WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 61, 6 March 1852, Page 7

WELLINGTON.

We have received the Wellington papers to -£be 21st tilt. The most important news which they contain, consists of the report of a meeting of the members of the Church of England, for the purpose of obtaining an organization of the Church, in pursuance of the plan proposed at the meeting we reported in a former number; and a meeting of the Settlers' Association to discuss the land question. We regret that we have not space for a full report of these meetings. The meeting of the Members of the Church of England was held on the 19th day of February, Mr. Fitzherbert in the chair. Sir George Grey, in moving the first resolution, said he always felt from his position as Governor some reluctance in taking part in public proceedings, but this reluctance was removed as on the present occasion he appeared among them in his private capacity .as a member of the Church. He was much gratified at the simple nature of the. resolution, as he thought there could not be two opinions that some form of constitution for the government of the branch of the Church of England in New Zealand should be established with as little delay as possible. In the mother country the laws and institutions, and the persons to administer those laws were provided to their hands, and persons rarely reflected how much they owed to the wisdom and foresight of their ancestors, how many years of thought and centuries of experience had been spent iv bringing these institutions to perfection. In coming to a new country they carried out with them the laws, the customs and forms of religion in Great Britain, and as the persons employed in the administration of the laws were paid in Great f Britain, so far as the State is concerned they t were relieved from any care or anxiety on this subject. In the case of the church, they carried with them the Christian faith, and were accompanied by their ministers, but no permanent provision was made for their support, and they must either build up for themselves a faerie corresponding in some degree to that in &*&tie mother country, or the branch of the Church to which they belonged would fall to the ground. In the first instance funds for the support of the Church had been supplied from home, but they could not expect that these subscriptions would be continued for any length of time. Some excuse for apathy existed at first from the cares of early settlement, but almost every anxiety which had pressed upon.them had been removed; they had been protected in crossing the sea and in the difficulties of a new aii untried country by the; good Providenc

of their Maker, they were now at peace, eitheir foes were converted into warm friends, their houses were built, their flocks and herds had multiplied, and he thought that individuals so blessed by Providence were bound to shew their grateful sense of these blessings by making some return in providing the proper means of religious worship and education. He (Sir George) felt very great regret that none of the humbler classes' had taken a share in the proceedings of the meeting, the cause was one to which the Apostles and early Christians devoted their lives, it called forth our highest energies, and awakened no base passions of our nature. As Christians they must believe that religion would never fail from the earth, but it was certain that the care of providing and extending the means of religious worship was a task to be performed by some one, and it was for them to determine whether they would be occupied only with the cares of this world regardless of these higher considerations, or whether they would leave a name to shew that a Church can be established and supported by a willing people. The cause in which they were engaged was simple in its nature, sublime in its objects, and eternal in its effects ; he for one would resolutely determine to carry it out, and he earnestly hoped that large numbers would join in their efforts, as he felt persuaded that it would be productive of more good for New Zealand than anything that could he done for it. Sir George Grey then moved the following resolution :—■ That it is extremely desirable that some form of Constitution for the Government of the branch of the Church of England in New Zealand should be established with as little delay as possible. Seconded by Mr. Hickson. Captain Rhodes moved the second resolution. That all adult members of the Church of England resident in the district be invited to enrol themselves as such, and to agree to pay a subscription of three shillings per quarter for Church purposes. Mr. Moore moved the 3rd resolution. That the adult members of the Church of England so enrolling their names shall annually appoint a Committee from their own members, to determine to what specific purposes connected with the Church, and iv what proportions the funds they subscribe shall be applied. Mr. Barraud seconded the resolution. Mr. Kelham moved the 4th resolution. That such Committee shall be authorised to receive subscriptions for Church purposes from any persons wishing to subscribe, either generally for Church purposes, or for some specific object collected with the welfare of the Church of England. Seconded by Mr. Spinks. Moved by Mr. Brandon, seconded by Mr. Bishop. That this Committee be authorised to correspond with the members of the Church of England in the other settlements of New Zealand, and invite their co-operation ; and that they be also requested to disseminate from time to time information relating to°a Church Constitution for the colonies, together with any books that may have been published on the subject. Moved by Mr. St. Hill, seconded by Lieut.Col. M'Cleverty. That a Committee shall be appointed by such enrolled members of the Church of England to prepare petitions to both Houses of Parliament praying that any laws which may be deemed necessary or proper for the purpose of enrolling the members of the Church of England to manage their own internal affairs in the New Zealand Islands may be enacted by Act of Parliament. A resolution was moved by Sir George Grey, seconded by Mr. St. Hill to'the effect that the senior clergyman of Wellington be authorised to call the next meeting. After a few observations by the Rev. E. Wheeler, a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman and the proceedings of the meeting concluded as they commenced with prayer. All the resolutions were carried unanimously.

