BAY OF ISLANDS REFUGEES.

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 4, 28 June 1845, Page 3

BAY OF ISLANDS REFUGEES.

In our last dumber we published copy o\ a Memorial, with a scheme for their relief, which had been presented to His Excellency the Governor by eighteen individuals who had been driven from their property and homes, in the Northern districts, by the present insurrection of the Natives. We have, since, been put in possession of the reply of the Colonial Secretary, which we annex, as well as copy of a letter intended to have been transmitted to His Excellency, in consequence ; bul which the petitioners, thinking it would be unavailing, yet fearing that if the Colonial Secretary's letter remained unanswered, they might be presumed tacitly to acquiesce in the reasons for refusal therein expressed, have placed in our hands, optionally, to publish. Deeply sympathizing in their most unfortunate privations and losses, we most readily lay it before the public, and shall take the opportunity of making some i'ew observations on the subject. The lamentable catastrophe, at Kororarika, has driven some hundreds of unfortunate individuals to this part of t!:e island; but they consist of di He rent classes, — and however truly disastrous it lias been, to very many respectable individuals ; yet it cannot be denied, that there are numbers who have improved their condition, and those are of the working classes. It is well known that many individuals were seeking, at the iky of Islands, but a precarious livelihood. — Driven as they have been here, sympathy nnd charity have been excited ; their immediate wants and necessities have becii relieved ; and employment has been found' tLem, although their labour was not abso-j lutely required But, there are others, likewise, who; have suffered alienation from their homes, and much loss of actual propcitv; yrt who cannot so far sacrifice their independence of feelings, or so suddenly lower* {heir grade in society, as to participate in the eleemosynary relief bestowed on others; but who rather, in silent sorrow, and with stinted daily food, subsist on the little remnant of their funds — looking forward to some happier change in their

J or tunes and prospects. These are the « 1 in dividuals, in our opinion, that should be the searching objects of the almoners ot , charitable bounty : and to such class should the Government render every kindness and assistance. The object of the Memorial, from the Refugees of the Northern district, was to obtain a Loan from the Local Government 1 oit security of their lands, which had been confirmed to them by Crown Grant, under the Commission of Land Claims, as having been good equitable purchases from the ; Aborigines. The plea was legitimate and justifiable, and the application was unob- • jectionable and respectful. Into the details ; of the scheme, which we think might be ; amended, it is useless and unnecessary 1 now lo enter, for the scheme itself is re- . .fused to be entertained, by the reply of the • Colonial Secretary. j 1 On perusal of this reply, we certainly j ■ were most truly astonished ; and did we j 'not imagine that the Executive is almost ', absolute, we should have been induced to ! believe, that the decision, and the falla- • cious arguments accompanying it, are 1 lie , sole production of the gentleman who objected to the reception, in the Legislative Council, of a protest: — "because it contained arguments against the measure, without mentioning any for it/ The reply advances three objections — we cannot designate them as reasons, — to j compliance with the request of the peti-i tioners, and we shall briefly remark on them, in their order. The first : — that no funds could be obtained, unless the Government borrowed the money themselves, to lend to the applicants. But the Government could manufacture debentures, to an enormous amount, to pay its own servants and its debts — and which debentures, by the bye, so carelessly and so bunglingJy does it manage its affairs, cannot be safely kept, while they are passing through the manu- ! factory. — And not only so, but the Go- ! vernmeut could issue 50/ debentures, some three months since, to pay arrears of salaries, although such debentures were expressly intended, solely, to withdraw frojn ( irculation the smaller former notes. We do not condemn the Government for either of those acts, because we then thought, and are now of the same opinion, that the unparallelled circumstances and difficulties, in which the Executive Government found itself, demanded extraordinary, unprecedented measures; so likewise we consider, that the calamities and peculiar . situation of these Northern settlers, would justify the Government in similar issue, to I vie very small amount that would be required to relieve them. That the lands of the petitioners, on which the loans are sought, are unproductive, and cannot therefore pay the interest, is the second obstacle mentioned by the Colonial Secretary. — Why, the petitioners 1 have been driven from the cultivation and occupation of their lands. If they were still in possession, and the lands productive, the loan would not be required. By the insurrection of the Natives, the lands, are, for a time, compelled to be alienated ; therefore must be unproductive ; but, as ultimate security, they may yet be good iMid ample to the Government, for »ho small sum sought to be advanced on them. On the last objection, we shall only obseive, that either land in New Zealand is perfectly worthless, according to the opinion of that Government who has sold it, with Crown Grant, at ot'l per acre ; or, else, it can have but little confidence, in the judgment and conduct of those, to whom would have been deputed the duty of determining i be amount to !>o advanced, according to local'ilv, nature of the xo\\, or abundance of timber on the seveial properties. The concluding obierration, we think, might have been omitted : it is perfectly extraneous, and unnecessary* and it ia unjust as well as unfeeling, to insinuate speculation and visionary piojects, to respectable indivi. duals who hate been for many years located, peacefully, ia the Northern dislikf, pursuing agriculture, and other legitimate induhtriou.s occupations, and who ate now, comparatively pennyless and homeless, vet possessing real lauded property in the Colony.

