Wellington Independent SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1871.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3287, 26 August 1871, Page 2

Wellington Independent SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1871.

1 The criticisms on the Royal Speech in I the various journals of the colony do not call for much remark. As nsual, the more rabid opposition journals see something dark and dangerous lurking under its blandest and most candid passages. The "Press," of Canterbury, for instance, discovers in the very simple and modest statement " Our relations with the natives are improving," that Ministors have some dreadful news to tell, and that this is their way of diverting attention from it. It would be a pity to deprive our contemporary of the small modicum of comfort this prospect of disastrous intelligence to the whole colony affords him. Like one of the characters in the Bloomsbury Christening, he is never happy but when he is miserable, and never so miserable as when -helias most occasion to be happy. We do not covet the power of second sight that sees in so simple a statement so ominous a future ; nor do we envy the disposition that can find pleasure in ruin tc the colony if it but involve the downfall of a Ministry. We plead to sharing in the common weakness for roast pig ; but we prefer gratifying our appetite in some otber way than that by which Charles Lamb accounted for its discovery ! But leaving the speech, our contemporary in an article of last Saturday finds another source of joy ful satisfaction . Our readers may anticipate that lessgifted minds will see in it nothing but occasion for grave regret. "In Otago," our contemporary gleefully remarks, " the circular (by Mr Gisborne on Immigration and Public Works, dated 31st May) was treated with silent contempt. It was merely laid on the table of the Provincial Council ; not even transmitted in a message, and not accompanied by any recommendation from tbe Superintendent. After it had lain unnoticed for a week, a member asked whether the Executive intended to take the opinion of the Council upon it ; to which the Provincial Secretary replied that ' it was not the intention of the Government to submit any resolution of tbe Council respecting the matter referred to.'jj That oue question and answer comprises the total amount of notice which the circular received from the Provincial Government j and Council of Otago. In Canterbury it fared little better. Its rejection was more courteous in manner, but scarcely less decided." Our contemporary chuckles on tbrough the whole of the article, after the fashion of those narrow-minded selfcomplacent individuals we meet in pri vale life, who rub tbeir hands with ecstacy at their gloomy predictions j turning out true, and whose only words of consolation to the afflicted are, " [ told you so." In common, we believe, with every well-wisher to the colony, we deplore the apathy, or rather contemptuous indifference, with which this circular was received in those two great provinces. In Otago, the opposition to it was doubtless part of a determined opposition toall tlie colonising measures of last session. Tho Proviucial Council there had the audacity to pass a resolution to the effect that they would not avail themselves cf any portion of the

' Government scheme ; in other words, the supreme legislature might pass laws as they pleased, but those laws must receive the sanction of the Provincial Council before any atteution would be paid to them. They could select, forsooth, any measures agreeable to themselves, and put these in force, but the obnoxious they would resist. In vain were remonstrances repeatedly made to the Provincial Executive, that by their factious opposition they were only retarding settlement and inflicting grievous injustice on all interests in the province. Self-Billed, they pursued their fatuous course, and it was only when tbey saw, from tbe windows of their Council Chamber, the earthworks of the railway they so persistently resisted, that they began to see that in following " ways that were dark," they had resorted to " tricks that were vain." The General Government carried out, in the spirit which the late Parliament intended, all the measures they passed, and the Ballot, and tho Laud Transfer, and the Clutha Railway, all resting on the same authority, were inaugurated before their very eyes. Like petulant children they were compelled to take what was good for them, and they were taught that all their wry faces and childish resistances, treated then with a mild contempt, would, if persisted in, bring upon them punishment. The " Otago Daily Times" then aided and abetted them in their frantic opposition to the Government policy, but we are glad to notice that, though somewhat late in the day, it has now seen the folly and danger of such a course. We suggest to the Canterbury " Press" the following remarks of the " Otago Daily Times," of the 14th instant, the discordance between these two most rabid opposition journals being, by the way, very' amusing: — ""We have expressed strongly our opinion that the Executive ancl Provincial Council were guilty of a great folly and lapse of duty in throwing aside Mr Gisborne's circular letter on the subject of immigration and tho reserving of lands for special settlements, in the contemptuous manner they did. Since then, this subject has been under discussion in Canterbury. Though it was not treated with supercili< us silence there, as it was here, we fail to lind, in the manner in which it \\as dealt with, any just appreciation of its magnitude and pressing importance. Otago and Canterbury, the only provinces which possess any considerable landed estate available for settlement, appear to us to have been playing with this question in an entirely fatuous manner. We may be quite wrong, but we certainly canuot put away from our minds the conviction tbat a revolutionary measure in regard to the management, not only of Crown lands, but the proceeds of their sale, is hanging over our heads. The people of these proviuces and their representatives will bo taken by surprise, in spite of all the warnings and omens by which they might have profited." The " Press," on the other hand, sees in the circular nothing but " folly and a great lapse of duty" on the part of Mr Gisborne ! With an amusing assurance our contemporary remarks, after commenting on the introductory portion of the circular, "In order to secure this essential object, he continued, it was necessary that sufficient blocks of land in the vicinity of lines of railway should be marked out and reserved for immigration purposes. And he then came to the point of the letter ; which was, to invite the Superintendent to take the necessary steps for the reservation, in convenient areas and in sites contiguous to lines of road or railway in course of construction, of blocks of agricultural laud to be laid off in towns ancl villages for the location of immigrants. It was only by an after- | thought and as a supplementary mati ter, that he also directed attention to j the 17th and SOth clauses of the Pubj lie Works Act, which authorise the [ surrender of land by the provinces fo I the General Government tor the purpose of railway construction. We have in former articles sufficiently exposed the Colonial Secretary's ignorance in imagining that any effect could be given to his recommendations. Under the land regulations of Canterbury, neither the Superintendent nor the JProvincial Council possesses any power of setting aside blocks of land in the manner proposed ; nor is any such authority conferred on them by the Public Works Act. Probably, however, Mr Gisborne was quite aware of that fact." Then, as the commencement of the Clutha railway was indecently styled in Otago " a mere electioneering dodge," so our contemporary adds, " There is reason to suppose that the real purpose of the Government, in forwarding the circular, was answered by its publication, <*nd that they were indifferent whether or no the recommendations contained in it were acted on. It was merely a move in the political game between themselves and the Opposition." The first annual report of the Minister of Public Works fully answers oar contemporary as to the legality of the course indicated in the circular, sets forth very clearly the earnest determination of the Government to carry out the measures passed by rhe late parliament in the spirit in which they were conceived and framed, and significantly hints that if greater powers are required they will be asked for at once. As the steady prosecution of the Clutha railway effectually disposed of the malicious insinuation that it was an electioneering dodge, so the vigorous concurrent prosecution of immigration and public works by the Government will show whether this circular is a " mere move in the political game." For general information and in support of the above remarks, we append an extract from the report referred to. IMMIGRATION. An essential part of tho colonial policy is immigration. Thiß was frequently stated by members of tho Government und influential members of both liou&es in the debates of last, session, und ia re-affirmed in the Act itßelf. If tho construction of great works of communi-

