THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, July 9, 1842.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 18, 9 July 1842, Page 70

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, July 9, 1842.

Les journaux deviennent plus nece*snires a mesure que les hommei lout plus igaux, et 1' individualisme plus a f raindre. Cc aentit diminuer leur importance que de croire 4qu' ila ne tervent qu' a garantir la liberty : ill maintienoent U civilisation. Da Tocauevillb. De la Democratic en Atuerique, tome 4, p. 220. Journals become more necessary as men become more equal, and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to secure liberty : they maintain civilization. D« XocansviLLa. Of Democracy in America, vol. 4, p. 920. We need not apologize for harping on one subject, when that subject is one of ■ great interest to the community, and one which must more or less affect the welfare and happiness of the population of t^ese islands, both those which have adopted them as their country and their fellow-men of the native race. We need hardly say that we refer to the system pursued and animus • displayed with respect to the settlement of the Land Claims in the southern districts, the settlements established by the jtfew* Zealand Company. When the project was first broached of systematically colonizing these islands, the day had gone by to pursue a system which, to our shame be it said, had been virtually carried into effect in our Indian territories, I Chat of planting a gun and claiming the land within reach of its shot, and, when more was required, removing the gun to the limit of its. reach . and recommencing the operation. No! The plan of colonizing New Zealand was founded on better principles with respect to the native inhabitants,

and with a very accurate knowledge (considering the means then at command) of the character of the New Zealander, [inasmuch as he was considered of a superior race to . most savages with whom Europeans had as yet come in contact as settlers in their country ; and the plan of the original body, which eventually terminated in the New Zealaud Company, was an attempt at amalgamation and entire abandonment of the notion that it was necessary to keep the two races apart in order to prevent collision, which notion always implied that they were to die away by degrees in the woods or tne ' mountains ; and this was advocated by wellintentioned religious enthusiasts, upon the plea of it being better for them to disappear in this way, as Christians, than come in contact with an acknowledged superior race, who might prevent them from being subject to the religious influences of their teachers. This notion (for it cannot be called by any other name) is the one now adopted by the Local Government at Auckland, imbibed from the church missionaries, and carried on, if the expression may be used, by their instrumentality. The natives are frequently given presents indiscriminately, us wai no mat's, or as utu for land. They are treated as great children by the familiarity of the authorities, and taught to look to them < alone, from week to week, and from mouth to montii, for some new " satisfaction," as they term it themselves, exactly in the same way that a child is coaxed not to cry. There is no system adopted by which the Maori, who i| perfectly capable of apprehending, should be taught that the white settler has not landed upon his shores witk .intent to wrong him, but for their mutual benefit : and who will doubt it, if he believes in the advantages of civilization, and that the culture of the intellect tends to the more complete enjoyment of mankind ? We are aware that many who once entertained similar notions, will apply the Maori word tot to the practicability of such a scheme. We do not abandon it on that account, because*, we are aware that men's judgments are frequently warped by what they conceive to be their interests, and are frequently mistaken when swayed by such motives. However, the New Zealand Company — nothing daunted by such opinions, entertained by men of sense who had had opportunities of judging of the native character — have pursued, to the best of their power, a system which does not at all bear the stamp of a contract entered into by a land company with the aborigines of a country they were about to colonize, and a land company which cannot be accused of ignorance of the real value of the quid pro quo they offered to the natives for the occupation of a portion of their lands ; they were not ignorant that, in reserving for the benefit of the native race the eleventh part of all lands occupied by their settlers, that they were putting into ,' store means far beyond all the blankets and baubles which have been given them or are likely to be given them in the way of utu, either by the Government or by individuals ; neither were they ignorant that they were making a great sacrifice for the sake of justice and peace, in appropriating a valuable portion of their town and country lands to purposes which were not pressed upon them . by the Government. „•> We doubt not but that it will stand the test of history, and will show in strong relief as a bonafide transaction by the side of much hypocrisy and declamation. A. better real estimation of this contract may. be made when it is considered that it is one which is the least appreciated by the natives, as all ignorant men are slow to pereeiv* benefits which are not immediate ; indeed, such perception is only the result of educa- • tion ; therefore it was not made with a riew» nor will it have the tendency, to give immediate and temporary satisfaction, m I •-h has been the usual aim in dealing wi'.ti savages; but the system has been long enough in operation, if properly taken advantage dfi'^o have convinced them of its

nature. They might, by this time, if their reserves had beeu judiciously dealt with, have been in the receipt of periodical issues of clothing, provisions, implements, stock, &«, and they would not have been dull in apprehending the source from which they were derived ; and we do not doubt but that they would soon understand that the arrival of fresh settlers would' enhance the value of their resources, provided there were no counter influences, and that the Government, the settlers, and the missionaries who have such influence over them, were all t^chj^ig the same lesson ; but it unfortunately happens that in one of the most interesting experiments which has been attempted since the discovery of America, we have the Government purchasing the interest of the church missionaries, or the most active of them, by supporting their notion, in opposition to a system pursued by the New Zealand Company, to which they are both inimical, and holding a different language to the Maories — the majority of the original white settlers cursing the Maori in their hearts, and wishing his extermination, which renders the task of those who have settled under the tenure of the New Zealand Company, and have all the freshness of English feeling about them, much \nnre difficult than it might have been. We shall, from time to time, endeavour to give our reasons, from local knowledge of facts, for believing that it is still practicable, and that it is the only plan by which collision and extermination of the native race can be prevented.

