THE NATIVE LANDS BILL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 70, 30 October 1862, Page 3

THE NATIVE LANDS BILL.

To the Editor of the Hawke's Hay Times. —The public have been informed that a Bill to confer the rights of freeholders on the aboriginals of New Zealand has passed both Houses of our Colonial Parliament, and only awaits the sanction of Her Majesty’s advisers to become the law of the colony. There appears to be little ground to hope that the Royal Assent will be withheld, seeing that it is understood that the Bill has the approval of the two greatest Maori doctors, Bishop Selwyn and Governor Grey. As its passing through the Assembly was ensured by the prestige of these names, and nothing said or written against it in the colony was likely to retard its progress, much less effect its rejection, so likewise no colonial complaint is likely to induce the Homo Government to disallow it. Hence we may look on its coming into operation as a certainty unless tiro .Secretary for the Colonies looks forward and takes alarm at the responsibilities which Britain will incur by sanctioning this measure. It is unnecessary to argue that we are not in equity bound to give a title to the natives, and by so doing confer on them all the value of our improvement of the Island, seeing that no public writer in Hawke’s Bay attempts to uphold that theory, your contemporary and yourself being at one on that head. -Moral right not requiring this , recognition of Aboriginal ownership, the question is entirely one of expediency ; and on that bead men equally sincere may hold and maintain directly opposing opinions. Ibat a majority of Northern Island members should vote for this measure appears strange, as it must inevitably retard the colonisation of the Island. But of that majority several are votes influenced by the doctrine of Bishop Selwyn, and some of the others belong to a class who have for years advocated the allowing of direct purchase from the natives, for the purpose, scarcely disguised, of making a penny by land speculating. Their chance on this head is not so good as it was a lew years ago ; fortunes will not he so easily acquired through the hands of the natives as they might have been then. At the same time, in common with your contemporary, I cannot approve of the conduct of the Wellington members, who voted, with hut one' exception, against the measure ; for it is a moral certainty that they would have voted for it, had it been introduced by (he Fox minstry, as it would have been had Fox not been induced to resign. The Wcllingtonians are true believers in Fox and Featherston, and no man not sharing in that faith is fit to represent a Wellington constituency. Hence, so long as box was on the box, no concession was too great, no sacrifice on our part too heavy, to humour our landlords. Yet now they oppose the same policy, because other men are the instruments, tlio real director, Sir G-. Grey, being the same. Mr. Colenso hit flic mark when ho said that (he Native Lands Bill was a fit retribution on the W cllingloninns for their (mischievous) opposition to Governor Browne. At the same time 1 confess that I have seen nothing advanced on the side of the question to induce any one to vote for the measure. It appears to have been treated by some as a chanyef which if it did not mend matters, could not make them worse than they are. ‘-The dying man grasps at a straw.” It, might have been said, \i e are undone, let ns try something, no matter what. ‘ ° The 'southern men’s game needs no explanation ; they have got (heir territory, and so need not trouble their heads too much about providing for the colonists ot this Island. They can raise largo revenues, and expend them in improving their (public) estate, without a dominant race to either retard their improvements or secure the profit ot them. But (he Southern men have made a mistake. If the colony is to remain one, the revenue of the Middle Island will have to hear its lull share of the cost of the Government of the colony, when the North Island is swamped witli its heavy load of native protectors, ike. ; and above all when the ordinary official expenditure is increased and supplemented by votes in compensation for breach of faith, &c., of which a plentiful crop may ho anticipated. The representatives of the Middle Island cannot repudiate their liability, having assented to (his measure. It is ridiculous to suppose that a rate of ten per cent, on the declared amount of purchase money will he sufficient to do much more than pay the cost of management, if indeed it suffices for that purpose. A specific rate of os. the acre might have been of some service, as that could not ho easily evaded. But it is from another point that the chief danger is to bo apprehended, and the expediency of the measure most strongly doubted. Is a title to bo in reality what it purports to be, the guarantee of possession against all coiners ? This is the implied contract'between the State and the individual ; if the State does not assure this, the Crown Grant, or instrument on which the title is based, is hut waste parchment. A Maori seignor can give actual possession, and what is more, in many eases protect the individual v.dio dwells under his shadow more effectually than the Crown of Great Britain can. This is a humiliating confession, hut it is no use attempting to disguise the fact, for fact it is. The man who pays a per ccntage, however small, to the Government, will have an equitable claim for compensation when prevented occupying ground that he has acquired with the sanction of the Government. No one who has watched events in the short history of the colony needs to be told that (lie public'always have to pay the piper eventually, frequently at an exorbitant rate. That plenty' suelT claims will arise few persons will deny. Whence then is the money to come? From this Island? The Southern men will say, Yes ; by all means. But this Island is not likely to have enough cash to carry on 3ts ordinary Government, so of necessity the other Island will have to pay the hill. They may and will growl, bnt there will he no alternative ; it will he, grumble if you choose, but pay whether or not. We might suppose Britain would likewise he hound in honour to fulfil the bargain made in its name, hut wo have already been taught by (ho treatment of our countrymen at Taranaki that Britain is not bound to assure that possession wliidi Victoria’s Representative lias Wornisecl

Henceforth a Crown Grant is only a permission to occupy, if the real lords of the soil will allow it. Were the Crown really bound to guarantee possession, wo might well question the expediency of its incurring additional and unnecessary liabilities, until it hud proved its competence to fulfil the engagements into which it has already entered. Yours, Ahuriri, 17th Oct., 1862. A SAXON.