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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4151, 10 July 1874, Page 2

The air has been heavy during the past few days with rumors concerning the motion yesterday brought before the Council by Mr. Waterhouse, respecting the manner in which the public estate should be alienated. The imagination of some hon. members of the Lower Chamber had completely led them astray as to disclosures that were to be made. No doubt, with them, the wish was father to the thought. The disclosures that they had proclaimed from the house-tops had not found their way into Mr. Waterhouse’s secret chamber. No bird of the air had carried to him a story of transactions that had its own refutation written on its face. Moreover, Mr. Waterhouse, singularly enough, took occasion in his speech to many times express his entire disbelief in the probability of there being any crooked proceedings in connection with the administration of the land regulations. He had only undertaken what we may concede he considered to be his duty, or that of any other member of the Council. Certain events had come under his notice during the course of his travels in the North Island, and he wished to place his experience at the disposal of the Legislature. His motion was carried, notwithstanding an able speech in opposition to it from the Colonial Secretary. This was what might have been expected. But the fact must not be overlooked that merely an expression has been given of an abstract opinion of the Council. This will be forwarded to His Excellency, and he will deal with it in a constitutional manner.

Mr. Waterhouse commenced by expressing an opinion that Very few persona wore acquainted with the methods that might be employed for the alienation of confiscated lands. There were land laws, but these might be modified by regulations, that wore subject in their turn to modification by succeeding ones if this were considered necessary. He made a frank confession of his own ignorance of the matter until a very recent date. In fact, said ho, so complicated were the whole circumstances that few persons would inquire into them with sufficient pertinacity to obtain the exact truth, unless they should bo personally interested. We are not going to twist this remark against the hon. member. He was precise in guarding against personalities or attributing motives, and the tone of his speech might load to the conclusion that his object in taking the action ho did was simply a regard for the public benefit. He had observed that a large tract of country —150,000 acres—had boon leased to one individual for ,twenty-one years, and he regarded this as likely to retard settlement. And ho knew of a swamp having been sold, half of* the purchase money for which was expended in improving the land by making a road through it. These were, as he admitted, not charges against the Ministry, because the present system had been in practice for many years. The fact he wished to establish was that no man or body of men should have uncontrolled power over the disposal of 1,500,000 acres of land. A Minister might, as ho said, be either too strict, and refuse to permit his friends to acquire land, or, on the contrary, he might be too yielding. But in no way would Mr. Waterhouse impute dereliction of duty to the present Ministry. The principle ho contended for, without reference to individuals, either public or private. The Colonial Secretary replied, and although the motion was carried against him, there is much to be said for his view of the question at issue. The regulations made from time to time are always submitted to Parliament at the earliest possible date, and are invariably gazetted. Here, wo may remark, that the power the Government of this Colony possesses is extensively used by the Governments of other Colonies. Land Acts, bo they worded how they may, depend more for their efficiency upon their administration than upon the terms in which they are set forth. There are regulations in force

in tho Australian Colonies that may be altered, amended, and added to from time to time, as may be considered advisable in Executive Council. And although a general law may run through any one of the Australian Colonies, where the land is Crown property until alienated, a wider discretion is necessary in New Zealand, where tho land is owned variously, and there are Provincial and General. administrations. There can be here, the Colonial Secretary thought, no Procrustean rule. The Government of the day must take the responsibility of acting as circumstances may make desirable. Parliament, if in its wisdom it should think tho course necessary, has a ready way of approving or disapproving of the action taken by any Cabinet. The regulations under which the Ministry act are in print and any hon. member may subject them to review in either one House or tho other. Mr. Waterhouse, in reply, drew attention to a large profit that the purchasers of tho swamp were understood to have made. The roads cut through it had drained it and rendered it valuable. Really we see no objection to this. It has always been a principle in the other Colonies that a moiety of the sum derived from the sale of waste lands should be expended in their improvement. It is better for tho Colony that the land purchasers should gain by their transactions than that they should lose. And the public weal is consulted, by worthless land falling into the hands of capitalists who turn it to profitable account.