The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-26 00:00:00

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Further papers relating to New Zeala4 affar
4
have been printed. The series includes despatches
from the Governor of New Zealand as to the Con-
fiscation and Loan Act, with accompanying memo.-
randa, and concludes with a long despatch froila the
Secretary of State for the Colonies to Sir G. Grey,
dated 26th April, explaining the policy of Govern'*
ment in reference to these acts, The CoioniaL
Secretary,in doing this, states that the preliminary
question of the power of the Colonial Legislature in
passing the Act for establishing settlements in New
Zealand is under the consideration of the law officers
of the Crown. He then notices nuriterons objections,
especially to the Conffication and Settlement Act-,
es of too swooping a nature, lieble to abuse, calcu-
lated to irritate the natives into further resistance,
and prolong, instead of terminate, the war, unless
restrained by a strong and resolute hand. Her
Mjesty's Government might, for these reasons,
have disallowed them, but were unwilling tat
;waken the Goaernor's bends. a conclusion to which
they had also been led by observing that no step in.
couldbeltaakeene
on
n his ithetu t his persona
sagacity,
firm.
nese, and experience, and long recognised regard
concurrence,
and by reliance
far colonists and natives. They had therefore
decided on the following instructione:—
" It is in their opinion very much to be desired
that the proposed appropriation of the land should.
take the form of a cession imposed by yourself and
General Cameron upon the conquered tribes, and
made by them to the representatives of the Queen,
as a condition on which her Majesty's clemency is
extended to them. The advantages of such a set-
tlement (in which, however, I need hardly say the
position of the Maories as defeated rebels should be
unequivocally exhibited) are too manifest to need
explanation.

PRICE .4d,
STAMPED ....sd.

" But if this should be found impossible, you are
at liberty, subject to the following reservations, to
give your concurrence in bringing the law into
operation.

" A measure should be at once submitted to the
Legislature to limit the duration of the act to a
definite period, not exceeding, I think, two years
from its original enactment—a period long enough
to allow for the necessary inquiries respecting the
extent, eituation, and justice of the forfeiture, yet
short enough to relieve the conquered party from
any protracted suspense, and to assure those who
have adhered to us that there is no intention of sus.-
pending in their case the ordinary principles of law.
" The aggregate extent of the forfeiture should
be at once made known, and their exact position as
soon as possible.

" A Commission should be constituted for the
special purpose of inquiring what lands may pro-
perly be forfeited. The members of this commission
should not be removable with the Ministry, and
should be so chosen as to guarantee a fair and care-
ful consideration of the matters brought before
them.

"It should be clearly understood that your own
concurrence in any forfeiture is not to be considered
as a mere ministerial act, but that it will be with-
held unless you are personally satisfied that the
confiscation is just and moderate.
"And here I must observe, that if in the settle-
ment of the forfeited districts all the land which is
capable of remunerative cultivation should be
assigned to colonists, and the original owner, the
Maori, be driven back to the forest and morass, the
scene of injustice, combined with the pressure of
want, would convert the native population into a
desperate banditti, taking refuge in the solitudes of
of the interior from the pursuit of the police or
military, and descending, when opportunity might
occur, into the cultivated plain to destroy the peace-
ful fruits of industry. I rely on your wisdom and
justice to avert a danger eo serious in its bearing on
the interests of the European not less than of the

native race.
"Turning to that part of the law which authorise
the dispossession of persons who have not been in-
volved in the recent rebellion, I have to observe
that although her I\l4jesty's Government admit
with regret that t':-le tribal nature of the nativ...
tenure will sometimes render it unavoidable
that it niceut persons should bo deprived of
their lands, they consider that land should
not be appropria!ed against the will of
the owners merely because it is in the
same district with rebel property, and may-
conveniently be w-,;!d for purpo•3es of settle-
ment, but only in uses where 10.7n1 or neutral
natives are unfortunate enough to be joint owners
with persons concerned in the rebellion, or because
it is absolutely required for some purpose of defence
or communication, or on some similar ground of
necessity. But every such case of supposed neces.
city should be examined with the greatest care and
admitted with the greatest caution and reserve.

" The compensation to be given to persons thus
dispossessed is properly by the Act itself made the
subj,ct of inquiry in an open court ; but the sth
section of the Act ought to be so modified that the
powers of the court may not be limited in any
manner which would prevent its doing complete
justice to the claims of every innocent person, or
extending reasonable consideration to those whose
guilt was of a less heinous character, a class which,
in the varying temper of the New Zealand tribes,
is probably large. I trust that, in accepting any
cession, or authorising confirmation of any forfeiture
of land, you will retain in your hands ample power
of doing substantial justice to every class of claimant
for restitution or compensation.

L 0 Finally, when you have taken all the powers,
and received all the cessions which lon think neces-
sary for the satisfactory pacification of the islands,
you will do well to accompany these measures of
justice and severity by the announcement of a
general amnesty, from which those only should be
excepted who have been concerned in the murders
of unoffending settlers, or other like offences of a
heinous and strictly exceptional character. In order
to mark as much as possible the discriminating
character of British justice, the exception from the
amnesty should not be couched in general terms,
but should recite one by one the specific outrages
which remain unpardoned.
" Subject to these cautions and conditions, and in
full confidence that you will act on the general
principles which I have before laid down (and in
which I anticipate your cordial concurrence), her
Majesty's Government are prepared to leave in your
by the Legislature of the colony."
hands the power with which you have beeoncreiesnttaarriuylostto;
Regarding the loan, the Colonial
serves, that of the £3,000,000,
00 to repay an
to the expenses of the war,
Imperial debt, £200,000 to compensate Taranaki
settlers, and the remainder—the bulk of the
Loan—
in the main to the settlement o. f the country. Go-
vernment recognise the. . colonial war
guarantee of
willing to
£20,0110,i0a010,1950e
expenses as
exceptional, and are propose to Parlia-
ment£soo,ooo already
to extend the
t
promised, so as to cover the farther increased
Imperial Exchequer, and
properlydebt
of
the
however,oo ny to
that he
Imperial guarantee is
payable out of current revenue. They
consider,
property applicable to the purpose of settling
-el
not
the colony, and they do not consider the land to be
acquired of such value as materially to add to the
security on which the guarantee of Parliament
could be given. The omission of this sum would
reduce the loan within narrower limits, and he
promises to consider and write on a future occasion
how far the New Zealand revenue, pledged by the
Act, may justify Government in increasing the
proposal they have promised to make to Parlia.
ment. In conclusion, the Colonial Secretary inti-
mates that at the close of the year. when the pre-
sent arrangement for payment of a merely norni4
nal contribution by the colony for war expenses
terminates, hcrlNlgjesty'sGovero meet, in guarantee-
ing a large loan, will require a much more adequate
contribution from the colony to the Imperial
Er chewier.

EXTENSIVE JEWEL ROBBERY.--Yesterday infor-
mation was received by the police that the house of
Mr John Fleming, 15, Upper Hyde Park-gardens, Bays•
water, had been plundered of gold watches, diamond rings,
broochei, gold chains, and a cabinet of American and Mexi-
can gold and silver coins. The thieves escaped with thcir
booty, valued at £l,OOO, and though a reward of £l5O is
offered for their capture at present they remain at large,