PERSONAL RULE IN THE NA.TIVE DEPARTMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 17, 21 October 1879, Page 2

PERSONAL RULE IN THE NA.TIVE DEPARTMENT.

The statement of Native affairs made by the Hon. Air Bryce on Friday last, was by no maana an alarming affair, and on accouot of the absence of sentationalism has ore* ated considerable disappointment lie laid chief stress upon the financial aspect of the Department's operations, and showed conclusively that the "personal rule" theory is to the colony a most expensive ope. There is one aspect of this personal lule which strikes us as a gross infringement, of the privileges of Parliament, and we trust the House will onco and for ever put a stop to it. We refer to the expenditure of public works -funds under the personal rule of the Native Minister. In his statement, Mr Bryce pointed out that " last year there was a sum voted of £20,000, although that sum was in the Public Works Department, which department ab solutely received recommendations from the Native Minister as to iiow this money should te expended. The Native Minister could not possibly have a knowledge of the various works for which this money was voted. That was absolutely impossible. There was another item, £15,000, voted lo open native land purchases, but it was under the control of the Native Minister. He held in his hind a return of the expenditure under various heads, and although many of the sums were small, there were others very large — for instance, Thames County grant for roads, £4450. There w»s another item in respect to the County of Coromandel, and also another adjoining County. In the county of Coromandel, for native roads there was a sum expended of £14,000. There was another sum of £200 for the Thames, and another item of £4000 for the same County, and yet for the same County another item of £500. There were other liabilities for the same County of £2,600, iraking a total for the Thames County of £12,050. There was also a further sum of £500 for the Thames borough, but of course that whs a mere nothing. It was not possible for a Native Minister to understand from his own personal experience the requirements of the County in question in such an extended way as that he had mentioned. Those sums were passed away absolutely from the control of that House."

The above figures are sufficient evidence of the result of personal rule. What has the Colony received for that £30,0.)U ? How many miles of road can be shown in the Counties of Coromandel and Thames as the result of the £26,000 spent in them during last year? There are other abuses of a similar character under " personal rule." One native actually telegraphed to the Native Minister that he wanted £2000 as ho was going to settle on some land, and he got what he asked for! Wi Tako's wife died, and the fuDernl cost £300 ; yet when the wealthy old chief sent in a demand to the Government for the money, it was paid ! Five Maori boys who had been educated, were sent by their parents to Wellington to be employed in the Civil Service, "but only two were '• taken on," and the others were comparatively idle, tho whole coating about £700 per annum ! Besides these instances, there were the multitude of wrongs covered up in " contingencies." Under this heading £2500 was voted, but under the "personal rule" system the contingencies amounted to £18,599, being an excess of £16,099 over the vote !

The question before the country is, are these things to be continued ? The frightful abuses which have gathered around the Native Department are a orying shame to the Colony, and if improvement is sought the axe must be laid to the root of tho tree. Under Mr Bryce, an excellent opportunity would be afforded of testing the question whether it is impossible for the Native Department to be well administered under a Minister not himself acquainted with the Maori language. In the past, our policy has been one of pampering conciliation. The time for that has passed. A firmer policy must take its place. The Maoris must be taught, even though the lesson be severe, that the Anglo Saxon race is dominant ; and that if they fling themselves in the path of our progress, they must suffer. If war is inevitable, before a final settlement of the native difficulty, let it come. At present, it is simple degradation of the Grown and the colonists, for any ignorant old barbarian to come forward and ask for £2000, and get it, simply to prevent him making a disturbance. One's blood boils at the thought of suoh things taking place in this colony, where the white population is so many times larger than that of the natives. The natives are no longer children. To treat them as suoh is only airing our own foolishness, and they know it. Whoever remains at the head of native affairs, we devoutly trust this personal rule business will be for ever orushed during this session by Parliament. We quote another passage from Mr Bryoe's statement : — " Most of the members of the House desired to see a great change in this native matter— in fact, to see personal government done away with to a very great extent. He was oertain that there was such a feeling in the country, from one end to the other, and be must say he entirely agreed with the country. He had held the same opinions for mauy yean past. He remain-

bored when personal Government wiis in its full glory, but in the latter days of Sir Donald M'Lean, that gentleman himself had come to the conclusion that a change in this dire3tion was really needed. At one time a go >d deal could ba do 33 with a little sugar and flow and n few blankets, but now things were very different when the natives wore not afraid to ask for even a million of money. For some years before the death of that gentleman, he wis doing his utmost to improve the management of native affairs, and had done so to some extent. The two greatest native experts in this colony had been exerting their influence in this colony for years past, and he did not think the result was in favor of personal Government."

Mr Bryce, ia conclusion, indicated what would bo the policy of the Gorernraent in future, should they remain in office. He said : — " He would like to indicate in a few words how he thought these things might be cured. He would set to work to destroy the principal part of the department as a department. He would advocate the native schools being handed over to the Education Department. He would deal with other votes in precisely the same way. He would place the pensioners under the Colonial Secretary's Department, and the assessors under the Department of Justice This would make a very great reduction in the expenses of native affairs. With respect to the alienation of native lands, he held pretty positive opinions on that question. Any system was open to objection, but he would take that which was open to the least. The greatest facilities should be given to the Maoris for surveying the boundaries of their land, and the title being decided they should be allowed to place it under some body popular with the Maori, so that it might be sold by public competition. He would stop all sales. It should be the duty of that Board — a Waste Lands Board it might be — to sell the lands— a per-centage of the proceeds should be taken for the opening up of the lanJs by road, and he would then hand over the balance of the purchase money to the sellers. He believed the Maoris would be in favor of such schemes, and that the Board would get the very largest sum that was possible for the lands. In conclusion, he said if the House cared to carry on native matters under the present mode, they must do so, but if not, he felt convinced there might be a very great improvement made in them."