PUBLIC MEETING.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 81, 23 September 1843, Page 322

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting was held in the Court House <m Wednesday lastTto receive the report of the gentlemen who were deputed to proceed to Auckland to lay before the Government the evidence relating to tiieJWatoo^ massacre, and^thjgaentimenta entertained thereon by the inhabitant o| this settlement, "The meeting wai num6rousl||p highly respectable, and appeared to be unanimous in expressing their disgust at the shuffling conduct of the Auckland Incapable.

Mr. M'Donald, sheriff, having taken- thejhair, briefly stated the, object of the meeting. In auEHnK to the correspondence between the deputation ancT the Officer administering the Government! he expressed his regret that the several important questions put by the former had not been answered. It appeared to him that the only reply the Government would condescend to give was a proclamation, which they had all seen, with a long tail affixed to it by Mr. Clarke; telling how 'dark the heavens had become, not because twenty-two of our countrymen' had been murdered, but because seven of the Maories had fallen. TheJfeirman concluded by saying that, notwithstandfigYis .appointment, he would at all times express Hi* opinions fearlessly and openly", whether they implied censure on the Government or otherwise. Freedom of thought and speech was one amongst the many privileges of Englishmen, which he felt no disposition to part with under any circumstances.

h*t)r. Monko (one of the deputation) had but little to say beyond what bad already appeared in the published correspondence. In short, it had been found useless to ask any •' questions of the Government, as they answered all that were put to them by saying the subject must not be prejudged. The only satisfactory reply obtained in a three-hours' interview with the Officer administering the Government, was an admission on his part that the Maorieswere British subjects — an admission the more important, as it is understood that a difference of opinion on that subject «Mta amongst the various members of the Government He (Dr. Monro) thought it would be unnecessary* on the present occasion, to read the-cor«wpuua-ence alluded to--" i*Ju«nareai^pppear ed in the rrmorr Examiner of last week; but there^was another document, which had not yet been published, explanatory of some allusions in the raft* morial which appeared obscure to the Officer administering the * Government, which document he requested Mr. Domett might be allowed to read. , » Mr. Domett, before commencing, begged to remind the meeting that several important circumstances had transpired (particularly the evidgtoe of Morgan) since the departure of his colleag^ and himself, with which they were unacquainted. And with respecjt to the question of the land claims, it would be recollected, that they could only argue on the facts or assertions of the Officer administering the Government, not being then acquainted with the counter assertions of the Company's Agent,, or his refutation of the Government's charges. These facts would accoutMbr their statement of their fellow'colonisf s views being less strongly- and convincingly-put than i? otherwise would have been. He then read the document referred t0... (which will be found in another column), and concluded .by corroborating the statement of Dr. Monro, as to the utter hopelessness of getting any satisfactory information from the Government.'' -. , Captain Thorns briefly proposed the first resolution— .. . - . ' ■ \%- 1. " Resolved, that we have heard with the warmest approval and satisfaction the account of the operations of the late deputation, to Auckland, and that we hereby beg to return them our most grateful thanks for their exertions on the occasion." Seconded by Mr. Poynt«r and unanimously carried. Mr. Jollib moved the second resolution — 2. " That this meeting refers with feelings of the highest satisfaction to the admirable and wellreasoned exposition of the sentiments of the settlers of Nelson made .in the communication dated August 16, and addressed to His Excellency the Officer administering the Government,' for transmission to the Colonial Secretary, in further explanation of the views of the memorialists." Seconded by Mr. Spoons*, and 'carried unanimously. • • - - ' Mr. C. Elliott, on rising to propose the third resolution; said he deeply regretted that they should be under -the painful necessity of again di^cutsmg the subject- of the -Wakoo, massacre; but the .shameful conduct of the Government, the feeling of what Was due' to the memory of our murdered friends, and the duty we owed to ourselves as Englishmen, compelled us agau*. to assemble and to state our convictions uttfce strongest terms. He had hoped that the deputies tion, on their return from Auckland, would have brought some assurance of the Government's intention immediately to adopt energetic steps to bring the 'murderers, to Justice, and to give the settlers of Nelson protection against futuraratrage; instead of which,' it was evident i&attae present shuffling Government would do nothingVall was left for the new Governor to do, whenevcV hie may arrive 1 , and ' in the mean time the murderers were suffered to arm' and strengthen themselves without molestation, and this settlement left in the same defenceless state in which it had ever been. < The inhabitants of Nelson had asked for protection; Bttd they, were presented with a proclamation inciting the natives to further acts of aggression j they had asked for justice on the : murderers of their countrymen, and they were answered by. the cold-blooded taunt not to prejudge the case; and this by a Government who, not satisfied with prejudging the case themselves, had,

