CAPTAIN FITZROY, THE NEW GOVERNOR.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 14, 8 November 1843, Page 4

CAPTAIN FITZROY, THE NEW GOVERNOR.

(Fr.otn the New Zealand Journal.) It Is on the lips of every Anlgo-New-Zcalinder, what will be the plans of the New Governor ? What ate the arrangements which he has made with the Colonial Minister ? How will he act towards tile Ciinpany, their agen's, and their settlers ? In answer to these queries the first consideration is,—who is Captain Fitzroy ? What has been his past life ? and what are his opinions. Captain Fitzroy is a captain in the navy, President of the Geographical Society, membprfor the City of Durham, paternally nephew jto the Duke of Grafton, maternally nephew to the Marquis of Londonderry. A gentleman so placed in life dots not accept the appointment of Governor to New Zealand without giving up immense prospects ; the salary to him has not weighed a leather in the balance upon which depended his determination. He must have much loftier objects in view than a common governorship,— the place of re'tige of some distressed Geneial, or naval Captain ; in point of fact, the nomination of Captain Fitzroy to he Governor of New Zealand is bringing it into the most prominent consideration amongst British Colonies. It is the greatest of all proofs, that the Government at home value its colonization at a high rate. Having said, so much of the present landing nf Captain Fitzroy, we shall say a little of his past life. He received his naval education tinder tire late Sir Robert Spencer, in the Owen Glendower, as a midshipman ; and it is a little icmailiable, that Captain Arthur Wakefield served it the same time as a midshipman wjtli him : such was the reputation of Sir Robert Spencer, ilia) •dicers brought up under him bear in the n-val service the name of “Speneente-..’* Our Speit* vteri'e m question was a lieutenant in the T/utis ligate on the South American station, and pro* noted to the command of the Bengle sunnying drip, ami in it he was the able explorer of the >oiith Seas, having as his master Captain diallers, vho guided tire Tory to Cook’s Stiaits, and who vas the Imbour master at Poll Nicholson, during he provisional Gove mint nt there, previous to the troclaiDiiiion of Britsli soveieignity, Captain Filzmy Ins not berm a sufficient time in parliament to develop his powers there; but the only regret which attends his acct| tance of the g- vernorship ot New Zealand is, we fear, that he has not left a *ni;ccs»i*r - i inMie his p'ans in parliament for inis *' vine i « ii alien of British mariners—a long eglorttd •• ci of almost paramount impui tance which hi t>. > i.li ir and extended knowledge o' seamen a- d atine affairs enabled him to bring forward in a manner which promised the most beneficial results. When in command of the surveyiug ships, he visited New Zealand, he was hisjitabK receiveby the leading missionaries of ilie Church of Euglaod Society, and i aiurally placed confidence in their representations ; this was in 18U5. 6even years have passed since—seven important years 'or New Zealand; and much is known of these islands, and of the natives, and of the missionaries, which could not he known at that time. Captain Ft'zroy cannot entertain the sane opinions now which be did when he wrote an account of his voyages in the Adventure and Beugle. He jjthen thought the inhabitants numerous ; the united opinion of missionaries and all enquirers is, that they are not much above 100,000 persons, and this for islands about the size of those of Great Britain, and Captain Fitzroy Dot merely stated them to he nufiierous, but thought it might be necessary to employ an "over-awing European force, main* tailed hv the show, not physical action, of that force until tiie natives see the wonderful effects of a changed system.” The glory which attends the brave settlers in Cook’s straits, is that they have most pr< bably founded an empire without the assistance of the show of a soldier. Patiiok Matthew, a writer of very considerable talent, as late as 1838, recommended an imposing force to be sent out ns preliminary to colonization, we deprecate not merely the expense but the show of a single soldier in New Zealand, and believe tint Napoleon was quite right when he calculated moral tforce as three times mere valuable thun physical. Three years’ experience of the occurrences in Cook’s Straits is the best answer to all who' have recommended force, dignity, convict labour, and expense—it is the first real application ofjthe self-supporting principle of colonization. "We have more men and money limn we know wliat to JMo with—we have starving workmen anxious to be employed, who serve no other purpose here than to keep down each other’s wages—we have countless wealth lying barren in the hands of its 1 possessors—and, finally, our colonies pie* sent ns with tracts upon* tracts of rich land, capable of furnishing food to the "out and profitable investment to the other, honestly, and wiaely'administered. Each of these materials for incre&6ej{Jof wealth, power, aud happiness, \u

