The New-Zealander. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1845.

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 25, 22 November 1845, Page 2

The New-Zealander. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1845.

Be just and fear not: Let all the ends thou aims't at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

,We this week are enabled to lay before our readers copious . extracts from the lengthened debate in.the House of Commons, from the 17th to the 20th June, on the affairs of New Zealand. We are beyond measure surprised, on careful perusal of the whole debate, that so much ignorance yet prevails in England as to this Colony. There is not a member on either side of the House, who displays the least correctinformation as to the real state of the Colony. The whole debate consists of crimination and re-crimina-tion between the members connected with the Colonial office, and those with the New Zealand Company : and whatever was thrown into the debate by. what may be termed, neutral members, consisted of mere theoretical ideas of colonization, without the least knowledge of the aborigines of New Zealand, in reference to their power in numbers, or as to their intellect and ability . Mr. Buller declaimed for four hours, and quoted Vattel, as an authority for breach of the Treaty of Waitangi, —in order, we presume, that' the New Zealand Company should have an unconditional grant from the Crown, without referent eto Native or other titles. But we wish Mr. Buller was in New Zealand to convince Hone Heke or TeW'herowhero that because Mattel laid down certain doctrines and principles, as regards lands belonging to natives who cjo not, at the time of discovery, cultivate tlie whole of them— that therefore they must relinquish them ! What do the Waikato tribes know of Vattel ? It is beyond me.asure ridiculous that the English House of Commons should have been occupied three long nights, arguing a question on the mere dry theory of o ! d authoi ities of the law of nations— while, at the very same time and date, the British troops were being defeated by the abprigines, held by Mr. Buller and his friends, in such contempt. Vattel may be quoted, and theoretical politicians in England may put forth their crude phantoms of Colonial policy, — but we consider this debase merely as another lamentable proof of the complete ignorance of the ministerial party, and utter misconception of others, as to the real state and condition of New Zealand. In proof of our remark, what can be* more absurd or more impracticable than Sir James Graham's declaration of the intentions of the Home Government as regards land in this Colony ? He says— u Within a time to be limited, to call on persons whether natives, or settlers, to come in and prove and register their

ttitles, within a given time— and at the expiration of that time, the right of the sovereignty of the Crown to all unregistered lands would accrue. After the registration, it would open to the Local Government to place a small tax on all waste lands to which a title had been made out, and in this manner he thought that the Crown would become possessed of a large portion of unoccupied land.*' We have, in other columns of this number, inserted an excellent article, from the London Watchman, of June 25, upon Mr. Buller's arguments in the course of the debate ; , and we most cordially concur with our icotemporary; that " the House of Commons has righteously decided that the national faith shall be maintained/