MR.HOWORTH AT WEST TAIERI.

Otago Witness, Issue 931, 2 October 1869, Page 6

MR. HOWORTH AT WEST TAIERI.

A well attended mooting of tho electors of West Taieri was bold at tho School House, Outram, on tho 2.'Jrd tilt., for tho purposo of hearing from Mr Howorth an explanation of tho action he had taken in the Gonornl Assembly during it* lato session. Mr James Sltand, M.P.0., was callod to tho chair, and introduced Mr fto worth to the mooting. Mr Howoiith, who was rocoived with applauso, said that littlo more than thrco months previously ho had promised thorn whon ho returned from Wellington, to givo thorn an account of his stewardship, and ho was present this ovoning, at thtsir request, to fulfil his promise. Ho did not attend at tho declaration of thy poll, believing as he did that ho should be sorving thoir interest hotter by proparing to loavo (or Wellington as soon as possible Ho wished, however, to return to thorn his sincere thanks for tho confidence thoy had reposed in him, and to his oppononts for the kindhr fooling thoy hod evinced towards him during tho oleotion. Tho principal matter undor disouasion at the timo of the election was tho fate of the Stafford Ministry, wd most of the candidates oxproMod thomsclvo* as prepared to opposo tho policy o( that Govornmout Ho tola thorn then that ho was prepared to support tho want of confidence motion then under ditcutftion, but he found, on hij Arrival at Wellington, that tb« Stafford

Ministry,, had. resigned their, seats. „ A (difficulty then arose with regard to the, formation of anew Ministry, a, difficulty, of no common kind in the face of conflicting interests which, forced themselves forward from all parts of the House, Messrs, Fox, Yogel, and M'Lean first" met the House as a new Ministry, intending afterwards to augment their ranks, and in a fe# days the Ministry 'was increased by Messrs Gisborrie and Dillon Bell, the Government thus , formed proceeding with the business. Before doing so, however, they consulted, their supporters, enunciated their policy in a most candid manner, and tried to meet their views. The policy they thus laid down was to his mind a most satisfactory ono, and one which he then and still thought beneficial to the country. It first proposed that no new war loan should be contracted. That the war expenditure Bhould be kept within the resources of the country, or if they were insufficient the House should be called together again. The colonial forces to be re-organised. The retention in' the colony of the 18th Regiment of Imperial troops. To obtain from England another regiment for special service in New Zealand, and for this purpose, and also with a view of establishing a better feeling than has existed for some time past between the general and home governments. And, finally, as regarded the provinces and their institutions and rights, these ware to be sacredly preserved. These were the outlines of the policy, and to them he felt able to accord his support. It was markedly different to the policy of the late Government, They might perhaps recollect that when he previously addressed them he discussed the expense which had been incurred in hunting down the arch rebels Te Kooti and Tito Kowaru ; and that he had expressed his opinion that that expenditure in the manner in which operations were being conducted was useless. For that if they could not successfully attack them in the Bottled districts and open country where they were, how impossible it was to do so when they had retired into the wilds and fastnesses of the interior of the island. Tito Kowaru had driven the Bettlers from round tho Fatea almost into the township of Wanganui, had devastated their farms, and destroyed their crops, and had then retired into the bush to his own fortifications, and the Bame thing had been done on the East Coast by Te Kooti.

Mr Howorth then compared at considerable length the manner in which the war had been conducted under the late and under the present Government, after which he went on to say :—: —

