THE NATIVE LANDS SALES BILL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4817, 30 August 1876, Page 3

THE NATIVE LANDS SALES BILL.

The following letter has been placed at our disposal : Wellington, August, 29, 1876. —To Tvar.iitiana Takamoana and Nahe, M.H.R.’s, Friends, —I shall tell you what I think should be done with your lands. You hold more lands than you can use. Pome is covered with fern, and some with scrub. These bring in no money to you. The pakehas desire to have land to rear sheep, cattle, and horses, and also to grow wheat and other kinds of grain. Ton also desire to get money, and you are not opposed to the leasing or even selling of your lauds. Now, I think you should have the power of leasing the lands for any number of years up to ninety-nine. I think you should also be able to lease it in small blocks, you and the pakehas to fix the rent that the pakehas are to pay, and also how they are to use it.

You could lease the lands without going to the Native Lands Court at alb If any tribe or hapu wished to have the lauds of a tribe or hapu divided amongst the Maoris of the tribe or hapu, then you could go to the Native Lands Court, and after paying a proper sum of money to the Court for the trouble of declaring to whom tho land belongs, you could have the land portioned amongst the tribe or hapu. But the Court should not interfere unless a majority of those interested petitioned it. Now, if you leased the lands the ordinary Courts would treat the lease as an ordinary contract for leasing, enforce it against the Maoris ; or, if they had no right to lease, give damages against them. The pakehas would not ask the Government to guarantee their title, but run the risk of the Maoris’ word and contract.

If you desired to sell land, that could only be done by the sanction of the Supreme Court if it were land held for another, or if it were your own land you must apply for a special Act as a private Bill. I think you should not be permitted to sell, because at present when you sell your land and find that you have no parts you can call your own, then you get discontented and quarrelsome, and blame the pakehas for taking your land. If you lease it you would always have some money coming in every year and your land would be getting more and more valuable every year. Then also the Maori race would be preserved and not driven from its own land. Then also when the land was leased the pakeha tenants would pay taxes and roads would be formed and the rest of the Maori lands be made more valuable. There are many other benefits the Maoris would receive, but I ask yon to consider my suggestion. Robert Stout.