The Military Claims.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 182, 14 August 1888, Page 2

The Military Claims.

Wellington, Saturday, The Post of last night has the fallowing s— The action of the Legislative Council in rejecting the Naval and Military Settlers Land Claims Bill is to he regretted. These longstanding and constantly-reiterated claims are a scandal to ths colony. That many of them are well founded cannot be denied, and we have often felt, with something like shame, that the colony has behaved most shabbily towards brave men who, as Sir George Whit more remarked yesterday, risked their lives in its defence in the time of its extremity. Instead of dealing generously with them, it has acted in a most pettifogging manner, availing itself of all kinds of technical legal quibbles to, avoid fulfilling its moral abligations. The colony has not benefited by this line of policy. It has, in fact, lost hy it) for the various Commissions and attempts at legislation eq the subject must have cost more than would originally have sufficed to meet all just claims, Much individual injustice has beau inflicted by delay, and now again the day of settlement has been postponed. The claims will ba reiterated year after year, and they will hgva to be settled in the end, even if many of the claimants have ere that time gone where they will not personally benefit Uy mundane recognition of their services, Whtq the justice of the claim is admitted, reparation will have to be made to the legal representatives. The claimants will suffer, but the colony will not benefit by the postpone, ment of the day oi reckoning. It is, therefore, much to be deplored that the opportunity of final settlement offered by the Bill has not bean taken advantage of.