NATIVE LAND SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8471, 23 January 1891, Page 5

NATIVE LAND SETTLEMENT.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. A committee meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held yesterday afternoon to consider the question of the settlement of native lands. Mr. A. Porter was called to the chair, aud there were also present Messrs. C. C. McMillan, A. Clark, Captain Colbeck, and 8. Vaile. Mr. E. \V. Tizard and Mr. James Mackay were also present. A very lengthy letter was read by Mr. Tizard in regard to the operation of the Native Lands Acts, pointing: out the impossibility under present legislation of getting a good title. Mr. Mackay said that the fault was that that the superior courts upheld the decisions of the Native Lands Court because they knew nothing about them. He had been commissioner and native lands purchase agent for a ureat many years, and he believed that the whole system was rotten. He quoted from the Native Lands Act showing that the repeals made it impossible to follow them. He then quoted from a pamphlet containing his correspondence on the subject and a draft act prepared in WB7 which he considered met the whole difficulty. He quoted from his draft act which lie considered met the whole question. Mr. McMillan suggested to Mr. Mackay that what they were met for was not to consider past legislation, but to adopt measures to have the native lands open for occupation. He would suggest that they should go through the Draft Act in committee, and get the opinion of experts. If they deferred the matter until a future meeting; it would be better. With regard to the action of J udge Edwards or any other judge they had nothing to do. What they wanted to do was to get the land open for settlemeat. Mr. Mackay then proceeded to read from his pamphlet as to his scheme. The Chairman said that the committee did not went to go into the question of titles but they objected to Europeans bein f ' saddled with costs, for although the fees were supposed to pay they did not and there Wits a deficiency. What they wanted was to be shown how the natives w«re to be placed in the same position as Europeans and to have the land thrown open for settlerneut. Mr. Mackay then proceeded to read from his Draft Act and explain its scope and object, which he did at some length, after which it was agreed that copies of the pamphlet should be procured, aud that a future meeting should be called to consider the question.