WELLINGTON.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 89, 13 February 1847, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

The New Zealand Company and their Sly TILERS. We have received, per F-I. M. S. Racehorse, Wellington papers up to the 30th of January. In some of them, published before the receipt of the New Zealand Government Bill by Colonel VVakefield, the project of a Propiietary Government under the Company is denounced with unabated vigour. It must now be acknowledged, that all the late proceedings of the southern settlers, with respect to the past conduct and the contemplated measures of the Company, have been distinguished by good sense and no small share of firmness. At a moment when the star of the Company was in the ascendant, and when every man of the least importance in the southern district, might reasonably expect to feel, at no distant date, the weight of that body's power and authority, they continued to denounce, with unflinching firmness, projects, which they had good reason to believe would prove fatal to their real interests. They have now not only the comfortable applause of their own consciences, for having firmly done their duty, but the New Zealand Government Bill, which relieves them for ever from the incubus of thoCompany!as a governing body. So great, however, is their aversion to the Company in every shape and form, that they seem to fear the accession of either of the Wakefields to the Government of the Southern District, almost as much as the establishment of a Proprietary Government. In fact, the disputes between the Company and their settlers have now gone to such a length, that it would seem to be impossible to put an end to them in any other way, than by a final arrangement between the Company and the Imperial Government, which would for ever prevent any interference of that body in the affairs of the settlers. The principal cause of the disputes in question, has been the heartless system of dispersion uniformly pursued by the Company in its colonising operations. When we take into account the enormous expense entailed upon the Imperial Government, in being obliged to provide for the military and naval pioteclion of so many settlements, it must appear sufficiently wonderful, that it could ever have been induced to look with favor upon the operations of that body. But, it is still more wonderful, that the settlers themselves did n^t sooner endeavour to put a stop to the system pursued bj the Company. For, such a system is not only ruinous to the prospects and the just hopes of the settlers, but immediately oppressive to them, by obliging them to provide for the support of so many distinct governments. Every one, but ever so little acqu-unted with colonies, must know, that a constant and steady supply of emigrants is the very lifeWood of a new settlement Without it, the Value of property in ihe settlement cannot be sustained, and the settlers themselves must, in a few years, be effectually ruined. This reasoning is not, indeed, applicable to such a settlement as Auckland, which, with hardly any aid from emigration, lias flourished apace upon Native, trade. But, unfortunately for themselves, the southern settlers have neither applied themselves to cultivate the friendship of the Natives, nor have they estimated the advantages which they might have derived from ihcrn. J3ut, to return to the Company, they, if we may judge from their conduct, never believed that their own interests and those of iheir settlers were identical. The reservation of certain lands in the different settlements, demonstrates undoubtedly, that the Company was not wnwilling to share in the prosperity of the settlers, if the settlements should flourish. Hut, immediate returns in cash formed the grand object of iheir wishes, and the attainment of this object was obviously incompatible with the system of concentration in the first instance. Allotments, adjoining those of a settled town, wuuld nerer tell at the lottery in Broad street. New settlements and town allotments would carry every thing before them, and they actually did, until the puffing of the Company was

overpowered by the complaints of the settlers. Notwithstanding, however, the immense sums pocketted in this way by the Company, they will yet learn to their cost> that their real interests, in the long run, and those of their settlers were perfectly identical. We rejoice extremely, that the settlers in the South have been at length awakened to a sense of their own interests, and of the only sound system of colonising such a country as New Zealand, which is plainly, that of concentration in tfie first instance, and of dispersion where the settlers themselves believe it to be for their interest to disperse. Fiotn the schemes of the Company — they are now turning their whole attention to Captain Grey's policy of opening the country by roads, in which they seem to concur heartily. Ho has already given them a specimen of the utility of this great work by connecting Wanganui with Wellington. By this very simple process, the former of these settlements, the abandonment of which, curiously enough, has been recommended by the Company, has been added to Wellington. Arrangements have been made for the transmission of the English mails for the Southern settlements, via Sydney, direct from that port for Wellington, instead of, as