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Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1599, 4 August 1874, Page 310

The following is the authorized report of the personal explanation made by tha Hon. H. R. Russell in tha Legislative Council on Tuesday last:—Sir, before the business of the day is proceeded with, I am desirous, with the permission of the Council, to say a few words on a matter personal to myself. Honorable members will recollect that two sessions ago, when moving that the report of the Commissioners appointed under the Native Lands Frauds Prevention Act be laid on the table, I took occasion to allude to certain representations which had been made, and very industriously circulated, regarding my conduct in connection with a transaction relating to the Heretaunga Block, Hawke's Bay. I stated to the House that I regretted I was not then in a position to give them such full information regarding the whole circumstances of the case as would, in my opinion, have dispelled from their minds any unfavorable impression which might have been created, because the case was about to be brought before the Supreme Court, when the matter would be fully sifted ; and I was advised by my legal advisers that the case might be prejudiced by statements or explanations which I should have felt it necessary to make. After this long interval of time I regret that I am obliged to tell honorable members that my expectations as to the case having an early hearing have been grievously disappointed. This has arisen partly from the blunders or treachery of some persons whom I employed, and partly from my own infirm state of health, which has lusted for a considerable time past. In view of these circumstances, howover, I feel now bound to give to this House some explanation regarding the particulars of my alleged wrong-doings in this matterj carelesss of the consequences elsewhere, in order that I might set myself right with honorable members here. The facts arc these:—Some four years ago I was interested, with Mr James Watt, of Napier, in the purchase from a Native woman, whose name was Arihi, of her interest in the Heretaunga block. Her interest in the block was a large one, but it was encumbered by a long lease at a low rental, to which she was then supposed to be a party. Mr Watt, with my assent, disposed of this purchase, and I shared in the profit on the transaction. Some twelve months afterwards it transpired that the native woman who had been a party to the lease, and who had sold her interest to Mr West, was a minor at the time of these transactions, and I found, from the best legal advice I could obtain on the subject, that those transactions were absolutely void. I also found that other parties having similar information, were endeavoring to make use of it to further their own purposes, by purchasing, after the native came of age, at a cheap rate, her share in the block, which had acquired a largely increased value from the fact of its being disencumbered of the invalid lease to which I have referred. Appealed to by the native to advise and protect her, after considerable hesitation, I took a lease of her interest, with a purchasing clause at a much higher price than was paid by Mr Watt or by the parties to whom that gentleman sold. This lease the Native Lands Frauds Prevention Commissioner refused to certify, and his view was supported by a judge of the Supreme Court, although I have since been advised by several eminent counsel that their views were erroneous. In taking the lease I have referred to, I was

actuated by the desire not of obtaining an advantage for myself or of injuring the parties who had purchased from Mr Walt, but solely of obtaining the full value of her interest for the native, who had sold originally under the belief that she had only her reversionary interest to sell after the lease had expired. It is and has been on the native behalf alone that I have been acting and shall continue to act; and I trust that, under further advice that I have taken, I shall be able, ere long, to unravel the whole transaction before the Courts of law. Meanwhile I must ask honorable members to believe my word of honor, that no wrong was either intended or perpetrated by me, and that I have not been assisting the natives to do any wrong. Otherwise, I must ask them to suspend their judgment until I can have, as I believe I soon shall have, an opportunity of obtaining a judicial decision cm the legal rights of the natives, and thereby vindicate the rectitude of my conduct. If any honorable gentleman desires to know more of the matters which I have thus lightly sketched, I shall be happy to furnish him with more information privately. I have to apologize to honorable members for trespassing on their time by referring to a matter personal to myself, but I trust that the circumstances I have thus shortly narrated will remove from their minds any unfavorable impression ns to my conduct in the matter. In the House of Eepresentatives on Thursday, Mr Bradshaw moved that, considering the rapid extension of manufacturing in the colony, it is expedient that the Government should bring in a Factory Bill, making regulations for the preservation of the health and safety of the young people of both sexes. The hon. member gave a brief history of various English Factory Acts, some of which enabled private houses where youths were employed to be examined, and read copious extracts to show that the conditions under which thousands of children had been employed at home, could not fail to lead to their mental, moral, and physical degeneracy and decay. If the Legislature did not interfere, the manufacturers would, in pursuit of gain, go to most unwarrantable lengths in the way they worked youths, and unfortunately unfeeling and unscrupulous parents also often aided and abetted them. In Dunedin, where there are many factories, it was complained that if a parent refused to allow his child to work the hours required by the manufacturers the child would not be employed at all. The intervention of the law was required to regulate the hours of labor regarding youths, now that potteries, rope-walks, and brickfields were springing up everywhere. If they did not do something in this direction, they would have soon to contend with those factory difficulties which caused so much trouble in England. Mr Richardson admitted the existence to a great extent of the evils pointed out, and Baid that the Government would be prepared to bring down next session a bill to meet not only the views of members of the House on the subject, but employers and employes also. He would remind the House that there was' an Inspection of Machinery Bill now on the order paper, which went some way in the direction desired. The hon. member deserved the thanks of the House and the country for moving in the matter. Mr Brown also bore testimony to the truth of the observations of the hon. mover, and the necessity for dealing with the matter before vested rights had grown up. The motion was agreed to. Mr Thompson, in the House of Representatives, on the subject of the Forest Bill, said that he was doubtful about the scheme of planting new forests. As an experiment, he had no objection to seeing a few hundred acres planted as a forestHe failed to see the use of establishing a college, and bringing out two or three highly-salaried gentlemen to teach f orestiy. He was opposed to mixing up the question of forests with public works and our national debt. He objected to the idea of paying off our national debt out of our forests, in twenty years, or any other period. He doubted, in fact, whether we should ever pay it off, though, when the population increased, the head-money might not amount to much. Mr O'Neill did not believe Dr Hector's estimate ot the destruction of timber was overstated, and ho was guided by his own personal observation. Go where you would' you would see forests littered with waste timber for the first fire to sweep all away. The Superintendents had already been applied to for information upon the subject ; and all, except the Otago Superintendent, failed to give any. No doubt the felling Jof forests indiscriminately Beriously injured climates. One valley in France, that once supported a population of over twenty thousand, was now a desert of shingle. He was convinced that a large income to the colony could be secured by the judicious management of forests. He hoped tho House would second the efforts of the Premier. Mr Wales thought legislation in this direction was immediately required, but it was much better to let the subject be delayed, with the view of arranging that provinces should assume the forests instead of the colony. A great deal might be done at once in preventing timber being cut at an immature state of its growth, and at an improper season of the year. He was confident that the destruction of forests was going on seriously because he learned that of land which had passed into private hands one quarter of the timber had already been destroyed. So far as he could observe, native forests failed in the way of natural increase by self sowing. This made it olear that) some steps should be taken to stop their rapid decay. The telegraphic correspondent of the New Zealand Herald thus sums up the position of parties in Wellington, under date 23rd July:—"The house has not made up its mind as to the character of the Financial Statement, but generally objects to the system of doling out alms to provinces. Otago and Canterbury are both dissatisfied. Otago wanted money,