Reply of the Colonial Secretary to the Menio- ! rial from the Refugees from the Northern Districts.

Colonial Secretary's Office, )2ih June, 1845. Sir, — I fmve lnid before the Governor youi Memorial, signed by yomst'lf and seventeen oilier lefugoes fro as the districts of the Bay oi Islands and Wungan, containing 1 the outline ol' a scheme lor relieving the dibtressea vvhich ha\ e iallen upon you. !•; reply, 1 am inst/uclcd to inform

and to request that you will commuuu-aie the answer to the other individuals signing »he Memorial, that His Excellency regrets ex tremely that He is unable to comply with the oroposals contained therein. The obstacles which are opposed to the accomplishment of such a scheme, under the present circumstances of the Colony, are that no funds could beobtained for the purposeof a Loan to the sufferers, save by means of a loan first obtained by the Government; that (he lands on which the loans ate sought are unpioductive, at the present time, j\nd cannot therefore pay interest— neither is theie | any satisfactory proof of such lands being [likely at any future period to be able to r«- : Fund the money so lent on them : while the I possession of the money so advanced might be a means of fostei ing speculaiiouswhich it maybe fairly doubted whether the Colony at ■large, or even many individuals would proiii by. I hare the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Andulw Sinclair. Colonial Secretary, Gilbert Mair, Esq., Aucklaud.

(Copy of an intended anstcer to the Lelter of the Colonial Secretary of \2lhJune.)

Auckland, June 17, 1845. To His Excellency, Capt. Fitzroy, R.N., Governor, &c. &<\ Sir, — Having received your Excellency's reply to the petition of the Refugees for a Joan flora the Colonial Government, and your Excellence's observations set l'oiih in bar to the plan suggested for that purpose, we now take Uie libeity to explain more at large, the principles of that plan, and reasoning on the obstacles opposed by )our Excellency, to call jour Excellence's attention Jo a re-consideration ; conceiving that \otir Excellency mn&t have very much misunderstood the purposes of the requited aid, and its consequences, from the extraoidinary arguments contained iv )our Excellency's leply of 12th June. We ieel it our duty to exhibit tho plan proposed, more at large, on the points on which the obstacles aie opposed, and entering on our remarks, commencing* on the means within your Excellence's power to provide the funds; we have toobseive that as the intent was that the property and the expenditure therefore, be in" confined within the limits of the colon), affords the same undeniable security, winch the Government must be well aware is the only means whereby the same proprietors could have expected f.ssistauce fiom any loan bank ; and which no doubt even your Excellency would be glad to see extended to any individuals requiring such, being settled within the limits of the Coloin. (In fact no greater security could be offered ' by any people in any country.) And as such is the cage, and your Excellency has heretofore drawn for a circulating medium " deben • fine notes," rnado I'^al tender within the Colony; a similar note specifically diawn beiim made legal tender within this colony, would have been equally available, and the senility being held wiihin the colony, would make an} call or liability, on the Home Government on dccoi'nt of ihe loan, unnecessary. When vie consider that the interest on public funds in England, is from 2i to 3^ per cent, we cannot presume that that Government would requiie a greater interest on landed securities vested for the absolute necessities of any Colony \ while the very remote situation of this colony lenders it expedient, at all times. b\ all possible means, to act lor itself, rather than, in such as the present case compels part of its population, to remain little better than paupers, lor 12 months, till by an award of the Home Government, they may again be able to reestablish themselves Nor can we read ih re ceive tho idea that extraordinary interest, would eventually be claimed for a loan of p.irt of those funds strictly their due, as restoration of that properly destroyed by the policy and lnHlicient means to provide against the re-action of the mea^uies adopted by the govei i ing authority. The mode of raising this loan theiefoie b\ simply an issue of specially drawn notes, secured on crown grants and theexpendituio thereof, by confined opei aliens within the Coloxy, in stipulated advances made under the inspection of the revenue officers ; the whole being previously directed by a boaid of Government Oiliceis, assisted by such gentlemen of undoubted chalactet, as had the means of best kr.ovmg the actual circumstances of each claimant, — would have piepared the ground woilc, by the best immediate evidence, for the determinations of the compensation fund ; and if, as every one, must rationally suppose this compensation must be awarded, (m like manner as county compensation for liots,) surely il is most proper by Inm.'i'y assistance, to enable the oiigmal piopriolois aspeisons bestacquainted with the counfci \, i's business, and resources, to return to their avocations, — than by proti action and patipeiism compel them to ott'ei the shadow of their piopei ties, ender tliefrai ful aspect, which eour K\ceiienn's letter of 12lh June places them, to join themselves to t hose of then fellow colonists whose little faith in this Government has ahead) induced them to seek a foreign home. | It must remain an acknowledged fact that specie cam ot remain as a circulating ine"iumin tl.is cOioii), so long as there may not be sufficient adventitious or staple produce to meet the mer entile returns, therefore the early le-eslabhsh-ment of the liay of Islands, and every thing connected with us suppoit, is of the utmost consequence, even lo Auckland ilsell, as an adjunct ; inasmuch as the Bay of Islands having been lor years a uivounle lesoit of Colonial and Foiei^n shipping, and put suing a moot p.osand advantrigeuds tiade to New Zealand, i ..iii-ilied nof oniy tiio best outlet for its natuiai p.u.iuo^, but a most, eilect.ve leturn by t!.e fo j uu j '.j,!i biho iiegociatod for that purpose.

