the General Assembly in relation to the disposal of the land revenue over the colony, and it was doubtful whether the legislature possessed the power to pass such resolutions, but it was most probable that the resolutions would be submitted to the Home Government, with a view to action thereon. He maintained that the people of the Province of Auckland should be made acquainted with every step taken, in order that they might be afforded

an opportunity for defending their rights, either in the Colonial Parliament or in the British House of Commons. Moreover, a member of the General Assembly had publicly stated in Auckland recently, that the Southerners admit that the North Island had not been fairly dealt with in connection with the resolutions of 1866, and they were anxious to come to reasonable terms. The petitioner maintained that this was a sufficient reason why such reasonable terms should be come to, and the rights of the people of Auckland secured. He therefore prays the Superintendent to take such steps as he and his advisers may think best, to secure the rights of the people of the Province of Auckland, and prevent any hurried action in the matter by the British Parliament. November 6. Arrived : The ship Hydaspes, from London. She made the voyage in seventyseven days, from leaving her pilot. She brings 400 immigrants. There were eleven deaths from scarlatina. Fat cattle—Usual supply; prices lower; 25s to 32s 6d per 100 lbs ; fat sheep, last week’s rates, 4d to 5d per lb; half-bred hoggets, in low condition, 13s to 15s ; lambs, 9s to 10s. Wellington, November 6. Quotations: Flour, £l3 10s; oatmeal, £25; oats, 6s 3d to 6s 6d; bran, Is 4d to Is 6d. No wheat. Bacon, scarce, at Is; hams. Is Id. Cheese, 9d. Dunedin, November 6. An action has been taken on behalf of the Government with a view of prosecuting the locomotive foreman who caused the late railway accident. The case will be heard on Tuesday. Quotations for grain are unaltered; oats continue scarce at 5s 6d.