New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5147, 21 September 1877, Page 4

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1877.

There are people who always labor under the impression that in. all transactions regarding native lands there is aomething shady. In fact, this feeling is attaining such a growth that a decent man will before long hesitate to have any dealings with the natives. • This is to be regretted, for it is not desirable that the aboriginal owners should be forced to treat with men without standing, and who have as little regard for their.own characters as they have for other people’s. Onseveraloccasions lately Mr. Whitaker has been the mark at which various wild accusations have , been aimed, and yesterday that gentleman took the opportunity to explain away a matter which seems to exercise the mind of Mr. Murray,' and on which he. tabled a mdtioti; ' The motion referred 'to certain'land transactions of a . varied character, but in which there is not, the slightest suspicion to be attached to anyone. It appears that about,, forty years ago, before the establishment ;of our present institutions,..five-gentlemen purchased some . 80,000 acres of laud in. the province of Auckland. •' Subsequently the Lands Court awarded them 11,000, and for this quantity! Crown (grants were issued. A Mr. Webster, one of these gentlemen, subsequently mortgaged his portion . ,of the land • to the Bank of Australasia, and in 1852 Mr; Whitaker purchased . the ■ land from the bank. There, were (some' difficulties about the boundaries, as it was surrounded by native owners; who were, desirous of. getting the land back;. It will..';be noted; that.; up to’ .this Mr. Whitaker had had no transactions whatever with the Government or the natives in thednalteri Ho had simply purchased 1 land ! which;' had been■ Cto wn : granted. However, owing to the disputes ' about the boundaries, the, matter was referred to Mr: Commissioner '’Bell, , now. Sir Francis Dillon. Bell, who decided that the (land should be re-surveyed; ; But this’ was not found practicable, owing to .the .disturbed., state of the country, and the;.natives of ;the district in .which-the land . was situate, bad .an aversion 'to European settlement. During the Waikato war, as- Mr, Whitaker put it mildly,; it was an “inhospitable” region: After the war the natives in the locality were Hauhaus, who certainly did hot entertain any friendly feelings for the European, and - for several years Mr. Whitaker could not be placed iu occupation of the land. ’ However, the native policy of the late Sir Donald McLean had.a gradual effect in removing from the native mind the; strong feeling of distrust which: was entertained of the pakeha ; and-even the Hauhaus became amenable to the I advance of civilisation amongst them. In 1873 the Government had, succeeded in entering upon negotiations with the natives in the neighborhood of Mr. Whitaker’s purchase. ! Even this .was ah advanced step, a fact .which anyone will be aware of who is. at all acquainted with the mind of that particular section of the Maori, race called. Hauhaus. Once they could.be got to treat, the difficulty was half over. However, there was one thing . that the Hatives had set their minds upon, and . that was the getting back of the block which Mr. Whitaker had purr chased. 1 1 They absolutely refused to treat till they recovered', it,/and the Government entered into negotiations with Mr.. Whitaker for the acquisition of the land, and the 1 terms were arranged. A Bill was brought before, parliament ~to give legislatiye sanction! to the agreement,' but it ,was thrown out in the Upper House. , Further arrangements; were (then entered into, and the Government Agreed to give Mr. Whitaker certain lands'in (exchange. It wilhnpw be been "that everything’, was fair and aboveboard, and that by agreeing to give up the block of land in question Mr. Whitaker was furthering the work of settlement However,,' the Government were not in' a position.. to put Miv Whitaker in possession of the land they agreed to give in exchange, and through the Government failing to carry out their; agreement, a claim, was made for compensation; in 1874 ; and with the merits of that' claim the committee appointed yesterday on the motion of Mr: Murray will deal, Mr. Whitaker having added that subject to the original motion. In the end Mr. Whitaker ■ agreed to' Certain other lands in exchange, but to these lands other parties had claims.. He has extinguished those claims, and he is'npw in a position to hand : over Maupera. 'to , its original owners., 1 Such -is .an outline of the matter; as far as - could bo gleaned from the proceedings in Parliament yesterday, and if anyone is a sufferer at all it appears to be Mr. : Whitaker. However, the- cotrimittee .will’ (fib;. doubt go fully into the riiatter( arid we will for the present refrain from further, comment. ,