PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 56, 4 August 1885, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

House of representatives. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Wellington, Monday. The House met at 7.30 p.m. NATIVE LAND DISPOSITION BILL. The Hon. Mr. Ballance moved the second reading of the Native Lands Disposition BilJ, and explained that the bill was to prevent natire lands falling into the hands of speculators, and also to provide for the Settlement of land during the recess. He had visited most of the settlements m the North Island, and a number chiefs and leaders of native hapus had expressed a -favourable opinion on the* bill. Since then several chiefs had expressed themselves adverse to the measure, but he still believed there was a majority m favour of it. He read several communications from chiefs 'approving of the measure, and suggesting certain amendments. No measure brought before Parliament -had "been so thoroughly discus el as that of native lands. •■■•The . main principle of the bill was to acquire lands, and see that they were properly settied. The proposals before the House differed very slightly from those m the bill brought down by Mr Bryce m 1832. It -would, he thought,' be admitted, that the administration of native affairs m the past had not been successful. Looking at the large area of native land m the North Island, it balioved the house to consider that something should be done to properly administer the land for the benefit of the natives: After ; quoting from returns showing the value of the property, .tax valuators of native' lands,, he con-, tinued that he was not prepared- to. say . that purchasers of native ' land got allthe benefits from their pnrchasfiSj -; buHt ■; was very certa h that the natives 'did 1 notv 1 benefit by it: A largo portion of the procaeds had gone m the pockets of -middlemen, lawyers, interpreters, and others. He said" last session that they were pledged to a measure of this kind., and it was the duty of the Government to bring m the proaentbiiL His opiiuottwaa tint taking nativa lands and giving . compensation wonll not be satisfactory to the natives, but they should give the nativea power to dispose of their lands, •when it would be found th^t' a 'large' quantity would bo offered for settlement. The bill' violated to native rights, and Letter terms we're o/3er6d to the natives by placm£» their land In tlic *pen market. The bill was basad upon repeated expressions of opinion m the House, and. was intended to benefit the great- masifoi the public of the colony. . i. Tuesday, Mr Bryce said that utterances of the Native Minister m. regard to Waikato, meant a good deal, but the promises could never be fulfilled. . He objected to the committee system, and denied that the present committee had the same power as it was propo|ed to giye under this Bill, The question of committees were simply a Board of Arbitration with respect to the Land Purchase' System. He admitted it haid been, a failure m the last, but that wa> m corisequenoe of the Government being brought into competition with private individuals. Ho contended that, not one yard of the North Main Trunk Line should have beeq cpmjnenced until the colony had a substantial guarante* m the s^ape of a large amount of land iiemg acquired, and tifctes asoertftincd.. That was the understanding arrived at before the, construction of the -line was authorised last session. The bill would, m his opinion, increase landsharking. The' bill might be made workable m Committee, but he thought it would be better tb draft a new bill. The present proposals would be? the means of establishing one thousand Committees, and there would hardly be one Maori out of a hundred or hundred and fifty m them. He said there would be happy hunting grounds for speculators. „In concluding he gave the Native Minister every credit for his sincerity m bringing down the Bill before Parliament. He moved the adjournment of the debate, which was agreed to; . AUCKLAND ONIVfiicSITT CtiLLKOB BESKBVB BILL. The Auckland University College Reserve, Bill was read a third time and passed. The House rose at 12 30. a.m.