The condition of affairs at the present moment was satisfactory, and he hoped it would continue so, and that, under the auspices o£ the present Ministry, the affairs of the colony would prosper. The Defence Minister was now assisted by Mr Branigan, our late Commissioner of Police, and he was sure that Otago would not grudge her friends in the north the services of a good man. He had advised the Government to induce Mr Branigan to undertake his present duties, and he was quite sure that what he had undertaken he would successfully carry out. The second part of the new policy was with regard to the troops. He supported the proposition of the Government for the retention of the ISth Regiment, and when the question was put to the Houb© there was not a dissenting voice amongst those members present. He thought it desirable to send for more troops to England, for they had all aeen the lamentable exhibition made by the troops raised in Melbourne and in other places. It was of paramount importance that they should got suitable mon, who after serving in war, if necessary, although ho hoped it would not be noceasary, might becorao sottlors in the colony. The co»fc of this would be somowhat largo, hut ho for ono would never begrudge money when it was nocossary, and when it was well spont Ho had supported tho motion for sending Commissioners to England. They had nil road tho stato of discord which tho Now Zealand Qovommont had reached with regard to tho Homo Government, and ho believed that "under tho old administration it would novor have been pofiaiblo to effect a reconciliation. This mission would not bo confined to obtaining troops, but extended also to making inquiries as to immigration and tho prospect of obtaining a loan for public works, Tho result of Mr Fitaherbort'a mission to England last year had provod highly satisfactory and bonotlcUl to tho colony, and it was to bo hoped that tho labours of tho present Commis•ioners would bo equally successful With regard to tho measures which wore piuaed, ho had advocated more ■tringont mo&surca m rogardod rebel prisoner*, and thoir nioro speedy trio], and early in tho session a BUI wia brought in to effect the»o and othor object*. Another measure had alto been pasted, making it oapital felony to •upply the Maori* with arm* or ammual-

- warlike 1 ;l'ocldng s>ble < door" after* the v steed was'', stolen. t This| 1 pernicious practice had been carried on by whalers and small coasting craft for many years. ; Mr' h Manning said, in one 'of his reports to the Government W , ' They are fully supplied with arras, of a better deseripti6n"than the Southern natives , have, and* have alsd largo stores of ammunition, and also facilities for procuring mote 1 when they require it, > notwithstanding the law to the contrary,, the American whaling" vessels resorting to the Northern ports being always ready to supply any quantity which the natives can find, ready money to pay for. To entirely put an end to the illicit traffic would be very difficult, if not impossible j there is, however, at present, not much done in this illegal commerce, the natives being so well supplied that there is little or no demand for arms or ammunition at the present time.

The Ballot Act, which had been introduced by Mr Reynolds and carried, would probably require some amendment next year, but the principle of the ballot had now been established. The subject of Government annuities was introduced to the House by Mr Vogel before he joined the Ministry, and the country he hoped would derive great benefit from the measure. On the subject Hansard saidHe believed, if they wished to popularise the principle of making provision for the future, it was absolutely necessary that the State should undertake the duty. They had great facilities in New Zealand for setting an example in that matter. They could hardly point to another country on the face of the earth in the position New Zealand occupied — so far civilised, in which there did not exist any local life assurance companies. They were, therefore, fortunate in being able to look at the scheme proposed without having the fear of trenching on vested rights. Not a single local life assurance company could complain, and he could not admit that they would interfere with vested rights in respeot of companies which sent out letters of credit to agents, and collected all the premiums they could, without investing any capital in the country. By this system the country would be collecting large sums of money which would not have to be repaid for a considerable number of years. Without any desire to arrogate any merit to himself, he might say that he thought that those who had favoured him with listening to him, and those honourable members who of their own knowledge were better acquainted with the subject than himself, who would aid him in giving it practical effect, might find that they had set a mark upon the history of the colony, more enduring and more valuable than anything they might be able immediately to effect in relation to the present calamities with which this country was afflicted. He hoped Mr Vogel's anticipations might be realised, and thought he deserved the thanks of the country for bringing such an important matter forward. Some 1 other general bills had also been passed, which, although important, need not be specifically referred to. The Otago Settlements Bill (Mr Macandrew's) which had not passed the previous session had passed last session. Itß object was to provide for settlemont at tho West Coast, and it proposed to do so by taking up a tract of country and giving the first settlers upon it land at nominal rates, the rates to those succeeding to increase as the land was taken up. In order to settle the country it was contemplated to invite immigrants from Nova Scotia and other places, who would no doubt do as they, the early settlers in this part of the province, had done, and form a prosperous settlement at Preservation Inlet. Mr Macandrew had also proposed a further loan for certain public works, in accordance with a resolution of the Provincial Council, Oamaru dock, L 20,000 ; Wai taki bridge, Llo,ooo;Kakanui, LCOOO; Waikouaiti, LSOOO ; Shag Rivor bridge, L4OOO ; and Clutha Rivor trust, LSOOO — making L 50,000. Tlhb measure passod tho Houso of Representatives, but was thrown out of the Upper Houso. He supported tho Bill, thinking that this province was quito prepared to undertake the responsibility of such a loan, and hoing fully aware of tho necessity of public works being carried on, and tho benefit arising from tho practice of granting subsidioa to local Road Boardß, &c. Since that thoro had boon a good donl of discussion on the measuro in Otajo, in consoquenco of a speech by Mr Dillon 8011, in which ho stated that if tho piiatoral rents wore made security for & loan, it would lock up tho country from settlement. Now the sum roquirod for interest and sinking fund was only L4OOO por annum, and he did not sco how Betting apart such a sum as that could possibly lock up tho country. Butboyond that, provision was made in tho Bill for paying off tho loan, upon notico, and thoro hud therefore been moro made of tho mattor than there was any occasion for. Tho Cpwn Lands Commissioners Act provided for tho appointment of Oommisaionora of Crown Lands by the Governor, and the paymont of their aalarioa ont of the public revenue. Had ho boon there, ho should havo opposed tho Bill, m ha

