THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'OLOCK Resurrexi. FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1881.
Readers of our columns will remember] the stand taken by us some months ago' when it became apparent that the Ministry intended, disregarding the express wish of Parliament by withdravnng the proclamation over the Patetere lands, and so inflicting an injustice on the great bulk of the colonists. They will also remember the fruit of the agitation initiated by vs —the public meeting, and the memorial set to Sir George Grey for presentation to His Excellency the Governor. For a longtime we, in common with many others, were at a loss to know what had become of the memorial, but the cori respondence published in another portion of this issue throws some light on the matter. From the correspondence referred to it would appear that our senior member, very shortly after the the receipt of the communication from Mr McGowan, Chairman of the meeting, forwarded the petition to His Excellency, accompanying it with a letter, in which Sir George concisely, but very fairly, states the facts of the case. He shows the injustice both the European and aboriginal inhabitants of the colony would suffer by the withdrawing of the proclamation—the former through losing- a valuable public endowment, and the latter through being precluded from having an opportunity of selling their land in an open market. He also points out that the fact of the land falling into the hands of a few private persons would tend to impede settlement. Although Sir George Grey had written thus strongly on so important a matter, the Governor or his responsible advisers did not see fit to reply till nearly two months had elapsed, which may well be construed into a most unwarrantable and uncalled for insult to the Thames constituency aud its senior representative, and one which lovers of Liberal institutions will find difficult to forget. When a communication did arrive from the Colonial Secretary, it stated that the memorial had been laid before His Excellency, and by him referred to his responsible advisers to frame a reply. These gentlemen obeyed by falling back upon their much worn stock argument regarding their policy of withdrawing from the purchase of native lands. In conclusion, these aforesaid " responsible advisers" wound up with the Pharisaical whine that they, "in adopting the course indicated, have acted in the true interests of the whole of the Queen's subjects." A very pretty story truly, and one to which we feel certain the people of the colony will give the lie direct at the next election. Nor will it place a gag on vs —indeed, we feel that we could be accused of " putting our hands to the plough and turning back," if we for one moment hesitated to write against the nefarious Fatetere swindle. No matter how much land monopolists may try to destroy the scent, or ministerial sharers of the spoil endeavor to shelve the question, we will not let the matter drop till justice is done. For the present might may appear to be right, but in the end the black criminality of this w?etched swindle will prove its own halter, iiectitnde and justice mast in the end prevail,
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Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3801, 4 March 1881, Page 2
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535THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'OLOCK Resurrexi. FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1881. Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3801, 4 March 1881, Page 2
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