THE HAWKE’S BAY TIMES. NAPIER, THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1862.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume II, Issue 49, 5 June 1862, Page 2

THE HAWKE’S BAY TIMES. NAPIER, THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1862.

Colonial affairs were, at the period of the departure of the latest mail from the mother country, occupying somewhat more of the attention of political economists than usual. The general “ grumble” of the “ Commons” when called on to vote the annual supplies for colonial purposes, has at length assumed a more definite form, and the “ House” has resolved that the colonies which have had the administration of their oven affairs bestowed upon them shall provide for their ora defence ; and there can be no doubt of two things in close connection with the above resolution, first, that preparations are in course for withdrawing the English troops from such colonies, and second, that New Zealand is included in the list of those that enjoy self-government. These considerations are sufficient to open up a vast field of enquiry for the colonists of these islands, and lends to the present aspect of the unsettled native question an importance of much greater magnitude than before. It has from the first been matter of complaint to the Legislature of New Zealand that the management of native affairs were so entirely removed from its control; but this hardship has up to the present time been

counterbalanced by the fact that the Home Government, with the responsibility, took upon itself the provision (at least in great part) of the funds for carrying out its views. The controlling of native matters being greatly in the hands of individuals frequently very ignorant of all the most important bearings of the questions at issue, and entirely irresponsible to the colonists, has often been productive of the most serious and fatal effects to the colony, a striking instance of which is found in the setting aside of the award of Commissioner Spain in Taranaki, to which false step much, if not all, of the evils and perplexities of the “ question'’ as it now stands may be traced, though sufficiently numerous instances of inconipetency and mismanagement have since occurred which has had the effect ol increasing those evils and perplexities instead of diminishing and removing them ; and it has often been felt that if the control of native affairs had been placed in the hands of the colonists through their representatives, and this together with the providing the cost of such control, the most beneficial results would ensue to the colony as a whole, and especially to the native race. On the other hand, a spurious philanthropy has delighted in regarding the colonist as the oppressor of the native, and as aiming at his destruction, and so has done all in its power to keep the whole native question out of the reach of the colonist, and hence produced a state of antagonism between the interests of the two races which has always acted most injuriously to both in retarding their advancement. On a future occasion we may show ( as it will be easy to do) the utter fallacy of such assumptions, and contrast the effect of the “ Wakefield system’’ of locating the native race on their own freeholds unwnfjst the European settlers where it has been tried, with the more exclusive system, or want of system, of the pseudo-native protectors ; but such discu-sion at this time would carry us too far from the subject under consideration. It was broadly stated, in the course of a debate in the House of Commons, by Mr. Fortescue, in reply to a question by Mr. Adderly, “ that the Governor of Few Zealand had transferred the duties of the management of native affairs to a responsible department of the popular government; that this was an essential part of the Governor's plan ; and that the Home Government approved of it. That the Government had reason to believe that the Governors plan had been draivn up tviih the approval of a responsible ministry; and nothing could he more inconvenient than that somebody should instruct a member of the House of Commons to state, at a time when the plan was not matured, that it had been condemned and objected to. The information which Her Majesty’s Government had received was very different, and he trusted it would prove to be correct.’’ The latter portion of the above quotation is sufficient to show the amount of mischief the Fox party has been able to do at bead quarters. A Ministry wnVrepresenting the "pinions of the colony, concocting and carrying out a scheme wholly at variance with the true convictions of the people, and no less opposed to the honest convictions of the mind of its own leader as expressed in his previously published works, is able to convince the home authorities that the plan is acceptable to the colonists and has their hearty approval. We have had occasion to allude to the pseudo-philanthropy of a certain party which delights in representing the colonists us in antagonism to the native ; this party was most ably represented in the “ House" on the occasion referred to by Mr. Roebuck, whose address is such a choice morsel of error, misrepresentation, and we may add insanity, that we cannot forbear giving an extract, at which we who know what is the true state of affairs in the colony, could afford to smile, could we only forget that it is read and believed by thousands who are not better informed. Of course it would be of no avail to show to a mind like that of

Mr. ll.’s that the decrease of the “ race” had already commenced previous to colonisation, which by various means has added to the comforts ot the Maori, and actually retarded this decrease, instead of originating’ or accelarating it. His school is that of certain philosophers who taught that the savage state was a state of nature, a doctrine long since exposed and exploded. Mr. Roehitck said the time was coming when they would oe able (o gather certain conclusions on their past policy, He was in (he House when the colonization of New Zealand look place, and the question now before the House then arose in reference to the aborigines, lie recollected startling the House and the late -Sir Robert Peel, who had the remarkable faculty of assimilating to himself every other man's ideas, by stating that whereever the white man located himself the brown man must disappear. Non', what rigid had we in New Zealand Y We took (he 1,-md from the natives, and then turned round and (old them that wo knew we were doing (hem an injury, but that we would do them the lea-! possible injury. Me took away their means of life, and then' -cat a certain number of pious pers.-m- an,! M! l.- :..„ui-ics to make them good Uhri-Uaus. and to preach the gospel to them, and to do everwi.i:>.;> : Awards them except doing tn.m justice. ! f wo would let them inhabit their own country that would he doing them the grtamsl jnsii.v hut that was not intended. It we i ■ ■ i i-, Zealand our mode oi liie, habits ol linn-.. ih ■'nghls, and course of civilisation were tie ■; rum i. e io ilie brown man. It was like signing their death wavants when we put our foot on liidr .-Imres. 15ur ail that wont for nothing in the ikm-e of Commons. If wo left the colonists to govirn themselves and not to depend on our exertions, they would soon put an end to the war. Let it be boldly and openly slated, and let there be no iurlher pretence for hypocrisy and a large expenditure of money. let it oe uaderstoou by an (bar we have been croaling a new count r-. ami a new peenle. and giving a place r.urepi-an^ civil, in iae boinit roving the aborigines, The pe-mie ..i th. inland would find that they began this c,i nrni°wilh justice, and that they must take the c - -eqnenccs ot their evil deeds. Ue had no doubt the words he had spoken would be said to b-e cruel—cruel they might be, but they were the result of their past policy (hear.)