THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, Aug. 27, 1842.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 25, 27 August 1842, Page 98

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, Aug. 27, 1842.

Les juurnaux devienncnt plus .necesuaires a mesure que les hommes sout plus fegaux, et 1' individualisrae plus a craindre. Cc serait diminuer leur importance que de croire qu' Us ne servent qV a garantir la liberte : ils maintiennent la civilisation.

D« ToCQUEVILLK. De la DtSuiocratie en Amerique, tome 4, p. ao.k 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 civilisation. Da Tocquevii.le. Of Democracy in America, vol. 4, p. 220.

Some remarks in the columns of our two Wellington contemporaries upon an article appeared in the Examiner of July 2, render it necessary for us to point out a most singular misapprehension on the part of the Gazette, and to reply to the strictures of the Colonist. The Gazette publishes the article entire, and tells its readers in the leader which is given as a commentary — " We cannot but reflect deeply on the cause which has led our contemporary thus publicly, and in the most unflinching manner, to announce himself the supporter of views which are admitted, not to be those of a community, butbnly a portion of that community." We are very glad that the Gazette has quoted us in full, for we believe it to be almost impossible for any one reading what we did say with any attention to agree with the Gazette, that we thereby announced ourselves to be the supporters^f views which we admit not to be those of a community, but only a portion of that community. If there be any besides the Gazette who have so strangely misapprehended us, we beg at least to inform them that we certainly nevermean* to say anything of the sort, whether the fault lie in our expression or their comprehension. We expressly stated that we firmly believed that we represented the opinion of a Company's settle* ment — not of a party in the settlement who are advocates for the Company in particular. We are " a Company's paper " only so long as the Company continue to show an anxiety for and an endeavour after the benefit of the settlement. We hope and sincerely believe" that, in the majority of cases, our we does not mean the fictitious editorial plurality alone, but the majority of the settlers here also. Our columns are open to all, of whatever opinion. The advancement of the settlement is our main object ; and we have no rival to justify us in attaching ourselves to a party, if party existed amongst us which it cannot be. said to do yet. So long as the Company's interests are as one with those of the settlement — or rather, perhaps we should say, so long as the Company and its agents continue to act on tht** of the fact that their" interests cannot be separated — so long we are a Company's paper, but no longer. r ' & We should be much obliged to our contemporary if, in quoting any remarks of ours, he would be most careful to have the inverted commas so placed as to distinguish clearly between what is quotation and what is parenthetical remark of his own. <*"Rbe, wrong impression produced by the want of this precaution in the present instance was such, that we did not recognize oor own hand, as the idea conveyed was certainly one which we should never have allowed ourselves, to promulgate. In reply to the Colonist, who, quoting us from the Gazette, aays the Nelson Examiner " ' Charges the Government inter alia, with doing their worst to destroy the validity of the titles upon which the settlers claim possession of their land, and not in an jopen manner (which the power of a Government would enable it to do), but by stirring up the native opposition to the occupation of the land by the Copjjtanvte settlers/ As no instances are given, we aS unable to decide whether this is an" original charge, or whether, as is more . probable, it is only a faint echo of onr contemporary's thnnder, so changed and modified by distance, that he no longer recognizes it as his own. Which-

ever it may be, we, as interested" iv the success of this place, call upon those who appear to possess a peculiar knowledge upon the subject , to state the when, where, how, and by whom this has been dorit, in order that the indignant, reprobation of the community may follow the act. Until these particulars are furnished, we must be excused for putting any faith in vague generalities, which serve well enough to round a period, or to answer a party purpose, but which admit, from their very character, neither of substantiation nor refutation! " If nothing more is meant than that the officers of Government, following out the instructions of Lord John Russell, have made known to the natives that they were not, without inquiry, to be driven from their pahs atad'v cultivation, under the pretext of a purchase to which they were no parties, and of which at th# time many were absolutely ignorant, we can*easily believe that such has been the case ; because these gentlemen would have grievously failed in the performance of their duty had they not done so. And we imagine that, if either of our contemporaries attempt to answer our challenge, it will be under some such miserable evasion that they will attempt to shelter then*-**' selves. But if they mean what they have asserted, then again we say, give us the proof. When such proof is furnished, we at least will not be wanting, to ourselves and the community, in taking up the subject." The charge which we made was not a " faint echo " of any one's " thunder," nor was it made to answer party purposes. It was a charge which is substantiated by the very highest authority, and which, to refute, it would be necessary to persuade the set^. tiers in the Company's settlements out of memory and sense. It is easy when ingenuity, illwill, and power are united, so to cloak the doing of an injury as that the injured shall find it difficult to speak clearly as to the " when, where," or ♦* how ;" and a reiteration of the charge while suffering under daily-accumulating ills from the same source, it is easy to call a " miserable evasion." But in this case it is not thus. We know, and so do the colonists, if not the Colonist, " when, where, how, and by whom," this great crime has been committed, though • hardly perhaps the greatest of which the perpetrators and the victims have been the same. The robberies of the burglar and the highwayman are easily proved, - -„^| meet with their deserved punishment ; t*T cleverer swindler, keeping always- within the pale of the law, ruins thousands, and continues in his prosperity — for a time. We begto refer the Colonist and the colonists to a series of resolutions passed, almost unanimously, at a public meeting held in Wellington on the 7th of June last, copies of which resolutions may be seen in the New Zealand Gazette of the 11th, ox Examiner of the 25th, of the same month. Those who attended, who took a leading part in that meeting, were not men who had any reason gratuitously to oppose or misrepresent the Government. We refer to the names of the proposers of the resolutions ; and, after having noted this, let them run over in their minds the history of the Company's settlements; let them recall thii character of .he dealings of the GovenvW ment with us throughout; let them endeavour to recall, if possible, a single instance in which the Government have moved a finger to do us good, and, looking around them, mark the evidences of a continued illwill, which are' not to be mistaken ; let them do this, and we have no doubt that the colonists will at once declare our charge substantiated — though the Colonist may designate our support of it a " miserable evasion."

Our readers will find in another column an account of the arrival and reception, of the Bishop of New Zealand. His lordship has created by his general bearing and njanner a strong impression in his favourfn the minds of all. He is happy in possessing the character of countenance which at once fixes attention, and predisposes to a regard, which the emphatic benevolence of Ills voice and manner does not disappoint His reply to the address presented on Tuesday was given with a. tempered earnestness, which was exceedingly impressive.^ We should say that this earnestness was hiOT cliief characteristic. A general feeling of regret exists that his lordship should have thought it necessary