The Chief Judge was illegally prevented from holding the Court, for there is nothing whatever iv the Native Lands Act, 1865, to warrant any interference on the part of the Government with tfco independent action of the Court. Again, on referring to his letter of the 15th June, he say 3 that the McLean party are opposing him on the one bide, and the Native Lands Act, 1865, on the other. This was before the passing of the Aot of 1866, so it is clearly Mr. Rice's own statement that he was acting contrary to law— in faot, openly opposing the law in the course of its operation, and doing everything in his power (by correspondence, whiob has had to be wrung out of the Government) to counteract the justice which that law would have administered. Then, to get out of the scrape, the Government found it necessary to pass the Native Lands Act of 1866, clause 13 of which the Superintendent himself acknowledges was inserted especially to meet this oase. Now, the effect of this clause is, that any person wanting any block of Maori land, for wbioh a certificate of title has nit been issued, even if any agreement has been made with any one else for the purchase of land, the person so wishing to defra-.d the other of hia just rights may go to the Superintendent and make an application under the Waste Lands Act, 1858 ; the Superintendent may then send an agent to the Maoris, offer more money than the first party, or use any other means to induce them to break faith with him, although he may have obtained an agree ment twelve months before, and expended money in assisting the natives to get their title investigated. The person so injured can get no redress, cannot even sue the natives for any deposits he may have paid, although he may have been dealing with the real owners. Is this justice? And is it posj 'sible that suon corruption can be allowed for any length of time to exist in a British colony, in the nineteenth oentury? I say, sir, it ii the duty of every settler to use all the in fluence in his power to get such practice*, which are at present encouraged by Jaw, done away with as soon as possible.— l am, &c, J. W. Pbekce. 