"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1873.

Waikato Times, Volume IV, Issue 199, 19 August 1873, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, A UGUST 19, 1873.

Ma Mackays report confirms us in the opinion long 1 since expressed that the murder of Sullivan arose partially from the defects in the Native Lands Acts, which 'allowed land to be vested in men who had only a slight claim to it, if any. Purukutu is, as we anticipated, one of the principal claimant- to the land on winch Sullivan wa-. mur- ■ i\ ' . less aeU pieviously cotnmitte 1. 'i ■ ' ' uli vi ot the tribe to wiumi tliu lauu u^l .ii^v.>i li.<l u ..a, •i'jouc to be dealt with , they onuLted (o attend tlio Co r', con-

sequently those who implied tlicir sul minion to British law by so doing have derived all the pecuniary benefit that .has arisen from its leasing or sale. Ifc was clearly necessary if Europeans were to be enabled to deal with native land with safety that some means should be adopted to establish w.th whom they should treat; also, that the Legislature should promise to support them in such tiausdutions when conducted according to the law they had themselves nude Inability to carry out threats or enforce Uiitish law has been characteristic of our dealings with the natives. We now find the Commissioner for thedistrict recommending 1 , or rather writing, "The only way to solve the difficulty, as the law at present stands, appears to bo for the Native Lands Court to subdivide the property, thus cancel the Crown Grants issued for the blocks, and havo new grants made out in the names of the right persons." This, of course, would be the politic course if the intention were (o admit both by word and practice that we have made laws that wo are unable or unwilling to enforce. The Native Lands Acts were passed partially in order to punish for their obstinacy those natives who would not submit to the Government. If the slightest deviation from the strict letter of the AcJs as regards past transactions is allowed, a precedent for murder with impunity will be established, or rather, every dissatisfied native will try the same means, as in Sullivan's case, to gain his ends. If Mr Mackay .an show that the gentlemen who piesided over the sittings of the Land Court at which Messrs Walker and Douglas' land was dealt with, granted any illegal request or acted in any way contrary to law, then by all means grant a re-hearing of the case ; if not, the matter should be allowed to remain as it is if fifty Purukutu's pockets have to suffer. The natives have got to learn sooner or later that a British law cannot be deviated from until repealed or altered. We do sincerely trust, in the interest of the colony and in the interest of every settler in the North Island, that the Government will be firm in their determination to hang murderers, no matter what imaginary or real grievance they may urge in mitigation of their offence. If Jwe mistake not, Purukutu, as a murderer, is debarred from pleading in any Court, except to defend himself against the charge of murder ; to re-open the case would therefore be illegal.

Robberies of a petty character are not infrequent, but it is somewhat unusual to have to record one of the mean uatuie tbnt has just been exposed m .Auckland — the despoiling of tbc " poor boxes" fixed m the Police Court of their contents. The fact, however, was painfully realised on Friday last, when they were opened m the presence of Court officials by Messrs Eattray and Owen, in the interests of the Charities represented by these gentlemen. To the surprise of all present the small sum of threepence halfpenny was all that could be found, when it was well known that donations from litigants of the Court and others amounted to several pounds. An examination of the boxes showed that one had been prised open, and access to the other had been obtained by means of a key. The discovery caused much consternation among the officials of the Court, whteli was much, enhanced by the subsequent arrest of a person named Lynch, who has been acting for some time past in the capacity of assistant cleik. Lynch was brought up on Saturday last before Mr Beckham, but on the application of the Inspector of Police was remanded until Wednesday. It will bo seen by a telegram in another column that some Danish emigrants on their way to this colony were seized with choleiain London, also that Dr Fealhei-stnnp was attending them. Wo can but admire the Doctor'humamty, but it appeals to u» t lint the Agent-General oi 1 this colony could find much more profitable employment. There are plenty of medical men in London whose time should be less valuable and whose services should beeauallv effective. * J , A serious accident occurred at the Thames to two men employed on the now batlery of the Moanataiari m consequence of the scaffolding on which they were engaged breaking, by winch they fell some twenty feet. The contractor, James Maconochie, receded a severe wound in the scalp, and narrowly escaped being killed; while the right leg of the other man, Henry Collins, was broken above tbe ankle. The appioaehes to the bridge at Cambridge have given way and all traffic i* stopped. Mr Clarke, the resident engineer, left for GViil>nd»e yesterday morning, the damage will therefore be repmud a* s-pecdily as possible. The recent floods have caused cmi-nlix-able damago to many of the bridges in this district Tlio river is now falling; until it gets to its ordinary level the damage caused cannot be estimated with any degree of accuracy. The coach "belweerfHamiltoh and Alexandra has been again compelled to cease running in consequence of the unsatisfactory state of the bridges'.