NATIVE LAND PURCHASE BILL.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 76, 14 November 1846, Page 3

NATIVE LAND PURCHASE BILL.

A Bill bearing this title, is now before the Council, which is certainly the ne plus ultra of despotic legislation. As the publication of it did not take place until the latter part of the week, it is impossible to devote sufficient time and space for exposing the injurious tendency of some of it* provisions. The objects expressed in the two fii>t clauses, certainly must be contrary to the inten tions of Government, The obvious tendency of these clauses, has surely escaped the notice of His Excellency, for they are so worded as to strike at the root of almost every enterprize by •which the exports of the colony can be cherished and increased. If the intentions of Government are clearly expressed in the clauses to which we allude, the Bill should be entitled, " An Act to extinguish the Exports of the Colony." The bill will be found in another part of our columns, and we call the attention of our readers to the first and second clauses, and to the penalty to be inflicted. Now, if this bill passes into law, no more ships can bft loaded with spars at Kaipara, for it will be illegal to purchase the privilege of cutting them from the Natives. The sawyers at the various stations must suspend their operations ; the Bay whalers must relinquish their harpoons ; the woodsman, who has been accustomed to purchase the right of cutting fire-wood on the estates of the Natives, must lay down his axe ; the herdsman, who has been accustomed to hire the unoccupied lands of the Natives for depasturing his flocks, and his herds, must drive them to the butcher ; in short, every enlerprize connected with the acquisition of articles for export, must be abandoned. Such is the expressed object of these clauses. That such is the intended purpose we cannot for one moment believe. Probably' the explanation will be, that Licenses will be granted 5 but we would ask, is capital to be invested, and industry to be applied solely at the will and pleasure of the Government ? If Legislation in this colony is to assume such an arbitrary and despotic form, we might as well emigrate to the dominions of the Grand Turk. We call the special attention of the non official member» to the expressed object of these clauses, and if the measure is not hurried through the three stages of its existence in the same impetuous manner that most of its predecessors have been, we will endeavour next week to elucidate more clearly, its evil tendencies. We know that the public have hitherto purposely held themselves aloof from the proceedings of Council, on account of the little confidence and respectin which it is held, but in this instance, we think (he merchants and settlers should unile, and avail themselves of the constitutional right of remonstrating with His Excellency, upon the impolicy of the present measure,

In another portion of our columns, will be found the commencement of the last dying speech and confession of the Directors of the New Zealand Company. We would gladly have inserted the speeches delivered at the meeting when the report was adopted, but they are too long. We must, however, briefly allude to the misrepresentations contained in that portion of Mr. Charles Buller's speech which contains a violent attack upon Mr. Fitzgerald. Mr. Buller says that he saw in an Auckland Newspaper, a most disreputable correspondence between Mr. Fitzgerald and Governer Fitzlloy"; aud he implies that Mr. Fitzgerald was a member of Council. Now we have nothing to do with the question of the character of the conesponderue referred to, but we deny the assertion that it was published in an Auckland Newspaper, and every body knows that Mr. Fifzgerald never occupied a seat in either of the Councils. Whatever may be the opinion of Mr. Charles Buller respecting the correspondence he condemns, we may inform him that Mr. Fitzgerald is not held in such disrespect and contempt by the community at large, as is implied in Mr. Bullers denunciation. As a Land Commissioner Mr. Fitzgerald is universally acknowledged to have discharged his duties with fidelity and humane discrimination, and his having been several times re-elected as foreman of the grand jury is sufficient proof of the estimation in which he is held by his fellow colonists.

