The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening," "The Morning News," and "and The Echo." FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1877.

Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2407, 7 December 1877, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening," "The Morning News," and "and The Echo."

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1877.

Vat the cause that lacks assistance, Pat the wrong; that needs icsistance, _?o* the future in the distance, Aad tte £ood-ti___t we «a <_•<*.

The survey-obstruction mania has seized upon a section of the natives in the North Island, aud is spreading like a mild form of epidemic. Fortunately, up to the present, it has not assumed a seiious phase, and therefore no ground exists for alarm, but tbe indications are such as to call for the exhibition of tact and patience on tbe part of the Native Minister and his subordinates. The sources of these periodical displays of Maori bumptiousness are generally hidden from the uninitiated • they are concealen behind that mysterious veil which hasfor many years past enveloped I native affairs in the North Island. To those, ! liOAvever, who are privileged to lift a corner of the curtain, and behold-Avhafc is going on behind, these periodical --native difficulties^ Avear all the characteristics of a .veilrehearsed farce, full of souud and fury, and usually signifying next to nothing at all. The managers and principal actors In these little performances are usually actuated by the laudable desire of squeezing some concessions out of the pakeha, and Avhen these have been secured the curtain falls, and general harmony is restored. Within the past Aveek there have been two cases of obstruction to surveys by natives The .scene of the first .vas the Waimate

plains, where no opposition was anticipated ; mid. of the second, Taupo, where, according to the tiaxe-honoitred etiquette of the Maori, a party of harpies, assisted by some scoundrel who has been in receipt of Govern- j meat money as a native constable, pounced upon the surveyor's chains within view of the Constabulary barracks, and stopped the survey. Telegrams reporting the occurence add that the natives in the district are j übilant over the success of this piece of ** bounce," aud regard it as likely to promote the- restoration of the confiscated lands. If -any such. hope do ' animate the minds of the natives the earlier ! they are undeceived the better for themselves. Tae confiscated lands are irrecoverably gone; hut even if it were possible to restore them, such an act would create a precedent iufinitely disastrous to the colony, and likely to defeat its own object by inciting the Maoris, a people incapable of regarding concessions as other than confessions of weakness, to further and still more monstrous demands. The natives have beeu repeatedly told that the return of the confiscated lauds was impossible, but the fluctuations of policy which have accompanied the accession to power of successive Ministries, aud the bids made for native support, have flattered the innate vanity of the Maori, destroyed his confidence in the consistency of our native policy, and raised up vain hopes aud aspirations. At every great native meeting at which the Native Minister for the time being lias been present the burden of the song has been " give us back Waikato," restore this or that block of confiscated land. The natives have obstinately clung to the vain hope that some fortuitous change of administration, some European complication, or some internal rupture between the colonists, would present a favouraOle opportunity for recovering these lands; and unfortunately this hope lias been kept alive by some worthless Europeans, who have found an asylum amongst the natives, or have endeavoured to acquire a temporary influence for the advancement of their selfish projects by ministering to the vanity of the race.

There is another view of the question which is equally worthy of consideration. The native mind has been agitated by the land policy of the late Government. Living at a great distance from the European centres of population, relying upon tardy and chance sources of political information, Avbicb is generally exaggerated or distorted, and incapable as they are of accurately gauging tbe motive and influence of political measures, tbe Maoris in tbe centre of the Island have been unable to distinguish bet .veen friends and foes, and their minds have probably been _ filled Avitb an undefined dread of approaching danger, It behoves tbe present Govei _imnt to quiet this feeling, and it can best be done by a straightforward declaration of policy in a form which will circulate throughout the Island. The duty is incumbent upon tbe Government to declare absolutely once or all that the restoration of the confiscated lauds, as a Avbole, is, and Avill be, an utter impossibility; and that, so long as tbe natives regard it as a sine qua non of a permanent reconciliation between the tAvo races, so long Avill an amicable discussion be equally impossible. We do not anticipate any serious results from such an out-spoken declaration of policy as that. The idea of the restoration' of the confiscated lands has never been more than a mere chimera in tbe native mind, and has never received any direct official encouragement from any Government. It is cruel to encourage, by a Avant of firmness and decision, these delusive hopes. The natives are gifted with sense enough to reconcile themselves to the inevitable, if it be put before them in au honest and straightforward Avay. But there is still another feature about these occasional local "scares" which ought not to be overlooked. It may be noted that they occur regularly under certain circumstances. Whenever a Ministry succeeds to ofiice Avhich is suspected of economic designs, especially as regards the expenditure of the Native Department, then these little coincident " difficulties " simultaneously break out in certain parts of the North Island—like variola, or like tbe ominous and aAve-inspi'ring phenomena that bangs, or lately bung, over Moko-Hinou. It aa'us so in 1572, Avben Mr Stafford bad charge of the Native Portfolio for 29 days and a few hours ; and the same mysterious programme is being rehearsed now that Mr Sheehan is in power. We are confident, however, that the present Government possess the tact and skill- to grapple AA'ith these so-called '-native difficulties," and that they will end, as we hope the great Moko-Hinou Mystery has endel— in smoke.

Since the above Avas put into type, Aye have received tbe following confirmatory telegram :— " Rotorua, this day, 12.45 p.m. Telegrams re tbe Rotorua surveys in the Auckland "Herald" were incorrect. Tbe surveys will not be permitted until the Government declare their native policy re lands. Tbe humbugging conduct of tbe late Government is the real cause. The surveyor at Taupo Avas stopped again yesterday, and a number of Trig, stations destroyed. This avus done within sight of tbe Armed Constabulary barracks. A visit from Sir George Grey might settle matters. Tlig natives are anxious to see him."