A Memorial, addressed to the Governor, is now in the course of signature, the objeci of which is to request the establishment, a* soon as possible, of a County Court in this settlement. Our readers will find a copy of this memorial in another column. It is, to our minds, exceedingly questionable whether this proceeding is the very best that could have been taken for expressing the fediug of the settlers on the subject. To all it is undoubtedly a matter of the greatest importance that fraud should not be allowed to escape unpunished — that fraudulent debtors should not be encouraged in their expectations of impunity, or indiscreet ones led on by a forced forbearance on the part of their creditors to involve themselves in irretrievable embarrassment : therefore, if this memorial is likely to hasten the establishment of such a court here, iti would be rather out of character in us to ! raise any objection to its being forwarded. But this is the fact which we question, and while more than doubtful of the effect likely to be produced by it. it i« our duty at least to lay before our fellow-settlers our view of the probable inefficiency of the effort thus made to obtain justice, by asking it almost asifitwerea favour. Who of the many' .|tarho have already signed, or will sign, this memorial, can be ignorant that that which they are requesting it was the duty of a just Government to have given unasked ? Who of them is so colonially stupid (Anglice charitable) as to believe that a Government ordinarily careful of the interests of ics subjects would require to be reminded of its most evident duties; or ibat, if it is not requisite to remind, it can be expected that the expression of a want will induce an attention which the knowledge of it failed to excite ? No ! None are thus ignorant, stupid, or charitable. They know better. But who can blame them ? It is a nuisance to be cheated, right and left, and not to know where to look for redress. Crying injustice will not be borne without some attempt at remedying the evil, even though at some expense of the defying indignation which rises most naturally from the heart to the tongue of those who* are thus unjustly tried. T What and if— careless of the immediate coasequences, throwing away the chance, such as .it ie, of present relief— they said «hat they thought, and demanded, with nail respect for those who tad forfeited all title to it, the fulfilment of the .eopditions,

unwritten but eternal, which exist between the ruler and the ruled ? A memorial would hardly have served their turn. To memorialize — to remind.

Remind ? — They do not want reminding. Let them forget that courts of justice are essential to good government, and then perchance we may obtain them. Teach them to believe that unpunished crime is the chief blessing of a community; and courts, gaols, and preventive police will exhaust twice our revenue. But ask not, speak not, that which must be a benefit if granted. The " unjust judge " was an indolent man. Our rulers are activity itself when mischief is to be done or evil to be compassed. Tell them not our wants, lest they the more strenuously withhold them. Oil and wine they pour not into your wounds, but scorching poisons, nerveracking caustics, on which no health attends. Ask that which will be willingly granted which is even now being sought — your ruin.

Our readers will find in our last page a list of the vessels which have entered this harbour since the Ist of November, 1841. Previous to the arrival of the first emigrant ship after those of the preliminary expedition, there were only ten' vessels ; 57, therefore, have arrived since the Ist of February — not quite five months. This looks well. The ensuing twelve months will show, we have no doubt, a larger proportionate return. Without any spirit of depreciatory rivalry, we think we may be justly proud of our shipping list, and ask for similar evidence of activity and doingness, without much chance of being equalled, none of being surpassed. Can it be questioned for a moment that a settlement having wants which could call for such large imports, and in the immediate neighbourhood of another settlement whose wants are greater, whose population is larger, whose existence is of older date, may justly demand of the Government which is supposed to rule over it the ordinary protection against evil, the usual assistance in the framing, continuance, and enforcing of the laws and arrangements which are essential to the well-doing of every community ? Should we not by this time have been" enabled to place our pilotage on a proper and responsible footing ? How long is it intended that any persons, however ignorant, may, with perfect impunity, put themselves forward as pilots, and injure the reputation of our harbour by their stupidity and ignorance ? Is it to be just so long as it may suit the convenience or the spite of our unnatural enemies, that we should suffer every disadvantage which may tend to keep down evidence of the fact that our position is such as to call for attention or consideration of any sort ? But it cannot be for long. It will require neither self-praise nor assertion of our rights to cause the destruction of our foes — they are proceeding on a principle of self- destruction, which cannot fail to be effective. Thick headed, hard headed, they unquestionably are ; but it can hardly be expected that even they can habitually rush headlong against stone walls without some day meeting with an untoward accident. Let them be fooled even to the top of their bent. They may spread the net for others, but it shall entangle their own feet ; they may set the snare for those who never harmed them, but in some fit of delirious pride and folly they shall themselves be caught in it. Know they whose deathwarrant it is they write? Their own. Their laugh of triumph is their knell.

