Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1864.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IV, Issue 183, 15 July 1864, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1864.

Mr. Colenso’s motion calling upon the Government to furnish returns of all lands unsold in this Province, stating the nature of those lands, is a very proper step. It was high time, indeed, that something should be done in this matter. It is next to impossible for any person not admitted into the magic circle to get such clear information upon the subject of the land open for sale in this Province as will enable him to purchase land. The runholders are in league against the land purchaser, and there are some of those gentlemen so preposterously foolish as to

think that they have a special and pre-emp-tive right over their runs—a right, unfortunately for them, not recognised in law, hut still a right which ought to he recognised in law.

The consequence of this is, that, with a gentleman at the head of the Land Office who is directly in the interest of the runholders, and who is himself a runholder, it is not likely that any very satisfactory information will be furnished to that individual who is rash enough to seek it for the purpose of buying land in this Province. We have been informed that, not long since, a gentleman of character went into the land office for the purpose of purchasing a piece of land near Pekapeka ; but he was refused the land. It does not appear that the land was withheld from him because it had been already purchased; on the contrary, it was notorious that the land, up to the date of the application had not been purchased. We say that the gentleman in question, having made his application in~due form and tendered his money, is entitled to the piece of land applied for, perfectly regardless of the Commissioner’s opinion to the contrary.

Here, then, is an instance in point, and which illustrates the monstrous system at work in the land office. Thus it is that thousands of pounds are annually kept out of the country. People arrive here with money to buy land, attracted hither by the glowing accounts they hear of the climate and what not, but upon application for land, or information that would lead to the discovery of land, they are quietly snubbed, and retire out of the office and out of the Province in chagrin. We shall see, when the return called for by Mr. Colenso is published, how we stand as regards our land resources. We can just fancy the dismay of some gentlemen upon hearing Mr. C.’s demand. Horror blanched their cheeks at the audacity of the sacrilegious monster, and there is no wonder that, upon the first opportunity, Colenso was pitched into .by the whole fraternity open-mouthed. We look upon the return in question as one of the most important documents likely to see the light of day for some time, as regards the state of this Province, and it is to be hoped that it will be freely circulated and published.

While talking of motions and Mr. Colenso’s doings in the Council, we cannot understand what Mr. Tuke is doing in there. That gentleman, we believe, has been properly bought and paid for, and ought therefore to be removed to make room for somebody else. It is ridiculous to burden the seats of that Assembly with a lot of gentlemen all sold ; the public would, there is no doubt, like another lot to be introduced, to see what price they will fetch. “ Variety is pleasing,” and we therefore suggest that Mr. Tuke do “ move on,” and let somebody else take his place. Clearly he cannot attend to his arduous duties amongst the Military Settlers and look out in the Provincial Council for anything else that may be going begging. We believe that Mr. Tuke has been recompensed for his long and arduous supp n’t of the Government, and for his defence of his country upon occasion by being promoted to the bench of J.P.’s. Having, therefore, got his bone, it would be as well if he retired from the Provincial Council, and quietly picked it somewhere alse.