Original Correspondence.

Taranaki Herald, Volume II, Issue 55, 17 August 1853, Page 3

Original Correspondence.

to Tlir. nniToii of rim " T.va.vivicr ii"n\t.o.'' Sir,— ln your inue of the .i.d hist, you issnmed that there could he no Rood n-nson why Individual, ohou'd he denliil 'he privil gn of nrfiouat ni;, under the nupciimoidciicc of a proper authority, the purr-hare of land from the Nutivrs of this Piovinrr-. Wilh oil due dcfcrcm-e, I submit tli\t nt>t only pood, but iosuporahV reruns do exitt for »\iiliold'n£ that qncstiMnablr privilcue. Admitting lint the systfm may have auucrrdid in the Aurkland district, 1 will p occcil 10 prtivj that it would fsul here. The Nirthcrn tribes admit thr right of the chir'i to (Impose of tho Und 1 elon^ini; to llicir tnlics ) and the Government h.is «livii\« rarot;iiind lint tight. The rluefc in ijotiirc the sale, rufivc and distribute the | nymcut, and cxrni'.e the dtt'd of • ale The Naiivcs of tln» I'. o»iiict' ol.iiin an individual right to their re-prciivc lamli : limy do not recognise the right of 'I eir chiefs to dispose of the land collectively owiifd by thr iribi-s. I'iiorto jr|lin<c land, many mretingi of the tribes arc hold, at which oviry propiictor run state hi« nr hrr oj'inion, nnd a • ilnrnn only he n«-gotuted by the consent of a very hr^c in j'inly The tribes appoint individual! to icccivc ihe p.iymrnt and thin h Id ivnrral mertiogM at which the distnbu i»n 11 fully discussed rn 1 thf money n handed over 10 tho ln'lividuaj ri li.iuntt Ihr dcidof rale has hilhnto bn 11 urnrrd hy Ihe •ncu, nomen Hnd children, of the tnhos du|O,ing of tin huul. The I ill lerrntly purrhiFol in fie Nirth is a roi(|ucrrd country, of which the settler* li.ue bicn in ociupiition many jears, and cultivated bu' a very inconsiderohlc porlinn. Ihcorlginnl owners have cither been killed or driven off, and have lone; eruird to advance any prttcnsii n to the soil. The stllers con-iilcr that tiny punidc against the occupation of that country hy other native", by du> posing of it to the Europeans, whom they would certainly maintain in possctsiou against any native clumants. They arc cont- nt to retain a very irtnll portion of the land, having thr origin*! poisrimon of thcii j tribe-< to return to — In the I'mvinc ■ of New Plyi . mouth the lanil is o«n<d \ntOy hy 'he resident ! Nativci nnd portly hy nb enters, who purpose to return and occupy it. Tlu »c nbicnleei arc scat - tere J over the North and Middle Islands, some residing at and near Wellington, Queen Charlotte's Sound, Mimacio bay, near Nchon, Sec, whilst many ire still in bondage in the Wuik«to couniry. Their cliimn to the soil have been acknowledged by Governor Fitrroy, In many instances the Nativco in orcupation are not the real owner! of tne land, although they a. sort that it bflon^t to them, and settle s who hive icen them maintain undisturbed possrslinu drtenort elvc years belli vc that ii dors. This nrncs from ths parties hiving lakrn poncssion ol »nd cultivated hind belonging to their absentee relatives, to which the tribe cnu'd no object. The resident natives do not hc-itatc to id! the land belonging to their abjf nt rthti ni, became they nllfd n 'c that those reUuun^ have I'mpnsed of lhei r land nt Wellington, and elsiiffhcrc, and aiiproprla Mted tin- pHjmcnt rcreivrd. Nearly all the alucntcc Na'ivrs must return to (hit district, ns they huvc sold 1 lit ir land rlatwUrt: 10 the Crown. The Government prmr to purchaiing laud in this dUtric*, has ulwt.M 111 <ti utcd rearchnig inquiry into the tv Ie of the sellers, which has keen conducttd by | crsont thorcu^hly (onvcr^ant wilh U11: Maori language, and the customs nnd gencnlogy of the respiftive trlbi'. Their inquiries have lomctimei occupied several yeirs ; the extent of tbacntee etitims has ap/arently been aiccrtainrd, large sums have been paid to cxtinguiih those claims, 1 lie resilient owners liavc been paid by in. sUlments fxtending over a period of three yesri, and notwilhstonding all these prcoutioni, other just claimant! have returned from Waiknto or c'seiihcre, dcmsmle 1 »nd obtained payment for their land. Included in the Government purcha'r. Such tmci have occurred 111 every purohnsc of land m,idc in this Piovmce. How then can indfvMujfs imprrfectly vetseJ 111 tho Maori language liope to make a valid purchase or propcily extinguith the Naive title ? Proof must nevertheless be produced by them, that that title has been extinguished before tho Commis tioucrcun iuue a Crown Giant. Then if every piroluse of 20 acres upwaids, were to be negotiated under Ihe superintendence o( a competent Government Agent, nuny auch officer! would be required. How could they bo paid 1 In the I'rov.ncc of Auckland there ii a superabundance ol opßn land, hero the supply doos not keep pace wiih the demand. The native! have ftctntly derived largo relurni from the produce of jhe land, so that if sctllen are desirous of purohiiing it, a high price mmt he paid for it. Should individuals enter into competition in purchuiug Jand from Ihe Nativet, tha price paid by

