THE Thames Advertiser. FRIDAY, DEC. 4, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1910, 4 December 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. FRIDAY, DEC. 4, 1874.

We hardly think it probable that Sir Donald McLean will accede to Te Moananui's request, and. come here todiscuss the Thames land questions. In all probability he will return to Wellington with the Marquis of Normanby, leaving instructions with Mr Mackay how to proceed, and writing to the natives. We shall- hear what course he intends to take in a day or two. It will be seen from our news columns that Te Moananui threatens in reference to Ohinemuri—not the Europeans, we are glad to say, but the land-selling party, those who are couteut that their "raibana" and the cash they have received should be charged upon Ohinemuri.. Those who wish to hold on, and who make the dire threat, amount probably to ten or a dozen, and could all be very easily lodged in the Shoitland lock up. An Auckland newspaper has talked about Ohinemuri being another Waitara, which is simply nonsensical and mischievous talk. The resistance :to opening Ohinemuri is in no respect so strong as:the opposition was at Shortland, where the difficulty was got over by simply never minding those who talked about resistance.'

The Auckland 4 Evening Star' is very severe about speculators who have succeeded in defeating Mr Mackay. A great deal of that is no doubt mere imagination. It is the opposition of a paity of natives who are supported by the Government which keeps Ohinemuri closed, and nothing else. No land speculators could: venture to deal in any way with the hills which would be proclaimed in the < gojdfield, and as for the il*fcs, we understand that Mr Mackay wishes that they should be left to the natives. Ib is with reference to these that land speculators might injure the public, and as Mr Mackay desires,, as we understand, that they should be left in such a position that %nd speculators could deal : with ' them, these gentlemen, if there are any such, would be put in the most favourable situation for business if Mr Mackay's recommendation were agreed to. We do not believe that Mr Mackay attributes his defeat to the action of land, speculators; We heard the same cry about Hikutaia, but it turned out that the only land speculator was. Mr Mackay himself; ; As to the miners taking Ohiuemuri "by storm and force of arms," .they will do no siicli thing. : ' There is not encouragement enough " sticking out" in the way ; of gold. We want the country chiefly for settlement, and force of arms would not give titles to land.

We received yesterday from Wellingtou a Parliamentary paper which comes in handy at the present time. It is a statement showing area of lauds purchased and leased, with expenditure thereon, under the Immigration and Public Works Acts. The paper contains a great deal of information relative to purchases of land in this district. At the late native meeting, the whole point of the argument seemed to turn upon the blocks of land at Moehau (Cape Colville) aud Waikawau (Tapu). The natives wished to put the whole of their debts and obligations upon them, so as to have a clean sheet. Mr Mackay has a number of documents, wherein the natives havepledged their lands at Ohinemuri, but at one period of. the meeting, he seem inclined to agree to put all the raihana on Moehau and Waikawau, if the natives would let him cut in at Ohinemuri with the balance. The natives said they would have no objections, but as the price for Cape Colville and Waikawau had not been fixed, they would set it down at 10a per acre. Mr Mackay demurred, and wanted them to accept the same price as he had paid for lauds of the same character, namely, 2j 4d, which, is considerably more than itq value, Ilio natives, de*

muri-ed. They had got bad flour from the Government, and therefore they would have a good price for their land. This was one of the point's on which the meeting broke up, In the return we find that the acreage of Waikawau and Moehau is 118,802, and that "the amouut fixed as purchase money "is £15,642 ss, or at the rate of 2d 7fd per acre. "We cannot understand why the return should state that the price was fixed definitely, when it would appear that no price was fixed, and that a'ridiculous price'is now asked. The sum of £14,720 5s 9<l- is set down as' having been actually paid on account of these blocks, so that only £921 remains to be paid, although the natives now want us to mark' off £26,000. The Ohinemuri block is set down as consisting of 150,000 "acres, and it is stated that payments have been made to the amount of £6,224 17s 6d. We presume that is the actual amount of cash paid; it cannot include the " raihana," for these amount •' to £26,000. The Te Aroha block is estimated.,to, contain 67,000 acres, and on this, has been, paid £2,161 7s. In the province of Auckland 236,061 acres have; , been purchased, and 170,142 acres leased. Negotiations are in progress for the purchase of 1,320,927 acres, and for the lease of 1,8.15,650 . acres.": The leases are chiefly in the Bay of Plenty and. Taupo'districts, and of course haye been, taken with the expectation of securing the freehold at some time. The expenses on the negotiations completed have been—Auckland, £32,710 19s 4d; Hawke'sßay, £20,8'53 10s 6d; Wellington, £34,566 10s 6d; Taranaki,'£l3,'sl9 16s 2d—total, £101,651 3s 3d.. , : .