THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1871.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 19, 28 October 1871, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. SATURDAY , OCTOBER 28, 1871.

A most important.-Bill, which has occupied the attention of the House during its present session, is the Native Lands Court Bill. It proposes to deal exclusively with the landed interests of the Natives, which, fro'in the' revelations made during the deb a te .upon its second reading, seems , essentially requisite. 'The Bill will be in a consolidated form, superseding the multitudinous Acts and amendments which have from time to time accumulated upon the original Act of 1862. The subject of ’dealing with Native lands has ever 0 been a most difficult task for the Government. The operation of the ‘original statute was entirely suspended during the disastrous war of-, 1860-0, and. it is only during the recent comparatively .peaceful relations with our Native inhabitants, that a gradual interest and confidence has succeeded in the Native hiirfd. v According to Government return's, a large number of claims have been individualized, and an immense area fo territory has fallen' into the hands of the Government through' the:action of these Courts ; in fact, 'their Success has been most marked, and the accession to Bur waste lands threatens to {ilace a adarger area at the disposal of- the Government than can ’be effectively dealt with. . But the Act has another and a conservative principle embodied. Beyond the mere ...acquisition of territory, it is meant- to guard the Natives from the designing intrigues of unprincipled men ; -and during the lion. Mr Sewell’s exhaustive-speech on introducing the debate on its second reading, lie deemed it to W ! his : d\tty|tO place before the notice.of the Council a glaring illustration of the manner in whichSa- Native called Ngakapa had been treated by a resident on this goldfield. We refer our readers to No. 11 of the Hansard, plages 37-38, ; fori information on this point. '* We ate continually hearing of breaches of faith 1 and acts of repudiation on the part of the Maori. We had almost come to the conclusion that they form au inherent principle in. the uncivilised mind, but the acknowledgement is forced from us that;- at least, they have abominable precedents to teach them. We arc bound to acknowledge our surprise that when the, good effected by legislation on their behalf is rendered nugatory, by the designs of the,unprincipled, they should continue to repose confidence in the efficacy of a Crown grant which renders their possessions liable to confiscation. The measure before the house is a wise one dictated by a correct knowledge of native character, and with a benevolent and just intention to guard their

possessions from complication and intrigue. It may not rescue the present generation from their communistic predilections ; it may not avert all the evils it is intended to combat; it may still possess to a large extent the imperfection of all human legislation, and still fall short in the measure of protection and security it is intended to confer, but it is nevertheless a necessary and politic measure, and secures our warmest support. \... ; _ . The whole debate is intensely interesting. We have laid before us the opinions of our most eminent legislators, who boldly confess the delicate relations of the Government to its Maori subjects; that we must not calculate upon the absolute redemption of the present race from a state of savage isolation ; that the present quietude Of the native race is not at all to be relied upon;; that there still exists a proud spirit of defiance to our rule; and that eventuallythe battle of the races must be fought and won by other weapons than Acts of Parliament. . The financial returns from these Courts is assuring. Up to 1869 the cost to the country was large, but since that period the receipts are greatly in excess of the expenditure. The lion. Mr Sewell adds, “I think we may augur from these facts that in coming years the Native Lands Court will afford some return to the Colony in compensation for the very large expenditure, which up to this time the Colony has incurred on its account. We must look to make native lands- bear •,those charges which properly belong to them.”