Hawke's Bay TimeS Nullius addiclus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1872.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1247, 13 February 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay TimeS Nullius addiclus jurare in verba magistri. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1872.

From a return laid on the table of the House of Representatives relating to the administration of the confiscated lands, we learn that the total acreage acquired by tI)G Government was 3,940,106 acres, of which 1,404,028 acres—being more than one third of t/he whole amount — was given to or reserved f or natives, either " friendly or not s '; 289,408 acres, or about onefoqrteenth part, was allocated to military settlers oi immigrants; 159,171 gei/os, wore sold, realising the noble sum

of ,£99,817; and 1,580,178 acres remain in the hands of the Government available for -ale. Thus the total sold and appropriated for settlement is about one million acres less than that which has been returned to natives, friendly and otherwise. In this we have a striking instance of the administrative ability of the Government. This con* fiscated land was to be in part held as guarantee of future peace, and occupied by settlers on a semi-military tenure ; the balance was to be sold to recoup the Colony the war expenditure —in fact, to pay off the £3,000,000 loan,— instead of v Inch ii has realised less than £ 100,000, while it has .served as an excuse for the creation of a special department of government for administering the lands, costing, we believe, between £3OOO ;ind £4OOO per annum.