The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, THURSDAY, 20th JULY, 1865. NATIVE LAND PURCHASE ORDINANCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 290, 20 July 1865, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, THURSDAY, 20th JULY, 1865. NATIVE LAND PURCHASE ORDINANCE.

FEATHBESTON V. M'LEAN.

The Superintendent of Wellington has had an opportunity of showing that the Native Land Purchase Ordinance is not obsolete; but that, notwithstanding all our law-breaking Superintendent and his squatting clique may say or pretend to the contrary, it still exists, and is yet capable of being turned to account when wanted, to aid a skilful Government purchaser in accomplishing an important object. There is, on the West Coast of the Wellington province, an extensive block of open land, known as the Manawatu block, situated-between the Manawatu and Rangitikei rivers. Tins block, like much of the land of our own province, has been till lately held illegally by certain law-defying colonists under lease from the native owners. But the ownership of the land is disputed and the rental, although paid to a late chief of the Ngatiraukawa, named Nepia Turatoa, has been partially handed over by him to the claimants of the Ngatiapa. At the death of Nepia Turatoa iu 1863, these rival claimants tried to make good their claims, and much preparation, for war was shewn on the part of both tribes, so that an outbreak seemed inevitable; but which it seems waj staved off by Mr Fox, who promised that the dispute should be arbitrated. This, however, was not done, and the dispute, though lulled, was at any time liable to burst forth with ni'.re fury than ever. At the end of the year Mr Fox was Native Minister in the Whitaker Cabinet, and the Native Lauds Bill had been passed, which excepted this particular block from its operation, as the Wellington Government were under negociation for its purchase. The old dispute again arose, and Dr Featherston was appointed to arbitrate the matter between the rival claimants, and visited the block with the twofold object of settling the dispute and purchasing the land, in Jan., 1864. The Ngatiapa at once came to terms with him, but the Ngatiraukawa, who were in possession and receiving rents from the illegal holders, refused to do so, and were in consequence informed by Dr F. that this source of supply would be for the future stopped, as he would bring the Native Land Purchase Ordinance to bear on any one who should pay a rental for any of the land. This he did, and the cessation of rent-paying on the part of the Manawatu squatters has, as it was expected it would, speedily produced its legitimate result, and made all parties willing to sell the land, as we have recently noticed in our Wanganui intelligence. This is a standing fact, and proof of the adaptability of the Ordinance to prevent selfish individuals from keeping the waste lands of the colony out of the reach of the public.

What Dr F. has done now at Manawatn, he should have done long ago, indeed as soon as it was in his power to do it. So likewise should have done Donald M'Lean with the law-breakers of our own Province, and every one who had the important trust committed to them of the prohibition of public property from private greed. But he and they have failed to do so—why, we need not say, as it is only too well known by the general public, who, for the future, have to provide for the mere annual rental of a small portion of the Ahuriri lands a far greater sum than should and would have sufficed to purchase them

entirely had the law been enforced against the illegal squatter from the first; and even now we have proof in the above facts that the cessation of a revenue from the illegal holders is sufficient to make the natives willing to sell the land.

Our contemporary, doubtless deriving its inspiration from head-quarters, tells us that Mr M'Lean, so far from endeavouring to fulfil the duties of the office of public prosecutor of illegal holders, which he accepted from the Government, for what reason he perhaps best know's himself—certainly not with the intention of fulfilling its functions—has been for years, with “ patient trouble,” trying to —buy the land ?oh no! to get the Provincial Government into the position of illegal holders under native landlords !!! and it seems is now greatly annoyed that the native have discovered that all such transactions are illegal, and they could not recover their rent in any Court, but would have, in every case, to depend upon the interest a squatter had in keeping well with them for any payment at all. Of course this makes them rather suspicious, and well it might. His duty plainly was to have told them this years ago, when it may be that their untut )red and suspicious natures would have taken the alarm, and refused to enter into any transaction of the kind. They then would have sold their land to the Government, and the Province of Hawke’s Bay would have ranked second to none in the Colony for its progress and prosperity. We know well enough that the villanous schemes of the squatocracy have so far succeeded as to deprive the small capitalists of every chance of acquiring land for themselves, and we know further that the illegal O and insane scheme of leasing from native landlords now—the pet idea of the squatters —would not tend iu any way to remedy the evil. No one could ever suppose that the new Native Lands Act could benefit any hut capitalists, who, to use the striking and ever memorable words of Justice Chapman “war, CONFISCATE THE LANDS OF THE NATIVES IN A' VERY SHORT TIME. A FEW NATIVES WHO HAVE REDUCED THEIE LANDS TO INDIVIDUAL POSSESSION ABE CAPABLE OF PEOTECTING THEIR OWN TRUE INTERESTS, BUT THE GREAT MASS WILL BECOME THE VICTIMS OF AN APPARENTLY EQUITABLE RULE, SO TRUE IS IT THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO OPPRESS AND DESTROY UNDER A SHOW OF JUSTICE.” This, then, is the end of the matter. The capitalist has already conquered. Step by step he has advanced, —aided by such men as Donald M‘Lean, who could, had they chosen, at any time, have checked and abolished the squatting system by bringing the law to bear upon offenders, but whose own interests were engaged on the other side, —step by step have they advanced, until they got a time-serving Government to p ass the new Native Lands Act, and only await its operation to crush the small capitalist, alike with the Maori, whose interests they pretend to have at heart.

We are of those who believe firmly that Mr M'Lean is, with all who have acted as he has done, deserving of the reprobation of all true colonists, and friends of the Maori race, for he and they have at length succeeded in annulling and rendering void one of the wisest and best of laws—a law that should have made, as it was intended to make, “ THE CROWN THE VIRTUAL OWNER OF THE SOIL OF THESE ISLANDS AS TRUSTEE FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD, AND MORE PARTICULARLY AS THE GUARDIAN OF THE NATIVE RACE 5 ’; —and this for what? for the sole benefit of the great capitalists, to the exclusion of the general public from any share in the ownership of the soil!!!