New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 11.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4542, 11 October 1875, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, OCTOBER 11.

We are satisfied," all things considered, that the House of Representatives were justified in rejecting the motion of Sir George Grey on the purchase of native lands. The debate which took place on the motionanswered all the purposes which its mover intended, without placing on the records of the House a resolution which impliedly amounted to a vote of censure on the Government. Sir George divided his resolution, as we suggested in a former article on the subject; and Sir Donald McLean, while accepting the principle of the first part of the motion, intimated that the Government intended to be guided by it in future in the conduct of the Land Purchase department. So far, therefore, the end has been attained. The Government promise to do a certain thing, and any specific instructionby the House, after such a pledge, would have been equivalent to a declaration of unbelief in its honesty. Sir George Grey would have acted the pari of a prudent Parliamentary leader if he had withdrawn his motion at this point, but instead of doing so he went to a division. He placed the House, therefore, in the anomalous position of voting against a principle on which all were agreed,because it was “a party question,” and he brought defeat on the Opposition when, by a little tact, he might have scored a point. So far, therefore, as the matter stands at present, the Government are not pnly exonerated from their premise, but the House of Representatives actually condemn the principle to which, in reply to Sir George Grey, the.Nativo Minister pledged them. This is one of the paradoxes of Parliamentary government. It may be sound party tactics, but it is neither sound political nor social morality. However, as we have said, Sir George Grey brought it all about by his pertinacity. He desired to push an admitted principle to its logical issue, forgetful that with the bulk of politicians, the interests of party are over and above all other considerations. And in this case, all the surroundings of the motion made it one of a party character.

Having pointed out his mistake to the Leader of the Opposition, we have a word or two to say upon the general question. And first, there is no reason to suppose that the Government will act in any sense contrary to the pledge they gave the House before the division was taken. This we take to he a settled point. It is expected by the country, and the country will not be disappointed. The Government have suffered enough obloquy already to render it not at all probable that in araomentof weakness, or formere purposes of expediency, they should relax the strict principle of administrative control of the Land Purchase department in future. The Native Minister, in his speech, honestly stated the administrative policy of the Land Purchase department, and the reasons which actuated himself, as head of that department, in the employment of agents to do particular kinds of work. That the work has not been creditably done in several instances is beyond reasonable doubt. The fact is admitted and deplored, and there is an end of it. We are pleased, however, to find that our previous suggestion regarding the dismissal of a class of questionable agents is to be carried out. Sir Donald McLean has promised to make considerable reduction

among the land purchase agents. Me further stated that he did not contemplate making any large purchases of native land for some time to come. Of course, he is the best judge of whether further purchases of native land should be made ; but judging from his statement, there still appears to be a large available balance of the land purchase fund. Let it be clearly understood, however, that although land purchases may be discontinued for a time, the balance of the land purchase vote “ shall be held “ sacred.” It must not be diverted from its original object, that of acquiring land for settlement purposes in the North Island. To be sure, there was another object stated at the time the appropriation was made, namely, that of providing a land fund for the North Island ; but in our opinion this is only a secondary consideration. Waste lands should be disposed of for settlement rather than for revenue purposes; and we have good reason for thinking that Ministers agree with us in this view. But circumstances might arise ;—we do not say they will arise, wo simply put it as a probability ; —circumstances might arise in which it might be considered expedient to apply the balance of the North Island land purchase fund to some other purpose. And it is in view of this contingency—remote we admit, yet by no means impossible—-that we raise the question in this pointed way before the prorogation. Ministers have given a promise that they will be guided by certain principles in the administration of

the Land Purchase department; well and good. Let a promise be given that the land purchase fund of the North Island shall be as “ sacred as the land fund of “ the Middle Island,” and the public may rest satisfied that the large balance of which Sir Donald McLean spoke, will be forthcoming when required. It need not diminish by resting a while ; but it ought not to bo applied to any other purpose. . ~ We may be told that this is a needless precaution ;—that it is tied up by Act, and cannot be diverted without the consent of Parliament, We are well aware of that. We do not suspect that Ministers harbor any design upon it , they could not divert it without legal sanction if they desired to do so ; but it is the readiness with which legal sanction is sometimes given to Ministerial proposals that we dread in this particular case. The land fund of the South is “ localised” and “sacrodisod ; let the land fund of the North, which the unexpended balance of the land purchase vote undoubtedly is, be at least sacred if it cannot yet be localised. y we ask is not in the nature of a work of supererogation, in view of what has taken place this session. The land fund of the South belonged to the provinces by law, but another law was passed making the title more secure ; an extra legal hitch passed round the land purchase fund of the North Island would therefore bo quite in keeping with the precedent quoted by ns. Doubtless Ministers will promptly give an assurance of the kind wo have suggested, if they are asked the question. _