The Evening Mail MONDAY, MAY 6, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 626, 6 May 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail MONDAY, MAY 6, 1878.

A new Native Land Act. That is what the country requires, and what we predict it will get. Not such a one as tha' Introduced by Mr. Wuitakkk last session: no. but one that will give the people an nnitigs. and will—we rejoice to be abb n. write it—frustrate the aggrandisement ..f those crentlenien dignified by the titles of the " Twelve Apostles" and the "Forn Thieves." It will comprise clauses tha' will effectually secure to the Governmen' the solo ruht of treat ; ng for the purchns. of native lands, and will arrest all pending negociations of private individuals fm the acquirement of lands from the natives This will entirely revolutionise n-itiv land transactions. In the past the Government has. to all intents and purposes been ..ut in the cold. Attempts to suc-

vssful'v purchases of nativ< ':iini outside the charmed circle wen il.ortive. We do not iiuan to say t1::«?

the late o'iveninieiit. through its purchasers, could not acquire land ;. but w«\i> say that they c>>uid not acquire land worth anything for even pastoral purposes. They could, in fact, do no'liing without the concurrence <>f land monopolists, at whose mercy they wc'\ x , and to whom they were sold body and soul. -\ glance at their purchases will verify this alarming assertion. Three or

four years ago a large sum was voted by the House for the purchase of native lands in the North ; and it is wellknown that the money thus expended has been wasted. Who has heard of any of it having been sold by the Government to settlers] and yet it was purchased for that purpose. No farmer or grazier who knows wiiat he is about would have anything to do with the majority of it, even at the price it has cost the country. Government land purchasers—in fact, the Government itself— and land speculators wore a happy family ; and no sooner was it discovered by speculators that a good purchase was being negociated for the Government, than, it apparently being an understood thing, the former stepped in, through their agents, and possessed, or attempted to possess, themselves of it. I This interference was taken kindly, and i it seemed to be pretty well understood that—we presume, for favors past and to i come—if the eyes of speculators watered at the sight of any particular block of native lacd, the Government were to step aside and giva them a chance of acquiring it. This may appear to those who are not in the secret in be a bold statement ; but it is true, and those implicated Lave admitted this by their conduct whenever suspicions of foul play have led the friends of the country to demand inquiries into the matter. Mr. C. 0. Davis's conduct is at evidence . f the truth of what we assert. Tliis man is a licensed interpreter, and was lately engaged on behalf of the Government in purchasingablockof land from the natives; but, after having involved the Government in expense, he, as is characteristic of such men, turned round and acted in the interests of land speculators, for whom he is endeavoring to complete the purchase. Trie native land owners prefer to treat with the .GoYernj&ent, and we

would not wonder if we were told that | these men had planned to make use of j the name of the Government in the | initiatory stage of the negotiations, as; they were permitted to do under the late dispensation. If, however, they expected : it to be done quietly, they were mistaken ; and let us hope that they will be disappointed in the accomplishment of th.-ir object. It is in the power of the Government to withhold a license from •i nativ interpreter who is found to be ..Miilry of an act such as that with which '('. 0. Davis is „.',il,y , lie l-.n1.l Complain if no mercy uere'.x-.n.led to him. Under ttie old dw|..-nsati..n, native interpreters and ~-jk. lia MaoWs i-i the i.ay "f the GoVein- ., ~r i.m-,. Vm•••!! he::v.l to sav, when the

Xl .ei./.veie»s . f 'he m. ive .Vpartmei.t | a ,,l t!:i . :! .V ..ability of .lisc-.M-gi'it,' them w.-rebei .-_ discussed, til-it '« the fiovern.,l(.„t ,i.,v,i n..r do it: f»r t'ey w.ml-1 . 11: .k,. it 100 hot f T them." That they ~,,„!,! ,1„ liann. a glance at the past, will show ; but it is b tter to sr.t rid of them, with chance "f for a whuV bein-jsuhj. cted to tli- ir worst opposition, than to be continually at their mercy. This will, no ,1...,1,t,"be the policy of the Government, ! h. ir present conduct seems to indicate that they are determined to lay bare to •he public eaze the trickery that has so \, WJ r been allowed to slumber. A writ of scire facias is the instrument by which this is to be brought about. Mr. Whitaker and his friends will now have to submit to the investigation that they have heretofore successfully burked. U was the p..licv of these land schemers and the Government that aided and abetted them, to thwart would-be investi-

■i.itors by every means in their power ; because when once tlieir doings were exposed to the country, they knew that there would be an end to their aggrandisement, and the Atkinson Government frit that an indignant country would demand every satisfaction in their power. We in the South are committing a grave ,„istake in hiking so little interest in the treatment of the native lands of the (Jol.niv. Tt is our business to see that we are not robbed of our rights. In a great measure, the North has been robbing the South : for whilst numerous Northern sp. culators have become weabhy in despoiling the Colony, and a large of the population of the North have, in some measure, partaken of the benefit, we have received nothing. If the •■resent Government does nothing more than correct the abuses which we have ■.minted out, and brings in an Act whereby 'he Government, and the Government ,nlv, will treat with the natives for their amis, they will be deserving of the everlasting thanks of the country. People nay prate about what they term the sentimentality and democratic tendencies

f «,nr pr. sent Premier, but. if they aiv ..of hind spL-unl.it.Ts or their friends, or if they do m.t d..-cl:iim against democracy •iiiil tin- ng-ran lisement of ;i few, because • ! ~.y wish in Ik- aristocrats, it is Mot diili-..-■iit to tell from whence they tie-t t!u-ir •no. We would prefer bring an indc-ii.-iident democrat t" 1-fcinyr led l>y tin nose by a spurious aristocracy.