THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1876.

Thames Advertiser, Volume IX, Issue 2314, 29 March 1876, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 1876.

[t will be seen from a telegram elsewhere; that the, three " able civil servants *' who were to bo sent round the colony to pick up a policy for ! the Premier, and to " take stock" of the old'and worn-out Byatem of Provincial: ism, have commenced. their rambles. The selection of the men might, we think, have been.better.: Mr Gisborne has been a good departmental man, but lie is gertaialy not the man lie was, a few years ago. Mr Knowles is a very excellent undersecretary, and a shrewd, sensible man, and may possibly, pick up some information which 1 will be of value to the Public Works Department, .'but he cannot know much of the requirements of the country in the shape of local government. As for Mr Seed, lie would have done quite as much good had he remained at . his post in Wellington. The Customs Department, over which he presides, is already under the control and management of_ the General Government, and we fail to see why the Premier selected him for this Quixotic mission. We shall watch with interest the progress of these gentlemen, although we greatly fear that they will come to signal grief through the disinclination of the Superintendents to assist them.

We are glad to learn that cattle are now being driven overland from the Wailcato to the Upper Thame3_ for the purpose of stocking the agricultural leases which have lately been taken up on the hills and'mountains atOhinemuri. The other day Mr Foughey purchased fifty head of store cattle in bhe Waikato and drove them ,at once to. Ohinemuri. Messrs. Darrow have also purchased over a hundred head, and other smaller buyers are now in the market, so that a small beginning has been made in bona fide "agricultural settlement,". But .the available, land is of so limited, a nature that no extensive farming is -possible until some of those "large blocks," about which we have heard a great deal, lately from the Native Department,: are;, thrown open for sale and selection* The Ministry, however, seem determined to do nothing until they hkve got rid of the Superintendents, and then they will probably sell thq hnds, pocket the proceeds, and exclaim; " See what Abolition has done for the country,"' At present they only block the way and when a private individual wishes to complete some long-standing purchase, they issue instructions that the deeds are not to be registered; This, of course, is'only done where the unfortunate purchaser has no politicalinfluence. Should he happen to be a member of a powerful" land ring," or versed in Maori, or an officer >of the Native Department, every difficulty is at once removed, and the title can be completed without delay. . Only .the other day an instance of the annoying and obstructive policy of the Government was brought under our notice. A gentleman bought a piece of, land prior to tlie issuing of any proclamation,, under. Crown grant from the natives, and .made application a week or two since to have his title completed. The application was. returned by one of the Ministers, with the words " no go" written across the face- of itThere was nothing improper in the application,' and" the price paid to the natives ,was a'fair and reasonable one, but it was "no go." The applicant, is not a member of .the Assembly and has not a vote to dispose of, therefore it is "no go.'' : .He is, not a troublesome agitator, dees noti seek tQConciliate the officers of the Isative Department, of to ; 'gam : badc ; Btai« influence, therefore it is no go. Ho is a quiet, respectable? citizen, '.who : would expend h\s money m cultivating the land and in stocking it, and would not hold it for speculative purposes, and that is why the Minister exclaims

"no go,' 1 But we hope tbat a qtestion of this nature will not be alloved to rest, and that it will be brought under the attention of the Assemblj at the next session.