To the Editor of the Hawke’s Bay Times.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 48, 29 May 1862, Page 5 (Supplement)

To the Editor of the Hawke’s Bay Times.

In my last I failed to notice the i « j.i,„ • .. , , jjinu U 1 me uuuui m nie empire City 5 uCidress which affords a ray of hope to this Province. It is the announcement that ‘ 1 his honor” has had conferred on him the duties of Land Purchase Commissioner for his Province. After this, the General Government can hardly cornjiel this Province to support a department with nothing to do, as it has done for some time past. What is sauce for the Wellington gander ought to be sauce for the Hawke’s Bay goose. It is unnecessary to argue whether the Superintendent is, or is not, the fittest officer to bargain with the natives, as it is generally admitted that land purchasing is at an end in this Province (for a time, at least). The open questions will of course have to be settled by the Chief Commissioner, than whom probably no person is more competent; but these arranged, we need no more Land Purchase Department to receive salaries and live in idleness. It will be quite immaterial for a time whether the Superintendent of Hawke’s Bay is gazetted Land Purchase Commissioner or not, if the expense is saved to the Province. For there can be no valid reason why the unfortunate Province of Hawke’s Bay should be saddled with the costs of two separate, and to some extent antagonistic, native departments. For one, of which the Civil Commissioner is the nominal head, Hawke’s Bay will have to pay, and that at a long figure, no doubt. It will not be forgotten that a large portion of the land purchase loan allotted to this district has been invested, not in land, but in departmental expenses ; i.e., in providing salaries for a few favoured individuals for doing nothing. The blame heretofore was due to the Stafford Ministy for this state ot affairs, but it is surely time to cry hesiano on that score. Let the si'necurists be tiansferred to some other Province, where cash is more abundant in the treasury. luis honor’ intimates, although somewhat reservedly, that he hopes ere long the nath es will offer land for sale ,: but even should his hopes be realised, there is little or no hope in that line for Hawke’s Bay during the existence of the “ policy.” The circum" stances (and probably the views) of the natives differ considerably in the two provinces. Ihe Wellington natives are nominally the most thorough going Kingites, but as they have found out that Featherston, Hadfield, & Co., are their protectors and supporters against the Queen’s Governor, possibly they may be induced to dispose of some of their waste land, always supposing that Hadfield and Featherston pull one way, for otherwise such an event would be most improbable. At any rate they are not very strongly bound to the Kingship. On the other hand, the Heretaungauug (Hawke's Bay) natives are wealthier, and have given more practical support to the Kingship ; and although willing to accept “ bags of sovereigns” from the Governor, still sympathise with their King, (they still call him to matou Kingi) and would covertly assist him in war, by supplying cash and ammunition, as well as in peace by prohibiting land sales, and by resuming possession of as much as possible of what has been already alienated. Besides, land has been offered in the Province of Wellington, and that during the Taranaki disturbance, under the Stafford regime, notwithstanding the opposition of Hadfield and Co. ; so it is quite possible land may be again offered, under the alliance of the three F’s and the pro-Maori ecclesiastic ; but we can hardly expect the same results of the alliance” in favour of Hawke’s Bay. Yours, &c.. May 13th, 1862. A Saxon.