The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1125, 18 September 1880, Page 2

The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, ; ISteO.

.. Sib A.iemy,n Gordon, as irresponsible Qbverndr.of Rji, does not appear to have been a javorite- with the people he, ruled over with such an iron despotis% But what Sir Arthur jH3y~Eave done in-Eyi- he would not., dare to do in New Zealand. Here the Written constitution will goveim, ' our 'new Governor j, ahd- he will not b : e'jetinitfe,d. .neither' do we suppose Wi|r he atteftjpt to set'oriy one part of it^aslde' to suit his' peculiar views. The Fiji 7 'tfimeij in two leading articles, reviews Sir - Arthur's five - years, administration of the affairs of that colony ; and that 'its conclusions ire the reverse of.- favourable to his Excellency may be judged from the concluding paragraph : — . •' What wonder then that the hews of his approaching departure who lately hailed with such universal manifestations of delight ; that a glad smile of satisfaction irradiated every couutenance as the tidiugs made the rapid round of the. community, aud that hearty hand shakes, as upon an unexpected accession; to good fortune, ■became the order of the day. It would] have been much more pleasant to have parted with Sir Arthur in the same spirit . that the colonists of New Zealand will part with Sir Hercules Robinson, but, as it is, he will pass from amongst us unregretted, but— never to be forgotten." This statement is the utterance of an extreme partizan, and must, therefore be taken cum grano salis ; but the Times represents the opinions of the planters, and with that class there can be no doubt Sir Arthur Gordon is intensely unpopular. It may be that His Excellency merely shares the common lot of all absolute rulers in English colonies, and that his failure to win the good opinion of the Fiji colonists is not due to any personal deficiency ; but the fact remains. The Times quotes Sir Arthur Gordon's speech on arrival, and declares that he has signally failed in redeeming any one of his promises. "The introduction of capital," His Excellency said on that • occasion, upon the security for its investment; that is to say, \ipon the settlement of land titles," and the Titties adds that "after five years of patient waiting the greater portion of the claims still remain unheard, and in some of the important provinces no surveyor has ever placed his foot, or at best the surveys are incompleted. The definite instructions of Lord Carnarvon' were carried out in so lax a 'manner that four years were absolutely frittered away and at the end of that time, all the grants issued during'that period were again invalidated." The land question is the very sorest point with the planters, because purchases made .before annexation remain invalid and without title. It is not improbable that many of these purchases, like similar ones in New Zealand, before- the Treaty of Waitangi, were little more than frauds> and Sir Arthur's duty in dealing with them has been by no means pleasant; or one which, conscientiously performed, would conciliate the good will of the colonists immediately concerned. In other cases, however, the settlers paijd very substantial prices for their land, and the delay in issuing titles has been a real hardship. It

has, moreover, unquestionably retarded the progress ot the colony. ■: -* Next to the land: question, the importation of labor is that which most seriously affects the. planters, and the Times, under this head, prefers the following indictment against Sir Arthur Gordon-: — By imposing arbitrary and unnecessary restrictions on the traffic^ presumably in the interest of the pet coolie scheme, for three years the supply was virtually, stopped, or emigrants arrived so few in. numbers as to be totally inadequate to the agricultural requirements of the country The impoverished planters, who after the serious reverses contingent upon the failure of the cotton industry, held up their hands to Sir Arthur Gordon for assistance, were doomed to experience the bitterest disappointment. They had, however, the consolation of knowing that His Excellency's sympathies were with them, for. after his -policy had consummated . the ruin which other causes had initiated, his. heart went out to them and the plentitude of his generosity found expression in the enactment of a Bankruptcy Ordinance. Sir Arthur is further charged with failing to provide any adequate system of education, or carry out any hensive scheme of public works r withpursuing a pernicious Native policy, and raising an exorbitant amount of taxation compared with the results achieved. His bearing towards Levuka is especially denounced. The latter grievance may be understood more i*eadily since His Excellency has not concealed a preference for Suva over Levuka as the site of the future capital of the group. The editor of the Times waxed extremely warm over the ietailed items in this formidable Bill of Indictment, and wound up with the peroration which prefaced this article. The only thing which he really gives His Excellency credit for is a will of his own, and determined persistence in his own way — which way, he vows, has not been the highway to advancement and prosperity for Levuka or the Colony.

The work concluded this week by His Honor Judge JELaxse, will be of incalculable benefit to this district, inasmuch as the titles to various properties, and their apportionment by the sub-division orders made by His Honor will, at once, and for all time, settle whattwas once considered, inextricable confusion, and secure the tenure to properties which will give every security to the possessors, and enable purchasers to negotiate with a degree of confidence, which has not hitherto been obtained in reference to Blocks held under joint tenancy, where the interest of the grauteeshad not. been defined. His Honor is to be compli-. mented upon the result of his labors, which have been throughout undertaken with painstaking assiduity, and it is all the more gratifying now to us, to accord him this meed of praise for the satifactory discharge of his duties, when at other times we have had' occasion on public grounds, to be opposed to him. To the services, of Mr.. W. L. Rees, at whose instance, in puraance of the general plan promoted by him, these cases have terminated in such a satisfactory .issue, N a full and impartial acknowledgement niuat .be accorded. The following are the orders for sub-division made, by His Honor i—,- . * " '.' /" Maraetaha and Te Kttbi. To J* W; Johnson, 11,000 acres. .. To Maora Paui, 260 acres. To Locke, and Walker, 200 acres, To Rer>s and Wi Pere as Trusteesbalance of Maraetah'a, 2,500 acres. To Rees and Wi Pere as Trustees TeKuri, about 400 acres. Pakowhai, about s,ooo'acres. Whataupoko. Barker — 2,500 acres. McDonald— l,ooo acres Rees and Wi Pere as Trustees— l,ooo acres (Township). Mrs. Gannon— 302 acres (Township. Rees and Wi Pere as Trustees (balance) — 1,400 acres. >(■ • , Matawhero B. Read's Trustees — 160 acres (town end). Rees and Riperata — 400 acres. Rees and Riperata — 28 acres Maungamoteo). Wi Haronga, subject to Read's mortgage—3B acres (Maungamoteo). Ma.tawh.ero No. 1. To Read's Trustees — all the block, except 100 acrea to Wi Haronga. Matawhero 0. To J. B. Poynter— 42B acres.