Original Correspondence. THE NEW POLICE.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 65, 29 August 1846, Page 3

Original Correspondence. THE NEW POLICE.

To the Editor of the yew Zealander. Sm, — When the institution of the New Police force was first announced, Captain Grey's reputation for caution, combined with the universal ignorance as to his instructions from home, naturally produced general belief, that this force must have been established upon wise principles for the promotion of useful objects, though not one of the persons best acquainted with the requirements of the Colony could divine what those objects and principles were. But when a practical step in the prosecution of any measure is once taken by a government, no secrecy, however profound, as to the measure itself, and no reputation for ability in the projectors, however great, can long suspend the exercise of curiosity concerning it ; particularly, if it should be likely, in any conceivable way, to affect the public revenue. Now, whatever may be the ends aimed at in the establishment of the New Police force, one thine; is certain, that the maintenance of it must fall upon the Colony or the Mother-country. In one case, the magnitude of the requisite funds would obviously render the subject vitally important to the settlers, and in the other, it certainly would not he, as some persons are foolish enough to believe, indifferent to them. For, the principle, that people may do what they please with their own, while it is morally false, is not in all cases even legally true. When the imperial government proposes to spend its money for such and such purposes in a colony, it ought, injustice to them, to be presumed that they have the interests of the settlers and aboriginal inhabitants exclusively in view. If then, the objects proposed should be unattainsble, useless, or even mischievous, and if other objects highly beneficial to the inhabitants could be accomplished by the same expenditure, it would be the bounden duty of the settlers, not only to themselves, but to the imperial government, to endeavour, by timely, respectful, and constitutional remonstrance, to alter the destination of the expenditure from one set of objects to the other. If the tenants of an estate were unable to educate their children, if they saw their farms going to ruin for want of drainage which they could not of themselves accomplish, or rendered useless for want of roads which they could not make, and if, in this situation of their affairs, theiv landlord offered to maintain at his own expense a pack of hounds aud huntsmen for their amusement, there can be no doubt, that the tenants would forthwith ask their wellintentioned friend to apply his money to the relief of their real wants, and the promotion of their real desires —so different from the pleasures of the chase. When these, with other similar considerations, and the protracted silence of the government are taken into account, it cannot be thought strange, that the attention of the settlers shonld be earnestly hxed upon the New Police force, and that their ingenuity should be exhausted in guessing at the objects of its institution, and in discussing in each case the fitness of the exhibited means. And indeed it is the intense interest thus excited, which can alone prevent the revival of a subject, now so stale, from appearing useless or uninteresting. That the force in question could be intended as auxiliary to those at present in the Colony, in the event of hostilities with the natives, is hardly conceivable, not only because such hostilities, on anything like a formidable scale, are but little likely to occur again, while we have so efficient a military and naval force, and while so large a body of militia can be raised under the existing laws, but also, becanse it would obviously form a perfectly contemptible, if not an entirely useless addition to our present means of defence. But, while this anomalous force is too small for some purposes, it is too large for others. For instance, even prior to | experience, it would be thought nothing less than a monstrous libel upon so small a community of British people, to suppose that so large a police force would be necessary to protect them from the lawless portion of themselves, while such a supposition is rendered ridiculous in point of fact, by the well known sufficiency of the old constabulary force for the same purpose.— Still, however, it might be imagined, that the New Police force, being partly composed of natives, would be peculiarly useful in the apprehension of the natives or Europeans who, from time to time, seek shelter from the legal consequences of their crimes in the protection of the native chiefs, and that on this account such a force would not only be useful, but essentially necessary to the complete administration of Justice. Now up to the present day not an instance has occurred in this district, in which a fugitive of the kind just mentioned has not been delivered up by the chief who sheltered him, within an almost incredible short period of time from the transmission to him of a description of the fugitive and a brief account of the case, by the Police Magistrate or the Sheriff, through the hands of a com- j

