MR. HOBBS ON THE NATIVE LANDS DISPOSITION BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7403, 11 August 1885, Page 6

MR. HOBBS ON THE NATIVE LANDS DISPOSITION BILL.

In the course of his speech on the above Bill, Mr. Hobbs said All this complicated machinery in the Bill for Boards and committees will only add to the expense of negotiating these lands, and the natives themselves will find that the cleverest men amongst them will get on these committees, and there is no guarantee that these committee men will not be got at as easily as the Native Assessors. There is nothing to prevent the land rings we have heard so much about getting land as easily as they can at the present time. There is another reason why I think the Bill ought to be adjourned ; it is this: that new features have been introduced into it. The natives are told that any mortal amendments they choose to propose shall be brought in, and that the land shall be sold under the Land Boards. Have the natives been told that ? Was that clause in the Bill which was circulated amongst the Maoris ? Not a word of it, and therefore I say it is unfair that reference should be made to expressions of opinion from the different natives, when it was never put to them that the land was to be taken out of their hands and sold by the Land Boards of the colony. I say it would be a wise thing to let the Bill be read a second time, if the Native Minister will give a pledge that it shall not go further : but to make it a party question, as has been done, though it was stated on the floor of the House that it was not to be made a party question, while outside members have been told that they must vote for it as a party question, is entirely wrong. I think that upon a division upon this Bill the Government will find that every member for Auckland, for Napier, for Taranaki, and for Wanganui, with the exception of the Native Minister himself, and a few who vote for party considerations, will be found going into the one lobby. Thene will be no divisions among us, and are we to be branded as men influenced by land rings. I am cure the House will never listen to suoh an imputation, and I hope members from tha South Island will look at the matter in a fair manner, and will not allow party considerations to influence them in voting upon this question. , *