NATIVE LAND PURCHASE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1091, 11 December 1857, Page 3

NATIVE LAND PURCHASE.

To the Editor of the Southern Cross. " Sir, — I find from the repoits of several gentlemen, who have lately arrived from toe Northern prrt of this Province, and from those who know more than any one dependent on the Native department, that between Wangaroa and the North Cape there are about 250,000 acres of the most available lands for sale by the natives, which natives are most enger to sell. These lands consist of the Victoria valley, Ohaipara, and a block at Otangai— the latter to the south-west of .\ionganui ; also another fine lavge block, ft' for agricultuu and sheep runs, which the natives would have offered for sale, had the former blocks been purchased by the Govet mnent. But their remarks are, '-Why should we offer one block lor sale, when the Government cannot afford to purchase other blocks in this vicinity ?" And, Sir, a very wise remark for the owners to make. Having seen the sample of sheep exhibited at the late cattle show, which were so much admired and remarked upon even at the dinner table m commemoration of the la9t cattle show, —why. Sir, do not the Government purchase lands, when they have the opportunity, from thp natives for the production of wool, &c. ? the* northern part ot this Province being so much better adapted for the growth of fine wool than the southern part of the Province. There are parties here whe are most anxious to purchase, m the North, large tracts of land, for the sake of farming fine wool ; and from these very blocks alluded to, and exhibited at the show. Reports state that the Government have plenty of money at their disposal, then why not make use of it to the advantage of either the fresh emigrant or the old settler ? It is well known that the native population have been the "back bone" of this Province since its foundation (1840), their expenditure and wants being about three times as much as the European population ol this Province. But if the Government will not purchase lands irorn these native holders when opportunities offer, nor only the Government, but the nati\e population, will then become a curse to thia Province, the one for not selling, after having offered to sell ; the other for not purchasing land ; and the two combined ! will be the real means ef preventing emigration here. It is of no use advertising for emigrants, unless we hava plenty of land to offer them on arrival. Some may boast of our having hundreds of thousands of acres of land for sale at present ; but what is the value of these acres ? They are only of value to those who have frontages to the 9amQ. So long as there ia any chance of cash being in our Treasury, or. likely to come into it, so long pught the "Government to do their utmost in making large purchases from the natives, more especially where it will suit a European purchaser. I have heard that these lands, on the other hand, are not purchased, not from want of money, but from neglect ol a Government officer, who has not sent in a plan of the district, after having the power vested in him for vear3 past to do so. " Why uot employ a Surveyor who has been brought up to his business, and thoroughly educated in the same, and one who well knows how to make a correct plan and survey, and one who does not survey by "angles," — not one who requires to obtain a sufficiently educated surveyor to correct his plans before they are ultimately sent in to Government,— mere especially one whose Government duties in his own immediate neighbourhood are more required than in the bush, either private or public surveying. Yours, &c, A North &me». De«. 7, 1857.

To tJie Editor of the Southern Crost. Sir,-The 'New-Zealander,' in its issue of Saturday last, remarks, in reference to the Pigeon Match which came off on last Friday, that the sport was excellent. Now, the

state of the case was this,— out 6f~ i&lttfVtfto,' eight iftre brought down, and they were birds scarcely fledged, and consequently unable to fly away. Ode gentleman knocked orer his bird while it was yet on the trap, and another brought down his as it was flying towards him, and was scarcely half a dozen feet off. An Irishman, standing by, remarked to a friend of his, "Be Jabers, he's knocked body and sow] clan»outir hi-n " Out of sixty birds, there were, I believe, twelve fuliy fledged, and these of course escaped uninjured. Your's, &c, Enfteid. Auckland, Dec. 7th, 1857.

