New Zealand Parliament.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 41, 7 October 1867, Page 249

New Zealand Parliament.

' : ‘ TCfeDAYi. 25th! AUGUST, 1867, !, '.' •.^•;':: ; 7 ; -Mi cooper's report! • j'; ..-The hon. Col. RUSSELL asked the-lion. Major ; Richardson, “ Whether the Government intends ‘ take,any- andwliat-steps to' avert the evils eon- • templated ;by .the resident magistrate of "Hawked ■Bay, :Mr Gooperyiutke following, passage of: his report, dated papier, 14th August, ,i l f ;u - r . e ofpauperisin, the details of which it is ~ ? liaer y to forward to, is therefore inevitable "r . tbe 'Maorrrace inHawke’s "Bay, at least unless iu. immediate steps he taken, in the .spirit of the salutary legislation of-lastyear, to place beyond .the reach ofthe present generation a sufficient portion of the estate that remains to them in the various districts of,the Province.’ ” He had been greatly v struck-with the ability and truthfulness with which ; the resident .ifaagistrate of Hawke’s Bay bad drawn - the attention'of the’Government to what lie con- ■ -sidered waS a great and -serions danger, and he .. . was glad to see that, when laying the -report ■ on table,. the honorable member representing the - Government had direeted the especial attention of to it by having it read. He thought, therefore, that in placing the question on the notice -paper, lie was in some degree meeting’(he .wishes of the Government by directing still greater-atten- _ tion to it. This he had endeavored to do by quoting ; s ? n important paragraph of the report so as to bring it under the eye of every, member ofthe Legislature, . feeling assured that few who read the paragraph would.'fait to refer to the report for further information. No one acquainted with native affairs could fail to see the probability of such evils as. those pointed out by Mr Cooper speedily arising. Hon. members were no doubt well aware that last ses- .. - a “ Act was passed, the object of "which was to mitigate those evils. That Act was, as unfortunately often happened, introduced at such a late period of the session as to be passed without, that consideration and attention which the importance .ot the subject demand. Prom a debate which had ? caur J e d in an other place, lie saw that it was intended to intnduce on Amendment Act this session. ■lt was very mmcli to be regretted that ' the early part of the session was usually occupied - by party disputes, and that as the end approached • many important, measures were pressed through, with but little time being allowed honorable members to consider the matter. It was partly with ' the view of meeting this - difficulty, by enabling ' - honorable members to • turn their mind at. once to ‘ the consideration of the subject, instead of waitin'” - J for the introduction of the Amendment Bill, that ' ' ' • drew.attention to. the matter, so.that they 1 might be prepared to deal witli any difficulties 1 which .might then arise. He would not inar the . . enact of Mr Cooper’s excellent arguments fay ' ■ §°i I1 £ lover 1 over the same ground,-for it would be very ’ difficult to place the tacts in a clearer or. more' forcible manner; and lie would, therefore, only ‘ ask honorable members to attentively read that ' "'gentlemans report for themselves. There was however, one point to which lie would desire to attention of the honorable member repre- J renting the Government. Clause 14? of the Na- ' -tive Lands Act oflast session related to the verifi- : cation of surveys: The person who had framed 1 that, clause could scarcely have perceived how it ' . would act. He-would suppose a case, to show / , what it would ,be. 'Ulna large extent of new country in the North Island had to he opened lip - to a chiss of pioneers who required and deserved 1 all the aid and consideration-which the Government could’give them in .tlieif difficult enterprise. ' As. a rule,, they were hot'rich meu, and, before • finding a suitable piece 'of country-on which to ‘ : they had- to encounter very great and serious ! difficulties. It,, after much labour,- they were sue- * cestui la obtaining a lease of some latid from the ' , natives, the first thing they had to do was to get it 1 he cost of tbis woalJ not bc less than ' £doo or £4OO. Now, in the North Island there 1 was not very much good land open, aud the 1 explorer had to make up for quality by quantity, 1 and he would speak of what, iu the North Island 1 was considered a large run ! 1 bouthern members accustomed to runs of 100,000 ‘ acres, would think/thatha small'run; but in the ' North, 40,000 acres .was considered a large, one, ( and the survey: of even such a’ran could not cost ‘ less than £3OO or £400.. Then the matter liad to ■ be. brought before the Lands Court, but by this ' time, probably, the means of the men were ex- ' haustea, yet under the 14tli clause they might have 1 to pay a further sura of sixpence an acre, : ' The Hon. • Major RICHARDSON.—Not ex- ' ceeding. ■ T Hon. Colonel RUSSELL.—A sum not ex- 1 .peeding. sixpence ant acre for the verification of 1 .the survey. On.a run of the size lie spoke of, the ' sixpence, an. acre would'amount to -the sum- of ' £I,OOO, and the clause therefore virtually put a 1 stop ,to the occupation of the country. The want 1 of'the 'means'to pay . such a sum constituted a great and practical difficulty, but lie held that : ' instead of such men having obstacles thrown in 5 their way, every possible focility should be afforded ‘ .to: theni by the Government, for they were, in 1 fact, the pioneers of civilization. Hawke’s Bay 1 -had. beien taken up. in ; -the. manner described by 1 .men .from Wellington, and the same process .was ‘ now, being pushed forward" towards ‘ Opotiki and ' Taurahga, and undoubtedly great good had ensued I 4 from such occupation of the country, by; slieep- s 'owners; The natives quite appreciated the bene- ‘ fits which they derived from such occupation, and ‘ nothing had tended more to the pacification ofthe 1 Hawke’s Bay. country, than its occupation by run- 1 holders. - If, .therefore,.it was, necessary to attach 1 any charge,, to, the verification of surveys, he -1 .thought, the sum should he. as,small as possible, * but he: did not .think .that any charge should be 1 ‘made, as probably the cost altogether to the Go r yernment would not exceed £5,000, and that sum 1 would be well expeuded-in promoting the'opening 1 np of the country. If, however, a charge was to • >he! Jiiade, a;farthing an acre would be a more l appropriate. one than, sixpence-., an, acre.. Even 1 a farthing an acre would! amount to. a charge of 1 ... wore than £4oona run. oftirasizenamed, but as ' a matter of.policy he tlibuglit the duty aud the 1 expense-of verifying .the ; survey should’ be under- ‘ ; ifcakeh by. Ithe; Government; : !He desired, 'before 1 sitting dowuj to 'remind the - honorable member J representing the; Government; - that he had.,-pro- ‘ rnised to indicatfe thb views ofo the Government ‘ ,oa other points; <conhected ;withj native affairs a 4 '.- soon as the financial statement, was/made. Se- 1 veral of those points had.'since been cleared-up! 1 but there ,=were -others that required 1 and although he did mot wish to unduly press for ( : the • Konornhfo mw. '< •her would take an early-opportunity of einlainine * '-I them.;A^-tryvN".; ... -ur.-. .«