cation in tbis colony be of pressing importance, the presence of an increased and increasing settled population, whioh shall to the greatest extent facilitate their construction and increase tbeir use, is equalliy mportant, and, moreover, is necessary to tbe success, and oven to tho existence of fcbe ofcher. Progress cau not be expected in a young "colony from public works alone. But tbo addition of settled population cannofc bo permanently secured without its attachment to the soil, and tho Immigration and Publio Works Act recognises tbat necessity. The 17fcb section authorises tho Legislature of any province in whicb any railway or any parfc thereof is proposed to bo constructed, to recommend to fcho Governor fche reservation of waste lands wifchin such province, " in and for tbo construction of sucb railway or part." It is evident that ifc is not intended thafc fcbe land ao reserved shall bo merely tbe line of railway, for fcho latter part of tho section authorises the Governor, if he shall think fife, to grant such land or parfc thereof to tbe contractor " as compensation in wbole or in parfc for fche construction of sucb railway or parfc thereof." This is one uso to which this reserved land can be applied ; but there is nothing, so far as I can see, to preclude its application to tbe settlement of immigrants under the provisions of the 39fcb and 41sfc soctions, to which I shall presently advert. Tbe 20th section also onables a Provincial Legislature fco commute the money charge againsfc fcho province on account of railways into land to be given fco tho Governor for tho purposes of tho acfc, I would now refer lo the 39th and 41st soctions, which give power to deal with tho lands authorised by the 17th and 20th sections to be reserved. Tbe 39fcb section authorises immigration conj tracts to bo mado by the Governor to form parfc of railway or road contracts, and provis--1 ion to be mado therein for giving immigrants employment on such works, and " for giving freo or other grants of land to any such immigrants." The 41»fc section authorises the Governor, at tbo request of the Superintend dent, to make regulations for (among ofcher purposes) " the introduction into and settlement in sucb provinco of immigrants, and for selling as special settlements for any such immigrants any lands which he may acquire from any province under fche provisions herein contained, or any lands acquired under Tho New Zealand Settlements Acfc, 1863, or tho acts amending tho same, and for laying out and allotting any lands so acquired amongst any such immigrants." It is evident that any lands which the Governor may acquire from any provinco under the provisions of tho Immigration and Public Works Act are lands acquired under the 17th and 20th sections to which I have just referred. The conclusion, then, is obvious, that tbo I7fch, 20Lh, 39th, and 4lßfc sections of tho Acfc, road togethor, provide for the reservation of waste Crown land, and for its appropriation to the settlement of immigrants. Strong reasons, may no doubt bo urged thafc further powers sbould be granted, and moro precisely defined, bufc I havo referred to the subject at some length iv order to show thafc the Acfc as ifc stands has nofc omitted to provide means for the territorial settlement of immigrants.