The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, NOV 19, 1877.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 5226, 19 November 1877, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, NOV 19, 1877.

A bttha. Jlinirferial p r on Native j|,ffi|il7Brr7af fele^rapheilto us-la«t! week ~confirms the satisfaction produced bjr SKo fiMk hasty ■ The Statement was well received by the jECoiise.pf Hepreaentfitiveß; and, we are it will generally be well received throughout the polony. It is evident that Mr Sheehan has a thorough knowledge of bis subject, and—vihafc is ‘ more speech, [as a whole, is pervaded by a spirit of"caution and of common sense. Whatever ;he or some of his colleagues may'havesaid in the. heedless rhetoric of jOppbeition speeches, savouring of radical and Revolutionary tendencies in the management of Native affairs, disappears when theory yields to practice, and the expression of views, must be followed up by the responsibility of action. The result - is the • presentation of a statesmanlike Native policy, based upon principles which, if tact and prudence characterise administration, will continuously tend to the removal of Native difficulties and to the union and prosperity of both races. It is well that it is so, for the issues in the hands of aiNative Minister are of momentous import, They involve the security of life pud property, the expenditure of blood arid treasure, and the progress of colonisation. A renewal of civil war on any large scale, such as prevailed in former years, is, we believe, impossible, but disturbance, as it were in patches, may at any time occurred its occurrence may inflict much private suffering, and great public disaster. oaerilla warfare, conducted by a few bands of determined Natives, would imperii the safety, and even the existence, of our ontsettlements. The suppression of those disturbance* would involve us in

great expenditure, while at the same the etoppape of the spread of population and industry, and a growing sense of insecurity in person and property, would seriously damage our rfeddurcee. "Wo warn Mr not‘to be too aangiMe instheir confidence of peace,ptad foot torelax in that wise preparation, waicp ia a material guarantee against'its Interruption. We have had bitter experience of the fatal mistake which led to a contrary course ip 1865. and we ~.raf-p*aE m vindication of .himself against the atta'dkrwhicrhpeliwwdr on him &r^his > pi ll bfeiM6iißl connection with what das palled the, Party at Hawked Bay deserve 4wteo> tioa and sympathy; We oure quite disposed ,to believe, that jn that coir- - neotion be has- only done what, asia Jgsjiifted iff doing- * The .gave .origin to that ‘ party ‘owes.' its. force to 6th|el£ causes than thp action of any individual. • It is the natural reaction of that, vicious 'system, of private purchasejof native lands' at Hawke’s Bay, whifeh. prevailed there for several years. We blame - no particular ' individuals, but' there,ls no doubt that ip many.- instances: gross' fraud was practised on native landtowners, and that: the gene-' ral tendency; of the system was, as was predicted l6ng";ago, their; dismheritanoe apdjpauperjsm. It is no.wopder now that those who believe that they bpve iieenj.defpaii ded <■ f dbffi deljioiled fhodl d ap'fiebl to thb lkw c fbi* iredress.’ 1 There was ia s time when: they .would: have up-; pealed to the rifle .and .the ( totaahawk, they,thought that access,to Our coartewas thej’fmight SO, ,so r again. ..Joying,: dppe'iuSticei ■,tb'.;Vihiihself, '’w6'’;ar& Bhk'Ohani 1 ;did jnstibb; to the 'late 1 Donald M*l»ean and to his native policy, if' we ration for the vlewa which, from time to timei we r have * expressed , with,, reference tb Sir DOnald M i Lean and' his general admiUidtration. 'Wertfould point. tO what is now said.by; bne ,pf|his great' 1 political;'; opponents, 1 and said within a few weeks after that copponpnt asshtned hishiEce'. ’| Mr Sheehan j' even when' in Opposition, gave- Lccedit il.to ' Sir .Donald M'lieah * for bstablishinent and encouragement ofiHativesohoo}s>i We are:not, that jMr ; should vdfeolare-his^Mtbntpp ! tb in; that reapecb the eteps of his distinguished predecessor.' There as still.room 'for much to he done in tioh of Native youth. ,ThO nfeiSessity for imparting that edacation’Mh |the English language ’bps. long; ;agp been recognised, “and Mr Sheehan fully appreciates that proposal for. the improyementrof that education are in the right-direction. He will ask for more money | for schools ; and will give better r |>ay to the matters, and thus—-an eisseptial point—be able to engage the services of teachers with higher qualifications. It is now an exploded idea that teachers in Our primary schools can be got any where for less pay than if they were common labourers. And the idea is as inapplicable to Native schools. We want there as much as in any other schOols properly qualified teachers—we do not; mean.to say as a general rule—men who will have to teach the higher branches of leaping, but men of good education, of good morals, of great patience, and possessed of that indescribable teaching faculty which 'is as valuable as it is rare. |We think that Mr Sheehan bps hit | the right nail on the head in his remarks on the promotion of, temperance among Natives. The present law, now thirty years old, forbidding the supply of spirits to them has almost always peon a dead letter. To attempt P ehioree it now woald do more harm tban good. The true line to take is, as -Mf r ßhe,eEah says, to beip.. 1 the introduction of spirituous and fermented liquors into their Bettlements, when, as is generally thu case, tbe majority desires that prohibition. ! Let themAkvel'the benefit of local option; it is not in their case beset with ‘.the:, difficulties, whichsurround the question in cur settlements. Am'enabling that hind, and |!he' encouragement of; temperance organiptioiie; which 1 are now;%e' are f glad: to ihear,; much to diminish drunkenness,j and, we«hbpe,; tb them'to drink any intoxicating liquor—* A.^depcy;;;tybwh,Jp.. {^r^A of thelt, physical constitation to and . habita, rapidly tends to their idbterioratiqh ! ih. body arid 1 in mind. ' j There is' great common sense in what Mr ' Shbehan 1 says—however unpopular among unthinking :meri the doctrine may . ' : thd present necessity for special Native ad miniatratibrir The* "CiMUffistances of 1 the race are special, and, while that is so, epecial dealing iB required. Thd trao ■principle island Mr Sheehau, rW® understand him, admitb it—that these ! should work out their own gradual extinction. Their tendency should be towards the union apd not towards the separation of thd two races. So long as that principle is observed, special administration to a just extent is a good, and not an evil. The questions of Native laud purchase, and of Native representation, to : which Mr Sheehan referred, demand careful attention, and we propose to deal with them in a future article.