Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 247, 9 December 1880, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1880.

From time to time telegrams and paragraphs appear in the papers in reference to certain proclamations regarding native lands, which, to the majority of those wbo read them, are probably quite unintelligible, but an explanation of their meaning will show the importance of what is being done in the matter. For some time the Government were engagfd in the purchase from the natives of blocks of land all over the North Island, upon which advance payments^ were made, and then proclamations were issued declaring that the Crowu had commenced Negotiations for the purchase of the tracts specified, and pronouncing all other transactions illegal. The Government, however, have now declared that' they cannot perpetuate this system of purchase, being urged thereto by more reasons than one, the chief among them, perhaps, being the want of money. And this is not altogether to be deplored, for it has long been known tbat tbe transactions entered into by the State have proved far from profitable. There are other reasons, too, equally cogent, some of which are thus summed up by the Auckland Herald -. — " The purchases were in many cases begun rashly. Large sums were paid on blocks in ■which the proportion of land which can be said to be level and fit for settlement is infinitesimal, and to which it would cost large sums to make roads. No country could staud persistence in the land purchase system as it was carried on. Another reason for giving up the line we hitherto have been pursuing is, that in many cases we have simply no hope of completing the negotiations we have entered into. Suppose there are fifty natives entitled to a block of land ; we have paid money to forty of them, for the purchase of their interests ; the remaining ten will not sign, and cannot be induced to deal with the Government at all. This may arise from their being Hauhaus, or perhaps from the machinations of private persons. It does not matter what is the motive, the fact remains that a large quautity of public money is lying out, and that we cannot make any use of the land. Yet another reason for terminating the land purchase system is, tbat it seemed quite impossible to obtain such a thing as honest dealing with the public money. The purchase of natives lands aU over the country, which was done by getting the signatures of the particular Datives at opportune times (which meant when they were very needy or very drunk or both) necessitated a large number of officers having each considerable amounts at their command. We know something of what resulted, and we venture to predict that worse remains behind. Another reason for the step which the Government have taken is, tbat the natives complain bitterly of our proceedings. We have paid say £200 on a block of land which could be sold for £1000. We will neither complete the purchase ourselves, nor will we allow the natives to sell or lease to others. The natives say that the, Government should either go on with the purchase or remove tbe embargo over the land." Taking all these circumstarces into consideration the Government have scheduled a number of blocks of land amounting in all. to about a million acres, in regard to which they will proceed under the provisions of the "Native Lands Act, 1877," in compliance with the sixth clause of which they have caused application to be made to the Native Lands Court to ascertain what interest has been acquired by Her Majesty in the several blocks .perilled. All lands which upon investigation are declared to be her property will be deemed to be absolutely vested in the Queen j while any land not found to have been acquired by her will be open for sale to the public as authorised by Acts of the General Assembly relating to Native lands. Among tbe first lands to come before the Court will be the famous Patetere block, which is to be adjudicated upon next month. Several other blocks in various parts of the Island are to be dealt with in a similar manner, and tho Court will eet aside sufficient land to represent the value o. the money advanced .by the Government, and of the

balauce the Natives may dispose as they think fit under certain restrictions. " The result the-efore " (to quote again from the IJcruhl)" is this: —In respect to all the blocks which they can deal with at present the Govcrumcnfc have determined to close up these running sores of native laud purchase negotiations. The Court will he asked to say how much the Government have, required, and to mark that out ; and as for the rest, ihe natives may sell ifc to whom thej'choose and as soon as they choose There arc difficulties in the way, and probably in many instances the Court will find it impossible to define an area which the Government has purchased. But the effect will be to throw open for settlement a large amount of land at present closed. The laud set aside for the Government will be surveyed and sold iv pursuance of the Government's policy, and the remainder will pass into the hands of Europeans."