DB. FEATHERSTON AT WANGANUI.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 331, 11 December 1865, Page 1

DB. FEATHERSTON AT WANGANUI.

(From the Wanganui Times, November 33.) On Saturday evening his Honor the Superintendent, accompanied by Walter Buller, Esq., R M., arrived at Wanganui. From what we can leam X)r. Feathers ton has rather a difficult game to play whilst endeavoring to obtain for the Province, and for the purpose of settlement, the Manawatu block, which the contending tribes had agreed to sell, but which private and monied interests are endeavoring to secure for tlieir own personal advantage. It appears that Dr. Feathefston and Mr Buller met Ihakara, the principal Ngatiraukawa claimant of the Rangitikei-Manawatu block, at Mr Scott s Accommodation House, Lower Rangitikei, on Wednesday last, and had several conversations with him. The chief brought forward a cleverly executed caricature which he had received from an anonymous correspondent in Wellington, and the object of which obviously was to poison his mind against the Superintendent, and to turn tbs important negotiations in which his Honor had been engaged into ridicule. Of course, the object of those who endeavor to prevent the sale of the land for provincial purposes is simply to induce the natives have it bought under the Native Lands Act, that they may come in and rent a large portion as squatting scions, and buy up choice blocks of 20,000 or 30,000 acres, and thus for tlieir own purposes prevent the Superintendent cutting it up into small farms for the purpose of ionajide settlement. Had Dr Fealherstoii gone in with those designing monopolists, and tried to secure for them and himself that valuable block of land, we would have no hesitation in denouncing him as a traitor to the high trust which he holds as Superintendent of this Province. But when wo find him endeavoring to prevent bloodshed between the three contending tribes ; endeavoring, as Crown Lands Commissioner, to secure, not for himself or his political friends, but for the Province, and for the purpose of introducing a population and forwarding the best interests of all who expect from him even-handed justice, then we cannot but admire the sterling honesty of the man who, thus caricatured and reviled by Ins quondam political- supporters, still maintains his integrity, and despite opposition contends for the interests of the Province at large. Dr. Featherston is not immaculate ; it is not in human nature to please every man, nor can the Superintendent of a province—nor the editor of a newspaper—escape giving offence to some ; but in tins particular transaction we maintain that Dr. Featherston deserves the sympathy and support of every man who can divest himself of petty prejudices, and honestly judge between the mail who sacrifices so much for provincial interests, and those who endeavor to monopolise, and hermetically seal up from actual settlement 250,000 acres of the finest land in the colony. At half-past two on Monday afternoon, Dr. Featherston met several of the people of Wanganui in the Court House, for the discussion of local affairs. Tfie account of that meeting gives a fair outline of what ..transpired. Wo bolievo the Superintendent leaves to-day for Rangitikei, and, notwithstanding the difficulties which he has to encounter, have every reason to hope that he will eventually succeed in his negotiations for the Manawatu block. Wo hope yet to see a tramway from the proposed township, on the Manawatu river right on to Rangitikei, and a prosperous population settled upon the land which some few are now endeavoring to monopolise. If Dr. Featherston gains this point, ho will deserve the gratitude of every man who has an interest in the final prosperity of the Province.