in the teeth of the evidence to the contrary, which had been laid before them, charged the murdered .men with rashness andlillegalityT Would the inhabitants of Nelson suffer, this wicked, this most contemptible crew, that passes for a Government — would they suffer these miserable Jacks-in-office to heap insult on the ashes of their murdered fellow settlers, more than one of whom had possessed greater moral and intellectual worth than fifty such Governments united ? No : the people of Nelson, though their* number was few, and the distance great between them and the seat of Government, stood on the 'vantage.ground of truth, and their" voices would, in so good a cause, be loud enough to -make them heard, and would bring down justice ' on the murderers of our countrymen and execrations on their slanderers. From the arrival of the first body of colonists in this settlement to the ' present moment there had been unceasing cause for complaint; and there bad never been a pubUc .meeting held in that Court House at which theY conduct of the Government had not been either " directly or indirectly censured. ' Looking at what they had done, the only conclusion that could be come to was, that their chief aim had beenyto withhold from the settlers their rights, to blight their prospects, and beggar their country. He iherefore proposed the following resolution— 3. " That this meeting considers that the statements put forth by the Local Government, with regard to the cause and nature of the late massacreAt the Wairoo, are erroneous ; and views with ,the\ strongest disapprobation the course of proceeding \ adopted by it, as both unjust to the memory of those who fell, and most pernicious to the general interests of the colony." ■ ' ' Mr. Macshani said the resolution had his full concurrence, and he would therefore second it. With regard to the Company not apprizing the Government of their intention to select land in she IKVairoo, it was of course understood when the Nelson settlement was formed in Blind Bay, thaV the nearest available land was to be taken for the " purpose. The resolution was then put and carried unanimously. ■ ' . Mr. J. Tytlsr, J.P., on proposing the next resolution, observed that it had been just stated that there never had been a public meeting -field in that room at which the Government escaped censure, and certainly the present occasion would' be no exception to that rule. With regard to the resolution he was about to read, he did not see what protection soldiers at Wellington were to us. So far as this settlement was concerned, they might as well be in the moon. The (resolution which h%. had to propose was— *\ 4. " That this meeting does not consider that v * the stationing fifty soldiers at Wellington is any protection to .the settlement of Nelson ; and that Ibis settlement may still be regarded ss in the same BhauteTUlly and totally unprotected condition as it has always been hitherto left by the Government." *V Mr. Heapby begged to second the resolution v just read, and then proceeded to show the general ninprotected state in which the Company's settlements had been left since their formation. .He stated that at least twenty instances had occurred at Wellington in, which the lives of Englishmen had been in peril, for the want of that protection which a Government was bound to give ; and he further instanced the supposed murder of Mr. Wilton's party at the Wairoo more than two years |iince, the plundering the wreck of the Jewess, and many other outrages, to show the shameful neglect by the Government of it 3 most important duties. The resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. Stafford, before proposing the next resolution, felt very great pleasure in presenting .to the notice of the meeting a letter from the Hon. C. A. Dillon* which he had been requested to read to them. It expressed so well the sentiments of jibe people of this settlement generally, that he. "ould allow it to speak for itself. The letter was" as follows: — . . ' v " Waimea, September 19, 1843. , "My dear Sir — I should feel much obliged by your stating' at the meeting to be held to-morrow (Wednesday), the regret which I feel at being unable to attend, as I should have experienced much pleasure in having an opportunity of thus publicly Expressing my warmest approval of the conduct of the gentlemen deputed to represent our sentiments to the Local. Government, as also my strongest disapprobation of all the measures adopted by the person at present administering the Government with regard" to the late unfortunate events in the Wairoo. I feel confident that no course could have been pursued which would have a stronger tendency to defeat the ends of justice or which could prove more injurious to the interests of the colony generally. " I have the honour to remain, •* Yours respectfully,. "CONSTANTINB A. DIILON." The subjects in connexion with the object for which they had met had been so well explained by the gentlemen who had spoken before him that nothing new was left for him to state. But as this affair had deeply engrossed the public mind ever since its occurrence, and would still be the subject of much anxious deliberation for the future, he conceived they were notquite tired of lintening to some of the details. They had all seen, in 4 very proclamation issued by the- Government with regard to the affair, an earnest caution against prejudging " what may (they- never said mint) become the subject of judicial inquiry." But, he would ask, what was that proclamation put forth by the Chief Protector of Aborigines, with the sanction of the Q£cer administering the Government, but a most •flagrant prejudging of the affair ? That document commenced with the following :— " The brig Victoria has arrived from Fort Nicholson. The horizon is dark, the day exceedingly dark 1 " Now, from the subsequent conduct of the Government, he could only suppose that the darkness alluded to vaajypicol of their grief at the blood of six or seven' Vaories having been shed; for as' to the twentytwo European lives which had been taken on that occasion (many of them foully, in cold blood), that, inasmuch as it was the act of the natives, was regarded by the Government merely as an unfortunate accident; and although Mr. Shortlacd had admitted that the natives were British subjects, and awtcnable to Britsh laws — an admission whick might appear rather awkward to' most persons, and at variance with his neglect of any measures which, would subject them to be tried by those laws to which they were amenable — yet his Excellency bad got out of this scrape by adopting a very free and

