THE LEASING OF NATIVE LANDS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 49, 5 June 1862, Page 3

THE LEASING OF NATIVE LANDS.

To the Editor of the Daily Southern Cross. Sut, —A more interesting and instructive task for any person who takes even the most cursory interest in the course of events as they transpire around us as a Colony, it would he hard to conceive, than an attentive perusal ol the well known “ Six Colonies of New Zealand, by Mr. W. Fox,” published in 1851 ; and a due comparison of the sentiments and arguments contained therein, with the line of action taken by the same gentleman during the term that has elapsed since he has been placed at the head of the Colonial Ministry, there being no question of any importance respecting the relations existing between the colonists and the native race on which Mr. Fox has shown any of that greatly prized quality of a noble mind— consistency; but on the contrary, on each and all such' questions —the native character—their government — the dealings with them respecting the waste lands—their word with (he Imperial Government, or what not, the whole course of nation pursued by that gentleman in powe”, is as directly opposed as possible to that which might have bent expected from the writer of the “ Six Colonies .” Among all these topics there is one that more nearly concerns the Province of Hawke's hay than dues the others, and it was one on which Mr. Fox is perhaps more plain spoken than usual. Certain it is. language more strong than he uses on this question, could hardly ho. found. The ouostiou is that of leasing land direct from the natives. Three or four pages of the work alluded to —(p.p. SM—l)B) —are occupied in describing the evils of the practise, and in exposing the feebleness and supineness of the local government in failing to take eilectual measure for its suppression. Notwithstanding the prevalence and illegality of the practice, only certain threatening proclamations were issue-1 from time to time, but not anything done calculated to give it any real check. Of the Wairarapa valley he thus writes —“ The whole valley is now, (1851'), parcelled out amongst a body of colonists holding by lease under the natives, and paying them a rent of no less than AGOG a-ycar. The Government has admitted that the occupants have, by its neglect, acquired a vested interest for which they must he compensated whenever the district is bought from the natives' ! ! ! Again, “ Long experience, of the feebleness of the local, government had rendered its proclamations waste paper, and numerous parlies from the h.ighe d to the lowest, openly ami without any attempt at couceaimeiu, proceeded to enter into arrangements with the natives.'’ “ A party was gazetted us ] mhlic inform er, who was himself notorously an offender and at last, the whole argument is summed up in these words : —“ If this practice is continued the renewal of disturbance with the natives may he looked for, as a matter of certainty, whereever it is allowed; their covetousness has already led them to repudiate their bargains , and many sources of dillerenco arc growing up between them and their tenants. Both are transgressors of the law, and living practically beyond its pale. The only means of settling any serious dispute that may arise will he the tomahawk: retaliation will ensue, and the responsibility will rest on those who ought to have prevented the origin or continuance of the practice.” We.might almost think the above had been written concerning this province of Hawke's Bay, and in 1801, instead of ten years before, it is so applicable to all that has occurred here ; all the evils of the grass money question, cattle seizing, &c., has arisen from this cause ; it has thrown almost insuperable obstacles in the way of the acquirement of fresh lands to meet the

wants of the settlers, and has at length led to the ruin of the Province as a field for immigration. It was hut recently plainly stated in our Provincial Council tha “ all the agricultural lands in the province were already sold and no one supposes now that the public are to compete with the government in dealing with the natives for land ; that more will he obtained, or even that the natives will sell if they think that they can get the value of the laud every year, and still retain it as their own. At Hawke’s Bay, too, it was the culpable snpiueness of the local government, that failed to prevent the spwead and continuance of the practice. And when the public informer was a notorious violator of the law, and more than this, it was of Hawke’s Bay that the practicability of enforcing the law was (in mere mockery) tried by a series of sham trials (vide Hawke's Bay Times, 24th October, 18G1, leading article) in which good care was taken that no harm should he done to the squatters, hut avowedly to ‘prove the impracticability of the law, that certain parties might take advantage of the fact. It could not he urged by ■Mr. Fox that he was in any way ingorant of I the evils of the system, for his own work only too truly exposes them 10 years before, why then, when in power, was not measures taken to stop (lie system of illegal land leasing, especially as some striking proof was needed of the majesty of the law, to convince the native race that it was a reality and not a sham. Before the intended attempt was made to introduce law and order amongst them if this had been done, if ail the illegal occupiers of native land had been sought out and punished according to the law, further proof would not have been needed by the native that it was all it pmofcsscd to he, and not a mere bugbear to frighten the timid. It is a course of action on the part of the Government like this that is urgently required by the times. We see on "all hands the various ordinances regulating the dealings of the Europeans with the natives violated continually with impunity; contraband articles—as gunpowder, arms, alcoholic liquors, Ac., die., (even now in Port Napier, the natives have no difficulty in procuring gunpowder; it is sold to them in porter bottles, labelled and capsuled as porter, which, by the way, they can legally no more buy than they can gunpowder) are almost as easily obtained by them as by any of the set tiers, and no inquiry is instituted as to the offender. No steps are taken for his punishment. V hen the colonial press informs us of intoxicated natives committing such or such a crime, no one seems to ask where did he obtain the drink, or who is it lias sold it to him in violation of the ordinance to the contrary I finch stringent, energetic measures as this is what was required by the state of the native mind, and not the exhibition of weaKiiess made by the Fox Ministry. If an instance be required, it is only necessary to refer to lute events. On the occasion of Mr. m’Ts late visit, he made it quite plain that no prosecutions for breach of the land ordinance would bo undertaken, but existing contracts, with the natives would he r-espected, et the same time advising that no fresh contracts should he made with them until the new institutions were in operation, and gently threatening what would be the consequence ul the contrary course; but so gently as rather to favour than othcnvisc, the act. The consequence was that persons wanting to lease runs under the Maoris took good care to lose no time in waiting for new institutions but hastened ofl and made their bargains at once. News of this reached Auckland, and the consequence was, the issue of a document prohibiting the practice, and threatening that the Government would not feel bound to sanction such bargains. Of course, this did not stop) it, neither could any one have thought it would do so, even at the time and place of its issue. On a future occasion, I shall probably resume the subject of the discrepancy between the words of Mr. Pox, when a candidate for popularity eleven years ago, and tlio actions and expressed opnnions of Mr. Fox now a leader of a Ministry, and illustrate it by further reference to the work now quoted. Certain it is that the aspiect of the native question has not changed, so as to make what was true then false now, neither can it he said that the weakness displayed by a past ministry is any reason for a continuance of the same course ; rather the reverse. If Mr. lox wishes to prove the superiority of his administration over that of his predecessor, it should be done by an exhibition of the opposite quality. 1 am. Sir, A Hawke’s Bay Settler.