South Canterbury Times. MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2415, 13 December 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. MONDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1880.

The term Maginnity which for some time shone so conspicuously in the diurnal pages of New Zealand journals has apparently gone the way of all flesh, and a new name, racy of the soil, has taken its place. The word we refer to is Patel ere. Now there is nothing very poetic about Patetcrc. It is a rough uncouth Maori expression with no more rhyme or reason about it than is to be found in the congenial phrase Piako. About Piako the coming Macaulay of New Zealand will he able to relate an interesting story of how a small band of northern land scramblers negotiated a beautiful bargain with the Ministry of tiic day, and suddenly became ricli and powerful. Patetere is on the fair way of forming the theme of an equally' interesting passage in the rise and progress of the little empire we are building. Up to the present it has been cleverly' manipulated, but the operations of the speculators have been beset with many difficulties. Patetere is a rigli* and ex.

tensive block of native land. It comprises many thousands of acres, and it is admirably designed for settlement. The Government for some years past have been negociating for its purchase, but the native owners, although inclined at first to sell, have been deterred from doing so by what is known as the Patctcro land ring. In accordance with the usual practice the Government proclaimed the block as under treaty, the effect of this porclamation being to prohibit Europeans from negociating with the Natives. But in defiance of this proclamation the Patctcre ring, after receiving compensation from the Government for having to withdraw from the purchase, have entered into fresh ncgociations. In the meantime a cry has been raised that the land is wanted for settlement, and the Government has been importuned to remove the proclamation and withdraw from their bargain, in order that the ring may be enabled to complete their purchase and retail the land to the bona fide settlers.

The struggle is an interesting one, and it is being eagerly watched. It is graphically depicted by the British Coat o£ Arms. There we have “the lion and the unicorn fighting for the crown.” The Patetere block in this instance is the crown, the Government is the lion, and the land ring, represented by Messrs Sheehan and Whitaker is the unicorn. The lion, though virtually master of the position, is eager to give up the spoil to his one-horned vis-a-vis , but the public to whom the lion is responsible are attentively watching his behaviour. When Sir Arthur Gordon arrived, the juncture was a critical one. The lion had removed one of his paws from the crown, and had he felt confident that Sir Arthur would not stand in his path, he would have removed the other and turned tail. But discretion prevailed and the proclamation was not removed, lest-the Governor should refuse his signature to the withdrawal and thus precipitate a political crisis over a somewhat shady transaction.

In the meantime the Native Minister has issued a notice that the Government title to this valuable block will be investigated at the Land Court to be held at Cambridge next month. The judge will then award the Government the sum that has been deposited towards the purchase, or an equivalent in land. The Government having received their little fragment, the ring will be placed in a position to complete their bargain, and the whole, or nearly the whole of the Patetere block will pass into the hands of a few speculators, who will retail it in duc.time to the settlers. This is the way in which the Patetere land job is being worked. If matters go on smoothly, Patetere will be a magnificent fortune for the wholesale investors. Some scores, if not hundreds of thousands of pounds, which, in the ordinary course of business should have gone into the consolidated revenue of the country, will puss into the pockets of a few Auckland speculators. The profits accruing from the purchase wholesale and the retailing of the land for settlement will go to a few private inividuals, and the public revenue will be the sufferer. The transaction can hardly be called a speculation, it is a certain and a splendid fortune for the few gentlemen who may be allowed i to beat the Government out of the

market. The Government seem willing to stand aside—-in fact are anxious to do so —but the question of the country (and it is a serious one) is, should they be allowed to do so ? The Patetere speculators have entered into negociations with the Natives in defiance of a Government proclamation. If they are virtually rewarded and allowed to amass wealth at the expense of the revenue of the country, then the sooner the gaols of the colony are abolished and fraud is openly legalised the better. The profits they are enabled to make will be the price of illegality, and a sin worse than that of repudiation will be at the doors of the people of New Zealand. Auckland is about to raise its voice in remonstrance against this black transaction, and other centres should follow the example. A deep game has been played over this Patetere business, but the reputation of a colony which has hitherto been able to sneer at the Boss Tweeds of America, demands that the public umpire should stand between the gamblers.