The Telephone. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE POVERTY BAY STANDARD. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 254, 7 October 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE POVERTY BAY STANDARD. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7.

There are two Native Land Bills now claiming the attention of Parliament. The one introduced by Mr. Locke has the adjourned debate on the second reading set down for to-morrow. The reception this measure has received at the hands of the House is not calculated to inspire sanguine hopes as to its getting placed on the statute books. The Bill itself is a short one, consisting of fourteen clauses. The preamble sets forth that it is to amend the several Native Land Acts, the Native Land Frauds Prevention Act, and also the Stamp Act. The Bill is likely to be crushed by its own weight. Governments as a rule show little consideration to private members introducing Bills affecting questions of policy. When such Bills are brought forward by member who, if not openly hostile to the party in power, may be suspected of possessing a lurking antagonism towards them, the chances of them becoming law are minimized. The provisions of the Bill for facilitating the individualising of shares of Native owners, or the European purchaser or the lessee of shares, and determining the amount of rent payable for any shares so subdivided, are in themselves excellent. It is almost impossible to exaggerate the extent to which the progress of the East Coast, as well as the rest of the North Island is retarded through the defective laws relating to Native lands. Any Government that really has the welfare of the colony at heart, should do its utmost to remove the obstructions the present Native land laws throw in the way of settlement. The policy of Mr. Bryce while Native Minister did not tend to develope the prosperity of this part of the North Island. He opposed having inserted in a Native Land Bill, passed by the Government to which he belonged, provisions for subdividing Native land precisely similar to those in the Bill Mr. Locke has introduced. There is no gainsaying the fact, that unless the Government wish to stand in the way of settlement, that they will without delay pass some measure to enable individual Native owners as well as purchasers and lessees of Native shares in land the opportunity of having their interests individualized. The other Bill introduced by Mr. Wi Pere, purports to have for its object the dealing tribally with Native lands. It is a step in a backward direction and in its present form has no chance of passing the Legislature.