th.'m for small quantities, and choice localities would ccrtain.'y be expected and insisted on for Inriro Mocks nl inferior lui'J. Now the Province riq-ikcs cho»p 'and to com ■ pete wi It A'i<U mil and Wellington, not an accession of land j >bhi rj. Cheap land rsn only be sf<( lired from the Njtivei m large blocks by one rompclrnt authorised purchaser; nnd the Governui(.nt nh'no cm cffcmlly extinguish the Nativo irlr in linn I'rciv.nri-. A n-nin' issiird by the Crown, under Midi 11 ink, ,'mv (1 •ccvi.- tin 1 holder ogiiiul all Nitivc cl^lminii ; nnd a wise (luvcrnment would either 111 a main him i'l posjrssiun, nr grant him udirjuinc com, cnimtion if umb'e to .1,. so. Under llii" pinprnpil sysiem of inl.vidnil f ur ' chito from (hi' Nntivrv, ihe Crown cnwld not je^ully maintain a psrty in po testion ngmntt the advtrsc claims of the ical owner?; nor we til tl it nrc rd rompcn^alion fur lour* siMuiml liy his Ilivmic purchased Irom Natives falncly rrpresenting themselves as the ro.il proprietuit. Although the Native* would uuluniiotingly bcII I |jnd belonging to their nhscnt relaiions, they would upon beinn appealed to by them at once acknowledge their error, advise another payment bring made, and cither .mist m enfordn; if, or in pin i»p tlxir friend a in |m« nslon of the hind. t.ii(li pi oi ceding- would sooner or li'tcr inoitably pr.i'lucc n fnllm on b-iwipn the ScttYr* nnd the N/ilivn, 111 nhicli, thoull a M mri ol miy notr he iinli.ip|.|ly woiiMileil or lulled, ihe lives of the . If ml 111^' S'illiT nnd lii< fnn'l) would he in«tantly <,irnfired to satisfy tin n\eiigi of men mruttomrd lo prompt and meri'i pan rcirihuti .11; nnd ihe fiu-i dljr ' rrlatiiniß of yi'irs «nulil !)•• d s'rojed in a mommf. The oiitietllcrs won! 1 he driv n off their (arm-, and a^nriil'uial opi'i.u 0111 nnuld be rcstneted to \\m ; Ihlcl.lv po| ul.itcd district":, where mutual prutcc- I ticm rou'd be affordfd. I have made the foiCßoinj itatemcnti advisedly, after having conferred with those best acquainted with the Natives of this I'rovinre, and confidently ossat that it would lie highly impolitic to permit individuals to purchase land from them. Colon. to tub p.imtoil op the "taranah'i hiram)." Stu,- I am a constant attendant at Church, and have moreover v partinluy for dogs, and oilier four footed nnimils ; but I mvcrtlu'lcss entertain a whimsical di>liko to lliinj;» out of tin ir placrs. I'or insmncc, I don't like pigs in my p.irlour, or cows 111 inj kucli.n, but I moro cipccially ohjert to cur* in a church. Scarcely however, a Sunday passes without Oiis annoyance, and jeiterdny, I I assure you, when witnessing the ral-id manner in which a tiiillcis little brute worried a lady's nmbrcl'a and a gentleman's hut, | hiccd under the icnl, I had serious apprchen'.ioiH that some of the coinjießaiion mi^ht beenmc Mctimn to hydrophnlna N w, if the owner of thii disrrputaiilo litilo quiidrupi'd, hail lud a proper tstimution of ihe sucrtd 1 Immcicr nl the ulinro inwhuh he had come to worship, \\i would 1101 hiive pio'mcd it hj the in- • r.nl'irtion ol his In a h«uia'i nx rlitr, nr fur ihe Urutih n 101 of having the <.r atu-i with l.iiu, Iwve pii'ijccii <l i!u' dcvotioni «if the eiu^i";>i inn t) rc|i.<il<d in fnuptions. I rusting lli.it giting pubiitily l> tin v rmiar^s may be the means of c\t lading nil null like wnlois hi futuie, I run iin Sir, Yours &c. A Church (jor.n.