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An Epitome of Official Documents Relative to Native Affairs and Land Purchases in the North Island of New Zealand

Memorial of the Provincial Council of New Plymouth

Memorial of the Provincial Council of New Plymouth.

The Memorial of the Provincial Council of the Province of New Plymouth, in Council assembled, showeth,—

To His Excellency Colonel Thomas Gore Browne, C. B., Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Islands of New Zealand, and Vice-Admiral of the same.
page 135

That this, province is the only one which has not the advantage of a district suitable for cattle and sheep runs, and that the inhabitants are suffering great loss from the want of land for pasturage and grazing purposes for their increasing stock and flocks, and are compelled to sacrifice their breeding ewes, retarding the prosperity of the settlement, and occasioning universal discontent in consequence. That your memorialists have been given to understand that many of the most influential Natives in the districts south of Warea are quite prepared to lease large tracts of land of the most eligible description, which are unoccupied, and within the boundary of this province. Your memorialists respectfully submit to your Excellency that it is their opinion that the fact of leasing land from the Natives is not calculated to militate against the prospects of eventually purchasing them, and beg to refer your attention to the Districts of Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay, both of which were extensively occupied by Europeans previous to the purchase by Government. Your memorialists therefore humbly pray that your Excellency will take the long-unassisted state of this province in relation to the acquirement of land into your most serious consideration, and, by adopting some measure that will secure the acquisition of more land, either by purchasing the same or leasing it for a term of years, confer an important benefit on the settlement.

Edward L. Humphries,
Speaker.

And your memorialists will ever pray, &c. New Plymouth, August 1857.