GOVERNMENT NATIVE LAND PURCHASES ACT AMENDMENT.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5481, 21 October 1878, Page 2

GOVERNMENT NATIVE LAND PURCHASES ACT AMENDMENT.

10 THE EDITOR OP THE NEW ZEALAND TIMES. Sin, —The latest production in the shape of tile Native policy has just seen the light of day. Unlike the great measure which was promised last session, and so often referred to during this session as a Bill which would satisfactorily provide for the sale and general management of Native lauds ; it has, at all events, been printed, and this miserable bantling is now before the House. During the debate which took place on Thursday evening on Mr. Sutton’s motion, it transpired that at the present time there are about 4,000,000 of acres in the North Island which the Government have been pleased to consider as under negotiation, and which, being so under negotiation by the Government, arc absolutely shut up from any dealings whatever. It was shown that in several cases sums of money, totally inadequate as payment on account of "lands, had been made. In one case it appeared that £3O had been advanced, probably to a single native, and in consequence of such advance a block •of land, 30,000 acres in extent, is claimed as under negotiation. The groat face-to-face policy did not require that notice of these very peculiar transactions should be sent to the natives, and it was stated that although notices had been seut through the country by the Gazette, it had not been considered necessary that those important documents, affecting as they do a very large number of natives, should bo published in Maori. It is provided in the Bill under notice that all lands gazetted under the Act of 1577 shall bo held' to be the absolute property of the Crown, except as regards the rights of the aboriginal owners; that the Crown shall have frill powers of removal and expulsion for unlawful occupation, intrusion, or trespass, aud the same redress as in any other case. Had this Bill been an imperial decree of the Emperor of Kussia, one would not have expected a more objectionable measure; but knowing that this is one of the liberal measures of the most “liberal” Government this colony has ever seen, or is ever likely to see, I confess my inability to characterise the measure appropriately. . Your readers will possibly bo able to imagine the sheep or cattle of, a neighboring owner straying upon tho 30,000 acres before referred to, and I ask is it to bo tolerated that it shall bo in the power of the Government who may have advanced money to the wrong person to come down upon any person who either by himself or his cattle trespasses upon the laud. This Bill appears to bo the only measure we are likely to get this session affecting the very important question of native lauds. After all the trips round tho island, rubbing noses with all the native celebrities, the Native Minister does not appear to bo able to produce a Bill worthy of himself. I would suggest that this Bill should be translated and circulated, with a note attached calling special attention to it as one of tho results of the new order of tilings when all is done in the light of day.—l am, &c., . A Pakeha, Wellington, October 10, 1878.