THE TAIRUA LEASES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 142, 18 June 1896, Page 2

THE TAIRUA LEASES.

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER J?PR. MINES.

BY IELEQJU'H.—PAKLIAMENTABY BK

POKTEE.)

Wellington, Wednesday,

Tbo Minister of Mines this afternoon made ao important statement regarding tbe Tairua leases.

Mr McGow«n asked : (IVIf the Government will take the earliesb opportunity of defining the position of the mining leases isrued for the Tairua district. (2) The Warden having i«aued certain leases, will the Government maintain the grantees in their petition, (3) Will the Government resume the auriferous lands in the Coromandel Peninsula and throw them open for mining purposes. The Hon. Cadman said that the whole question of mining on native lands had been a source of trouble for many years. The natives complained of the treatment ibey had. received and were receiving. After spending many evenings wading through old documents, he.had come to the conclusion that the whole of the present; treublfc Had arisen irauithe cafelassrie&s and negligence of Mr Jamea Mackay, who at; the present time was urging those interested in these leases to waste money in legal proceedings. If any reliance could be placed en records tbe barefaced way in which the land under dispute had been wrested from the natives wag disgraceful to all concerned. From tko manner in which he misled the Government then in power, Mr Mackay, in Mr Cad roan's opinion, should have been instantly diemissed from the Government service. lie appeared to have been permitted to hold the unique position of private land purchase agent while buying on commission for the Crown, with the result that the Government generally gob the woreb of the bargain, He quoted aa an instance ef this Mr Mackay's connection with the, Tairua block of 22,000 acre?. Mr Mackay had sold the timber on the land and gob the purchasers a lease over the land for torty years, and the next* day bought the freehold for the Crowp, subject of course, to. the tease, lv connection with the Opango block, he had cold the timber and gave a lease for 99 years, and the same day acquired the freehold for the Crown, again subject to the lease. He had followed the same course in connection with the Hihi and Piraunui blocks, and in the case of the Omahu block, a lease for 21 years had been granted. Replying to the first part of the question, Mr Cadman said he did nob quite see how it was possible to define tbe position of the leases further than it had already, been defined. He felt satisfied that special claims recommended by the warden and afterwards approved of.by himself (Mr Cadman), and in regard to. which notice recalling the grants had been given, were situated on land which at the time had nob been ceded tor mining purposes. Since .the holders of claims had declined to surrender them, tbe signatures of the majority of the native owners of a portion of tbe land (Pakiarahi No. 2) had been obtained to an agreement ceding it for mining purposes, It would be neceetary for the matter to go before the Native Laid Court, which would Bib at the end of tho present month. When tbe land had passed through tho Court, the Government would be in a position to pub the titles of this block in erder. The Government had no power, he pointed out, at present to issue mining rights over Pakiarahi No. 2. The resumption of auriferous lands in the Coromandel Peninsula, would be provided for in the Mining Act) Amendment Bill.