would always oppose ,any innovation on | ,SrignW&d j^f^j^pfc^ GoWnmeni'V, but' the" Bill had | passed, and it was ,nis. duty; to tell them of it. 'During 'the" last" session of ,the Provincial' Council, f resolutions , w,ere \passed j that thetGeneral Government, should] pass an,' Acf\ relating' to the' > Waste Lands JAct, .giving the Superintendent power to, deal with the question of hundreds, and to declare the rent for pasturage of great cattle at 3s 6d, and for small at td per head, on lands taken up as Hundreds, the money to be paid into the Provincial treasury, and for the Provincial revenue. Heretofore the money collected in the Hundreds' had been expended there. • The honourable member for Oamaru objected to the Bill, but he took! a different view of the case, as he believed in the course adopted by their Provincial Government of granting subsidies to road boards. In the Upper House, however, important alterations wero made with regard to some of the Hundreds, clause 10, for instance, as sent up was as follows :—: — The Superfntendelit shall, with the advice and consent of his Executive Council, levy and raise yearly for and in respect of all cattle depastured upon the Waste Lands within any Hundred, an assessment as follows j— For every head of great cattle, a sum of three shillings and sixpence ; for every he«d of small cattle, a sum of seveupence : to be paid by the peraou depasturing such cattle, at a time and place, and in manner to be appointed by the Superintendent by notice in the Provincial Gazette, and the amount received from every suoh assessment shall be paid into the Provincial Treasury, and form part of the land revenue of the Province of Otago, and shall be appropriated by Ordinance of the Superintendent and Provincial Council. But the following important amendment was added to it :

In the formation and repair of district roads and bridges in the several Hundreds in which suoh assessment shall have accrued, and such assessment shall be expended in such Hundreds, exclusive 6f, and in addition to, any Bums which shall be appropriated from time to time by the Provincial Legislature, under the provisions of "The Otago "Road Boards Endowment Act, 1865," for the formation and repair of main roads, and bridges thereupon. Now, he considered that that amendment wrought an injustice, and he would not agree to it. He prepared his reasons for opposing it, and had he remained in Wellington he should have been a member of the conference. He found, however, that those amendments had been adhered to. His objection was, that settlers in some Hundreds would receive aid from the Government without taxing themselves, to the detriment of settlers in Hundreds where land was sold. He supposed, however, that the matter would come under the notice of the Provincial Council. With regard to the Otago Hundreds Regulation Bill, he knew that a Bill embodying the resolutions of the Provincial Council was to be presented, but he had no idea that such a Bill as the present one- was contemplated. There was a joint committee of both Houscb appointed to deal with Waste Lands, and all questions relative to those lands were referred to it. That Committee was appointed prior to his reaching Wellington, but he attended several of its meetings, and listened to the proceedings. There were numerous petitions presented both for and against tho formation of Hundreds, all of which were referred to this Committee and discussed by them. The first insi(,'ht ho got into the matter was when Mr Reynolds proposed compensation at the rate of la 6d per acre to runholders, and tho following day he made it 2s. Ho then attended inoro closely to what was going on, but got no clear insight into it until tho Bill was boforo him. On tho Ordor P*por of tho 14th July it appoarod that Mr Dillon 801 l was to move for leave to introduce tho Bill. His (Mr Howorth's) first connoction with it was on tho 20th July, whon ho was ontoring tho Houso half-an-hour before tho commencement of business, and when he was inforraod that he was wanted to attend a mooting ot tho Otago mombors. Whon he arrived at the mooting ho was Burprisod at what ho hoard. Thoro was much angry discussion, and h© declined to go on with it. Mr Dillon Bell wantod to movo tho aocond reading of tho Bill that day, and as tho Otago morabors did not object to that road ing, ho doclinod to interfere The second reading of tho Bill passed without discussion, and it was only thon that tho Bill itself was placed in tho hands of members. Tho Bill must thorofore have boon prepared boforehand. Tho caucus was adjourned until tho next morning, and then, aftor much doliberotton, it was arranged that soveral oniondm©nU he proposed, should bo aooedod to, and he settled thorn with the AttorneyGeneral, and they were agrood to. One point wm tho question of compensation. An Average was taken amongst tho momborsasto what compensation should bo I allowed, and that avsroge excoodedfe.

