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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 733, 8 November 1869, Page 4

SYMPATHY WITH NEW ZEALAND. The Tasmanian Parliament'have had tbe following debate on the New Zealand difficulty : Mr John Meredith said that in rising to propose the motion standing in his name, he had every confidence that it would receive cordial support. The subject had been before the colonies, and had been taken up by the press, not only of Australia and of New Zealand, but by the English press. They found that a feeling of sympathy existed for the colonists of New Zealand, and il was generally admitted that hard usage had been extended to them by the English Government, and that the latter, aftirr actually bringing the colonists in their present unfortunate position, declined to afford them any relief. As far back as 1839, the Imperial Government entered into a contract to protect the colonists, and also to prevent bloodshed amongst the New Zealanders; that they did not do so, and it was through their breach of faith that the New Zealanders had acted as they had done. The hon. gentleman ihen proceeded to read portions of published speeches that had been delivered in the House of Lords, and remarked that the colony was called upon to pay a sum of £3,000,000 for suppressing the rebellion, and yet they had no power with regard to the employment of the troops engaged in the war, and the consequence w x as that there were constant bickerings between the colonists and the Imperial authority. He though t that as the case of the New Zealand colonists might be our own some day it was our duty to offer neighborly relief as far as possible, and to assist and condole with themj He would

move that this house, deeply s mpathising with the coloni-ts of New Zealand in the difficulty in which they are placed by the policy of the Imperial Government in refusing to aid them in suppressing the rebel lion among the native tribes, and preserving the integrity of the British Empire, is of opinion that the sub ject is one which ought to have a place in the deliberations of the forthcoming inter-colonial conference, with a view to make a joint remonstrance to Her Majesty's (government, against the grievous wrong thus done to a member of the Australasian group of colonies. Mr Butler seconded the motion. Mr Charles Meredith said the motion was one deeply yympathising. Well, he did deeply sympathise, but it was a constitutional matter with him to sympathise with the weak and not with the strong He sympathised vith the colonists of New Zealand but he sympathised far more with the original possessors of the land. He was in New Zealand before it was colonised, and found them a happy, contented, peaceful, industrious, and prosperous people, residing in comfortable dwellings, with gardens around them. The hon. member quoted from the Bishop of Lichfield's speech in the House of Lords, and on reaching that portion stating that Christianity had been introduced into the colony for the purpose of stopping anarchy and bloodshed, he asked whether they had decreased 1 No, on the con trary, the nati es had been barbarously butchered by men who professed to follow the dictates of the Saviour, whose example they pro to follow. He agreed with the Bishop of Lichfield, when alluding to the decrease in the native population he said, "let us lift up our prayer for the remnant yet left." The ton. member then proceeded to observe that it was the confiscation of the land that had led to the war, and caused the angry feelings fell by the natives towards their white persecutors. They knew that the New Zealanders were not a nation of murderers, lor before the country was colonised, they allowed white people to settle down, accumulate large properties, and inter-marry with them, and it was only when socalled Christianity was introduced, and we all knew what that meant, and when the ruthless S ;xon took possession of their lands and commenced their work of butchery, they attempted their work of reprisal; and he thought if we were treated in the same manner we should be likely to attempt reprisal too at every opportunity. He thought the sympathy should be given to those who had been rendered homeless and houseless. The hon. member then moved, " That this house deeply sympathising with the aboriginal natives of New Zealand, the legitimate possessors of the soil, and feeling the difficulty in which they are placed by the policy of the Government, in confiscating and selling to Europeans large tracts of land to whLh the Gov eminent have no claim,' and the settlers have not any access except by friendly arrangements with the natives, is of opinion that the subject is one which ought to be discussed in forthcoming inter-colonial conference, with a view of making a joint remonstrance to Her Majesty's Government against the grievous wrong thus done to the noble aboriginal race of New Zealand." Mr Adye Douglas seconded the amendment, believing the New Zealand natives were much more entitled to sympathy than those who had gone amongst them and taken away their lands.

The Attorney General did not think the question was one on which the House should divide. For his own pari, he had no sympathy for the natives of New Zealand, as they were too fond of roasting [laughter] and murdering women and children He might have some sympathy with them as " noble ravages" in their original state, but even then, they were fond of eating each other, and since then they had acquire a taste for white men. [Laughter.] He suarsfested that the notice should be withdrawn, as the House was not the lit arena in which the question should be dealt with.

Mr John Meredith in reply to the observations that had fallen from the boo. member for Westbury said that originally, the lands in the hands of die white population of New Zea-: land was purchased from the natives, and that the only land taken from them without payment, was that giv'en to the volunteers on the settlement policy

The motion and the amendment were then both withdrawn.