NATIVE LEGISLATION.

Evening Star, Issue 7350, 24 October 1887, Page 1

NATIVE LEGISLATION.

If the present session is to be a short one, and devoted entirely to the work offinandal reform, short thrift must be given to the flood of Bills with which the Order Paper has already been flooded. Such a wild; crop of legislative tares was never known before. To do justice to half of them in less than six months is not possible. On the first practicable day of the session no less than twenty-nine Bills were tabled, and fourteen others have since been added, and, be it observed, there is not a single Government measure amongst them, for the West Coast Settlement Reserves Amendment Act, brought in by Major Atkinson, is of. a purely local character. Last session it was rejected by the Legislative Conncil after passing the House, where it was supported both by the Government as represented by Mr Balance, and the Opposition as represented by Major Atkinson. It, therefore, is not likely to constitute a causus belli on this occasion. Other Ministers, also, have their little Bills. Mr Fisher has two relating to educational matters—One being a new attempt to reconcile the difference between the Westland and Grey districts, and the other of a technical nature referring to the Wellington College. Mr Hislop brings down an Oamarn Harbor Board Bill, the object of which is to add to the indebtedness of “ the White City,” and which cannot possibly be a Ministerial measure. The rest of the Bills are the offspring of private members, and a wonderful variety of subjects are embraced inthem, ’Tis said that new brooms sweep clean, and certainly they raise the moat dust; but there is no .rule without an exception, and the rule of the new members of the House has not yet developed itself in the direction ot law-making, Doubtless that will come by-and-bye, bntup. to the present time only six new Bills have been.projeoted by the new members of the House. Of these two are the work of Maori members. The notorious Sydney Taiwhanga, who went Home to interview the Queen, and did really interview LorA Derby, respecting imaginary Maori grievances, has brought in a Bill imploring, the | Government of Hew Zealand ,to submit to the Imperial Parliament certain proposalsaffecting the Native race, and the second reading is to come on on the 4th November, when a vigorous display of Native eloquence may be expected. Another Maon ' (Mr Taipua) has moved for leave to introduce a Bill to repeal the Native Land Administration Act of last year.; Then Mr Carroll, an exceedingly intelligent half-caste member who is. reported to beable to speak much better in' English than some of his European con/rlrcs— a thing eauly to be believed—has given notice of a most important resolution which, as showing the tendency of thought and feeling on the part of the Native race, is worthy of transcription in its entirety. It runs as follows:—“ That “ in the opinion of this Honse (1) it is desir- “ able that as speedy as practicable all unnecessary distinction between the inhabi- “ tacts of this Colony should be abolished so “ far as it can be effected by the mode of onr “ legislation and our system of administra- “ tion; (2) that our statutes and State records “ and public documents should be so framed “as to tend to obliterate rather than “maintain distinctions between the races. “ (3 ) That it is expedient to effect complete “ equality, wherever possible, in the position “ of the inhabitants of the Colony, so that the “ same laws as to property and the rights of “ citizenship should apply to all alike. >(4,) “ That it is desirable to appoint aSelectCom- “ mittee of the members of this Honse, with “ power to conferwith any similar Committee “ appointed by the Legislative Council, to “ consider and suggest means by which such “ equalisation may be expedited; and what- “ ever tends needlessly to maintain and per- “ petuate distinctions may be abolished, till “ every reference to one race or other may be “ rendered unnecessary, all being treatedand. “ referred to alike as the people of New “ Zealand.” These motions are very. sug-. gestive commentaries on the action of the .. late Government. Above all things the late Native Minister plumed himself on having successfully shelved the difficulty ' of reconciling the Native race with the European. It was true that the Native’; members denied this, and declared that his,]', policy was perverse and his legislation antagonistic to the Maori population. Strong .. in his inflexible conceit of himself he assumed .. that he was right, and with unmatehiable audacity assured the Natives that he knew what was good for them better than' they did themselves. The Native members got very angry over it, and one of them do ‘ far forgot his assumption of European manners as to speak violently and thump the table in front of him, for which behavior the Speaker rebuked him. Since that ,time f there has been an election.- The Maoris* know quite as well as the Europeans what matters affecting their welfare are pending, and' we may be quite sure, that the greatest question of aU in their ■' minds, namely, the manner in which they should be allowed to dispose of their land, formed a very prominent feature in the Native programme. What isthe result ? The whole of the North Island Natives^ 1 who are those mostly affected by the Native,' Lands Administration Acts, ate hbstile th 1 the Government which forced these-lawa-upon them. Mr Ballanoe has claimed that to himself is due the conciliation of the North Island Natives, and he has, ,qndesin vored to assume the mantle Of MrBRTCE£ but it does not fif him. The past' peace of~ the North Island is entirely duet to <MUi Bryce. The existing discontent is Mao, entirely due to Mr Baliancs| and the Maori elections have shown this. -Mr Ballance is the Elisha, who thought to Wear the mahtih of Mr Bryce, and vaunted himself on having excelled his predecessor. Now it- turns' out that ' the -Natives Chats' all declared against Mr Ballance’s policy. and wfll Tiaye' none of' it It seema revocable ( that the thpir / own^busmessbetterthanphilo r Maoo%,«'j and if may be’.taken for grantedfthat Mr > BAllance’s Native land; fads are no now acceptable to the ( Maoris than his otherT land fads are to Europeans, 5 He is like*' n man whotiies to prevent the natural flow# water by insufficient means. The water will have its way, despite aU obstructions and communistic theories will never divert, men from, the desire ,tp do as they .pleasq' with their own. . The Nativememberehave shpwn unmistabeably that they jdo notJ bejieve in Mr Ballanoe ;.and, .whilst; itis,, pleasing to discover the troth, it is also nn-'' satisfactory to discover that for three years- 5 past the settlement of the Native question ' ha? ‘ been' f eiitrusted to feeble and&cpiMv petenfhands. <:■ * * The consideration of other projoqifeil measures—and there dre many of vdiy * grave importance—haust beTeserved for a future article.