IToI1 To l( this,,amquntfhe ;deftiurred,, as thesaid' .onlyise'd.;., At\anpther meeting, Which he could not attend, being at the time engaged with the Attorney- General on' his' amendments, 3a 6d was agreed to, a sum to which he would not consent. On Friday, the, 23rd, the Bill was committed. Mr Macandrew spoke, as to the object of the Bill, , and so did he. " Jt had been since stated that he agreed, to, it, Now he would read them what he did say, and then they could judge for themselves. He had already told them, that , no Ofcago membei opposed the Bill, and he did not look upon, himself as such a skilled politician, as to be prepared to stand against them all, , believing, as he did, that by taking a more moderate, course he could get his amendments carried. He had, said in his speech of July 23rd on the subject: " This Bill had really taken him by surprise, and he thought it was introduced to the House somewhat hastily. He had taken great pains to have some of the provisions which he considered most fatal to it modified, and he hoped his suggestions would receive the serious attention of the Committee if the Bill was committed. The Bill had emanated from the Waste Lands Committee, during the present session, and neither the province nor the Provincial Council had been consulted. He was not, however, as he stood alone, prepared to oppose the measure altogether, but on his return to his constituency, he would place the matter clearly before them, consult their wishes, and on a future occasion endeavour to have the measure either repealed or modified," That was his statement, and that he was prepared to carry out. He was placed in a very difficult position, his object being to work with and not against the Otago members, and the bill took him by surprise. It was in its present form certainly an innovation on their rights, and he was very sorry that the Government gave way to it without the polioy of the Provincial Government being considered. The preamble of the bill explained its object. It impliedly repealed the Waste Lands Act and the Goldfields Act of 1866. The 85th clause of the former Act said that "nothing herein contained shall be deemed to alter or in any way affect the power of the Governor from time to time to proclaim new Hundreds," and the 17th clause of the latter provided for compensation on the cancelling or suspension of a license or lease on the goldfields. With reference to the Waste Lands, it had been already provided that it should be lawful for the Governor to divide the province into Hundreds or Counties, and the Act of 1866, did not interfere with that power. By the 3rd, 4th, and sth clausesof the Act just passeda new method of proclaiming hundreds was provided ; the 6th providing that the Superintendent should signify in writing +0 the Governor that it was desirable so to set apart some specific portion of the province. The 6th clause provided for tho appointment of officers to examine and take evidence on the proposed hundreds. That was an innovation on the rights and privileges of the Provincial Council. He had but little to say on that subject in the Houho, however, as it appeared to have beon approved by tho Waste Lands Committee. His objection to it was, that no officer appointed could possibly know the requirements so well as the Local Govornment. Suppose for instance, an officer to go to a district to bo proclaimed, who would take the troublo to give evidence as to whether or how much he wishod to purchase, and even, if such evidence could be obtained, it would neithor bo satisfactory nor conclusive. But supposing it wero so, the 3rd clauso said that half tho land must bo available for agricultural purposes, so that, however much a hundred might bo wanted in any place, if half of it were not so available he must report against it. This was the most obnoxious featuro of all. If a Hundred woro wantod they ought to havo it, hill or plain. That clauao no viowod as a pernicious ono, and ho opposed it, but tho division against him was 28 to 13. Still ho succoedod in getting it recommitted, and proposed that a third should bo agricultural land, as sugtfoatod by tho Goraraiasionow. Ho did his boat to got the clauso oraaed. but without avail. Furthor, tho bill limited a Hundred to 16,000 acres. He wanted that struck out also, but seeing tho little auccoss ho had mot with in his opposition to the third clauso. he did not divido on it. Ho thought it ought to be ft mnttor for tho Executive to decide whothor a Hundred should bo 10,000, 15,000, or 20,000 acres. Formorly 100,000 acres was tho smallest steo of a Hundred, but whothor that minimum aroft woro adviaablo, or * loss or greater ono, ho thought would beat be loft ontiroly for oxocutivo action. Ho approvod of proclaiming Hundreds in ffoldfiolds, and oould see no valid roAson why this should not bo dona So far tho Bill mot with his approval, although it was a material altoration in the Goldfields Act of 1860, and a bold stop to take without tho resident* on tho goldflolda having boon first loonjultod. Tho next point w*» that with