as follows :—

useful although not generally understood meaning for the word amenable, which, in the case of the natives, meant not guilty. He would relate a recent instance of this reading. A few days ago a Maori entered a house at Wellington and forcibly attempted to take away a blanket. On being remonstrated with by the woman of the house, he knocked her down and cut her head: She called a constable, who endeavoured to take htm into custody ; but he was also knocked down and much abused by the thief and his fellow Maories, who then retreated to their pah. But the Protector (Mr. Clarke), evidently aware of the mode in which the Government officers would dispose of the case, persuaded him to come to the Police Office, and suffer himself to be tried for the offence ; and, although the offence was clearly proved, the Police Magistrate (Major Richmond) dismissed the case, terming it " a trifling affair." Of course it must have appeared in his eyes but a trifle, when the murder of twenty-two European's' was also " a trifling affair." Although the meeting were not all lawyers, they could form a very good guess as to what would have been the punishment of Englishmen guilty of the same offence. In .the case of the murder they would have suffered the last penalty of the law— in that of the burglary they would have been transported; but, as these were the acts of Maories, the first was regarded as mere accident, the second as a " trifling affair." But he (Mr. Stafford) forgot — the Governor says you are not " to prejudge/ no, you are not to form any opinion on the subject ; you are to stop your ears, shut your eyes, and open your mouth, and see what Willoughby Sbortland will send you I It required no great share of the gift of prophecy to foresee that he would send or do nothing. But this would not last long. In some way or other, we must have proper steps taken,. And he (Mr. Stafford) would ask, how did it happen that the Governor sent for troops from Sydney, which, when they arrived, were not to be employed or even disembarked ? Was it to enact the old story of the 10,000 men marching up the hill, and then marching down again ? And could he not as easily have got more men from the commander of the forces in New South Wales as the few he had, and thus removed all excuse of want of power to enforce the law ? But it was useless to ask these questions ; they could all answer them; and, besides, the Governor did not relish them, and. so retreated behind his favourite sentence, " you must not prejudge the case." You are to leave the office of prejudging in the hands of Government, ay, of misstating too, for, in this beautiful proclamation Mr. Clarke states that three natives had fallen before they (the natives) attempted to fire — again an exparte statement, in the very teeth of the evidence taken on oath. Mr. Clarke had also stated that the " cause of the quarrel was about land," although he well knew that it was about the burning of a house and quite irrelevant to the question of title. But this the meeting knew, and therefore it was but a waste of time to repeat it ; so he would af once read the resolution — 5. " That this meeting hereby'expresses its total want of confidence in the persons at present at the head of the Government, - from a conviction that they, are unfit to administer the same to the honour orthe British Crown and the general benefit of the colony." Seconded by Mr. Graham, 'and carried Unanimously. Mr. Cooper moved the sixth resolution— 6. " That the resolutions adopted at this meeting be forwarded to the Officer administering the Government, and that he be requestedto transmit the same to the Secretary of State for the Colonies." Seconded by Mr. Empsow, and carried unanimously. The Sheriff having left the chair, Mr. Fox was requested to preside ; when the following resolution was proposed by Mr. Domett .and seconded by Mr. Elliott — 7. " That the thanks of ffte*public of Nelson are especially due to the sheriff and magistrates of the settlement, for the truly independent and fearless manner in which they have done theirduty throughout all the proceedings consequent upon the melancholy affair at the Wairoo." ' " " Mr. M'Donald said he should always pursue the same line of conduct whether he held office under Government or not He had not sought the appointment he held, and if they were dissatisfied with his conduct they knew what course to pursue. Dr. Monho wished, before the meeting separated, to relate on anecdote of- the person who administered the Government. In the course of an interview which he and his colleague had hod with Mr. Shortland, they reminded him that the late Police Magistrate had received the approbation of the Government for his conduct atMassacre Bay, when the natives, about nine months ago, attempted to stop the surveys and drive away the settlers. His Excellency was for a moment staggered, but replied, " Ah ! that was not a question about land ; it was about coal] " ' ' ,

Note,— The .Thermometer Mean .. 694 404 Friday.. 60 49 60 Thurs...] 60 I 40 I 60 ■ Wed.... 62 37 62 Tuesday 62 I 37 62 Monday. 674 384 111 674 57 Sunday. 57 I 32 I 5at,....! 674 614 - 674 DAY « Highest Lowest during during Day. Night. Highest during Day. THERMOMETER. rfromwhi 50 « - 494 494 • • «*. 84* Mean. I ich the above is taken is hung in the open air, do., freth N.E., fresh do. N. Westerly ■ Easterly. Variable do., light do. Variable do.,>fresh S.Westerly, fresh S. Westerly S.Westerly, light Variable. Westerly; A.M. WINDS. -P.M. ud completely shell do. Fine I Very fine h Five 1 Showery 1 Fine \\t ■ - . *•»• .1 WEiT lterk from the sub. lloudy 1 do. Very fine • do. Fine Showery P.M. HER.