possess in startlinjg abundance ; but they stand apart, and threaten our ruin, instead of confirming our greatness. Certainly no object C«ul,d be de vised more worthy of a master mind tb.au to bring together the elements of good.” This has heeD done in Cook’s Straits against the wil.l of the Cos lonia 1 Ministers at home, as avowed by the Mar* quis of Normaiiby in his instructions to Jtlie late Governor Hobson ; neglected, and then checked by the local Government sent out by Lord Normailin'. These model settlements liaye withstood many promised “ thwarting*,” and with the assistance of the New Z*aland Chinch Society, have planted the legitimate Church of Epglond at our antipodes. Captain Fitzroy was an original member of the New Zealand Association, which lias effect d all this. The principle of tlie New Zealand Association was, by means of the reserves, to amnlg iu ate the native and the settler into a common people. This pripo ,>!e h ' keen lauded by a most, competent judge on ti e spot ,—by Dr, -iclwyn, the head of the legitimate Church ot England. So much depends upon coming to a right understanding upon this, subject, that we have dwelt upon it at this place "at gii'linconvenient

length. Again, tbera is another equally important po nt which should he arranged previous to Captain Fitzroy*s leaving, and that is l fie title to tbe land, — til arising from ignorance, or the wrong.application if tbe wmiA “st ll,*'and from concluding that th- r« vas a native sovereign power. There was no su thing : the wold “ chief” was a rank, not an ind'* vidua). There was no law, but u>a!>* - . and tha* probably very different in tbe diffe ent A’sr; between tribes, tbe tomahawk amongst ind) viduaia, were the laws w deh goverue I m>. i ty h -ew Zealand : of individual possession the native ;ncw nothing. A tribe dwelt at a t ative villagi >r pah, cultivated enough, land near it fur thei> xistenee • when that w;.s < xhaiSted they sough i fresh spot. So that, from the paucity o’ tlieii numbers, the greater part of New Zealand is still the undivided domain of nature, “Landsha - ks,’ » s they have been most properly called, coming from other colonies, with ready.manufactured deeds, offering the ch els blankets for tb ii signatures, and then calling it a sa'e ; and now laying •laim to millions of acres of which they have it' .losgtSMon, was common. What says a v.**\ icteiit witness, Captain Robertson ? “ I’lr- pa is called the country, belonging >n,: powerful tribe called Wycato, who came from a large river oC that name, and conquered it; ind led, from the incessant wars, which have from time im* nr mo t il, tie* n <arried on by these warlike peode, the dill'eieiit districts of New Zealand have -eti coirt •mix changing their possessors—the uore po'vit In' tribe exterminating its weaker leighh'iut, till the Country has become in a great neasure depopulated. What says Governor Mobs me—• It uop 8 that in 1839, Colour I Wakefield visile.t tii oimtry, and bought a considerable portion a , from the few Ngstiawas, who had resinned i iir habitations, on the retreat of Te-whero-whero. Now Te-wl.iero*wliero claims tbe country as his, by right of conquest; amt insists, that tfte remnant of the Ngati-awas are slaves ; —that they only live at. Taranake by suffermice; —aud that they had no right whatsoever to roll the land without his consent.’’ Seven chiefs, ns they wilt called, went from tlie middle Island, in Fibni o', 1840, to Sydney ; and were ready to sign cession of sovereignty, or land of any extent, or most probably anything tlse, for ten -overeig' g each, Cases inighFbe cited in great numbers, that a real title to land tens in node of tließt* people; and, in their present barbarous state, it is probably /ultimate, that it does not. Money paymynt iso gnat, injury to them ; it only leads them to remain in their filthy pabs, in a state of laziness, like so many hogs. Tlie ’* Phormiuni Tenax —its preparation has nearly ceased, owing to the difficulty of inducing the natives to dress it, on any terms that would yield a profit to the merchant. It is an ordinance of Almighty Power, that man should earn bis bread by tbe sweat of bis brow. Leading tbe natives to wi'iK With the settler, must be attended with tin* mixed good ; it perhnps can only be done by de* green. Those at Port Nicholson weie rapidly doing so, and never thought of reclaiming the land, until tlie visit of Governor Hobson, with Mr. George Clarke, the lay missionary by Te-whero-whei'o. The Marquis of Normanby's instructions create in,men e difficulty ,' jitjis impossible to carry them into execution, and colonize the island. Tlie difficulty is greater in the noi them part ol tlie Noithern Isla id, — it may he stated Born die Forth of the Thames northward, because the tribes are time ritiiin runs ; and there they have iiqnint'y almost amiibilati d each othci, 'I hey ic Vi r inli imai ry ; their principle is revenge—wat ip< n war; and each is invited to come forworn ml mat.e bis claim—tadi to he paid, and >« i tendered independent of thejgncce&Mty <>f woi- .