TlieHonvColohel.VyHlTMOßE.askedwhether ihe’ch^rge-of ;hb^.nce w an acre did ;got relate only to purchased lands,; ; 1*; BiR t wodld;.shqftiy.:he;hrought;dq\vnfrom £ TPryfonypßijQtW proper

to by! the HonC Colonel Russell. With ■regard.to^thehonorable-gentlemak^wobservations charge .for*! verification of was not in as gbbd a position-ds the 'honorable''gentleman, to judge of the character or capabilities of tbe <^ s of explorers referred, to, hut he desired especially to . point 'out that there was a discretionary power given-to the Governor to act in regard to that charge as he might see fit. The Government did not,consider themselves justified m entirely doing away with the charge, or in ex-pendmg-even the' smsdl; sum namedVhy the- honorable gentleman; and, .encircled as'they-.were by financial pressure from the South, he thdught that such an expenditure would be an unwise one. The, only, object’ of the ,charge was to cover the actual cost of ; .work undertaken for the especia benefit of; those who had" to'pay for it. ' The Government did not,' at'.’present, see'its way to an extension of tile legislation of - last session on the subject referred to in the honorable member’s question. The native’mind, was now quiescent, and the Government had reason to believe, that any further legislation ok, the subject of titles might have the effect of disturbing the natives. The Government*would, however, do what they could to carry out the power given by the Act of hist session, and to invite- the judges of the Native Lands Courts, to consider the’ desirability of doing all, in their power to enforce the objects of that Act. The Government was fidly aware of the importance of the subject, and .would do what they could to carry out the objects of the legislation winch had already taken place.