COMPENSATION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3044, 29 April 1867, Page 7

COMPENSATION.

To the Editor of tht Daily Souths** Caon. Sib, — Will you please to insert in the Daily Southern Cross, also in the WxbkliY News, * few observations on the above. After our hopes have been deferred hard upon four years, the question of paying in land scrip is being mooted. Land scrip may do for large claimants. It will be of little avail to small ones. Those who have had their hopes utterly blasted, who were induced to come here in the hope of obtaining estates of good land, will know how to estimate the value of such trash as land orders. Why will not Mr. Stafford hear of debentures if he means honestly to pay the long-suffering class of claimants! What earthly objection to debentures, and debentures bearing reasonable interest, and dated from the time of the award ? Why did not Mr. Wbitaker, when arranging to pass back the confiscated lands, stipulate with the Stafford Government for a faithful and prompt dealing in tbis matter? Does it not raise grave suspicion ? While it is patent that Mr. Whitaker has a keen eye on his own interests, there has been a culpable, an unfeeling laxity in regard of suffering — — in certain cases, rained— colonists. I had written the lines above when information reached me that the question was decided. The Government willjpay in scrip, available for the purchase of confiscated lands. Now, what is the value of this compensation-scrip? The original award was cut down just one-half, on what principle I have never been able to ascertain, and, on a second sifting, a large slice more. By tbis new stroke, it is difficult to say to what further extent it is to be minimised. Was Taranaki tb.ua dealt with? Did they not receive their award in full— £200,000, with interest up to the time of payment ? And, judging in general, looking at the extent of territory, and of the Maori outbreak, one would conclude that the actual Taranaki losses would hardly exceed these of Auckland. If this is fair, impartial dealing, what, then, is unfair and partial ? I trow a class scattered over a wide extent| of country will begin to think whether or not it derives much advantage from a Government (( somewhere* 1 in Cook's Straits. One might take into consideration the preference — notorious in every instance— dealt to the Maoris over the colonists. ♦♦The (government can't pay." What does a tradesman do in such a case ? He will readily give his bond bearing interest, unless he be insolvent, and then the creditors are entitled to an equal dividend, If the latter be the case, let them deal equitably. Jjt% them begin at home ; cut their own salaries in two; instead of £1,000 a year, let them be content Tfith £500. Deal the same measure out to the Governor. Let the Chief Judge, instead of £1,900 a year, be content at least with, £900 ; and let other of those august personages be subject to the same rule. And as for the legion of officialf, let three-fourths of them be dismissed. There are not wanting some as oapable as those in the receipt of large salaries, and who have been reduced to such a predicament through a » system much held up of late, but utterly indefensible—a predicament rising but little above a subsistence of bread and water. But what shall be said of the system long prevailing, considered in a moral yiew? The partiality, the injustice* the oppression, to use np harder terms— what influence have, such principles brought palpably out ? If governments be immoral, lfhas has ever been the condition of the people ? Prevailing crime. And what consequences will it bring 1f its train ? A perverse spirit among the ptople, general confusion, wars, consequent distress and want ; a general destruction of all confidence, « downward tendency, and crime spreading among all ranks. Is not this the present condition of things in this province especially \ But who traces the source of such a state ? Verily, there is a God that judgeth in the earth.— l am, &c, Nemo. April 25, 1867. ■