New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRIAT GUARDIAN. Saturday, October 20, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 440, 20 October 1849, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRIAT GUARDIAN. Saturday, October 20, 1849.

In our last number we gave somewhat at length (from the Nevt Zealander) the report of the debate ia the Legislative Council on the Crown Titles Bill, a liberal measure intended by the Governor-in-Chief to put an end to the disputes arising out of the various conflicting and contradictory claims to land conferred by the grants issued by Captain Fitzroy, It appears that in the course of the debate Messrs. Merriman and Barstow both expressed a wish that the Southern Province should be included in its provisions. But these gentlemen were reminded by the Governor that this would be manifestly unfair and unjust to the settlers in the Southern Province, in the absence from that Council of any member of that Province. The southern settlers also might think it somewhat presumptuous on the part of these members to endeavour still to impose on the whole colony laws manufactured by one section of it, by persons who seem to forget the important changes made in the Constitution of the colony, — the precursors and preparatives of others still more extensive to be consummated in a few short years. An Auckland Council, under the present constitution, can no longer give the law to New Zealand. Besides, the most cursory glance at the returns printed for the information of the Council shows that no analogy can possibly exist between the land claims in the respective Provinces, so that any measure absolutely required for the [ quieting of titles in the Northern, would be [ perfectly- inapplicable in the Southern Proi vince. The very headings of these returns show the abuses which had been established under the previous system and the necesssity for a remedy. In the return of " scrip credits authorised in extension of, or opp osition to, [ the awards of the Commissioners, also without any claim being preferred or award made by any Commissioner," we find that to three j persons scrip to the amount of upwards of i Five thousand pounds has been granted, to j whom no grant had been recommended and no award made by a Commissioner. One of these, Mr. Forsaith, to whom scrip to the amount of £3,390 had been granted, tried to get up a sort of petition among the natives in favour of Captain Fitzroy previous to his departure, and is a prominent opponent of Sir George Grey's government. In a return " of Grants which have been issued, which convey to the grantee a larger quantity of land than was originally claimed," we find a case in which 24,209 acres are granted, although only 8,611 acres were recommended by the Commissioner. From another return it appears that grants to the extent of 14,168 acres have been issued, purporting to have been made "in consequence of the recommendation of the Commissioners who heard the claim, whilst in fact the Commissioners recommended that no grant should be made to the claimant ;" from another return it appears among other similar cases that Grants containing exactly the same description and boundaries have been issued to nine different individuals ; from another return it appears that out of 230 grants, 188 contain no particular description of the specific portions of land intended to be conveyed. The whole amount of land granted gives a proportion of 44 acres to each adult male of the European population in the Auckland district. It would be in vain to seek for a parallel to such a state of things in the Southern Province ; and it would be ridiculous to attempt to apply the provisions of an Ordinance, which is intended to cure these disorders, to a Province where they do not exist.

We understand that Mr. Fitzgerald, the Government Surveyor, will proceed immediately to the Wairau for the purpose of laying out a road from the plains Of the Wairau to the Waitohi, so as to render the latter place available as a Port to the owners of sheep stations in the district. The necessary works for the formation of the road will be performed almost entirely by maori labour.