At the Meeting of the Settlers' Constitutional Association which was held on Fevuary 18th, a series of resolutions were proposed and carried, which we hope to he able to print on a future occasion. The subject to which they relate is the land question. The fourth, fifth, and sixth resolutions are the most important, containing a distinct proposition which the. Settlers' Association proposess as the basis of a settlement of the difficulties at present existing. The prior resolutions state that the Colony

ougla not to be charged with the debt of the New Zealand Company, either as a mortgage on the land fund, or upon the general revenues. The fourth resolution then proceeds as follows:— That_ after having maturely weighed the subject in all its bearings, and carefully considered the various propositions made in regard to it by the Company, this Association would, with an earnest desire to bring the matter to a close without the necessity of further negociations or references between the respective parties, propose the following plan for the final adjustment of the Company's claim, viz :—that the colonists of New Zealand (or the settlers of Wellington, in case the inhabitants of the other settlements should decline becoming parties to the scheme) should consent to the debt being made a charge upon their General Revenue, upon the following conditions— Ist. That the amount of the Debt be taken at £150,000, to bear interest at the rate of 3)4 per cent, per annum, up to the period of its final liquidation. 2nd. That henceforth the entire management of, and control over all the waste lands of the colony be vested in the Colonial Executive, responsible to the representative legislature. And 3rdly. That the Company, upon having its debt thus charged and satisfactorily guaranteed, at at once surrender its present mortgage. In reference to the first condition, this Association would remark, that they consider the reduction of the Company's claim, to the amount mentioned, as only fair and reasonable, on the grounds—that the colonists will be called upon to purchase and survey land in order to satisfy the Company's engagements with its land purchasers; that they will have to maintain, at a considerable annual expense, a staff of officials required chiefly for the purpose of preparing and issuing Crown titles to lands purchased of the Company twelve years since —and on the further ground, that whereas' the Company, under the arrangement of 1847, agreed, in the event of surrendering its Charter, to hand over to the Government 1,073,000 acres, it has during the last three years alienated fully 220,000, thus making the quantity of land to which it is at present entitled only about 853,000 acres, and thereby reducing its claim (at the rate of ss. an acre) to £218,000. In regard to the second and third conditions, this Association would simply observe, that they constitute the sine qua non of the present suggestion, and that, in the opinion of this Association, unless they be conceded, neither the present nor any other proposal to charge the Company's Debt upon the Revenue will have a chance of being assented to, or entertained by the colonists. 5. That as the contract, now suggested between the Imperial Government and the colony, involves mutual considerations, her Majesty's Ministers do propose to the Imperial Parliament, an Act conveying to the Executive Government of New Zealand, subject to the control of the Representative Assembly, all the waste lauds, &c, in consideration that an Ordinance of the Legislature of New Zealand be passed, assuming the debt of £150. 000 and charging the same together with interest at the rate of 3)4 per cent per annum upon the general revenue of the colon}'. 6. That this Association desires to guard itself from being supposed desirous of, either interfering with the principles upon which such settlements as Canterbury and Otago have been founded, or of committing their inhabitants, or those of any other settlement to an approval of the plan above proposed. The Association would however express its conviction, that the scheme would be acceptable to the great majority of the Colonists, and that the sums (under the name of vender's fund) for which the Associations of Canterbury and Otago were respectively, originally liable to the Company, and are now liable to the Crown, would prove an ample equivalent, for the exception of their districts from the proposed arrangement, in case such exception should be desired.