CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 87, 4 November 1843, Page 347

CORRESPONDENCE.

To Thb Editor of thk Nelson Examiner.

Sir — It is now many months since the wellknown signature of "An Englishman" disappeared from your pages, and now that there exists such abundant cause for stricture the general grief for this disappearance must be renewed with even more than its original violence j for surely he that ventured, in his honest energy, to remind his friends of their supposed failings, could hardly fail to expatiate with eloquence upon the evident faults of our present rulers. While we regret this loss and the subsequent one with the utmost sincerity, we must not allow unavailing regrets to engross our attention, nor refrain from doing our best to supply the deficiency. We have lost several good and honest writers ; but, as your columns have shown, they are not all gone. There remain many by whom the acts of the Government have been fairly criticized; and though, no doubt, this subject must now be rather a stale one with your readers, I cannot refrain from adding my mite to the general expression of dissatisfaction with, and want of confidence in, the existing Government, more especially as this feeling does not appear to be universal. In your last paper you have passed some remarks upon a memorial prepared for signature by various gentlemen in this town, expressing confidence in the existing Government; and, while I would deprecate any remarks which might be construed into an accusation of want of sincerity on their part, v I cannot but support the general justice of your remarks. I would wish to give every man credit for sincerity in those opinions which he may choose to express, and rather honour him than otherwise for boldly asserting opinions deliberately formed, however much opposed to the general notions ; but, at the same time, I would remind the gentlemen who presented this memorial that, in cases of such a nature, it is usual to have the arguments in favour of their opinions stated in rather a more lucid and succinct manner than they appeared prepared to do. They cannot be ignorant that the general feeling is-much against their notions, and must know moreover that unfounded prejudices prove frequently too strong for the most convincing arguments. How much more then must a well-founded feeling of dissatisfaction be proof against the mere .presentation of a memorial expressing simply the opinion of gentlemen neither very influential nor very remarkable for consistency. As we cannot be expected all to follow the lead thus magnanimously set us, without knowing -the why and the wherefore, I would ask *&hat is the cause of their confidence in the existing Government ? Does it lie in the fearless assertion of the British law by Major Richmond, in suppressing the armed constabulary force both here and at Wellington ? Is it in consequence of the promptitude with which he has frustrated all the well-meant and politic endeavours at the Motuaka and elsewhere to preserve such peace between the two races as may be attained ? Does it arise from the kind consideration with which they have treated their honorary officers in this settlement (some of our most respected settlers) ? Or, if it be not in consequence of any one of these or many similar and equally laudable actions, what does it arise from?

It would be rash to say that it may not appear to some individuals as an act calling for a vote of confidence, so to treat men justly popular in the colony as to drive them to the resignation of those influential situations in which their best energies have been exerted in behalf of justice. It may possibly appear praiseworthy to treat one particular class of English subjects in one way and another in a widely different one — to show forth the majesty of the law over unoffending Englishmen by suppressing the authorized drilling of a handful of paid constables, while, for all they know or care, there may be a daily drill of ten thousand armed Maories under their protege's, Rauparaha and Ranghiaita. I say it may appear praiseworthy to permit all preparations for aggression on the one side and to prevent any preparations for selfdefence on the other; for who can say what will not appear praiseworthy to some persons ? Bui I must say that, however deserving such conduct may seem to them of a vote of confidence, to me it appears to call for a most indignant protest against such gross partiality and such miserable policy. We are, forsooth, not to be protected — not even to be allowed to make those preparations for self-defence, in case of absolute necessity, which were considered advisable by our most influential men. Our every effort is to be thwarted, rather than assisted, by those sworn to protect us ; and yet we are requested to adopt Shylock's submission. We must only hope that those who propose it will not adopt any farther part of Shylock's character than his submission.

The settlers who have come thus far from England have come under the assurance of the supremacy of British law here as at home, and only demand that its spirit should be followed out so far as the means of the Government will allow. That these means would not have been small, if properly collected, mußt be evident, since the applications of the civil officers of both Wellington and Nelson to the Governors of Australia and Van Diemen's Land were promptly attended to ; so that, apparently, nothing was wanting but the will to put the law into execution, and thus to prove to the white settlers that they also were considered as worth protecting. Whatever the motives of the Government may be, however philanthropic they may be considered, none can deny but that the sudden ! death of our friends at the Wairoo calls for a judicial inquiry and the apprehension of the natives who were present. The settleri came with an aiiurance of the

supremacy of the law, and therefore any degree of departure from its spirit is a breach of faith on the part of the Government, and, as' such, deserving of anything rather than votes of confidence.

The circumstances of the Government are doubtless peculiar and deserving of consideration ; they must greatly need support, and, had they but applied, they would have received it; but this consideration should not be carried so far as to express confidence in a Government which is not making any endeavour to perform those duties which are so loudly and so justly called for.

Having thus endeavoured to give some notion of what I conceive to be the duty of the Government in a legal point of view, I wish to make a few remarks upon the spirit of their conduct, supposing them to be actuated by motives of imagined philanthropy. I can hardly suppose that the present Government is actuated by the belief that war is entirely and invariably unlawful, as many of their previous acts would appear to indicate otherwise; and if war be lawful in any case, under what circumstances (in case of the Maories refusing to submit to the civil power) could it be more advisable than the present ? Can any one possessing the slightest knowledge of human nature suppose that tame submission now, after what has occurred, would tend to render the native population more quiet or less inclined to take the law into their own hands when right, and to act in spite of the law when wrong ? Many of their aggressions have been slurred over at Wellington, under various plausible pretexts, and .the result has shown in a 8m all way what must be expected from that course of conduct. In conclusion, I must express my regret and wonder that the confidence in the " powers that be " of the gentlemen who have been most actively engaged in preparing this memorial has thus, for the second time, happened to be opposed to the general, in fact, all but universal, feeling. We cannot forget quite so soon as this the great confidence which they exhibited in the respected sheriff and magistrates of Nelson, on the evening of the 26th of June last, when the urgency of their admiration obliged these gentlemen to show them the way to the door, from mere shame of course. I remain, sir, yours, &c. W. R. N.