Endowments.

• 8. By the Native Lands Act, sections 21 and 23, it is provided that the Governor may, at the request of the owners, make regulations and plans for settlement of Native lands; and that in such regulations reserves may be made for public roads and highways, or for schools, hospitals, churches, &c., and for the endowment of such institutions, or for any other purposes of public or common utility to the Native proprietors. On our success in providing in every Native district an adequato endowment in land for the purposes of law and education, must depend in large measure our success in attaining our great end. In no other way can success, if attained, be rendered permanent. No doubt grants of money made by the Assembly may be depended on to meet the cost of introducing whatever system may be thought the best, and of sustaining it for a time; but such grants can hardly be depended on for upholding it through a series of years. We must look elsewhere for the means of fully establishing and permanently supporting the system, so that it may have time to do its work, which, in the nature of things, cannot be done rapidly. Wherever the new Native Lands Act shall be brought into operation, let it be made, as far as possible, a condition that a liberal endowment be first made for the support of the administration of law, as well as for schools where the English language shall be taught. There is nothing unreasonable in urging strongly, at the commencement of our undertaking, such terms as are in themselves necessary and essential to secure for it a successful issue. The attractiveness of the Act, so far at any rate as the power of letting land is concerned, gives us an opening for effecting our purpose. So soon, then, as any district shall show a desire to receive this Act, that desire should be met by a readiness to confer the boon, on a pledge being given by the people of the district, after a public meeting; that the pakeha settlers who may be introduced into the district under the operation of the Act will be secured from disturbance and lawlessness; and, for that end, that the Natives of the district will concur in establishing law in the district. The best evidence of the assent and co-operation of the Natives will be the appropriation of land as an endowment for the permanent maintenance of the administration of law and of instruction in the English language. If we allow them, what they may reasonably claim, a fair voice in the management of the properties so appropriated for endowment, and in the application or apportionment of the income derived from them, we may count on their hearty co-operation. There are especial reasons at this time why we should endeavour to build on a foundation of endowments voluntarily furnished by the Natives themselves. It is well known that Government contributions in money are regarded by many of the best and ablest of the race with much suspicion as a sort of bribery, from which they count it a point of honour to stand aloof. Nor could anything be less wise than to pauperize the people, and to destroy the self-reliance of the Native character—a point in which it greatly resembles our own. It may be comparatively easy to produce an outside show of order; but, if there be on the part of the Natives no sacrifice or effort to maintain the system—no contribution of money or labour towards it—there will be in it little of reality or of permanence.

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  There is in the Native population a readiness to made efforts and sacrifices for the support of institutions which they clearly see to be beneficial, and in the working of which they have a practical share. Of this a striking example is furnished by the conduct of some of the tribes of the district between the East Cape and Poverty Bay. Within a period of five years, from 1859 to 1863, and that a period of distrust, trouble, and war, there were contributed for the endowment of Native clergymen more than £1,300, and for the endowment of the Bishopric of Waiapu (after the decease or resignation of the present Bishop) the sum of £589 11s. 9 [gap — reason: damage]d. Every one of these sums of money represents a large amonnt of effort and co-operation, for the Maoris are rich in land, poor in money. We need not doubt, then, of their willingness to contribute land towards the permanent support of institutions for the purposes above mentioned, provided they have themselves a reasonable share in the working of the system. Care will of course be needed to select for this purpose lands which, by reason of some peculiar advantage of position, may be sure to be in demand for permanent occupation by tenants.

  In cases where, from one cause or another, it may prove impracticable to provide a direct endowment in land for the purposes here mentioned, an indirect mode of attaining the same end will be afforded by the system of public sale. A certain percentage on the proceeds of the sale may be retained and invested in the purchase of land to be held as such endowment.