regard to: ithe 1 deeds of covenant. The Commissioners' appeared; to "'question whether the Superintendent could legally enter into lf any Covenants at all with runholders, but he would refer them to the^ minute of the Executive of the 18th June, 1867, which was as follows : Resolved to .recommend the Waste Lands Board to grant leases over all runs, excluding suoh land as will be required for agricultural leases within goldfields, and also blocks which the Government may re* quire the consent of the licensee to sell, without declaring them into Hundreds: That shewed that new leases were to be granted to runholders for all waste lands, excepting these blocks. He did not know why the deeds of covenant showld have assumed their present shape, by which it appeared that it was necessary to take back the leases, in order to take the blocks out of the runs to which they referred. There was no difficulty in people taking 'runs and excepting at the same time such blocks as might be required. As it was, it was made to appear that the runholder actually gave up a portion of his run. He failed to see that such, was! the case, as he took his run with the exception of certain blocks contained in it. (Mr Howorth then dealt at considerable length with the legal points involved in the report of the Commissioners on the question of covenants made between the Superintendent and runholders as to compensation, and to lands taken from their runs for sale.) The Bill provided that the covenant should be validated. Now he could not see why they should ever have been invalidated, Nothing had ever come up before the Supreme Court with reference to suoh a question, nor would the Government have entered into them had they been illegal. With regard to the question of compensation, he would refer them to clause 9 in the new Act, which was originally as follows :—: — Every person holding a lease of any pastoral lands comprised within any district proposed to be proclaimed a Hundred as aforeßaid shall be entitled to compensation for the determination of his lease and for all improvements made by him on the land included in the Hundred and held under his lease and not comprised within the eighty acres which undor the eighty-second section of "The Otago Waste Lands Act, 1866. " he is entitled to purchase before the samu is exposed for sale. As originally provided, compensation was allowed for improvements, and for the determination, or in other words, the good-will, of the lease, by arbitration. That, however, he opposed altogether, for they all knew that the runholder would produce a mass ©f evidence on his side to enhance as much as' possible the value of his improvements, while the Government would not do so, and the arbitrator appointed was bound to give compensation on whatever evidence was presented by the witnessos. Some runholders had asked as high as 63, and if that was the value at the present time, what would the value be at the end of the term ? Virtually it would alienate the public estato if allowed. To the clause as it at first stood he had had the following proviso added :—: —

Provided always that tho amount of such compensation shall in no oase exceed two shillings and uixponco per acre in respect of the determination of such lease over such portion of tho run so to be proclaimed a Hundred as aforesaid and that the holder of auoh lease shall not be entitled to any compensation in respect of improvements other than fencing and in respect of land ploughed up or drained or laid down in English grass. He objected to tho sum of 3s 6d, as pro* posod, and intended to have adhered to Is 6d j but seeing the fate of tho other clause about tho half of the Hundred being agricultural land, ho thought, whon the medium rate of 2s 6d was proposed by Mr Wood of Invercargill, that dißorotion was tho better part of valour, and acceded. In the event of a runholdor giving up his run, Is Gd only wm to be allowed ; but this concession was only enrriod by a majority of two. This question of compensation was really the main object of the Bill, and he was of opinion that they would bo better able to doal with runholdors when the rato of compensation was small than when largo. Olauso 82 of tho Waste Lands Act said-

