Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1863.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 104, 6 April 1863, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1863.

His Honor the Superintendent's opening address to the Provincial(Council, is characteristic in the extreme, —cool, cautious, and calculating, suggesting much, proposing much, but like a skilful player leading off at a game of whist, committing himself in nothing. We never read a document so eminently,—so entirely characteristic of the man from whom it emanates as this opening speech. We will pass over without comment the first two or three paragraphs of this address as they are vague, and are in point of fact immaterial in purport and meaning, and our opinions upon the subjects which are touched by them are pretty well known. ; We quite agree with his Honor as touching the resources of this Province, few know its capabilities better than we do; but the greater the misfortune, that these capabilities are only just now being recognized. It would have profited much had this all-important fact been kept in view years ago, instead of being started as quite a novelty at a date when it is too lute to make much capital out of it. The gentlemen who compose the Provincial Council are not the men whose opinion on the subject of the natural advantages of this Province are of much value, as they have up to this time only shewn their appreciation of those advantages by securing as much of the lands as they could get hold off, being of opinion that “sufficient for the day is the evil (or good) thereof’

No doubt whatever but that the Provincial Government have got to contend against tremendous odds, in the shape of large capitalists, who are prepared to make a grasp at any good lands which the Natives may choose to sell under the provisions of the new Act, but we have many reasons for believing that that shrewd and intelligent people arenotat all prepared to sell any lands whatever of a value likely to induce purchasers to come forward. The Mamies are as cautious as our honoured Superintendent, and have learnt from him many useful ideas upon the subject of land transactions, which they well know how to profit by to perfection. That the acquirement of additional tracts of country is the “ Ultima Thule’ of all the endeavours of our legislators, no one in his seven senses will be likely to contradict, but that the New Land Act is the panacea which will get over the difficulty we are altogether disinclined to admit or to believe. We look upon that act as the manifestation of great legislative weakness, for it presupposes a state of things as regards the title to and holding of land amongst the Natives which does not exist, and which before it can exist, will necessitate an entire revolution in their ideas upon this, to both races, equally important subject. Cut granting that they are prepared to accept the terms of the Act, and to sell their lands accordingly, it becomes at once evident that the newly-acquired territory which may fall to the lot of the Provincial Government should he guarded against the old system of jobbery which so effectually extinguished our original stock of good available lands. Nor do we agree in the proposition to raise a loan of so insignificant a sum as A'30,000 for this purpose ; although we entirely concur in the plan of making the loan, and in the object had in view to dispose of the money when got, but we think that His Honor, with his usual caution, has laid his estimate upon a sum entirely inadequate for tlie accomplishment of the purpose for which that sum is intended, and we would most willingly have seen, since money must he had, and can only he had by borrowing, that the sum specified should have been at least ATOO,OOO, ami that it be entirely devoted to the acquisition of good ::erv iceahlc improvable land from the Natives. That great object once effected, the means for Road-making, Harbor Improvements, and other useful public works would he readily

found to accrue from the results of the acquisition of a further supply of lands fitted for the purposes of settlement. Once get the country settled and occupied,—once admit the element of smaller holdings than those which have up to this date swamped the available lands, and we have strong—very strong —hopes that the tide of prosperity will soon begin to flow towards our Province. But all these advantages will be neutralised ami negatived if the suggestion made by His Honor as touching the the Laud Regulations be not acted upon, and that, too, in a manner which -will render it alike impossible for one individual to give the lands away to whomsoever he pleases, or for a select body of land agents and jobbers to have a finger in the pie. Let the Athenaeum be raised by all means, let the people have a place of their own wherein they can recreate themselves both mentally and bodily at their leisure, but do not lose sight of the great fact that, while provision is made for indoor amusements, provision ought also to be made for securing to the people a piece of land of sufficient size and of sufficient quality to secure them a place of outdoor recreation, without which any attempts to get up Agricultural shows. Horse Races, or other means of improving our breed of cattle, &c., will entirely fail. The views expressed by His Honor on the subject of Roads, although not particularly definite, are, as far as they go, good. First, by all means render those lines which are already opened passable, and then, if money is forthcoming, turn attention to the subject of new lines. Anything in the way of road-making is a step in the right direction, and neglect of this vital point will be fatal to any schemes for the improvement of the state of the Province, no matter however feasible, which may he started in any other direction. The improvement of the Harbor is not altogether so impracticable as it would seem His Honor is inclined to imagine ; but unless we are prepared to go the “ whole bog” in that matter, it is perhaps as well to let that troublesome business rest where it is. Upon the whole, therefore, we have to congratulate our readers and fellow settlors upon the fact that His Honor has, with sound judgment and with an evident eye to the development of the great resources that are to be found in this Province, touched, in passing, upon those important topics which are so intimately connected with the realization of our views. But we are by no means shaken in our before-expressed opinion that the mere fact of our being able to borrow money renders the financial state of Hawke’s Bay better than it was before that experiment was proposed to be tried. The question is—Who’s to pay the piper ? Perhaps our respectable contemporary over the way will be so good as to give his valuable opinion upon that subject. We will, upon a future occasion, enlarge upon the subject of the acquirement of land from the Maories, and upon the manner in which those lands, when acquired, he treated, not forgetting, however, that it has been considered from time out of mind highly desirable first to catch the hare before you enter into the question of how to cook him.