To the Editor of the Southtm Cross, Sir,— The Editor of the ' New Zealander' has this day informed hia readers, that while the Superintendent has violated the law, " not for his prirate advantage, but for the good of the Province," 1 have been guilty of the very offence " for my own private interests," with which I have charged the Superintendent, "by refusing to comply with the requisitions of the Act which the General Assembly has passed, entitled the • Land Claims Settlement Act.' " Now, although it is many years since I learned to disregard the criticism— more often, I am sorry to say, iibuse — which persons taking .1 prominent part in public affairs must expect from the writers of newspapers - opposed to their views, I do not consider it a trifle to be charged with the violation of the law I therefore consider it due to the public to inform them, if you will be good enough to enable me to do so, by printing this letter, in what this alleged violation of the law consists. The Commissioner, acting under the provisions of the Act referred to, called upon me to doliver up to him the title deeds to the lands in my possession, on tne ground that they were void, or voidable in law ; informing me that, if not delmwd up, they would "be declared null and void, andbecomeso to all intents and purposes, in like manner as if the same[had been repealed in the Supreme Court by process of Sci7'efucias."Novr t as Ido not believe that any further consequence would flow from such a declaration, if it were made, than an action foi damages against the declarant, for depreciating the value of my property, I declined to part with my title derds. And this the Editor of the ' New ZealanMer' deacnbes as a violation of the Jaw, " which has not the same extenuation" as the violation of the law in taking unlawfully upwards of £26,000 of the public money, and spen ling it upon objects which he and his supporters choose to declare to be for the good of the Province ; while others think they see sufficient evidence to convince them that the money was spent in order to secure to him and his supporters the expenditure of the public money upon objects which would serve their own seltih interests . I remain, Sir, Your obedient servant, JiUiES Busby. Auckland, 9th Dae., 1857.

To the Editor of the Southern Croxs. Sir, -" Sylvanus" seems to have forgotten that my chief complaint against him was the opprobrious and ii mating terms in which he spoke of the native population. He seems now to find that he has s mission, and claimß credit as an agent in their civilization : how far he has succeeded let his letter attest. He acknowledges that neither he or his native neighbouia have seen the face of a missionary for twenty years. What authority then can ne be in the matters connected with missionary labors? He can't gather figs off thistles. As vyell might he affirm that, as he cannot find gold in his own particular locality at the Bay, all your reports from Corotnundel arid Nolsou are mere talk, He implied, in his first letter that the natives attended religious services ior the sake of gain. I asked whether they have not given large and valuable blocks of land and considerable suhib of money, out of their poverty, for religious purposes. He candidly aeknotvledged his ignorance on the point, and presented, as a reply, an extraneous discussion on their great wealth ; just as if it weie not possible to find the extremes of wealth and poverty in the same community, or as if the people of the whole island must be rich because those of the Bay have peculiar facilities for getting money. His " millions of pigs and thousands of cattle." where are they ? We, in this part of the world, are often put to our wits' end for a piece of meat for the pot. If they don't go to Auckland, to where do they go ? I trust that our junior colonists will never test the truth of his paradox that the " natives are less revengeful than any other people, perhaps, in the world :" and that in their intercourse with their aboriginal neighbours, they will take a higher principle than that of the •• Goose that lays the golden egg" ; that they will remember that there are other influences betides gold by which rough man is humanized ; that charity is a precious oil for life's machinery ; that if we wish to do good, or to receive good from our fellow-men, whether civilized or uncivilized, we must show that we desire to entertain a favorable opinion concerning them ; and thai being compassed about ourselves with infirmity, we desire to look with a merciful eye upon the failings of others. I am, Sir, Yours, &c..A Church Misskwart. December sth, 1857.

To the Editor of the Southern Crost. Sir, —The Editor of the Auckland "Exa-niner" has stated, in this day's issue, on the authority of a person who hesayg is usually well informed —that "there were two Speakers in the field ; that some members were for Busby, others for Powditch ; thiit Powditch declined giving place to Busby, while Busby declined giving place to Powditch." As regards myself, all that took place in relation to tho Speakership was as follows :—: — Messrs. Dilworth and Buckland came to me and asked if I would allow myself to be proposed as Speaker. I thanked them for the honour they proposed to me, but said that I was physically incapable of the duties of the office from defective hearing. After this, I «as requested by Dr. Pollen to adjourn to the anteroom, as it was desirable there should be a general understanding, and, if possible, an unanimity in the election. Mr. Buckland afterwards came to me, and said, shall we have Mr. Powditch as our Speaker 1 to which I replied I have no objections. He then said, will you propose him, and I leplied, that I would rather not take a prominent part in the election. As you may not be better informed on the subject than the editor of the 'Examiner,' you will oblige me much by publishing this note. I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, James Busby. Auckland, 26th, 1857.