The Hawke's Bay Times, THURSDAY, 9th AUGUST, 1866. NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 401, 9 August 1866, Page 2

The Hawke's Bay Times,

THURSDAY, 9th AUGUST, 1866. NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Published every Monday and Thursday. “NUIXIUS ADDICTUS JTTRARE IN \EHBA MAQISTBI.”

The speech of the Hon. Colonel Bussell, Native Minister, in the Legislative Council on the 26th ult., is much too long for us to transfer to our columns, but it contains much to which we can give our cordial assent with other matter of which we must disapprove. After alluding to the changes in the character of the policy of the Government regarding native affairs that took place during four sessions, which he lays to the blame of colonial Responsibility, he proceeds to state his convictions that instead of introducing a new policy it were better on his taking office to remove a just cause of demoralization amongst the natives and contempt for the Government by stopping the extensive system of bribery that had obtained up to this time, which by means of a lavish ex*penditure amongst the natives sought to secure their good behaviour, hut instead of this only produced their contempt s and the just indignation of the colonial tax-payer; and, on the other hand, by bringing the natives under European law to show them they are British subjects, with all their rights and responsibilities. With the latter end in view he had appointed six judges under the Native Lands Act, and courts had been established in the Provinces of Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, and Wellington. In the former Province the court had had its principal operation, but had made some progress in the others, He was aware that dissatisfaction existed regarding the working of the Act, but beUeyid that it would work belter as it became

better understood. 200,000 acres of land had already been adjudicated upon, and he believed that during another year the acreage would amount to 1,000,000.

Compensation Courts had also been established, which had also worked with difficulty, owing to the conflicting action of th acts of 1863 and 1865, and to orders of Council, proclamations, &c., which it was impossible to follow, and which at one time threatened to cost the Colony one or two hundred thousand pounds, which mishap had, however, been skilfully averted.

Returning to the question of native expenditure, he found, on assuming office, all the extensive machinery of Mr Fox’ s exploded conciliation policy still in existence, and here we can do no better than quote Mr Russell’s own words:— I found, in some cases, Civil Commissioners -with nothing or worse than nothing to do, yet drawing large salaries, and forage allowances, and travelling allowances, and house allowances and contingencies, having also clerks and interpreters also with good salaries and forage allowances, &c. ■ I found also medical officers, who should have had plenty to do but did not do it, with salaries, forage allowance, travelling allowance, allowance for medical comforts &c. I found Civil Commissioners provided with yachts, each yacht with two boatmen, each boatman with £127, 10s a-year; but the climax of absurdity was reached when I came to the native officials. These.l found ranged under the heads of pensioners, assessors, heads of runangaa, wardens, karerea, constables, directors of public works, clerks of works, clerks to runanga. With regard to the pensions, it was not easy to say in many cases for what service they had been granted. They range from £5 a-year to £2OO, and amount to £2,4ooper annum. In the absence of any information about them in the Native office, I have abstained from interfering with those pensions lest I should unintentionally injure some man who had really done the state good service, but I propose to avail myself of such information regarding the granting of these pensions, as I can obtain from gentlemen attending the General Assembly. The assessors are a sort of native magistrate, intended to assist the Resident Magistrate, and I have found as many as 22 in one district, and of wardens, who seem generally to have'had no duty assigned to them, as many as thirteen in one district; of karerea, a sort of native policemen, as many as forty in one district. I had intended to read the list of European and native officers in the native district of the Bay of Plenty, but it would weary the Council, and I therefore refrain. It was not pretended that these men were, except in a few cases, employed in the offices which they professed to hold—no such offices existed in many cases. When I proposed reducing them I was often told that the owners had not desired them; that they had been pressed upon them; that they reluctantly accepted them; but that, having been induced to accept them, it would be very dangerous to the peace of the country to attempt to suppress them. But these offices and salaries appeared to me in fact a miserable attempt to bribe the natives to good behaviour, and I verily believe they had no other effect than to expose our weakness to the contempt of the recipients. He did not believe in pensioning rebels, and these in a state;of active rebellion, as had been,done; and accordingly he had made in the one district alluded to, a reduction of £1,700 per a nnum, and corresponding reductions in other districts, although as yet very far short of what it ought to be. The Native expenditure has, however, been reduced by some £2,500 a year less than was asked for by his predecessor in office. He had altogether abolished the office of Civil Commissioner, except in three instances, and thrown the responsibility of the several districts upon the Resident Magistrates. The Civil Commissioners have been temporarily retained in the three districts of Auckland, Tauranga, and Taranaki, in order that these districts might have an experien. ced officer to refer to in cases of emergency not admitting of the delay necessarally atten. ant on a reference to the Government, But even there ordinary business is conducted, as elsewhere by the Resident Magistrate. Of these latter Officers he thought there were too many, and that their districts were too small. They would be reduced in number as provision could be otherwise made for them.

He had also required that a printed return should be posted on the first of every month, giving in few words all the information that can be desired from every district in the Colony, showing at a glance, the state of each district, any important events that have occurred during the preceding month, the state of Native feeling, the population of both races, their state of health, and any other particulars that might be desired. He was in possesion of a complete file of these returns for the first of July, which he would lay on the table,.

He had also in preparation a return containing the names of every man of first, second, and third class influence, amongst the natives, who had taken any prominent part in each district since the commencement of the war, with a short history of each, so that any Hon. Member could obtain from the Native Office, the character of any leading native at will.

Military operations on the East Coast had recently resulted in the capture of a number of prisoners, of whom 120 had been sent to the Chatham Islands, their wives and children being permitted to accompany them.. Ample rations had been allowed, and land fob cultivation allotted, the hope of a return at the end of the rebellion, was also held out to them, provided their good conduct should should Justify that course, but as they seem satisfied with their new home, it is not likely that they will wish to return. For the future Government of the natives he thought it necessary that they should be heard in the Assembly, and desired to call to the Legislative Council three of their leading chiefs, also six representatives in the other House, two of them being for Auckland, and one for each of the other Northern Island provinces—Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, and Taranaki, —and one for the Middle Island ; or, taking the native population at 40,000, a representative for every 6,600. These might be either Maoris or Europeans —probably the latter at first. He also desired to repeal the restrictive laws, including the spirit selling ordinance, which has become a dead letter, provoking irritation, evasion, and contempt for all law. He has found the natives irritated by the exceptional legislation, while they laugh at the idea of its restricting them. The subjects of native reserves, and education, and of opening up the country, would be again before the House. In conclusion, he hoped that if ordinary prudence were exercised in native management—having in view the fusion of the two races—(the only means of saving the Maori from extinction) —the ordinary machinery of government would be sufficient, and the native department be unnecessary before the end of the present Parliament. We have yet some remarks to make on Colonel Russell’s speech, but want of space compels us to reserve them for a future occasion. ~