The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, 9TH JUNE, 1865.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 5, Issue 276, 9 June 1865, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, 9TH JUNE, 1865.

Extraordinary is the trouble. taken by

certain parties to put a plausible appearance upon a bad cause—to invent, if need be arguments in its favor when nothing, in fact,, can be said for it. Just so now stands the question of illegal occupancy of native lands The apologists of the system, being quite’ unable to deny the evil it has done the province and colony, tell us that there is some good in it; in fact that has but one black spot, and that is it excludes an agricultural population from lands fitted for it. To this we demur. This is but one of its evils, and perhaps the least of them, as we will show ; but we are told of certain good it has done, and we will first examine this statement and see what foundation it has in fact. The good (?)is divided into three parts, viz.— 1. The receipt of heavy rents kept the Maoris quiet. 2. A staple article of export was produced. 3. The money, rents and all, was spent in the province. Now the first is not quite true, though for the sake of argument we will suppose it is. We could go back to the first illegal squatters, those who inaugurated the system, and the imbecile Government that, in spite of the warnings given by the agent of the New’ Zealand Company, permitted the thing to be done, using none other than proclamations against the practise, but failing to punish the offenders. But we will not, for it is con-, fessed that the solution of ‘ the question was easy at first. We.will rather confine onrselves to the question. Whether the keeping of the Maori quiet by this means has been a good ? ' We answer, decidedly not. Had the question been set at rest at the time of the separation of this province from Wellington, before the squatter bad advanced far into the system of illegal leasing from the Heretaunga natives—bad the first of these been dispossessed, and the Maoris plainly made to understand that the only person who could legally deal "with them for their lands wa 3 the Government Agent, there need never have been any fear that they would have been other than “ quiet j” and the sooner

this had been dons the better for all parties. If the upsetting of the illegal arrangements made with them by the squatters would have disturbed them, the sooner the better, as it is e vide at that the chief difficulty consists in the extensive ramifications of the system, and their continual increase, which are constantly adding to this difliculty. . So far. then, from this putting off the dealing with the system, which is just what is involved in the term “ quietness,” being a good, it is the one great evil of the present state of things. Instead of grappling with the difficulty and conquering it, it must he tampered with, delayed, put off by any means, and this is and has been the foundation of the whole policy of Mr M‘Lean in all his dealings with the natives of this province, as it has been with his master. Sir George Grey, with those of the colony; and the evil fruit of this temporising has yet to be reaped in both cases. Secondly, “ A staple article of export has been produced” Another fallacy. ; Had the lands of the province fallen into the hands of the Government, as they must have done if the law had been enforced from the first, the “ staple'* would have been perhaps tenfold, while the mere rental paid to th 0 natives would in many cases have more than sufficed to have purchased the freehold of the lands from the Government, to say nothing now of the immense impetus that would have been given to the trade of the province by the expenditure of so much revenue in its legitimate channels of public works and immigration.

But thirdly, we are told that the money, rents and all! has been spent in the province. This is but partially true ; but waiving this for the present, surely no one can be serious in bringing this as an argument in favor of the system —a system that has from the first been an incubus upon the provincekeeping the lands from the Government revenue from the provincial chest—imm i, giants from the province—that has kept and still keeps Hawke's Bay. a third rate pro. vince, instead of as she might and ought to have been years ago, second only to Auckland or Wellington, if her resources had not been “ cabined, cramped, confined” by the squatting system—-a system that must be abolished ere she can hope to hold her legitimate position, or progress in material prosperity as she ought. Anything short of *an entire enforcement of the Native Laud Purchase Ordinance, against all its violators, will fail to meet the case. They one and ail stepped into their false position with their eyes open, and in the eye of the law are rebels and must take the consequences of their misdeeds, be they what they may ; ami with regard to the “ souring” of the Maori, he will soon become sweet again when he finds the Government simply step into the place of his present tenants, and makes it plain to him that no injustice is intended him. And for the cry of “ dang rof jeopar. dising the peace of the province,” it is a pretty thing if it has come to this, that open violators of the law can say to an outraged Government, “ You must let us alone lest you get into trouble!” Of course this is folly. But if trouble must arise from the execution of the law upon the offender, the sooner the better delay has led to this danger—further delay only adds to it. The question, of the plains cannot be separated from that of which it is but a part —the unalieuated lands of the colony. It must be dealt with as a whole. I hat the law can be enforced the Government has shown on more than on® I occasion—especially against the poor. Let it then be enforced without favor, and we j shall hear no more of the plains or any other | of our lands being iu danger of passing in I perpetuity to the lessee, to the exclusion of : a much needed yeomanry population.