The Waikato Times Omne solum forti patria." SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1872.

Waikato Times, Volume I, Issue 68, 5 October 1872, Page 2

The Waikato Times Omne solum forti patria." SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1872.

Si-KAK.of.a.man as you Unci him is advice dictated by all the rules of justice and morality. We are now oil loci' upon to speak, of a Ministry as wo find them. Wo intend to do it. The. policy, of the Stafford. Ministry as announced, by Mr Gillies, in reference to (lie two most important questions as regards this district that can come under the consideration oi Parliament, entitles them to receive at the hands of the people 01 the Waikato moat determined opposition-, and there is not a.single country district in either, island, il\ they understand: their own interests that will not join with us in an endeavour tp compel them either to modify their policy or resign office. As regards the stoppage of the grant to Road Boards. If persisted in, in. conjunction with the return of the confiscated lands to the Maories, it. will only be necessary to add one more chapter to the. history of the Waikato, to .chronicle its fall from the position it lias attained to as a rising and flourishing European settlement. Independent of the injurious effect the return of the land, to .the natives will have on the prospects of the settlers, it will so disturb the native mind, that trouble may be looked for at no distant date. The means adopted will defeat the object intended to be obtained; it will practically be an aJ.nission of fear of. hostile action, and experience has taught us that their-is. only one limit to their demands, viz., the probability, if the most remote, of obtaining what they ask. If one acre of land is returned it will result in a demand for the whole—this of course would be impossible, and a chronic state of discontent would be the result. It is true that they have per- > sistently asked that, certain lands should be returned to them, but we may safely venture the opinion that not one of the petitioners ever thought it remotely possible that their demand woidd be acceded to. They had become reconciled to the fact, that both by native custom and European law their land had been justlv taken, till our legislators put other ideas into their heads.- In addition, the fear of having the land they still retain taken from them, as punishment for opposition to the Government, is the principal reason of some of the most turbulent of the.tribes remaining in peace and quietness. The legislature, when they passed the Native Lands Act, by which laud is vested I in certain specified members of a tribe in trust foi the rest, no doubt had this fact in view. As evidence of "the fear some of them had , of losing their land, we may mention a circumstance that took, place not rerv long back. Disturbances were imminent, and th< natives belonging to one of the. tribes in this districi camped close to the residence of one of our settlers with.the avowed object that he. might be able to beai j witness that they had not taken part in any hostili I proceedings, and in consequence; that their land inigh not be confiscated. The giving back, of any. lane

vould, in the first place, establish a bad precedent, tnd iu the becond, would remove one of the greatest ncentives to live in peace and quietness*. The Colonial Treasurer hao endeavoured k> draw a •ed. herring across the scent, by gisciug notice that it a the intention, of the Government to introduce a BUI. giving Uoad Boards the power to borrow on the security of their rates; the dodge ia too apparent to uaos muster with the most superficial thinkers. It isjnly necessary to consider what security, the Road Boards can give, to see the utter absurdity of the proposition. The powers of taxation have been reduced to a minimum by the influence of non-resident land-jobbers, bo that after keeping our roads passable there would be nothing left to pay interest.. In tho absence of a grunt frtom. Government, the position of our Boards would be simply that if they borrow money to do some nooessttry work, the works already constructed must be allowed to go to ruin, a ml-further u day of reckoning-must come, and we would,ask the Colonial Treasurer by what.possible process the loans of contractors are to be liquidated. We ceil upon the stctlcrs of tha Waikafco b> unite in opposing a policy whitrlr must result in their, partial ruin and the total ruin,of the district. It is- impossible that there can be two opinions on the matter. We trust that meetings will' be held in each settlement, in order that there may be no mistake us to. the opinion of the settlers. If these meetings are held,, we feei confident that a vote of want-of-confidence in tin political honesty and administrative ability of tin Ministry,.of which Mr Gillies is a component pari: will be carried, unanimously at each. Their honesh is bnpugne.l by their action with regard, to the con fiscated lands : for the purpose of gaining a Maor vote or two to,place them, in-power, they m:ule pro misos which, presuming that tliere wasa little rjoliticn lionesty hidden away in. some- dark, corner of tin breast of our tyro Colonial Treasurer -would hav made him blush to mention. Their administrativability requires no further comment from us. The; must be tunic 1 from office, or nothing but the mos dire-disaster can be anticipated.