The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBERS, 27, 1878.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 768, 27 September 1878, Page 2

The Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBERS, 27, 1878.

The Hon. J. Sheeh.-vn lias not disappointed his numerous friends and has disconcerted hia political enemies, by the comprehensive manner in which he dealt with the Native quest ion in his Statement on Native affairs. There was no attempt to burk difficulties, nor was any information that it was the duty of the Native Minister to make public hidden away in the recesses of the Native Office. The fallacy of investing Native affairs with strict' seeresv in order to gain kudos for what was hoped was done rather than for what was really accomplished; is not one of Mr. Sheehan's peculiarities. Everything connected with the department has been expoued to the view of Parliament and the country in such a manner that even political opponents were impelled, lost in admiration at the masterly treatment of the subject, to ' record unanimous and prolonged applause 1 to Mr. Sheehan during his reading of the Native ■Statement. There is nothing like hitting out straight from the shoulder in Native .affair* aa in everything else. If there is a difficulty, it is most injurious to the interests of the country that it should be glossed over in the hope thattime and not good administration will dispel it. The Natives have as great an "aversion for temporization as we have, and admire the man that will tell them at once and plainly what are his inten-

tions regarding them. These are chatac- , teristics of Mr. Sheehaw. He has firmly insisted upon the Natives and Europeans being meted out justice ; and the result is universal admiration —applause in the House and appreciation and respect outside the Mouse, from both Natives and Europeans. The Native question is an important one, because it affects millions of acres of the lands of the colony. The object of the Government is to secure these lands in a manner that will be fair to the Native owners and beneficial to the country, and to dispose of them so as to promote settlement and immediate utilisation. Every effort ia being put forth to frustrate the cunning j tricks of land monopolists. The following I extract, from the Native "Minister's speech, I hearing- upon this matter will, doubtj less, prove interesting' : "The principle ' upon which native lands should be dealt I with in future was this :—A large area of J country over which the Government did not intend to obtain the title would be opened for private purchase. Before, however, any title would be completed thereto the consent of the Governor-m-Council would have to be obtained. Should Government, however, desire to obtain the land for public purposes, they would lie enabled to do so by payment of tiie, stipulated purchase money, and the incidental txpenses connected with the purchase, or any portion of the land miirht be acquired on the same terms, or the Government might insist upon the block being cut up into small allotments." The thanks of the people are due to Mr. SheehaN for having devised a scheme whereby the country will be more likely now than in the past to feel the benefit of the transference of lands from the Natives to the Europeans.