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An Epitome of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs and Land Purchases in the North Island of New Zealand

Protesting against the Crown Right of Pre-emption being waived

page 13

Protesting against the Crown Right of Pre-emption being waived.

"To His Excellency Captain Geoege Gbey, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Her Majesty's Province of South Australia, and Lieutenant-Governor of the Territory of New Zealand and its dependencies.

The memorial of the undersigned settlers and occupiers of land in the District of the TamaM and its vicinity showetb,—

That your memorialists resorted to this territory upon the assurance of Her Majesty's Government that on their arrival they would have an opportunity of purchasing land from the Crown, and the Crown only, by fair competition at auction, of which per cent, of the purchase-money was to be applied as an immigration fund, and 25 per cent, in making roads and in other public works; and your memorialists were further informed that no purchase except from the Crown would be sanctioned or allowed.

That, upon the faith of such assurance, your memorialists hesitated not to pay for land in this district prices varying from 25s. to 30s. per acre, being considerably more than the upset price fixed by Her Majesty's Home Government, knowing as they did that, though land had been aud might be obtained cheaper from the Natives, it was the duty as well as the interest of your memorialists to obey the laws and ordinances of the territory, and thereby claim and deserve the protection of the Government.

That your memorialists proceeded to cultivate their lands at considerable expense, undeterred by the numerous purchases from the Natives which they saw daily made, relying on the hitherto unbroken faith of the British Government towards her subjects, whether at Home or in the colonies, and never for one moment supposing that in their own case that faith would be first violated.

That your memorialists were aroused from this state of confidence by an announcement from His Excellency the late Governor that the right of pre-emption on the part of the Crown would be waived on moderate purchases from the Natives on payment of a fee of 10s. per acre, an announcement which your memorialists viewed with mingled feelings of alarm and distrust: of alarm, as they saw the consequent inevitable depreciation of value of their-property; of distrust, because, the boundary-line of national honour and good faith being once broken, they feared other equally important pledges might also be violated, and that even this measure was merely the precursor of other changes respecting Native purchases-r-a fear but too soon realized, the fee to the Crown on the waiver of the right of pre-emption being speedily reduced to Id. per acre.

That your memorialists have by the reductions in Crown fees received considerable injury in two shapes: Firstly, by depreciation in value of their lands; secondly, inasmuch as the sale of large blocks of Native land to speculators, who mostly have neither the intention nor means to cultivate them, prevents a concentration of inhabitants, causes delay in the making of roads (so necessary in every new colony), and will entirely annihilate the immigration and road funds by which your memorialists and the territory at large would greatly benefit; without referring to the stop put on free emigration which this course will cause in the Mother-country, for it is not to be supposed that parties will come to this land with the certainty of being driven into the interior of the country.

Your memorialists therefore trust that your Excellency will see the impropriety of sanctioning, under any circumstances the issue of Crown grants in respect of purchases made from the Natives, and thereby prevent the injury which impends on those who have dealt in good faith with Her Majesty's Government, and who have expended their capital upon Crown purchases.

Parrick Anderson, Chairman.

[And nine others.]