PORT NICHOLSON.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 9, 7 May 1842, Page 35

PORT NICHOLSON.

We have received papers from Wellington filling up the gap between the 2d and 20th, and to. the 23d of April, but no later. Letters have arrived dated the 29th. The proprietor of the New Zealand Gazette seems to find some difficulty in getting his account settled with -the Government, and the subject is mentioned in the. paper of the 6th ult. Qur readers will see. an advertisement in another column, which may serve as a pendant to this complaint of remissness.

At a public meeting held on the 7th, the following resolution, moved by Colonel Wakefield, and seconded by Mr. Moreing, was adopted, with a show of only seven hands against it : — " That the chief police magistrate be requested to apply to his Excellency, the Governor, to extend the provisions of the Corporation Ordinance to the district of Port Nicholson."

Mr. Murphy, who was in the chair, said that an imperfect census had given a population of ,2,600. We have no room for comment, but it appears that the minority, who would have opposed the adoption of the Ordinance, were completely settled, and felt themselves so, as the only sign, of opposition was the holding up of the forlorn seven.

A correspondence between the Directors of the New Zealand Company and the Bishop of New Zealand, relative to a reconciliation of the Company with the Church Missionary Society, appears in the columns of the New Zealand Gazette of the 9th. We are as anxious for religious instruction being disseminated among the natives and settlers of New Zealand as any can be, but this kiss-and-be-friends from an overgrown child" who has been exceedingly naughty and never repented, though it is willing to. shake hands, appears to us rather nauseous.

The- following extract is from the Gazette of the 18th : —

" On Monday evening a meeting was held at the Sooth Sea Hotel, for the purpose of es-

tablishing a Mechanics' Institute, Public School, arid library. More than two hundred were present, and the proceedings were highly creditable to the persona who' have thus associated themselves together for the purpose of mutual and mechanical improvement. A committee was appointed to frame rules for the regulationof the Society,' and, after their report has Been adopted, anothef*lneeting' wilTbe Held' on the subject. The public generally will be requested to support the first institution of the kind (we believe) in New Zealand, and we are sure that a liberal and judicious encouragement will be afforded."

A letter from Mr. Samuel King, of Wanganui, referring to the difficulty of getting the land there, in consequence of the opposition of the natives,- is important, but we have no room for extracts. We mentioned in our last a letter on the same subject from Mr. Nixon. At Poriraa, also, there have been serious disturbances:—

" Six emigrants who arrived in one of the last ships from England, active, intelligent, useful men, possessed of some capital, became lessees of four sections of land in the Porirua district, about eight miles from Kai-warra-warra. They intended to dear and cultivate, the land, and to erect a saw-mill on the banks of the river. Not long since some natives ordered them off, and they came to Port Nicholson for advice. The police magistrate immediately despatched his chief constable to warn the Maouries against any act of aggression upon the settlers ; but on Wednesday last, Rangaiheta, despising the feeble force at Mr. Murphy's command, assembled about fifty men, armed with guns, pistols, and tomahawks, and proceeded to the place where the settlers had partly erected four houses. Rangaiheta refused offers of 'utu,' and ordered Mb people to demolish the houses, which they did effectually. They also carried off the materials.

" Now, the question arises, whether this outrape is to pass unpunished ? The natives have clearly been guilty of riot and robbery, after having received the warnings of the police magistrate. They have not the excuse sometimes set up, that the property had not been sold, for Rangaiheta himself was a party to the sale of Porirua, and received some of the «utu.»"

The consequence of these outrages has been a public meeting, held in the Wellington Exchange on the evening of the 17th :—: —

" Mr. George White of Petoni was in the chair. After statements from Mr. Torr and Mr. Brandon, of the Porirua affair, in substance the same as that given in last Saturday's Gazette,

" Mr. Stokes addressed the meeting. He did not pretend to deny that the Government had been to blame in not sufficiently protecting the settlers against the natives; but were there no other parties to .blame ? Had not the New Zealand Company — had not their principal agent been culpable ? " Here a storm of groans and hisses, intermingled with a very few cheers, prevented Mr. Stokes from proceeding. With some difficulty the Chairman procured him a hearing, and then Mr. Stokes put questions to Colonel Wakefield with the view, he said, of ascertaining whether he had performed his duty in apprizing the police magistrate, and the Directors of the New Zealand Company, of the injuries sustained by the settlers from the natives ?

"Colonel Wakefield came forward, and was received with loud and long-continued cheers. He stated his readiness at all times to give information to the settlers, when applied to by individuals' at his own house, or, as now, by a public meeting. Of the meeting, and the course intended to be pursued, at it, he had never been informed, by those who had got it up. The first information he had was from a hand-bill on a tub, which stated that it was hoped he would attend the meeting, together with Mr. Halswell, and Mr. Murphy. [The latter gentleman did not attend.] It appeared that one 1 principal object was to attack him as the agent of the New Zealand Company : but he could state in reply to Mr. Stokes's question, that he had on all occasions, when circumstances called -for his interference, applied to Mr. Murphy for the protection of the settlers; and Mr. Murphy had uniformly given him all the .assistance in his power. Besides frequent verbal communications, he had as long ago as the 4th of June last, just after Rangaiheta had broken up the Porirua road, sent a formal and official letter to Mr. Murphy on the subject.' He had also on the Bth of June sent a strong representation of the case to the directors of the New Zealand Company. From the secretary, Mr. Ward, he had received a reply to the effect that the directors would immediately wait on Lord Stanley to press upon his attention the conduct of the Government towards the settlers in the Company's territory. CoL Waks-. field nadMSbpiec^.ihtte letters, and concluded by.giving an assurance that he would in future pay the same vigilant attention to the interests of the settlers, as heretofore. He sat down amidst general cheering. "i Mr. Stokes spoke a few worde to the effect that Colonel Wakefield ought to rejoice that the opportunity had been given him of making the explanation they had just heard. " Mr. Wads admitted that he had come prepared with a resolution impugning the conduct of the principal agent of the Company; but vhe statement of that gentleman was so satisfactory, that he should drop that part of his resolution.* Mr. Wade than moved a resolution, which, at the suggestion of Dr. Evans, he withdrew, substituting the following : — " "That, in consequence of the late reported aggressions oh the part of the natives, on the

property of the settlers of Port Nicholson and Wanganui, a deputation be nominated to wait upon the sheriff of this district, to express the willingness of the entire population to assist him in the due execution of the law.' " Dr. Evans supported the motion in a very able speech. J ")At. J. H.Wallace moved an amendment, which, after the meeting had been addressed by Mr. Wicksteed, Mr. Nixon and Mr. Churton of Wanganui, was negatived. The following gentlemen were then appointed to wait on Mr. Mr. Murphy :— Colonel Wakefield, Mr. Molesworth, Dr. Evans, Captain Daniell, Mr. Dorset,' Mr. Wade, Mr. Wicksteed.

" On Thursday the deputation waited on the chief police magistrate, and showed him the resolution. In reply, Mr. Murphy stated that he felt entire reliance on the readiness of the inhabitants of Port Nicholson to aid 'him in the execution of the law, and that he should avai 7 himself of their assistance when, in his opiniox recourse to it was expedient."

A Supplement to the New Zealand Gazette of the 2nd of April gives a list of the shipping which has entered Port Nicholson between the 10th of April, 1841, and the 2nd of April, 1842.- The number of vessels is 203, which, added to those published in a similar supplement last year, gives a total of 356. The tonnage for this year is 32,815.