MR MACKAY AND THE HALT CASTES’ LAND SELECTIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 5588, 4 February 1881, Page 1

MR MACKAY AND THE HALT CASTES’ LAND SELECTIONS.

At a rtcent meeting of the Watte land Board Mr Gbken drew attention to the withdrawal fn m aale of land fn the Good* wood Bash. la accordance with the general desire of the settlers in the district, this land had been cat np into very small sections, duly advertised ; and when the time appointed arrived, and there was a large attendance of intending purchasers, it wae found that all the sections had been a day or two previously withdrawn from sale. The Chief Commissioner explained that when Mr Alexander Mack at, an officer in the Native Department, visited Otago for the purpose of miking selections for half-oastes, he selected amongst other lands this piece of land at Goodwood, and asked the Board to oonoar in his selection. The Board, however, considering that it oontained bush especially valuable to the district, declined altogether to approve of the select ion. Nothing more was heard of the matter until after the land had been surveyed and advertised for sale, when * telegram was received from the Undersecretary for Crown Lands, in which it waa stated that Mr Mack ay had brought under the notice of the Government the fact that the Board were about disposing of the piece of land which he had selected for half-caste* under the Act of 1879. The Undersecretary farther stated that Mr Mackay did not wish to take steps to have the land withdrawn from sale if other suitable land oonld be obtained, and asked for suggestions to that effect. Mr Maitland at once despatched a telegram in reply, giving the information in what localities suitable land waa immediately available. The only reply vouchsafed to this was another telegram, received two or three days before the date advertised for the sale, giving definite instructions that the land was to be withdrawn. The Waste Land Board very properly placed on record their opinion with regard to the action of the Crewn Land* Department, expressing by resolution their regret that it had been considered necessary to withdraw these sections from sale for the purpose of granting them to half-oastes, “ seeing that the Board objected to the said “ land beirg applied to the purpose when “selected by Mr Mackat. The Board are “if opinion that the land is very valu- “ able and suitable for the settlement of “ European families, and farther regret that “ the Board were not made aware of th* “ Government to adhere to Mr Maceat's “ selection until after the survey had been. “ made and the land advertised for sale.” The Middle Island Half • caste Crowa Grants Act, 1877, under authority of which Mr Alexander Mackat acted, !sa measure having ostensibly for its purpose the making provision in land for certain half-easte families, in fulfilment of promises made In their favor, we believe we are oerreel fn staling, by Mr Mantbll some years ago. That these persons had the ghost of a claim to such material consideration has never been pretended, nor would such an Act ever have passe d the Legislature had i t not been sms ggled through at the very close of the wearisome and protracted session of 1877, when a bare quorum of either House remained ia Wei- -

lington. Thero is no record in 1 Hansard * of any explanation having been given by the then Ministry as to the object and intent of the Bill at any stage of its progress through Parliament. There was no discussion what* ever either with regard to the principle or details of the measure, and it was brought in amongst the “ Local and Personal” Bills of the session, and scheduled accordingly. Possibly vary few members are even aware that inch an Act is in the Statute Book. Sir Geobgb Grkt and Mr Sheehan, in their earnest desire to keep their Maori supporters "sweet,” managed this nice little job, and farther ensured its being carried out in its integrity by the appointment of a notorious philoMaori to select the land for these interesting half-breeds. The Act, which consists of five short clauses, possesses the very rare merit of a simplicity almost startling, It 11 first declared lawful for the Governor to fulfil and carry into effect premises in reference to half-caste families, "whether such “ promises are evidenced by any writing or “ not!" For the purposes of carrying out the intention of the Act the Governor is authorisei to execute Crown grants of inch portions of the waste lands of the Crows within the Provincial districts of Canterbury and Otago as may be selected or set apart by any person whom His Excellency may authorise to select the same : Provided tbat the area so granted shall not exceed ten acres to each male and eight acres tc each female, The half-castes who enjoy the benefit of the Act are mmed in a schedule, and we find that there are ne less than 150 in this Provincial district, so that the alienation of over 1,200 acres of land is involved, which, if Mr Mackay is allowed his ewn way, will be the Very pick cf the choicest sections. Presuming that unfulfilled promites were outstanding, and that the Colony was bound in equity to provide for the offspring of illicit intercourse between some of the early colonists and the Maori "girls of the period,” the dnty cf allotting the land might well have been committed to the Waste Land Boar Is of Canterbury and Otago, who necessarily Lava the fullest knowledgeof suitable and available sections. It was most outrageous to place in the hands of one individual, to be choaen by the Government, the power to " spot" the country and plant these half-castes in the mldit of any community at his own will and pleasure. This Goidwood business is neitl er more nor lets than a flagrant scandal. Mr Mackay, knowing the mind cf the Waste Lind Board,! and being well Informed as to the sound reasons why his desire to sdect this particular land cou'd not bi acquiesced in, coolly bides hi* time until it is turveyed and subdivided into email eections, and then insists on his statutory right under the Act to select these very sections for the half-castes. The settlers thns lose a piece of land most valuable for the district, sections of which held in conjunction with those present holdings would bave been of very specific advantage, A colony is further to be planted in their midst with whom it is very unlikely they will have many ideas in common. This is really a ease in which the Government, although we fear they hive no power to interfere directly with Mr Mackay, might certainly me their undoubted influence. The Minister of Lmds surely might reasonably object to such arbitrary and unreasonable exercise of the power of selection — exeic.te specifically detrimental to th» interests of the settlers. Selecting this particular land at all noder the circumstance* li bad enough, but Mr Mackay’s conduct in keeping his design a close secret until within a few hours of the intended sale, thus causing considerable public inconvenience, an 11. Hording no opportunity of an appeal by tne Waste Laud Board to Ministers, is altogether indefeosible.