Mr. John Saxton is now occupied in taking a panoramic view of the town of Nelson, from the hill on which Captain Wilson's house stands. A more advantageous position for obtaining a clear and extensive view could not have been obtained, even if an artificial mound bad been raised for the purpose. So happily is the easel at whyh Mr. Saxton works now situated, that from it can be seen most minutely the outline of all the numerous houses, carries, and anomalous erections with which j *his little plain is gradually becoming co- ; vered, while at the -same time the snow- ? i

clad tops of •mountains, the Gulf, and the varieties of the distant landscape, are shown in all their'boauty. The portion of the town included in that part of the sketch now in hand, is that which would be 1 bounded by the sides of a triangle, the base of which should be the line of the sea, the base angles being on one side about the flag-staff, and on the other about tne surveyors' tents in the Wauka pa Wauka district (though the hills prevent them from appearing in the drawing), the remaining angle being of course at the eye of the artist. The next portion will be that to the right of the present, and will include the remainder of the large wood and the beautiful clumps of trees in the Poisoned Valley. It is to be a water-coloured drawing. It would be unfair to criticise the work before it is completed ; but at least we may say that Mr. Saxton's unflinching application ought to, and we believe will, ensure its being a splendid drawing. We are almost ashamed to speak of the beauty of the prospect from this eminence in the terms which it deserves, not that we believe for a moment that we could do it justice if we attempted ; but praise of this place always strikes us as being sufficiently like selflaudation to make it appear to be an offence against good taste. We do not wish to persuade our friends in England that it is worth their while coming 16, .000 miles to see a view ; indeed, we trust that that will be rendered unnecessary by the truthfulness of the representation which we shall send them ; but, if they are inclined to apply the test of actual observation as to its correctness, why the sooner they come the happier we shall be to see them.

Sheep Diseases. — Whenever stock are attacked with any previously unknown disease which is confined to particular localities, then it may be set down as arising from local causes, and, consequently, a removal to other pastures is the only certain cure. A disease of this description once destroyed nearly the whole of the sheep and cattle in some localities in Argyle, and has more lately appeared in other localities to the north of the Hunter, the animals wasting rapidly, with relaxed state of bowels, and unnatural appetites for eating earth, as well as each other's young. 1 have seen some slight symptoms of this among flocks in other parts, but only alter lambing. A similar disease is common among poultry penned up at sea, begining with pulling out feathers to put a foot upon and suck the quill-end, then in time proceeding to pick the flesh off each other until death ensues. The only remedy I ever found of the slightest use was a gentle anointing of vegetable tar over the picked parts as well as adjoining feathers, which put an immediate stop to the picking. No doubt a similar gentle anointing of the lambs after birth would answer the same end ; but as tar only acts as a preventive by reason of its nauseous qualities, hence a decoction of aloes, or of any of the nauseous Australian plants, or even a smelting with oil or fat of some of the equally nauseous gum resins, would be equally useful as palliatives ; the great curative being a removal to other pastures. Salt having been found beneficial in this disease when it appeared beyond the Hunter, hence I have little doubt its cause lies in a deficiency of the stimulant or bitter principle in the grasses, which the laxity of bowels and wasting give still further confirmation of, assimilating thus in some degree to rot, a local disease also, produced by a similar deficiency of the bitter principle in the grasses, in consequence of a too rapid growth, thereby permitting that fermentation of them in the stomach, causing the subsequent scouring and other fatal symptoms. Rot is a rare disease in the colony, and has been indeed hitherto only known in a few isolated moist places during a very wet season. A constipated state of the bowels seems necessary to the health of sheep, and hence, whenever found to be relaxed, the pasture may be set down as disagreeing, and a removal prepared for, unless *a speedy change in the above shows the cause to be merely temporary. — Cunningham's Hints to Emigrants. Asses and Muleb.t— Bwgii^hmen on visiting South America and^. tpe- Mediterranean countries, are usually struck much with, to them, the incomprehensible anomaly of mules and asses bringing higher average prices than horses ; but this is soon cleared up by finding them surer footed, hardier in constitution, requiring less water and food, and undergoing fatigue, without eating or drinking, that would knock up any ordinary horse. Besides this, they can carry pack-loads of greater weight in proportion to their size than horses; 270 1b5. for a mule, and 170 lbs. for an ass, being the medium pack-load in South America. Like the goat also, many herbs and plants are food to them which are poison to other animals; and hence they have been advantageously introduced upon some English pastures for this purpose, the health of the stcok being greatly unproved thereby. In Malta, a donkey stallion frequently brings seventy pounds sterling, and even higher prices have been given in the United States of America, where their value begins to be appreciated. — Ib.