Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1863.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 107, 17 April 1863, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 1863.

To borrow money for the purpose of acquiring land from the Natives is one thing, but to acquire the land is another. It is highly gratifying that the Land Purchase Commissioner has in view a piece of land which has been offered by the Maories for sale. But it is unfortunate that this land upon which the eye of the Commissioner at present rests, happens to be a most miserable attempt. Nothing can exceed the barren and ’ unprofitable nature of this proposed purchase, except perhaps it he the extreme difficulty of access to it. When the Commissioner acted under orders from an irresponsible Governor to extinguish the Native title to any laud which they offered for sale, no matter where, and no matter what cost, so that the funds iu hand were sufficient for the purpose,' that Officer was then in a very different position to what he is now. In those days the money intrusted to him, came from no one knew where, and went off iu just as unintelligible a fashion, only that in exchange for so many pounds sterling iu cash, we got so many thousands of acres standard in laud, and of course as none but the initiated had any knowledge of the locality, or the nature of the purchase, and much less as to its cost price, Society remained iu about the same state after the event, and the public was as wise as ever*/ ■ .That state of things might be all very well, and ‘answer the emi in view very well too, when nloney was to be had for nothing, and when no one in particular was responsible for the consequences of it's injudicious administration. But in these days, when in order to get hold of money we are compelled to borrow it, and that too at a ruinous interest, it becomes a matter of more than passing importance to the people outside to he well and accurately informed as to the course proposed to be adopted, supposing that there is money to be got by the Provincial Government‘for the asking. We are, as we stated in a previous number, upon the whole, glad that the Provincial Council passed the Loan Bill, and thus gave authority to the Superintendent to get money for the purpose* of baying land from the Natives, and of stocking that land with a body of useful Settlers or Immigrants. But we rejoice in the measure only under the hope that the Provincial Government will be very cautious not to raise the loan until they feel pretty sure that they are in a position to invest it profitably, and thus carry out the object they had in view, in getting power to obtain money on the security of all that is left of the once fat and extensive heritage of Hawke’s Bay.

Mr. Colenso stated in his speech upon the Loan Bill, that there are only three places in Hawke’s Bay where land of value can be .got, viz., Pakowai, Wairoa, and tbe East Cape. This statement is undeniably correct, and unfortunately there exists no hope that the love of our'money inherent in the nature of the Maori, will induce him to part with any one of these splendid tracts of country. - Nor do we think, as some do, that his necessities will oblige the Maori to part with lands the value of which is incalculable, being as those lands are, the only parts of the vast extent of country lying on the shores of Hawke’s Bay, which possess any real and intrinsic value for agricultural settlement. Next In the Pakowai Plains, there is

probably not a finer piece of country in tlie world than the Wairoa Plain, rich in the fertility of its soil, —rich in the quantity and quality of its easily accessible timber, watered by a wide and deep river, navigable for vessels of 30 or 40 tons, for 12 or 14 miles. This tract of country presents to the admiring eye of the passing traveller or * inquisitive stranger, one of the most beautiful opportunities for establishing a European settlement that can be readily conceived. But from the number of Maories settled on the banks and in the neighbourhood of this fine river, very little hope can be indulged in of its acquisition from the Aboriginal owners. In fact turn where we will, look to the North or to the South, or in any other direction for an escape out of our difficulty and we meet at each turn with the same obstacle to our further progress, and can only turn back and seek consolation from the fact, that there is yet a lingering hope that some day or other, the obstructive Native race may be extinct, and that our ' children’s children, will become heirs at law to the Estate of their defunct, intestate, dirty, Maori brethren.

We apprehend, however, that, when our prudent and far-seeing Provincial Council gave his Honor the Superintendent liberty to borrow money to the extent of £‘30,000, they did so with an eye to the fact that this, and not tire next but one generation after it, should have the coveted lands for an heritage ; and, we are bound to wait patiently until some favorable turn in the tide takes place, by which it may be floated quietly into a harbor of rest, ami spend our little borrowed capital satisfactorily.

It would have been exceedingly gratifying to know that the Provincial Government had some idea of paying the interest of.this debt, by manner of a direct land tax.'to be divided between the holders of runs from Maori landlords, and tire holders of runs and other lands from the Crown. No great hardship would be inflicted on the last-named gentlemen, as some of them gave Ten Shillings an acre for their land about four years ago, and now expect to get £2O an acre ! ! Out of this little advance in price there appears a considerable margin f»r taxation. As to the Maori tenants, we look upon those gentlemen as without the pale, and are of opinion that, seeing that they do not directly, or indirectly, at present contribute to the progress of the Province, they should be called upon to do so, in a manner which will entitle them to an indisputable claim to an interest in the welfare of Hawke’s Bay.