If at any timo during tho currency of any leoao of pastoral lands granted under tbo pro* visions of this Act tho lands comprised in •uoh lease or any part tboreof shall bo in* eluded within tho boundaries of any Humlrod to bo hereafter proclaimed by the Governor anch leaio shall coaao and dntormin© m to so much of tho lands aa ahall be included within suoh boundaries from and after a day to bo named in tho proclamation by which anoh Hundred ahall be oonatitntea Provided that no portionof tho land onto whioh suoh lomo shall havo to ooased, and on which a homestoad ahall havo boon ao erected, or improvements made, shall bo expoacd for silo until tho offer of porohaafnß »uoh land •hall havo beon made to tho holder of the loaao, at tho uptal price of LI j«r aero, but auoh loaaoholdor shall sot bo entitled, undor this pro'viaioa, to purohaao a larger bloolc than 80 acrei containing hi* homestead 1

Provided also 4ha« ■■ theUeaflebolderehdll receive compensation for. improvements <made by<JtiiiniOß( all land inoluded^mLthd .Hundred ' which shall have been formerly held iittd&s his lease;Wd which 'shall, not be ..comprised in such jB9 " acres such f compensation not 1 " exoWdmg 'three years' rental to- be in manner 'prescribed in section 77 of this Aofc>j and; to be paid out of moneys to be appropriated for the purpose by the Provincial Council!:* Provided also that no compensation shall be given* for. any improvements/on . landS'proolainied into Hundreds during the term for whioh the license was originally held. - Under that Act the runholder was- not entitled to t any compensation, except for three years' rental for improvements after the term of jthe original license had expired, so that so far as, the Bill affected runs outside, goldfields, it was altogether in excess of the Waßte Lands Act. , One section had provided that licensees^ should be entitled to .compensation by agreement, another, by arbitration, and another that no licensee should have compensation unlesß his license were, suspended under the provisions of the Act. : So high as 5b had been paid as compensation, ,and they mußt,see,that"one«fourth of theterritorial revenue had gone in compensation in such cases. , He endeavoured! to keep the compensations low as poasible, so that all might share. He believed that the BUI would not be, a pleasing one to runholders generally, as by it they could not obtain more than 2s 6d, whilst heretofore they have bean able to get as high as 58, and they would,, therefore, probably have their support in getting rid of it. The Commissioners gave the following as their objections to the Hundred system :—: —

On the other hand, in favour of the sale may be urged all the arguments against the Hundreds system : that it encourages persons of insufficient means to engage in farming, to their own ultimate embarrassment or ruin ; that it leads to slovenly and unskilful farming j that it tends to the deterioration of breeda of cattle, and affords temptations to cattle-stealing and other offences. He thought that those objections displayed lamentable ignorance on their par+s, nor were they founded on any part of the evidence adduced, and he was therefore not surprised to find that Mr Keynolds could not agree with the report. One point had been entirely lost sight of by the Commissioners. Nowhere did they take into account the value of the extended term, although Mr Driver's evidence went to show that it was a great acquisition to mnholdors, and mentioned run 137, near Tuapeka, as an instance. This lease had about four years of the original term to run, and af 'er the extension had been obtained it Bold for L6OOO or about 4s per acre. Now if the value of the lease were enhanced by extension of lease, what must it be when also enhanced by compensation ? It seemed to him that the system of compensation was a vicious one. At 2a 6d per acre, one-eighth of the territorial revenue was alienated to the runholder, and diverted from the legitimate object to which it was their bounden duty to apply it. He was not disposed to he unjust to runholders. Of late, station property had depreciated, but that was no reason why runholders should be compensated, and their runs thus given a fictitious value. He objected to the land revenue being pledged to the extent of one-eighth, as it really reduced the value of their property in the estimation of their neighbours. It must be admitted that many difficulties would arise if such were the case. He thought that if a Bhip load of immigrants arrived, there should be land provided for them, and that runholders Bhould give way without any compensation at all, for that was the agreement on which they hold their leases, and he could see no reason why it shoald be deviated from. On the Goldfields, it was difficult to obtain even sufficient land for minors or others to run a cow on withoutapplyingto runholders, and poople there wanted to be independent of them and to havo pasturage right. Then aroso the question whether it wero jnst to remove a large holder of stock, who might nave invested his. capital on his run, for tho sake of a number of small holders. In that cue some compensation might bo granted by reducing the assessment instead of giving direct compensation, and the Provincial Council might have the power of dealing with it if a sufficient case wero made out. Ho had moved for tho proceedings of tho Waste Lands Committee, and they would probably bo made public in a littlo while, so that they might all soon be able to boo them, and thus arrivo at the true boarings of this much vexed question. The matter really restod with the Provincial Council at its next session, when tho whole mattor would bo taken into consideration, in ordor to see what could be done with it, and whether any or what, alteration should be mado in the land laws. Tho importance of tho •übjeot was great, and it would always bo his pleasure, atfit was his duty, to support anything done by th# Provincial Council for the; good of tho province. Ho should recommend that the bads on the

