Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1879. SIR DONALD M'LEAN'S PROMISES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5444, 26 July 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1879. SIR DONALD M'LEAN'S PROMISES.

For months past we have heard repeated references to promises alleged to have been made by Sir Donald M'Lean to the natives, relative to the Taranaki confiscated lands. The late Ministry have strenuously denied the existence of any promises save such as referred to reserves, and they have freely and repeatedly asserted that the present difficulties in Taranaki were solely due to the Ministry not having made these reserves. Mr Sheehan some six months ago appointed Mr Mackay to make inquiries of the natives, and ascertain to what these alleged promises, other than those relating to reserves, referred. The natives made certain statements to the effect that they were to receive large sums of money as compensation, but these apparently preposterous statements received small credence even from the Ministry, and as no documents could be found in the Native Office relating to such promises Mr Sheehan plainly intimated to the natives that he put no faith in their assertions, and that the survey would be forced on. From that time his power among the natives began to wane, and Maori troubles thickened about us. More lately these rumors of promised compensation Avere revived, and this time with evident Ministerial sanction. A paper laid on the table of the House by Sir George Grey explains this sudden change of front. It contains lengthy correspondence between successive Native Ministers and their officers, dating from 1864 to 18C7, relating to the confiscated territory. The letters which bear upon the subject of compensation, however, do not com-mence-until January, 1872, when Hiv Donald M'Lean telegraphs to Mr 13. Worgan that " the lands north of Waingongoro, as far as Stoney River, although nominally confiscated, are, with the exception of 1400 acres at Opimake, quite unavailable for settlement until ammgemets are made with the natives for lands sufficient for their own requirements. Mr Parris will provide for the location of natives, as much in the neighborhood of Kanpokcinui and Oeo sis possible, and coiiipeiruile the native owners for lands they may nil relinquish south and north of that river, in order to free them from all difficulties and obstructions, at rates not exceeding 5s per acre." The Waingongoro River in tho south, and Stoney River in the north, may be taken as practically indicating the boundaries of the confiscated lands, These lands, i

which were confiscated by proclamation, or, to use Sir Donald's own words, " nominally confiscated," were actually to be purchased from the natives at a price greatly exceeding that generally paid for non-confiscated territory* The natives, however, do not seem to have been content even with this liberal offer, for in 18T6, or four years later, Sir D. M'Lean writes to the Civil Commissioner at New Plymouth, authorising him, "inconsequence of the idea the natives had got as to the value of the land, to offer them at the rate of 7s 6d per. aera" These letters* truly remarks the Auckland liiifttWs telegraphic correspondent, "ghow that Sir D. M'Lean j quite appreciated the difficulty of deal- I ing with the Wairnate Plains." It is ■extraordinary that such an offer was ever made, but it is still more extraordinary that no one seemed to know anything about it. The explanation given is that the documents were lying unnoticed at Taranaki, and were not discovered until the surveyors had been turned off the "Waimate Plains. There must be something radically wrong in the internal organisation of the Native Office when important documents involving the expenditure of tens of thousands of pounds are not only mislaid, but all record of their existence is lost. : ; Even Sir Donald M'Lean's own colleagues do not appear to have known of their existence, or they must be held guilty of most reprehensible conduct in keeping that knowledge to themselves. We prefer to conclude that they were in absolute ignorance of any offers of this nature made by Sir Donald. The perusal of these papers shows us that the colony is morally, if not legally^ bound to pay for the Plains, and that the natives had great justification. for their action in turning off the surveyors; If Mi* Sheehan were rfcally not aware of Sir Donald M'jLean^s promises, and we must conclude that he was not, the sudden collapse of the Ministerial native policy is accounted For 1 , and one more proof k dflbrrlect of the eminently unsatisfactory results of that secresy and mystery with which the Native Department has always been surrounded.