The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1878. WEEKLY BULLETIN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5516, 30 November 1878, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1878. WEEKLY BULLETIN.

(From ths New Zealand Mail.) A Northern contemporary, the same “inspired” journal that was able to announce to the world last year that the English Stock Exchange was seriously affected by the joyful intelligence of Sir George Grey’s accession to office, and that all Australian stocks had risen in consequence, has recently notified “the “ practical resumption by the Govern- “ ment of the right of preemption over “ native lands,” and has explained, in an admiring way, tlje administrative trick by means of which Europeans and natives are to be deprived of the rights which the law confers upon them. “It is only “ necessary,” says our contemporary, “to “ make a payment to any owner of a “ block of land of any sum ot money “ however small, and then to issue a pro- “ clamation that the Government are in “ negotiation for the land, and it follows “ that nobody can deal with any of the “ native owners for any interest in the “ land.” The power which is thus, as we are informed, to be unlawfully used is derived from the Government Native Lands Purchase Acts, which were passed in order to protect the purchases already made or agreed upon between the natives and the Crown, and certainly not in order to stop dealings with native lands all over the colony under the Native Lands Act of 1873. The disposition to interfere, so to say, personally, in these matters which Sir George Grey manifests and to make his own will and pleasure stand in the place of law, is causing general alarm and evoking dangerous feelings on the part of the people of both races. The first expression of that feeling has been given in a large and enthusiastic public meeting held at Tauranga a few days since, by which resolutions strongly condemnatory of the policy of the Government, as applied to the dealing with confiscated land in that district, were unanimously adopted. It was, we believe, a mistake over to have given up the Crown’s right of pre-emption, but free trade in native lands has been established by law, and encouraged on grounds of public policy during the last fifteen years, and the attempt of the Government now to set themselves above the law and “ practically ” to abrogate it by personal administration is a reasonable ground for alarm and for the indignation with which it will be certainly visited.

The Hon. the Native Minister is at present at Taranaki, accompanied, as it appears, by the regular hornblowers and telegram writers, who appear now to be the necessary camp followers in Ministerial progresses. Flunkeyism is rampant. “ Jeames ” announces that on Tuesday night Mr. Sheehan slept with Rewi at his house at Waitara; and that on Monday—by way of change, we presume — Rewi slept with Mr. Sheehan at Cottier’s Hotel, in New Plymouth. The old chief patronises the theatre, accepts banquets, holds receptions, takes great interest in everybody presented to him, and is altogether a gracious Old Lion, and so much improved by his acquaintance with the Premier and Mr. Sheehan that no one could suspect that he had ever roared pain te Fakeha ! in past times. But the “ weather” is not fine enough yet for the Native Minister to get overland from Taranaki to Waikato. Tawhiao, who plays Mr. Jorkins, —the severe partner in Dickons’ legal firm—might’nt like it, don’t you know ; Rewi would be charmed of course, but — the weather ! Not to-day, thank you Sheehan, says the polite old chief. The “ flying survey” for the Waikato line, and the “ blocks” of land to make the railway, which the editor of the “ Otago Daily Times”—with a faith that has had its reward, even in this world —saw in the clouds a year ago have not yet been precipitated. When “the weather is fine” all will come right. Mr. Sheehan had a “talk” about Hiroki, and was announced as being about to leave New Plymouth yesterday. We hope that “when he next doth ride abroad,” he will leave the horn-blowers behind him. He has a fair trumpet of his own, and after he had done some tangible good, no one would object to his blowing it. Ho has suffered for the follies of his chief, but there is no sympathy for tho “fix” in which ridiculous pretensions to a “ great” policy and to superior personal influence with the native people, have landed the pair. Tho storm cloud of war has burst over Afghanistan; [and tho Imperial forces have entered the territory of the Ameer. In England tho policy of the war is fiercely challenged, but tho force of opinion appears to be with tho Government. It was announced that the military authorities in India had interdicted the Press from telegraphing tho movements of tho army. Novorthless there have been telegrams, and there will be more, of the character of sensational shots, but wholly unreliable. It is announced that the Fort Ali Musjed has been captured, and that tho troops wore advancing. Whether or not England may be brought face to face with Russia in this quarrel is tho problem which time only can solve. The position of the people in those islands is unchanged in regard to protection from attack. We have “a man of war without guns,” in tho person of tho Defence Minister ; ho lias assured us that tho process of shelling is not unpleasant, and that with regard to shots from big guns, after a time the ear becomes * 1 more Irish and less nice.” The Native Minister, tho Avatar of sToung New Zealand, sees hope of safety in our cadets. Tho city election has happily terminated in favor of Mr. Dransfield by a small majority. There are tho usual threats about proceedings to upset the decision, but they rarely “ eventuate” in anything, and they servo as a temporary relief to disappointed patriotism. There will in this instance probably bo no exception to tho general rule.