THE LAND QUESTION.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1851, 8 December 1874, Page 2

THE LAND QUESTION.

To the Editor of tho Evening Stab. Sib—The Southern Cross's article ,©n Ohinenyuri, dated December Ist, in which the writer states, Why should the Government oppose what is clearly for the benefit of the Province and of the Colony ? If the Ministry were a government of fools, we could suppose their throwing obstacles in the way of, securing a desirable district of country in which it i§ believed, rightly or wrongly, that alluvial gold exists. There is no man more able to solve the above question than Mr D. McLean. He is the mystery man that has kept this country closed. Why has he kept the confiscated land closed for the past several years, as well as the Native territory ? If c has kept the country closed to gratify an inordinate ambition, and also to keep the Native Office alive—an Office that gives him a power over the estate to parcel it out to his friends or supporters as he pleases; but woe be to him that tries to get a piece of those lands if he has Donald for an enemy. But, Sir, if he has Government influence, he can purchase any quantity of land in the Thames Valley or any other portion of the Island, and the favored of the Government can slide on to his estate without any trouble. Most of the Upper Thames and Piako lands are taken up by men having Government influence. Even the Government have purchased a large block of land in the Upper Thames. Mr Buckland, M.H.8., purchased about 40,000 acres; his neighbour, Mr Firth, holds a large estate lying between the Cambridge hills and the Upper Thames river. Several other large blocks are taken up be-

tween them and Waikaxb, and there are other blocks taken up on the Piako side'; so that, truly speaking, most of the best of the lands are already in. the possession of men having Government influence—and the little that is left, the chief friends of the Government are trying to get at present. !

The laud Ims been bought and.settled on by Europeans from Cambridge to within a distance of say 20 miles.from Ohinemuri. Tkere are Europeans settled even at Ohinemuri, audalso several farms occupied between that settlement and the Thames City. It is useless for the Government to try and delude the people by any statement whatever, more especially that of war, when so much of the country is bought and leaased by Euro* peans, and they are settled on it at present. Go and see (the public), and do not mind those glowing reports you rend of from tinie to time written by some Government oi'gan to turn the people off the right scent. Just look at the way the public estate is parcelled out io a few men having Government; influence, and actually parcelled out to people 16,000 miles away, liv.n? in the north ■of Ireland at the present time. Messrs Rowe and Payne are promised .another slice—Government supporters.to be sure. Well Sir, W&v wish that' they can pet it. The land they are promised is still Maori land, and there is an Auckland capitalist trying to get it; and he has more influence with the powci-3 that be, thun your townsmen, Howe and Co. Mr Editor, I would ask you a question, are we under Representative institutions or despotic Government ? If we are under Representative institutions, could we return members that would pass a law on the deferred paymenMsystem, throwing the whole of tho lanaFpurchased by the Government open for selection by all comers; it would be the best plan of. settling the country with bona fide settlers. I think at present we are serving under a despotic Government, when I see one man waited on by those far and near, begging to be allowed to purchase a settlement in this country; aged men that would willingly have settled on the land years past. It is monstrous for Englishmen to have to submit to such— you can't call ifc law to have the landg of the country parcelled out by the present Native Minister—it seems that his will is law. I will leave the public to judge. An OtD Resident, And one who would not be allowed to buy or lease Native land by the Native Minister. God reward him. Hikutaia, Dee. 7,1874.