i Conic] it be possible to conceive that thero would arise any sacnfice or immediate loss to <juverumeut fn encouraging its Je-eslablishment, Uiat sacrifice would be ucll ?epaid by the immediate re&ults of u liberal and enlightened puhcj. We have as much as possible loreed ourselves to overlook the conviction that compensation inubt ensue for the destruction of pioperh, consequent solely on Government polu>, and measures, (jiot even arising from legniar Mdrfaie,) as much, so suiely, us testoiation lok desuo^ed property on the American I'toulier, in the war of ISM, 15, and ,6. 4> 1 luit the lands, (being Ciown Grants,) ou which the loan is sought, are unpioduetiveal tin* pteseut tune, and cannot theiefotu pay interest," a most teniw'c confession of the slate of the colony j is most lamentably s\vallo\«. Ed up in its following arguments, u That no satisfactoi^ proof remain* of such lands at any lutuie period hning likelj to be able to lefund the money so lent on them." New Zealand was, previous to the Government assuming the Sovereignty, put suing a lloulistung couise. Foreign trdde vwis yearlj mci easing. Its natural produce and agricultural leMJimes vveie increasingly developing themselves. Its fisheries had attracted the attention of many nations. And its rising political importance had pioduced the almost belligerent livalry of the two most powerful Emopean nations for its possession. What then are we to think I refening to the foregoing objections, whence has this state of things (if true) I.een produced. To what can we attribute such an extraordinary change ? Notwithstanding the influx of a larue and respectable body of capitalists, — of the establishment of several impoitciiit towns, — of the location of many settlers— of the assumption of the land of this colony, nolv» itlistandmg it* remotest feitua'ion from the mother country, being valued at upset ptice of 20s. per ucse, in common with nearer and older colonies. And the whole coveted by the guarantee of Ciown grants, the establishment of an expensive government, canning with it the presumption of eilkient British protection ; shall now be tieclaied by that government, valueless ! Andthat that town, piodueed lo such vigorous infann, by the milk of New Zealand, is no longer w oi thy of re-establishment after its destruction by an irruption of baibarians. To enter on consideration, the concluding paragraph, might well be spared as far as individual reference: perhaps total silence is its due. But tis it embraces colonial prosperity, it reqnires the iilm to be withdrawn, if we allow that some individuals would use the loan in the viciniU of Auckland, suiely the erection of mills, b?eweiies, dnii'y faims, or any other emplounent which tho circumstance of the times, might make apparently more beneficial to the individuals, could not be otherwise than as beneficial to the colony, as the introduction of other colonists to those pursuits. And even iookingat the worst view, I hat some persons might, (despairing from tlm melancholy state of the Colony) determine on abandoning the«r property under secui it), (unless the Government prophecy should becovie t>ue,) that propert) must surely leproduct* the fractional per centum loaned on the government upset priceNo trade or business, can he followed, without some risk, or what may be called speculation ; of which theindividuals themselves must ever judge. The supposition therefore, that those individuals cannot guide their allaus with disci etiou, is uncalled lor. It is not to be hoped, that any private community, would undeitake a nsk, on piopeify dedal ed by the Government as valuele&a; or enter on any speculation in that Colon}, which its own govei umeiit have declined annihilated, inasmuch as they suppose " there does not exist any satisfactory evidence, of its landed properly ever again becoming piodtictive." We can only conclude by calling upon \our Excellency, upon belter delibeiation, b) some immediate positive retributive act to ledeem the colony fjom the fjightful effects which must otherwise ensue, on the piomulgation of such a decision, as that contained iu )our Excellency's letter of i 2th June last ; hoping we slut! teceive a more favjinable dutermiuatioii, v*e have the honor to subscribe ourselves, Your Excellency's Most obedient seivants. RtF UGtfc.S OF IHE Northern Districts.