goldflelds should be revised, ao that fluct as' 'were "nbtf auriferous* knight "bi 'again brought* under L the ! operations of the 1 Waste 1 Lands Act. '-■ ,- - r >■ •* j_ '" _ It -was* scarcely 'right that they should part that night -without 'his giving them some information with regard to the Native Question. There was a <prdba- ( bility of there 'being no further disturbance with any of the native tribe, except Tito Kowaru andTe Kooti. # There was every probability of some amicable settlement with the King Natives, and if so, one of the conditions would be that these two men should be brought to justice. If peace were obtained, it would be gratifying 1 to know that the native affairs were' in such able hands as those of Mr M 'Lean, 1 who had had so I much experience ' amongst the natives, and that he would receive the assistance of the best men in the colony, amongst others that of Mr Manning, who had had 40 years' experience in native affairs, and who knew the natives, their language, and habits intimately. He would conclude by reading an extract from that gentleman's report on the Native war question, 1 which, could not but be highly interesting. It was as follows : —

In only one direction do I see a hopeful influence at work, powerful, if human calculation can be trusted, to produce in the future the permanent pacification of the country, and the dominion of law. I mean the action of the Native Lands Courts, which, by giving natives individual and exolusive property in the soil, stimulates industry, detaohes them from their tribal or national interests, disposes them to support and strengthen the law from whioh they have derived their rights, that in / turn it may be able to support and protect them in the possession of their properties, and put them in the position of men having muoh to lose and nothing to gain by war. These are but a few of the benefits which we may rationally expect to arise from the action of these Courts. Already in many parts of the country natives are ia receipt of good inoomes from the rent of their lands. lam informed that in one district a not numerous tribe receive in rents as much as L 40.000 per annum. Men in this position, we may venture to expect, will feel bound by their own interests to keep the peace, and do all in their power to perpetuate a state of things by whioh they are suoh gainers. • . . The acquirement of land by settlers from the natives is also rendered safe and easy by the action of the Land Courts, and the settlement of the country proportionally facilitated, and a* the native eettler holding a Crown Grant is master of his own property, and oan avail himself of competition amongst purchasers, he is sure to get the full market value for his surplus land. This circumstance alone is a source of muoh satisfaction to the native people, who, many of them, believe that under a former system, they did not, in selling their land, receive a fair yalae. From the circumstance* I have mentioned, and many others, I believe that the " Native Lands Aot, 1865," will prove to be the most beneficial action we have ever attemoted in native affairs, and that the good effects we may expect from it o»n soarcely be overrated. We must, however, remember that such great changes as this measure may be fairly expected to effect will require time, not probably a long time in proportion to the effeot we may hope to see produced, but a few years at leaat. Years to be regarded by the New Zealand statesman as likely to be memorable in the history of the country for eood or for evil, and in which, aoting according to tho diotates of human wisdom, he trusts to an over-ruling Providence to control the event.— Auckland, 29th Maroh, 1860. P. E. Manning." Mr Howorth then answered a few questions with reference to various points in his speech, and the meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to him and the Chairman.