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Otago Daily Times, Issue 3183, 19 April 1872, Page 3

in sacrificing our best lands, and sending the nnforferiate. immigrants to the remotest, smost Eairen, and inhospitable parts of the •Province, how are we to find the means of meeting the interest of the enormous expenditxire now entered into for railways and other public works, that with present prospects will never pay half working expenses ? This district has been peculiarly unfortunate in respect of the manner in wliicli its finest lands have been so ruthlessly sacrificed. Since the year 1864 the residents liave been continually agitating for land for settlement, in areas suited to their requirements, with what results I will now show.

In the year ISGO, a block of 2500 acres was opened on Moa Flat, which was speedily taken up and occupied by hotia fide settlers, and the cry was still for more. In 186S, a block was opened on the east bank of the xiver, opjjosito Roxburgh, but was found to be utterly unfit for settlement, and is now known as the Shingle Block. Then" the Island block was opened, surveyed into sections of 50 to 100 acres, and adveiv "tised as open for receiving applications under the agricultural leasing system, when, at the, last moment, it was suddenly withdrawn and' handed over to the Australian millionaire. Last, year a block of 5000 acres was opened on Moa Flat, surveyed into sections of about 50 acres each, and promised on more than one occasion to be opened for agriculturalleasing;* it also, at the last moment, shared the fate of the Island Block,

Is this colonising the country? Is this honestly administering the land held in trust by the Government of the people ? Is it statesmanlike policy ? This last is the coup de grace, and seals the fate of an important district, if permitted to be consummated by the General Government of the I have known men in this locality, possessed of sums from £500 to £1000, who patiently waitedforyears in hopesof acquiring a, few hundred acres of land, with the view of making homes for themselves and their families, and * who had at last to leave in utter disgust at the state of things which I h«ive mentioned above ; some went to other parts of the Province, others left the country altogether, while thousands of pounds and many valuable -would-be settlers have been lost to the Province.

The part played by the member for the district, Mr Bradshaw, in this, latest transaction, is most humiliating and disgraceful. He never gave the least intimation to his -constituents of the contemplated spoliation ■of their district; did not even, so far as I am aware, protest against it, or attend in his place at any of the meetings of the Waste Lands Board, when this weighty matter was under discussion, but simply contented himself by observing the matter from behind the screen of his now historical red line.

When such things are possible under our present political system, it is high time a 1 radical change took place ; bivfceven with the ' 'most perfect laws ever devised, unless men of «, very different stamp are returned to administer them, what can be expected ? r Expediency is at the bottom of everything the present holders of office do, and it ids not —what is right ? what is just? and what is according to law 1 they ask on important public questions presenting themselves before them ; but rather, how will this affect our -continuance in office ? or are we likely to dose our; official situations, by our decisions iov or against a particular line of conduct ? The'political system, both Provincial and "General, has degenerated into an unblushing system of log-rolling and office-seeking, and "until the pernicious system is rooted out ■from our midst, and public questions are decided on their merits, I fear there is but little hope for the advancement of this »4ebt-burdened Colony.—l am, &c,