“ENGLAND AND NEW ZEALAND.”

Hokitika Guardian, 4 May 1926, Page 1

“ENGLAND AND NEW ZEALAND.”

VALUABLE RESEARCH BY Alll A. J. IIARROP. (Press Correspondent). LONDON, March 27. On April 23rd., Air A. J. Harrop, (formerly o£ the stuff of “ I he liess, Christchurch) will receive his l’h.D. derri ee at Cambridge L nivensity. The thesis which he has prepared in connection with his Doctorate is entitled “England anil New Zealand—From Tasman to the Taranaki War. TVith accounts of the French and German projects of Colonisation.” With the degree of ALA. ol Canterbury College. Air Harrop came to England in August, 1923. He went to Gonville and Cains College, making history his special study, and during his college vacations lie has been gaining useful journalistic experience on the editorial stall ol the “Daily Mail.” A considerable amount of time has lieen devoted to political historical research in England—(on the political relations between the Mother Country and New Zealand from the earliest times to the grant of responsible government to the colony)—and in Paris (especially in relation to French history and colonisation in the Dominion).

Tho examiners were Professors 11. E. Egerton Beit (Professor of Colonial History at Oxford, whose hooks on colonial history are well ■ known to New Zealand University students) and Dr H. TV. V. Tempcrley of Cambridge. Both examiners have been very helpful with suggestions for publication, and Air Harrop hopes that the book will be accepted shortly. Sir James Allen has seen the AfSS. and is very much interested in it. A CAMBRIDGE REVIEW.

The accompanying summary of its scope and purpose appears in the “Cambridge University Reporter": “The object of this work is to deal with the relations between the two countries from the earliest times to t’” reference to the critical method perTocl between 1830 and 1800. The voyages of Tasman and Cook and the French navigators, the advent of tho missionaries and the growth of commerce on the New Zealand coasts are dealt with summarily. Closer treatment begins with the year 1830 and the development of a conflict between the advocates of systematic colonisation, headed by. Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and supported !>y the ‘Spectator’ and the leaders of the luimanitariiaii movement in favour of tho rights of aborigines, championed by Dandcson Coates, secretary of the Church Afissionary Society, and ‘Tho Times.’ The development of French interest in New Zealand, which gives 'dramatic interest to the period, is dealt with in detail from French contemporary sources. Wakefield used the French project to overcome tho reluctance of the British Government to colonise New Zealand, hut curiously enough the Now Zealand Company itself encouraged a German project, details of which are given. The rise, decline, and fall of tho’New Zealand Company, the relations of the. Maoris, and the settlers, the weakness of tho early Governors, tlie autocracy of Sir George Grey, the Otago and Canterbury settlements, the growth of the New Zealand Constitution and the share of Gladstone. Disraeli, Earl Grey, Afoleswortli. Sir John Pilkington, ancl Sir George Grey in its development, an estimate of the much-criticised policy of the Colonial Office and James Stephen, and the origin of the war in Taranaki and the Maori King movement, form the subjects of other chapters. Original documents at the Records Office are the chief sources of inform ati on through out.’ ’ AIUCFT NEW MATERIAL.

One who has had tlie opportunity of going carefully through the manuscript writes:

“I have no hesitation in pronouncing it a most interesting work and one which, from the information it contains in regard to the foundation period of he Dominion, should prove of great value to students and others. Air Harrop’s research has resulted in the presentation of much material which is quite new. Special features in this respect are the chapters dealing with tho French and German schemes for colonisation in Mew Zealand. He has discovered and included material which hitherto has not been available to students of the period under review. The latter chapters, which deal with the granting of a constitution to New Zealand. also contains a wealth of new matter, obtained chiefly from debates in the House of Commons, the public utterance of statesmen and others, from diaries, and from the early files of New Zealand newspapers and legislative records. Tlie Hansard quotations, which are well selected and never wearisome, contain the views of such statesmen a.s Air Gladstone, Disraeli, Lord John Russell, Air Loboucliere, •Earl Grey, etc. The interest in this portion of the work is the greater because at the period dealt with the while question of British colonisation was a subject of very great import, and the views expressed thereon by the greatest statesmen of that- age are made available. In the present stage of Empire development, they should prove extremely interesting, and helpful to Empire statesmen, and to students of Imperial affairs. lam of the opinion that the work will be a valuable addition to Colonial research,”