EARL GRANVILLE'S VIEWS OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ENGLAND AND NEW ZEALAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 133, 9 June 1869, Page 2

EARL GRANVILLE'S VIEWS OF THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ENGLAND AND NEW ZEALAND.

Ix order to show the views entertained by the Imperial Government with regard to New Zealand, we publish the following extract from a Despatch received by the Governor from the Secretary of State, bearing date 21st March, 1869, in which Earl Granville comments upon a letter addressed to him by Mr. Fitzherbert : — The following appears to be Mr. Fitzherbert's view, as collected from different parts of his letter : That some years ago the French and English were competing for the possession of New Zealand ; that in order to exclude the French from those Islands, the English Government acquired the Islands subject to certain onerous obligations towards the Natives ; that the Islauds being in consequence occupied with Eusrlish emigrants, were by the Imperial Government plunged into a war with the Natives j that during that war the Imperial Government forced on the Colony the adoption of all Imperial obligations towards the Native race ; and that the obligations so imposed are greater than can be discharged without Imperial assistance, and that this assistance may be most conveniently given in the form of a loan. The questions which are iff effect raised by this statement have been long a subject of controversy, and I am not about to re-argue them. But I think it right to inform or rather remind you of the view of facts taken by the Imperial Government, which in New Zealand may not be prominently bi ought under your notice. It is this : A number of Englishmen, without any invitation, or encouragement from the English Government, took on themselves to form one or more settlements in the Islands of New Zealand. The Government of the day considered itself responsible for placing the relations between these British subjects and the Natives among whom they settled on a reasonable basis, and for securing order among the settlers. It therefore acquired the Islands by treaty from the Natives, and established a regular Government ia the settlements. The treaty did not render the English Government liable to the payment of a subsidy (as might be supposed from Mr. Fitzherbert's phrase), or any other onerous conditions, but merely gave the Natives the rights of British subjects, and bouud the Queen to respect their territorial rights, — rights, it may be observed, the existence of which were perfectly recognised among the tribes, and which they were always ready to support by force of arras, if necessary. The Government was amenable at first to the Home Government, afterwards almost wholly to the settlers. But it was never at any time attempted to make New Zealand tributary to Great Britain, or to direct local afMrs in such a way as to produce any political or pecuniary advantage to this country. The Colony was governed with a view to the real or supposed advantage of the inhabitants. In oue part of the Colony — New Plymouth — a great and not unnatural desire existed to acquire part of the neighboring lands from the Natives. The Governor, holding, as an Imperial officer, the position of Protector of Native rights, but also anxious to gratify the desires of the Colonists, took a step satisfactory to his Responsible Advisers, to the Local Legislature, and apparently to the mass of the Colonists, though blamed by some as inconsistent with those duties to the Natives which were in some sense Imperial. The result of this step, taken entirely in the interests and with the approval of the Colonists, was a war carried on partly at the expense of New Zealand, but principally at the expense of this country. And the result of the war is, that the leading tribe of Maoris is scattered, that the power of the others is broken, and that large tracts of land to which the Government had no claim, and the settler no access except by friendly arrangement with the Natives, are confiscated, sold, and occupied by Europeans. It may be added, though not part of the argument, -that meanwhile the number of the . Colonists has risen from 49,800 in 1857, to 2.1^500 in 1867, and that of the Maoris is supposed, withmora, of conjecture/, to have fallen from 56,600 to 38,000: ; f ? \ "y;.; ; If thia statement is correct, it follows that the Imperial Government have not