heretofore, through Auckland. This is as it should have long 1 since been, and we congratulate our fel-low-colonis's on the change. Rangihaetea is not mentioned in the late papers ; and Rauparaha is still detained on board 11. M. S, Calliope. Affairs at the South have altogether assumed a pacific aspect. The Anniversary of the foundaiion of Wellington wjs commemorated on the 22nd January, and the marked improvement visible in the condition of the settlers within the last six months, appears to have given a peculiar zest to their rejoicings. We copy the following extracts from .the Wellington papers : — On Monday, the lilh, the Naval and Military officers stationed in Wellington, who were present at the attack anil capture of Kawiti's pah nt the Ruapekapeka, dined together at Barrett's Hotel to celebrate the day. The chair was filled by Brigade Major Reed, 09ih Rogt., who was supported by Lieut. Kane, H. M. S. Calliope, as Vice. Among the guests invited to join the party were Captain Stanley, R.N., Lieut.-Col. M'Cleverty, commanding the troops in New Zealand, and Major Last, 99th Rcgt. His Excellency the Governor had promised to he present if be veturncd from Auokl.ind in time. After the usuul loyal toasts, others followed more immediately connected with the occasion of the dinner, and the evening was spent in the happiest manner.—Wellington Independent, Jan. 13. Wanoanui.— • By the recent arrivals from Wanganui wo learn that the harvest had commenced in that district, and the settlers were busily engaged in reaping their wheat. Some difficulty had been experienced in the erection of the Stockade, owing to the loose and sandy nature of the soil, which will cause some delay and additional labour in the execution of the works.— 11.M.5. Racehorse paid a second visit to this settlement on the 19th, on hoc way back tq Wellington, and bit :, whalcboat for the use of the detachment stationed here. On the afternoon of the same day a private of the 58th regiment was unfortunately drowned in the river by the upsetting of a small canoe a short distance from the shore- The body had not been found up to the time of our correspondent's letter closing. ! DiscovniiY or tub Body cf one or the Wairau SuFir.tiiJßs — By a whale-boat from Cloudy XJ.iy we learn that the skeleton of a man was lately found in the bush, near the scene of the lamentable massacre in the Wairau, by a party of persons who were pig hunting. Around the body was a belt, on which they wore able to decipher the word " Mali tie." This was the name of the chief-constable, who fell on that occasion, and, as his body was not found at that time, there is no doubt but the skeleton was his.— Nelson Examiner, Dec. 26. Upon the New Zealand Bill the Wellington Independent has the following article :— We have printed the New Zealand Government Bill from the London New Zealand Journal of August 25), where it is printed from a copy with the amendments «n manuscript. From the Colonial j GazHle, of August 2!), with the loan of which we have been favoured, we learn that on the presentation by Lord Ellenborou»h of a petition from Mr. William Biowti, against the Bill, Earl Grey said that whatever measures might be adopted by Government woultl be submitted to Parliament for theirapprov.il in the next session, There is reason to hope that the papers sent from hence will give timely information to the Parliament and Government of the regard en teitained by the settlers towards the Company and its Director, so as to prevent any foolish appointment* from being made. The Bill was passed in the House of Lords on the 26th August, and received the Royal assent on the 28tb, on which day the Parliament was prorogued. The best thing that can be done with the new act, for this colony, is to repeal it. A more bungling piece of British legislation it would be difficult to find. It? machinery is too complicated. It throws too much power into the hands of the minister of the day, and under the guise of popular institutions, will enable the Crown to establish a system of rotten boroughs, a matter far more galling than a liberal despotism such as the colony is now under. The provincial assemblies are happily to be controlled by the general assembly, so even though Colonel Wakefield und Mr. Fox. should be appointed Governors of provinces, if Governor Grey continues Governur-iu-Chief, the evil will be neu- j trali/ed. I3ut who would take Captain Grey's office with such elements of confusion beneath him. Scpa- ! rate provinces, with their district legislative bodies, j Districts to be reserved like game preserves for the i cultivation of the tattoo and taboo, blankets and bullets, lollipops ami tirrapoo. We are sick of the enormous mountebankery. If the British parliament desires to benefit New Zealand, it must make the information derived Irom Captain Grey the basis of legislation for thh colony. We think the British Government will do him the justice to consult his views i expecting the persons who are to carry out with him the work of setting the colony in inolion. We quite agrre with many observations which have fallen from others upon the impolicy of regarding the accident of a good governor in the place of good institutions, but when there is a good governor and a desire to establish good institutions, we think it nbsuid to exclude him from thewoikof founding them.— f felling lon Independent f Jan. 27.