["Hamsabd."] '. Mr Oonoixy, speaking on the Native ' Reserves Bill when before the House, [ said that under the Bill it was to be observed that, iv order that the Na ; tives could m any way deal with the reserves, or derive a profit from them, or let them to the Europeans, it would • be absolutely necessary to bring them under this Bill, m order to get the Native title extinguished. It followed as a matter of course that m, time all the enormous reserves m the North Island would be brought under the operation of the Bill. A department would be created, with enormous powers and of enormous extent. The department of the Public Trustee was not directly responsible to the House, and that department was to have charge of these roserves. ■ As the hon. member for New Plymouth said, these reserves should be placed under the Department for Lands. In speak ing on the second reading, he had said that it was a great mistake to place these reserves under the Public Trus tee — an officer or department already overloaded with ; and having had an opportunity, since the debate was

adjourned, of going more fully into the matter, he was ".11 the move convinced that it woivd bo a fatal mistake to put these Native reserves into the hands of the Public Tristee. I£ theae lands were to be put into the hands of the Government to manage, let it be either m the Department for Lands or some separate departnent, but lot it not bo a, department v/hich was not directly responsible t<> the House. That was a main principle of I the Bill with which ho coild not agree. The Minister of Land.) him self showed that it would be a matter of course that all the Native reserves m the North Island mnst fall into tho hands of this department ; for lie said that it would be difficult to get the .title ascertained sufficiently for the Natives to enable Europeans to take the land up, and that could only be • done by going before the Native Lands Court, and then, m order to get the benefit of the Act, they must bring the land into the hands of the Public Trustee, when, as hon. 