transferred to that of the Colony any obligation whatever, except that imposed on all of us by natural justice, not to appropriate the property of others ; that all the Imperial expenditure on the Colony has been for the benefit of the Colonists, and a great part of it may be viewed as the price paid by this country for the territories which have been recently, and as I think unwisely, appropriated by them ; and, lastly, that no part of the Colonial expenditure has been in any degree for the benefit of the Mother Country. So far, therefore, as there is any equitable claim remaining unsettled, it is not a claim on the part of New Zealand against Great Britain, but the reverse — a claim, and, if it were thought proper to urge it, •a very heavy claim on the part of the Mostber Country against the Coloay. Lastly, Mr. Fifzherbert says that the Imperial Government "insisted on transferring the burden of its .obligations to the Native race from itself to the Colony. What the nature of these obligations are, in the opinion of the Home Government, I have already noticed. But I must add that her Majesty's « •Government view this transfer, not as ; forced on the Colony, but, on the contrary, conceded to the Colony in compliance with the direct and indirect demands of the Colonists. The duty of protecting themselves against ihose whom they .claimed the right to govern followed as a matter of course. I cannot help observing that if the -opinions expressed at different times by .my predecessors are correct, the present dangers of New Zealand are due, not to .the punctual performance of their obligations to the Maori race, but rather to their adoption of a policy which, if not inconsistent with those obligations, was certain to appear so to the Natives affected by it. I have, &c, Grantille. 'Governor Sir G-. F. Bowen, G.C/M.G.

It is said there seems to be some mistake as to the name of the clergyman in England who has beeu appointed Bishop of New Zealand. The telegram lately published by us stated that the Rev. Mr. Cowie, Rector of Stafford, and formerly Chaplain to the Bishop of Calcutta, had ■been appointed. This is confirmed by the Melbourne Age, from which paper the telegram supplied to us by the Government appears to have been taken. The Argus telegram says distinctly " the Rev. Mr. Stafford is to be the new Bishop of New Zealand." Perhaps -some of our clerical .readers may be able to solve the rMdle. Bankruptcies. — If any evidence were required of the depressed state of affairs in New Zealand, it is furnished by the report of the Accountant in Bankruptcy published in the Gazette of 291h ult. ■which contains aa alphabetical list of "Bankruptcies for 1868 ia the different districts of the colony. We there find as follows: — district of Auckland, 20; (district of Canterbury, .53; district of Nelson, 8; district of Otago, 82; district of Wanganui, 8-; disfriet of Wellington, •6 ; district of Greymouth, 3 ; district of Westport, 41 ; district of Hokitika, 47.; Total, 268. Exclusive of the above, there have been over 170 declarations of insolvency, ia which .no further proceedings were taken. New Faces — The political change in -the ,dr maiis personce of the present Assembly are thus detailed in the Wellington Independent. — "Very considerable chapges .have taken place in the personnel of the House of Representatives;since last session, no less than twelve seats having been -vacated during tlie recess. The following are the changes: — Mr Thomas Birch sits instead of Mr James Paterson for the city ofDunedin; Mr ■Cuthhert Cowan instead of Mr A. M'Neill for Wallace-; Mr R. J. Creightou instead of Mr George -Graham for Newton .; Mr Henry Driver instead of, Mr Hepburn for Roslyri ; Mr Nathaniel Edwards instead of Mr Stafford for Nelson City j Mr H. W. Farnall instead of Mr .O'Neill for the Northern, Division ; Mr Kelly instead of Major Atkinson for New Plymouth ; Mr.J. Munro instead of Mr Hull for Mars.d.en..; Mr.J. T. : P,eacock for Ly tteiton instead of . Mr. M.'F.arlan (deceased) ; Mr F. D. Rich instead of Mr Mitchell for Waikouaitij;.and Mr Stafford instead of Mr Cox for Timaru. The seats for Y ';Oamaru and Taieri, -vacant ;, by the. resignation of Messrs Campbell and Reid, ; are not yet filled up. In the Legislative C/Ouncil the seats of Mr Salmon, Auck-

land; and Major Morse, Nelson, have become vacant j and the Hon. Henry Chamberlain, Auckland 5 the Hon. James O'Neill, Aucklaud; the Hon, Wrn. Robinson, Nelson ; and the Hon. Charles John Taylor, have been called to seats. It is considered probable that the number of Peers will yet be increased before the House meets by some gentlemen from the Southern Provinces b^iug summoned Jto the Council.