THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1878.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2818, 25 February 1878, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1878.

As mentioned in a pigeongram from Ohinemnri the other day, the County Council have scored another victory over Native conservatism. After * korero of some duration on Wednesday last, the Aroha people consented to the formation of the road for which the Premier granted £500 some time ago, Native labor to bo employed. As showing also the confidence the Natives have in our U.M. (and tho County authorities too, for that matter) it has been arranged that Captain Eraser should act with three Native chiefs in assessing the value of the land to be taken for the road, and he will, if he accepts the position to which he has been appointed, shortly proceed to Aroha to arrange the business. There was the same ground to be gone over with the Natives on tho above occasion as has had to be travelled before in negotiating for lands for roads, namely, to convince them that by consenting to make the road they would not be rendering themselves liable to taxation. In addition to this there was apparent a most unsatisfactory state of mind at the delay in proceeding with a settlement of the land purchase transactions. For some time the Aroha Natives would not consent to discuss the matter of the road ; they wanted to see Sir George Grey and Mr Sheehan, and settle about the land purchases first. They, in common with others in the Hauraki District, were led to believe some time back that Mr Sheehan would devote a few weeks of his time to investigating the state of the Government land claims. The Natives are most anxious for this, and the Europeans are not less so, and it is exceedingly desirable that the implied promise of a visit from the Native Minister should be carried out. The result of last Wednesday's korero shows that the Natives are amenable to reason ; and we hear from several parties that those who have received advances from Mr Mackay on account of land evince no disposition to repudiate the same: they simply want a settlement. They are desirous of dealing with the lands, but the present position of matters is a source of irritation amongst the Natives themselves, and is sowing mischief elsewhere. We shall be pleased to hear that Mr Mackay's claims have been settled, as in them lie 3 the principal difficulty in the way of any one else completing what he commenced.