The Legislature of the mother country has been instrumental in saddling the colo ny with the New Zealand Company's debt, the interest and principal of which — if ever paid— is to be paid out of the land sales of the several settlements. It is then certainly the first duty of the Government, to reduce the price of land that more settlers may be induced to come to the colony and buy'; and also, to see that all the settlements have such an amount of land at their disposal as will enab'e them to deal with the large in cumbrance tlius thronn on them ; and to realize bi yond, the funds required for in ternal improvtments so necessary to make their out'yi. g lands available.
That the measure in question may in volve loss lo individuals is only pacing it in the category with all sweeping measures for the public benefit. A great evil is to be cured, and some individual interests will doubtless be compromised ; and this is no reason against it, such matters always re main to be dealt with in a spirit of fairness But the measure itfelf involves little less than the prosperity of the colony, certainly as regards this settlement ita only rational chance of progress.
The aspirations of the Colonial Secretary it is true, are not likely to be entirely re alised. The optional character of the enact ments of the Land Claimant's Ordinance ; The fact that those who do not wtelwuigO' exchange their securities under its provi sions, will still be able to chose their land when they like, makes the probability of an immediate settlement of all claims im probable, and is likely to leave something for the Legislative assembly to do in the matter.
