RECALL OF CAPTAIN FITZROY.

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 18, 4 October 1845, Page 3

RECALL OF CAPTAIN FITZROY.

[From the New Zealand Journal— May 1 0.] On Monday evening last it was announced by Mr. Hope, in reply to a question from Captain Rous, that Governor Fitzroy 'had been recalled by the Government. The Honourable Under Secretary quoted the following extract from Lord Stanley's dispatch, as showing the way in which this duty hail been performed': — " The concern with wliich I announce this decision (Captain Fitzroy's recall) is greatly enhanced by the remembrance of the public spirit and disinterestedness with which you so liberally assumed this arduous duty, and 'of the personal sacrifices which you so liberally made on that account ; nor can I omit to record, that in whatever other respect our confidence in you may have been shaken, Her Majesty's Government retain the most implicit reliance on your pprsoual character, and on your zeal for the Queen's service. You will therefore readily ({believe that I have acted on this occasion in reluctant submission to what I regard as an indispensable public iuty.'' A very gentlemanly mode of dismissal, and one which does credit both to Lord Stanley's head and heart. That Captain Fitzroy, is in private life, all that is excellent, amiable, and, with the solitary exception of his conduct, relative to the Wairoa massacre, high minded, we have never denied, but upon all occasions admitted ; and it wasin our admiration of these qualities, that, in the outset of his career, we proffered our humble though cordial support. But , when we found that these estimable qualities were swamped by the Church Missionary domination exercised through its Agents in the Colony, which has so thoroughly prostrated his Excellency's better judgment, and that measures were originated in accordance with this policy, which had for their ultimate object the complete destruction of the Cook's Straits Settlements, though, the local Government has been long subsisting upon them ; we, as a matter of duty, no less than of interest, lost sight of the estimable man, in the inefficient, or rather wrong-headed Governor. We could not suffer our respect for the one to overcome our aversion to the ruinous policy of the other. There is one portion of Lord Stanley's dispatch to w Inch we cannot forbear making allusion ; in which he speaks of the public spirit and disinterestedness with which Captain Fitzroy assumed the duties of Governorship, and of the personal sacrifices which he so liberally made on that account. This i» twaddle To an ambitious mind, the Governorship of New Zealand cannot but be an object of high importance. No slight reputation would accrue to a man who possesses suifi cient ability to rectifylthe miserable state of things which proceeding Governments, have produced in New Zealand. Such a man, b<iving,effected so desirable, an object, would not be suffered to remain longer in New Zealand than was necessary to accomplish the purposes of his mission. His services would be thought sufficiently valuable for a more important station. Captain Fitzroy, well knew this, and had he succeeded, he would have been that distinguished man. He has not succeeded, but has prepared still further difficulties for his successors ; to whom, if he look at the matter in our way, these fresh difficulties are only fresh inducements to covet the ollice. If the new Governor fail in restoring the Colony to prosperity, the less will be. the , disgrace of his failure. If he succeed, the greater will be his reputation. But the faults which have thrown a cloud over the prosperity of New Zealand, do not so much lie at the door of the Governor as of those around jhim, whoform the staff of the Government. The Governor is only the focus of the bad dispositions and the ignorance, orsomething worse, of these men. If he listen to them, he is lost ; the truth of which observation is but too well exemplified in the experience of Captain.. Fjtzroy. At the ttme of his acceptance of the Governorship, we. warned him of the evil, and for atime he .seemed to be aware of it. One of his first acts was to dismiss Shortland,' 'bnt he retained those who had made that gentlemen what he was, and not only retained them, but he has evidently given himself up to their influence. < The tone and temper with which he first visited Port Nicholson is a sufficient proof of this. What could he have known of ti c Port Nicholson people but from the lying reports of his contemptible staff? Whoever may be the future Governor, he will be blind to his own interests if lie go out without a carte blanche in his pocket, empowering him to dismiss at any time any one he pleases. We give him the same warning which we gave to Captain Fitzroy. We know most of these geniry, and speak from experience. Let the new, Governor make it one of his first objects after his arrival to enquiie from the seitlers, as well at Port Nicholson as Auckland, respecting the general opinion of his staff, both as regards* their capabilities and their disinterested ness, and upon 'this let'him act. The settlers will only be too glad to give him the requisite information. We will do our best to enlighten him a little upon this subject. But if he do not this, they will as certainly hamper him as they have done his predecessors. The Colonial Office has it now in its power to select aman free fiom the influence of any party, wbethei religious or otherwise in this country. They have permitted .evil in abundance by countenancmg.people of a sectarian tendency ; And the best compensation they can make to the settlers is, by appointing a Governor perfectly independent of any party ; above all, do not let him be a vassal of the Chut eh Missionary Society. If they wish their Society to flourish in New Zealand, they will cease, to interfere with the appointment of Governor ; for no Governor who is known to be connected with them Mill ever possess the confidence of the Colonists. They

havo avowed themselves our enemies; we lake them only by their own word, and naturally infer that their partizans must be enemies to the Colony also. We give Lord Stanley every credit for the exercise of a conciliatory spirit, when he has it in" his power to display that spirit. He has now an opportunity ofso doing; and we trust that the new appointment will be the dawn of a better day for the unhappy Colony. But we ask his lordship to make the appointment as speedily as possible, for God knows what freaks may not be. yet perpetrated previous to his arrival.