The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1884.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4961, 3 December 1884, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1884.

The provisions of " The Special Powers and Contracts Act, 1884," show the measure to be one of the most comprehensively elastic7~to coin a phrase—acts of the session. The clauses of the Bill introduced contain but little of general interest, beyond giving effect to the lengthy schedule which follows them. There are seven clauses, and all are cunningly devised, with an evident idea to validate past actioDS requiring legitimacy, but the substance of the measure is contained in the schedule, which deals with no less than 62 different items, all of greater or lesser colonial importance. Sections one to thirteen deal with subjects; affecting the provincial district of Auckland, but those most nearly interesting our portion of the colony may be very briefly summarised. After granting certain lands to Mrs E B Ormiston, on petition; givinglegal effect to a promise to a native made by the late Sir D. McLean; making the chief Wahanui a present of a residence site in the township of Alexandra ; seeing a promise made by a piSfc Native Minister to a Maori in connection with Te Aroba Block ; the item, clauge-5 in the schedule, provides for the issue of a Crown grant for 240 acres of Komata No. 3 Block, Thames District, in exchange for 240 acres of the Karaka No. 2 Block selected by E. Taylor under the homestead system, but which was subsequently ascertained to be affected by gold mining rights. This clause is not; the only one of interest in the schedule to Thames people. No. 7 clause provides that the Eomata North Block having been purchased by the Government shall be.available for sale, lease, or other disposal. This block, it will be seen by reference ta & report of yesterday's Harbor Board meeting', appearing in another column, it has been deemed advisable by the Board -to apply for as an endowajpnt to it, and Jjttle reason can be shown why a terdy apt of justice to the body applying, should not be unhesiiatiGgly done. The Board is urgently in need of some means of assistance in carrying out its functions satisfactorily, and this scheduled land, consisting of pver five hundred and fifty acres, within the Thames County, would be of considerable benefit £o the Board, and in asking for it, there is littJa necessity for putting our wants and privileges in too suppjMJatory terms. We have long suffered frois Governmental neglect; our endowments ape &e shamefully valueless a« tfeegr'were shamelessly granted.. This large *Bp4 important district, wjth i£g thousands ot asras Banting attention, ,ifcp vast natural resources remaining veloped, . its wealth producing powep* lying dormant, only requires a little aid from a parental .Government to make i=s

own way in the world. Id the past it h«i had to undergo the trying ordeal of having to work oat its own fate; therefore, it cannot be thought to be, in the mildest degree, extravagant for it to pot in a request in the direction we indicate. "We hopefully trust, and certainly the confidence should not be misplaced, that the application to be made to Government by | the Harbor Board in relation to this matter will meet with a just response.