Wanganui Chronicle. and TURAKINA & RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. SATURDAY, 18TH JANUARY, 1868.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 819, 18 January 1868, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle. and TURAKINA & RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. SATURDAY, 18 TH JANUARY, 1868.

It is a curious instance of political Nemesis that the task of urging on the General Government to hold a Native Lands Court at Rangitikei, for the consideration of the claims of dissentients from the sale of the Manawatu block, should be imposed upon Dr. Featlierston, whose influence it was that led originally to fliese claims being peremptorily shut out from any such investigation. The Manawatu was expressly exempted from the operation of the Native Lands Act, and all competition being thus effectually prevented, Dr. Featlierston proceeded to negotiate a sale of the land. We believe he meant to do so fairly, but he attached more value to his own personal influence and to the power of money in overcoming opposition than they were entitled to, and thus be reckoned without his host. The sale was supposed to be effected,—we hope it is to a large extent effected, —but there still remain dissentients of too '..xxrou riiiiuciice—co De summarily "set aside." Hence the necessity for putting into operation the machinery of the Native Lands Court, which at the outset was scouted and set aside without ceremony. A crooked policy, in the same way as curses or other bad courses, which are said to be like chickens in this particular respect, comes home to roost. Nothing now remains for it but acquiescence. The wheel has come half-circle.

The question now is—What hinders the investigation by the Judge of the Native Lands Court ? Mr Stafford, we have no doubt, is very busy, but there are few, if any, more important questions to which he could turn his attention than this one, and after all he has only to communicate with some Judge of the Native Lands Court, and between them fix the day of sitting. We do not say that the decision of this Court will settle the matters in dispute, but it may do so, there is a hope and a chance ; and at all events it will be another attempt made in that direction. Now that the payment of the money for the land is a fait accompli, there is no use in looking back to consider what might have been. The bargain should be con-clusively-settled as speedily as possible. Under the most favourable circumstances a long time must necessarily elapse before the land can be brought into the market. Some simple people speak of six weeks, if they spoke of six months, they would be making a nearer approach to the probabilities of the case. We should almost be afraid to say how long we think it will yet be before the public derive any benefit from this purchase. But it is very clear that every day the affair remains unsettled is a loss to the province and what is worse a hindrance to settlement. People frequently come to Wanganui in quest of land—there is a hunger for land — and very little to satisfy it. This block of land would come in most opportunely, and that man is acting very improperly who now seeks to put any impediment in the way of the sale being completed, in conformity with justice to the due claims of the ill-used native dissentients.