By the return of the Auckland, we have Wellington papers to the 31st ult. The circumjacent districts appear to be in a very unsettled, disturbed state. The residents at Wanganui have again been annoyed with one of those periodical visits of the turbulent natives from the interior, to which this isolated settlement has been so frequently subjected. The taua, in this instance, seems to have been collected by one of Rangihaeata's allies, and doubtless there is some connexion between this movement and the late disturbances at Wellington. The Christian Natives of Putiki Warenui, under the pastoral care of the Rev. R. Taylor, had cordially united for the protection of the settlers, and some of their Chiefs were present at a Public Meeting held in the lown, (if a few scattered dwellings deserve the name) when a memorial to His Excellency was adopted, praying for protection. The Tauctf considering it was a tana, appear to have conducted themselves in a very orderly manner, as there is no account of any outrage having been committed. It is decidedly wrong for the Wanganui settlers to harrass the Governor, on every similar occasion, with petitions for protection, when they must know that it is out of His Excellency's power to comply, in any effectual manner with their wishes. It would be the height of impolicy to divide the forces of the Colony, by sending detachments into every hole and corner, that the New Zealand Company, in the halcyon days of its prosperity, chose to survey and I apportion out to settlers. If the residents ! at VVanganui, feel alarmed for the safety of their lives and property, they had much better submit to necessity, abandon the I uninviting locality, and avail themselves 1 of the offers that have been been made to 1 them, of more peaceful locations elsewhere. Wanganui will never attract the attention of emigrants, and now that the Company, who originated the baneful dispersive system of Colonization, has become defunct, the sooner concentration is commenced, the better. Manewatu has also been threatened, and the two or three residents who compose the European population of this District, have been ordered by Rangihaeata to remove. We quote the following account from our contemporary, the Wellington Independent. On Saturday last, October 24, Cemine, the master of the cutter* Catherine Ann had nearly completed his lading in the Manawatu River. On Sunday afternoon, the rebel chief Te Rangihaeta sent a letter down to Taratoa, chief of the Ngatiwakatere, directing him to order the settlers to leave the Manawatu district in eight days. On receipt of the order, Messrs. Kebbel, Cook, and Corapton, with the chief Taratoa, took a canoe and pulled up the long reach. On arriving' on a line with Paratawao, the position occupied by Rangihaeata, they landed and proceeded to the Pah. Mr. Rebbel asked the rebelichief wby the settlers were to leave. Rangihaeata answered—"l can answer for the conduct of the men at present with me, jbut natives are coining from Rangitikei and all parts to join me, and 1 cannot answer for their conduct." Further he said—l will not take you by surprise like Rauparaha was taken, I give you warning, and you had better go. Rangihaeata told Mr. Cook to look out, for if he caught him there in two or three days, he would murder him, in consequence of someieport having got abroad amongst the natives that Mr. Cook was concerned in the apprehension of Te Rauparaha,. Rangibaeata said to Mr. Com plon, I know you? you was in the Hutt Militia. There is a vessel in the river, you had belter all go at once. On the return of the party, the settlers determined to leave the district, but were pursmicled by the chief of a small tribe who had been fiiend ly disposed, to remain till they heard from Wellington. About 150 rebels are encamped at PoroiKawao, and an accession of 300 trom Rangitikei was hourly expected, Cenaino was com-

pelled to bring back most of his cargo. — Wdlington Independent, Oct. 31st. It is very evident that the troubles of our fellow Colonists at the South, are not ended. The spirit of disaffection is unexorcised, and the probability is, that no long time will elapse before hostilities are again resumed. We are sorry to perceive that " Puaha," a chief in alliance with the Government, though nearly related to j Rangihaeata, is stigmatized by certain parties, as a foe in disguise. No satisfactory evidence is adduced to support the allegation, on the contrary it is denied, and i the character of Puaha warmly defended by the more influential portion of the community. Libels like these are calculated to do much harm, and will assuredly tend to transform those who are, and would be loyal adherents, into rebellious opponents, i The Editor of the Independent suggests, that those who promulgate such libels, should be taught better manners by a legal prosecution, a demand upon the pockets of these libellers, he thinks, would be more sensitively felt than an appeal to their consciences. We should be heartily glad to see his suggestion carried out.

Coroner's Inquest. — An inquest was held by D. Pollen, Esq.. M. D., on Monday last, at the Exchange Hotel, on the body of Isabella Fling, the wife of a soldier of the 58th Itegt The deceased and her husband resided out of barracks, and on Saturday evening last, between the hours of 8 and 9 o'clock, the cries of " Murder," were heard to proceed from their dwelling in Field's Lane. Several of the neighbours immediately rushed into the house, where they found the deceased lying on the floor, with her head reclining on the breast of her husband, who was pressing his fingers upon a deep wound in her neck, as if to stop the flow of blood, which had already saturated her garments, and the clothing which he wore. Medical assistance was called for immediately ; but just as Dr. Ford arrived, the unfortunate woman had breathed her last. A knife, covered with blood, was found in the adjoining apartment ; and the husband was taken into custody under strong suspicion of having inflicted the wound. The evidence, although somewhat obscure, left no doubts on the minds of the jury that such was the case, and they returned a verdict of " Manslaughter." Cricket. —In consequence of the unfavorable state of the weather, the Members of the Albion Club were compelled to postpone their opening Game until to day. We hope the attendance will be numerous, and that both players and spectators will enjoy the recreation.