The Weekly Times. "Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri." MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1867. MR. COOPER’S REPORT.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 39, 30 September 1867, Page 241

The Weekly Times. "Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. " MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1867. MR. COOPER’S REPORT.

Uniformly from: the first- establishment of the Hawke’s Bay- Times-we have endeavored to show the"; inexpediency of that course of legislation yzhich has resulted in the lamentable state of affairs pointed out by G. S. Cooper, Esq.,- in his report published in another part of this morning’s issue, and brought before the Legislative Council by the Hon. Colonel Russell, oh'the 27th ult., and although to find that- circumstances prove a-person correct in his predictions of evil is at best but a melancholy kind of satisfaction, we have that satisfaction, such as it is.

Those of our readers who have followed us in oiir exposure of the selfishness of the agitators in the North and South of the Colony, to whose efforts for the repeal of the restrictive laws relating to the unalienated lands of these Islands the Government most unwisely succumbed in the passing of the Native Land Purchase Act, will remember our words on that occasion, which we now quote :

In this Act we behold only another instance of Sir George Grey’s favorite policy of purchasing temporary quiet by the exercise of indulgence and concession—a policy that has always hitherto proved itself powerless for good, and prolific of evil results, yet oue to which his Excellency seems wedded, even though its, full exercise fads,- and always will fail, to satisfy the’demands ot those it is intended to conciliate. [Hawke’s Bay Times, Jhn, 16, 1865.]

We have always regarded the preemptive right of purchase retained by tbe Crown over the lands of New Zealand in the much discussed treaty of Waitangi, as one of the most wise restrictions possible, ami the surrender of that right as a cruel blow to the true interests of the native race, as it also was a great act of injustice to the Colony. The retention of that right of pre-emption by the British Crown was an act of justice towards the nalive race no less than,of expedienc}'; it was, in fact, to quote the words of Mr Justice Chapman, no mean authority, on this question, “ The only rule, under the circumstauces calculated to give equal security to both races. The great mass of the natives, if sales were declared open to them, would become the victims of an apparently equitable rule, so true it is that it is possible to oppress and destroy under a show of justice.” And again, “To let' in ail purchasers, and to protect and enforce every purchase, would be virtually to confiscate the lands of the natives in a very short time.” Governor Grey himself bore testimoney to precisely the same effect when protesting against the then illegal dealings with the natives by unscrupulous settlers. “The future prospects of the Colony are becoming irretrievably ruined by the system, all hopes of improving and civilising the natives are being destroyed, the progress of the Colony Retarded; troublous questions being raised concerning titles that can never he settled, and the root 5 of. costly wars planted, for it cannot' he expebted that; the natives will respect the. bargains they Have made, when they find themselves and children impoverished by them,” : j Time would fail to giver a; tythe; of the - evidence! produced, all tending to the same eiidj frpm such witnesses as the; Bishop -of:;Ne.w Zealand, the.late •!^veni6r : ': : ''Eitjsr6y,' Mir Commissioner Spain,i and ."many others, predicting just such" a state* of things' as that; shewn by J&r Copper as 'siiltecTiir th& Prb-Vihce, or being‘about •A; * * v

to result, from the weakness and folly, of the Governmenfc in yieldingl tb. the agitation* of the interested: ? The, Colonial’ Government, wdre hot long in discoyering that they had made a niistake ': ia. the way in which ithe : titles df* the - waste - lands were given' to- the datives uhder their Land Purchase Act of 1865, and hence the (to : quote Mr ; Cooper) “ salutary legislation of last year,” which set some restrictions upon the sale -of certain blocks, and made the approval of . the Government a condition of legal sale. So far they have done what in - them lies?to remedy' a wrong,; and this we willingly admit, in spite of the Auckland clique, hut a retrograde path is always one beset with difficulties,, and what could have in justice been.(withheld from the Maori people, can scarcely, after having been bestowed —however doubtful a boon it may be—be taken away again without. giving some cause of complaint for its apparent injustice,