The policy all through the late Government had been to secure Maori lands instead of allowing them to fill into the banfs of private speculators Th^y completed more negotiations in 12 months than their predecessors bad done during a paiiod of five years. The proposal for the disposal cf Maori lands was a most pernicious one, and one which would play into the hands of the land-riog3. The grievance was tbat ho had taken pre cautions against that being done. There were at j-resent men in New Zealand who would buy up the whole country, could they do so. For his own part he would be in favour of abol'shiDg all the Land Boards, so far at least a3 the North Island was concerned, and allowing the Jands to be administered by Government. His ex perience of these Boards was tbat they inva riably-favoured seme particular side or party unduly. That wr.3 what he wou'd do, and not, as suggested by the Native Minister, increase their powe:s by allow ing them to administer the Native lanaV 8 Alluding to the West Coast difficul y, he said tbat promists had been made which had not been fulfilled, That was a fruitful cause of that difficulty. The Bay of Islands difficulty had been altuded to. The fact was that that was a survey difficulty: with which the Native Department had nothing to do at all. In Great Britain and Ireland outrages similar to those which had taken place in New Zealand were of frequent occurrence, and yet no one ever thought of making the administration of Great Britain responsible for that. Mr Bryce talked of abolishing the Native Department. His own proposals, however, showed he did not be lieve in what he said. He proposed to place Native schools under the Education Depart ment, and some other Native matters landed over to the Colonial Secretary. What waa tbat but breaking up one department for tbe ex press purpose of creating two or three others ? The fact was, that so long as the Maoris were a different-speaking class it would be quite im possible to have their affairs administered except by a department separate and distinct from that of the Europeans. 