tgiiti, the White#—»jm6 who have settled -rout

who have not —claim a purchase ; and claim alter claim has to he arranged. Then there are the missionary clairas. There is little or none of this in the Soutln Seven years, or ten times sever, would not enable a Commissioner to unravel this gordian knot. It must be boldly cut. The Pahs, the burial grounds, the cultivated lands of all native or settler—must, in possession he respected ; but the remainder declared the waste lands of the Ciown. Captain Fttzroy is far too sensible a man, to undertake a greater fool’s errand than that upon which the late Governor, Hobson was sent. He can never attempt to repair the wreck at Auckland. it is an object worthy of himself and the Colonial Minister. The forming it, was the vagary of a man suffering under infirmity from disease; it, and its debt, has nothing to do with the colonization of New Zealand. This subject of title must be settled—settled permanently—at home. Tbe subject of finance must be left to find its own way in Parliament—it is that with which neither Captain Fitzroy, nor the Company, nor its setllers, have anything to *do. Whilst the mad scheme was pursued, the settlers in Cook’s Straits foresaw the mischief which was occurring; oq, their petition it was stated to be “ highly repugnant to the Governor’s feelings, to offer any defence against charges so unjust and so unfounded.” The result is now known—the Governor is dead, and no desire exists to attack his memory; but w e think that the present Colonial Minister

■vtil I ave a difficult task to explain lih support of 'lie late Governor- leaving that, howevr, to himself, he will forgive its being said, that the acts >f one ol bis predecessor*, Lord Normaiiby, must be revised and overturned, or it will be impossible or Captain FilZ'oy to administer the governmen, .if New Zealand, with either advantage to New Zealand or credit to himself. A- for il e Company, its agents, and their settlera, theii position lias been settled by tbe eba.rtei ; and alilioiiali dim n by tbe Government of tbe day, to lie a jo’ni stock Company—let who will fib the Hifcinter, he will find it the safe-t and best iusfrtj r on lit for eo'onizing New Zealand. No one thinks • f i migrating fhe;e, I tit under its protection * and if allow* d to pursue its useful career, its settler®, without inconvenience to themselves, will produce rev* one sufficient to maintain the expenses of a r asoeat.le g. veion ent; and such—unless we mistaki Captain Fiiz oy-r—lie will be proud to administer. He goo to New Zealand, to govern, not to colonize. Firmly planted as the Company’ssettle** ments are in Cook's Straits, no individual pur» chasers of land w ill be found beyond their territoii- 8 ; and without u sale of lain’, the local government would find itself placed in the same position aa that of Governnr Hobson. Drawing with the Company, Captain Fitzroy may do immerse tiling* in New Zealand. A maiine popn alien for whale fishing will be flXtd in Co k's Straits; and the whole population in the Company’s settlements will furnish employment to a griat deal t f si ipping, and prove e.xcel\ lent customers to tlie home workshops.