Mr HEALES, 29 February, 1860

'A report laid before the legislative council showed that little or nothing had been done for the black denizens of the country, who, had they been a strong race like the New Zealanders, might have forced the new occupiers of the land to provide for them; and he thought that this established the fact that it was their duty, as a Legislature, to make ample provisions for the aborigines.

A most laudable attempt was made by the Imperial Government to establish a Protectorate, and, no amount of money was spared to endeavour to improve the condition of the aborigines; but, from the disposition from the part of the blacks to locate in one neighbourhood only during certain portions of the year, and to ramble through the wild woods other seasons. It was found next to impossible to establish anything like a permanent settlement for them. The consequence was that the Protectorate prove a decided failure; and this failure had the effect of driving the colony into the other extreme, and allowing the poor creatures to go about holy unprovided for. Such a state of things, he thought, ought not to disgrace the colony any longer.'

Mr SERVICE, 29 February, 1860

'the whole subject of the aborigines was, you might remark, beset with the difficulties, and it was most desirable that they should be properly dealt with.'