and Vogel said, "What can you pawn?" Macandrew, or his representative, said " Winton and Bluff . railway," hence Otago's share in the Financial Statement. Every province of couase has not its wants or what it considers right to expect. There is no cohesion among Auckland membeas. " Macandrew or Keid can keep the Otago members in single harness. Why cannot Williamson, Wood, or Sheehan do the same. Vogel is bound down to the South, and forgets his constituents. Wellinington has not made up its mind wether to adopt or reject the Premier's proposals. There is too much weight laid on the Premiers shoulders, and should he break up, or his health fail who will stand in his shoes is the question of the day ? The financial Statement, on the whole, is regarded favourably by Auckland members. All the North Island provinces, except Wellington, seem disposed to accept the proposals of the Government without much alterrtion. Fitzhorbert and Bunny look anything but pleased with declaritions of the Treasurer, and left the House during the delivery of the Budget. Auckland may regard as certain a £40,000 advance against land revenue ; £50,000 to assist deep-sinking at the Thames ; and a bonus of £25,000 added to capitation allowance. The South Island members are disposed to acquiesce in proposals so far as they affect South Island finance. Macandrew personalty is not satisfied, and if tho time and circumstances were favorable he would doubtless be busy in making such a combination as would compel the Government to change front; but as the House is now constituted there is not energy enough to get up a good fight. So he will have to content himself with the sale of the Bluff and Winton Railway." A correspondent of the New Zealand Herald writes: —l read with great interest your article of this morning on this new-fangled forestry, as they call the art of preserving the bush or planting out new trees to replace the old. While the Government are talking so well on the one hand, let me tell you in a few words that they are at the present moment the greatest destroyers of timber in the province, and are doing it more injury than all the bushmen together. I refer to the regulation that only " split" sleepers of heart of kauri shall be used for the railways. It is painful in the extreme to witness the frightful waste and destruction which this practice is causing. All the outer parts of the log are made useless, and. the heart itself by this rude and wasteful process is more than half wasted. It is all very well for Mr Vogel to bring down a great pile of reports on forests in Europe, which I see were obtained by the Governor from the Colonial Office in London for the express purpose of enlightening the Legislature. It would be more to the purpose if they would send some one out to see what is actually being done in New Zealand. They would not then allow their own contracts to be the greatest source of destruction to that they express themselves so anxious to preserve. A rata tree, twenty-two feet in diameter, has been found oh the road at the back of the mountain, about fourteen miles from the town of New Plymouth. Messrs P. and W. MacLellan, of the New Clutha Ironworks, Glasgow, have just concluded a contract to supply between 500 and 600 tons of bolts and spikes for the New Zealand railways.