DETUR DIGNIORI.

Evening Post, Volume XLIX, Issue 116, 17 May 1895, Page 4

DETUR DIGNIORI.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir — Tour excellont leader on the Native Land Aot in the Post of 13tli mat. proves conclusively how appropriate that soatbing condemnation of the apoatle of old is, who declared that " all men areliara," especially when applied to native land transactions, for all the dealings from the Waitangi Treaty down to the present day have borne a very pisoatorial, or rather episcopal, aroma about them, and the laws have been bo cunningly drafted by the devisers and so hedged round and fenced with serioUß complications and re-enaotments, that they puzzle the most astute and eminent judgos hb to their real meaning and intention, beyond the one glaring fact that one strong combination of land grabberß use the most strenuous endeavours to overreach, mystify, and oiroumvent.aU other opposing bodies in their excessive greed to acquire and monopolise the land, and the profitß arising from it. The Hon. Mr. Mantell'B native polioy beatß the palm, viz., honesty, which he tersely and gravely delivered to the House when Native Minister, and suddenly resumed his seat, to the astonishment of his confreres and the multitude who thronged Parliament to hear his low; looked-for speech, whioh resulted in these five words, pregnant with meanint? and truth, " honesty iB the best polioy — the brightest and briefest Ministerial statement on record. Therefore, sweep away all verbose mystifications from the wretched statutes, and fairly and aqnarely recover from the present large land monopolists the birthright of the people, compensating thorn out of another loan extending throngh all time for repayment at fair interest. Then the colony will become Utopia, populated by its tens of millions of happy, prosperous people, instead of only three-fifths of a million, as at present, to bear the burthen. Eureka ! lam, &c, Am r cus Htjmani Generis 16th May, 1895.