The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1879.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 20, 11 January 1879, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1879.

J't 'Jk'Wt^fP < 5 91 1 *!?W we ' 1!1 - ve J?i. v<j n. some f nets relative to the supposed iutt\u,tio.n uf river Oov-i-rnment with regard to tlie j West Coast Kail way, showing tha.fc.th,e ;inatter -pf /WUe as never fixed, us ■stated,\t\jr.the. IVli«»>«'iit. Why this sudden u'?h,an£e should Have come oyev the -spirit: of th.e~ Minister's drea.ni,. is inexplicable ta us and a mystery to must people, Evt-n taking tiu> report fiirni<hed l>y Mr, St-EWAET^ a looted partisan of ' Foxton, we contend that the balanw o,f advantage was |a,nr;-ly m favor of Pahuorsioii. Wo ask the Government, if tUe line he not n.\a.de to Filzherhert. how are the hundreds of I h ou <S i » da ,o,f. :w. 1 ro.i o f n\a,s?i lifti-e j i,t l^n ii which stivtcli Jill^ '"•Jong tiie l>a»k of the Manawalu »'i«Ut up to th.c Qocrg(\ to be iitjJv«ci: j anil i*i' tl\« uipiViy vyUu*" co,uM W ivnliwil -to Ue lost to. tl\u &rate. •Wi^li 'tlie.T^tttrnii ]<anye on o)iv side, ami the Miinu\vat<l Kivoron tl^e o,tliei-, the unfoi-MiiuUe s.eltlers are l^apalessly i-ut off fri)iua,U cmmLnwc^tioiu at\d aUhou<?!i the land tvas.-l»m'elm^oc^ai\c\ i\ hijjtli pric(\ ]ia,id fm- .it.iiprm the tlistiiv-t tinderstanuij^si U>*t u,n inla,ud road \\ia,s to be con«iV»,u-tfcd -lu^vin^ cAt;i;\ev(ion with the eapitalt to, so.n« of the settlers, there is no.t sio, tru^eluvi^ brvUe-itvuek. In dealing willi tho t\vo ruv^res^ tluMi., iii the. oiv.* e^se-.se.ve.n m\\es would have to be ma,de fc]ir/)i^l; .swa,mps s,iu\ s.aticl-. hills necessifat-iii^ «'X.or.l)i.L.iiU oiithyys; and would; L^ #\o result ? \\'hy, t)iot after leaving Fu.vtot^ a,iid until re.-u'hinij 4«'-k<-'yto\yn t there would be be but o,rj,« settler yvho. woidd receive one }>i.iys point b,L»n.efi,t from i,L O.n the Qther ron(e,fro,m th,e \evy sttaii now «roi>nd would. l><* opened u,p, a,u,d the wealth of the Proviu.ce dvyelpprd. But above all we wish, to, bri.n.y o.u.t in bold relief the. important fa,ct w,hi<-h. has been los«t sijfht of Uy \^'. txrK\v\itp when he voluntarily dilute the pro«pei'tivii v^jindori lin<\ and thaf is-, tliat wjiile V. the one east; llty. lutynlr^' would haw to. pay the co-it ujt every mil.- of line.' witl.vmt a convsjvvvling n'turn; ifi the other, t!ie ai-tn^!, enhani'tMl value m\<\ s^l.e <>l : the Innds th.vis opened qp would ii\,r i-n/i'i" tlu;.out.liy. nithont at all cousi.l.'rin^ the ultexJosi 1 benefits aemiiiijl fmi\\ si-t; lenient; up;>n if. t>nppnst> no.w, f>>x- slice of ar^u nen,t t that thft (.•rove.r.n.infMit a,n-l the (Miintry «Uc(«hl divide m fa.v<»p i>f Fovtoii, li.iw, «"e a<k, are settlers t?rar to l>j pl;n-cd up^n l!i» A I'iud 1 < Xr.. is siifli a miti iof ' TVeftJth and p ro« peril y U\ the p»opU« to i>f> coim'mpfu'ni-lv i'Ziio.nc«l? We know that the. jji'^nt bugbear wh<i-.!i has b'«n dariiilfd bvforo our our eyes is the diillcully of ih»«diu!; with the MsvuJM owners of laid,' lint «'«' Iripjx-n lo be Jn a positiou to ]tno>\ that, tlwre is not, the Rli#Hf^Kt hitc-ii on 1 1 hi r In an ivKqc of tliis ja'ini.jil .«">mi" six months <nwc we v f,-tt»»d, ' i\\if>n 'I)'' authority of t.V. ln,t«*. Hkot<u{ AlcUaNAfcU, •)! r lio.rovvli('riua. r from Whom we re.-oived ;'V irirol'iii.ifidn or-tijly, tlutt several Tirgff blm-ks of landjha'l h^n^fii^l !»»« Ii byUhe iTV'^UT^. ' t Bn.t < % v»'U ,t li r >w-»UUS-!iii^C thf.infoi'niii-ioii sjiye-ti by that Vml a^siu^iti^ that tljV>" liu^l wanti't'l wv mill m the liw>4 of the. Maoris, «,•> t\ro assured upon Iho most reliable anthin-ity tl\;it the. Nrtttvos aw, willinir to part wilh it upon what seems

terms. We have been assured by Mr. Ai.kxa.nukk McDonald, of Awa'liiiri, whose position and dealings wjLlv. the Natives fully warrants him m speaking, on their behalf, that the JNatiye ownprs of land alon# the proposed roqje of, line would be quite willing not only to yield the land for a site, but .to give m addition a free grant o.f larjje bloc Its'' contiguous thereto, only reserving to them? si'lvos a, portion as j>fa.livo Keserves. In referring to this inatteT'wo fe~ei we are only traversing the ground travelled ■by qs before, stilL. under, the present aspeot at" affairs we think it nettessary 'that overy item which . would lia^e a dirept beariqg upou the matter s]iould_ 'lie placed prominently before tin; p^ibTicv' Gfo courstr,»assuining tl}e statement, of. Mr. ALKXANIiGit McDonald, to he tor-: rcct^aml.-oE that we ' : have not the slightest doubt — the acceptance '6v 're* fusal of the. terms by the Govcrmnent would probably hinge ujpon the extent of aiva, iqcluded m t'ue 1 lvser-ye?. We undei'stiind that there is a large -tract of i'ountry upon ;\vliiuhj advances have been made to the Maoris by the Guvernmenti and ultbough th.ey cantjot be sivid to be purchased; or m. the hands of the country, by th'o half-.cQiupletod nego'.iatiQns all i4oa of private enter', drise m securing \,ll\e ls\\d or dealing with the Nat'.vos.'isi "aside, {i the suggestion we . Uave made be carviecl out, -weiindcPsta.ud that iN'«ti v e landowners" would, nut only refund the ad-vanc-ps made by the Government, but me.reljHask th^t sornevvhere hion.^ fifteen" to twenty per cent, of the whole of theland should he allotted to thetq as re-' serve'Sj the remainder gQ>ng as s, can-' sidera"t\qn for the eonsitruetian of the railway,, i\nd tb,e consequent enhanVei iheut of'thq Value of wlu^t they retain. The NtUiVes ' have* got ' cjuite enough shpewifivoss.to,.kno\Y. tljat the contiguity <?f s\, ra^il.way.e^lianpe.s? tljp value of land .rVain.ten, tQ twenty f aid; and country V'njuV otherwise wouid. remain a swamp or b,4rVen waste, by tl\« construction of railway has a high value iv, the. iua,i;li;et. :