NEW ZEALAND HERALD, AND AUCKLAND GAZETTE. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1842. LAND CLAIMS' BILL.

New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette, Volume I, Issue 48, 2 February 1842, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND HERALD, AND AUCKLAND GAZETTE. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1842. LAND CLAIMS' BILL.

The Legislative Council of this Colony assembled on Monday last to take into consideration the second reading of this important Bill. . After submitting with praiseworthy patience to be lectured for two hours into some sort of knowledge of the principles upon which this question dbght to be settled, by means of two long and well written petitions from some of the citizens of Auckland, His Excellency opened the, Debate by explaining the views of the Government in wishing to pass the Bill in its present shapeless shape. The Colonial Secretary followed in the' same strain, in a speech of considerable length, remarkable for nothing excepting the most extraordinary pertinacity in adhering, notwithstanding the most reasonable remonstrance on the part of the public, to his original indention of forcing this Bill on the Council, despite the voice of reason and common sense. We could not help feeling exceedingly amused with the honorable Member's self complacency in so happily congratulating himself on the firm and decided opposition with which his measures had been met, both by the independent members, and the petitioners, and pretending cooly to construe the same into an acquiescence in every thing that was deemed obnoxious in this Bill.

The Attorney-General delivered a neat speech, in which he displayed a vast deal of legal tact in managing, by means of numerous quotations from the black or " Blue Book," to keep upon his legs for a long time without ever touching on the merits of the question at issue. Several other Honorable Members seemed impressed with a feeling that it was necessary to say something on this all important subject, but unfortunately, they either forgot, or did not know what to say, and so sat down again. •In giving this hurried and lamentable sketch of the proceedings of our wise Senators, it is pleasant to be able to speak of even one or two in somewhat of a different strain—we allude to the independent members, Mr. Porter and Mr. Earp. We were highly gratified to see the manly, independent and common sense view which was taken of the subject by the latter gentleman. He gave a luminous sketch of the evil workings of the Wakefieldian system of attempting Colonization, and proved distinctly that the very worst feature, (the principle of concentrating,) in that very worst of all systems, was that which the Government of this country had laid hold of as the basis of this Bill. We regret that the proceedings of the Council cannot be inserted in to-day's publication. We shall on a future occasion return to the subject; in the mean time, we pray that our beautiful Cot lony may be speedily rescued from the wisdom of our Council.

In concluding these short remarks, we would take the liberty df hinting to the Honorable Members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, that the exposer of the " thimblerrig system," (Lord Stanley,) is he who now guides the helm of the colonial ship; and that we are certain he will not spare the rope's end, if any one shall madly attempt to revive that system in the colonies.

Below we continue the letter of which we published the commencement in our last number.