mon messenger. It ought to be observed too that, besides the efficiency of this plan, it is as simple as anything of the kind can be conceived to be, unattended by any expense, and plainly calculated to produce feelings of goodwill and confidence between the races where those feelings do not at present exist, and to increase them where they do. But, let us suppose Te Whero Whero's pah to be ransacked for such a fugitive, let us suppose the fugitive himself to be demanded from him by an armed band of the New Police force, what words could convey the faintest idea of the indignation of the chief at so outrageous an insult to his power and his hospitality? What painter could do justice to the expression of his face at the moment when hisprotege was demanded from him by, perhaps, some of the vilest of his own cookees ? Who could tell the immediate consequences of every such attempt ? And what security would the public have against the more remote and sweeping calamaties that might follow in the train of so unwise a scheme? The idea that the new force was established ostensibly under a variety of plausible pretences, but reailj for the puipose of ultimately effecting the extermination of the native race, by arming one portion of it against the rest, is, according to the point from which it is viewed, too revolting or too ridiculous, to be ascribed to any government, or to any individual filling a high place, in this age of intellectual and moral light. And such an idea can certainly'not be ascribed to Captain Grey, who has already taken so deep an interest in the improvement of savage tribes, infinitely less entitled to his sympathies than the New Zealanders. — Indeed, this notion is merely mentioned for the purpose of being excluded. For when we think of the miserable and divided handful of natives in these islands, the idea under consideration, to pass over its wickedness, bears upon it so strong a tinge of that petty species of cleverness, which would employ a steam engine in pointing a pin, as at once to bring upon it the contempt of every manly mind. A more plausible hypothesis than any of the preceding still remains to be considered. It is supposed that the New Police force has been established for the purpose of submitting to actual experiment the possibility of amalgamating the two races. And, if this view of the subject is correct, it must be admitttd, that the point d'appui has been judiciously chosen. For it would be impossible to fix upon any other than the military form of life, in which the two races could be blended together with a less amount of mutual inconvenience and disgust, not only on account of the constancy and intimacy of the intercourse in that form of life, but particularly, because in that alone the natural and acquired differences of taste, temper, and character would, in both races, be subjugated to a new and common nature, namely, that spirit of prompt and uniform obedience which constitutes the very essence of a soldier. Similar experiments have accordingly been successfully made in several other countries. But, when such experiments are unaccompanied by other plans, they are attended by the very serious disadvantage of widening the distance between the European population and the great mass of the Natives, whose feelings must, in the case here supposed, naturally be wounded, by the separation from them of a portion of their body, for the purpose of bearing arms in the service of a race which they regard with suspicion and distrust. Moreover, as a military school is not the most favorable to the developement of of the moral qualities, it must always remain a question whether the natives who actually serve are rendered better or worse by their metamorphosis. This, at least, will be ajquestion with those, who, to bring back our ideas ! to the subject under consideration, think it better to be j a good Maori than a bad European. And the force of I these observations will be greatly strengthened, should the principal occupation of the New Police force be the superintendance of the expected convict-gangs. The effects of the measure upon the native population have been here almost exclusively considered. And, should it be accompanied by, and connected with, several other measures, forming with it a system, for the regulation of the intercourse between the two races, and their government as one people, it is confessed, that the preceding criticisms may, to those who are acquainted with the whole system and the relations of its parts, ap-, pear to be in some degree partial, one-sided, and even unmeaning. But, what is the cause of the long-con-tmued silence of the Government 1 Why are the public not only permitted, but compelled, to grope in the dark ; for the patience required in this case is perfectly .unnatural ? Why is such an air of mystery thrown over the subject in which the whole colony is so deeply interested ? If the system just adverted to has been decided upon, what conceivable reason can there be for withholding all information concerning it from the public for so long a period of time ? Under these circumtmces, the measuie has necessarily been considered in an isolated form, and an universal judgment of condemnation pronounced upon it from one end of the island to the other. I am, Sir, Yoiir's, &c, VATES. [We are exceedingly obliged to "Yates," and hope that he will frequently favor us with his judicious criticisms upon those measures of the administration, which bear upon the collective interests, and moral welfare of the community. We covet for the New Zealandcr, the honorable distinction of being the faithful representative of public opinion, the organ not of ourselves only, but of all whose opinions and principles are founded upon observation, experience, and truth. The colony has been injured beyond measure by the party-spirited character of the public press. The organs of a powerful i faction have preyed upon the very vitals of the country. Men, whose opinions were worth recording, could not ; bring their voice to bear upon the general interest, because of the obstreperous clamours of these party advocates; we, therefore, welcome the communication of "Yates ;" and shall be glad at all times to receive from . him, or any other colonist, free and unfettered remarks u pon the varied interests of the colony. — Ed. N. Z,]

To the Editor of the New ■Zealandcr. i Sir,— The absence of the 'Governor from the Capital, for so long a period of time, has naturally given rise to some uneasiness respecting the progress of events at the Southern, or Company's settlements. There is no doubt, however, troubles are accumulating there, and be 'has doubtless found plenty of work to occupy his time since he departed from Auckland. Yet, of the nature of his movements, «ye of the North, are still in ignorance. The Governor, before his departure to the South, took a very important step as regards the purchases of Land made under the proclamation of Governor ! Fitzßoy. A limited time was given for the production of all documents, &c, relating to such purchases, in order to their examination before Commissioners, and transmission to England, there to be approved or disapproved by the Home Government. The time allowed will very soon expire; and yet one-fifth of the land so claimed has not been surveyed — and w ill, cousequently, hi accordance with the conditions of the proclamation, become forfeited. Now, the Claimauts of Land could plainly see the impossibility of complying with the Governor's command, in having their land surveyed within the time specified—inasmuch as, if no other obstacle appeared, there are not so many surveyors in the Colony as would have ensured the accomplishment of the work within double

that time. This consideration, with otheis, induced the claimants to memorialize the Governor just as he was about to embark for the Company's settlements, aud he promised to give thi* matter his earliest consideration upon his return, which was said would be in about ten or twelve days. However, the memorial is still unanswered— and lam of opinion it will remain so, until after the time appointed for the production of all necessary deeds and documents has expired. I am led to this conclusion, Sir, from the course which His Excellency 'has invariably pursued since his arrival in the Colony, when about to make any alteration which he considered would call forth remonstrance. Witness His Excellency's conduct on the 22nd November last, when he proclaimed the debentures an. illegal tender, just as he was about to proceed to the Bay of Islands— and there was scarcely time for a few of the merchants to have an interview with him before he started ; again, on the sth February, when leaving for Port Nicholson, he gave instructions for the dismissal of a large number of Government officers, whose quarter expired in his absence, and he did not return till they were safely displaced ; and no doubt he was thus saved, by a little tact, from much annoyance, in the shape of sundry memorials and remonstrances. Now, viewing what has passed, I shrewdly suspect that the Governor will bide away a little longer, so that when he does arrive, the matter will be set at rest, and His Excellency will just refer all complainants to the notices published several months since. Presuming that this is one reason, and J believe the reason, *why the Governor's stay is prolonged — I would just observe, th.it however judicious such policy may appear in the eyes of His Excellency, it is not that which will gain for him the esteem of the Colonists of New Zealand. Jf the Governor considers his plans of Government to be just and true, lei him stand and defend his positions. But, so long as the " right about'face, march!" system is carried on, and the Government of the Colony given into the hands of men who have been accustomed " to say unto this man — go, and he goeth 5 and to another — do this, and he doeth it ; we must be prepared to submit to similar stratagems. I am, Sir, Your's, &c, PROGNOSTIC. Auckland, August 27th, 1846.