NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 99, 24 April 1847, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND.

To the Editor of the Times. Sir, — Six months having now nearly elapsed since the arrival of Captain Grey, perhaps a short retrospect of.his proceedings during that time, with an account of the important changes which have taken place in the colony, may not prove uninteresting ; aud I am sure it will be no small satisfaction to the colonists to know that a plain and honest statement of our affairs, political and commercial, has been laid before the British public through the medium of an influential and unprejudiced journal. With this view I have written the following remarks, in the hope that they may be found sufficiently interesting to claim a place in your pages. Since the arrival of Captain Grey, one great change has taken place in the feelings of the set'lers generally throughout the colony, and that is, a feeling of confidence in the mental capabilities of the Governor who is now placed over them ; a feeling never formerly experienced, but one which in no small degree will tend tv their prosperity. The set-ler now no longer feels that he has to contend and bear up , against the ignorance, oppiession, and deadening influence of a Hobsou-Shonland dynasty. He no longer feels that paralysing uncertainty in which he lately lived, when great vital changes in the Government were introduced one mouth, to be abandoned the uext, # as un lcr our late well-meaning but incapable governor (though sincere wellwisher and friend) Captain Fitzroy. The settler now feels that there is a governor placed over him who will guide the helm of Government «vith an able, firm aud cautious hand | —who will watch over his interests— »his the ability to intioiluce measures to further them— and who knows that in the prosperity of the settler that also of the colony is ensured. 1 his feeling of confidence and security, however is not unalloyed ; for the colonels are aware that Captain Grey is trammeled wivh instructions from the Colonial office, which will prevent many useful and essential measures from being brought forwaid: and the general belief is, that Captain Grey will risk no changes (however necessary) contrary to his instructions, without first communicating with the Colonial-office, unlike Captain Fitzroy, who fearlessly took any responsibility upon himself when he deemed it necessary to do so. What Captain Grey's instructions are, or what change he may be authorised to effect, we know not, as he has divulged nothing ; and any knowledge we possess of his intentions has been drawn from him in answers to deputations and memorials, which have certuiuly been most cautiously vague. The changes which he has introduced 1 shall notice in the course of these lemarks. The first matter to which Captain Grey directed his attention was the war in the north, to bring which to a close he give his undivided and personal attention. The final issue of that war is already before the public in Col. Despard's despatches ; but if these documents were stript of the pomposity and effect of military language, and a few particulars supplied which have been prudently left out, the fillets of laurel with which he has contrived to encircle his brow woud be plucked of their leaves and scarcely would the bare twigs be left. Jt ought to be made known, that mccess was owing to most fortunate circumstances alone, and not to any ability in Qic commander. Indeed he was about repeating the same blunder, which on a former,oicasion caused the loss of so many of our brave troops, when the two principal friendly native chiefs interposed and prevented him. In fact the compauies weic ordered out for storming (by assault) of the stockade, before even a breach had been made ; when these chiefs said that before they would allow the soldiers to go and be shot down lik,e. so many pigs they must pass over their own dead bodies. And so decided was their interference that the attack was postponed, and the next day after a short cannonading- the pah was taken with the trifling lost already known. However humiliating these lacts are, they are, neverthele s, true ; nay more, the rebel natives, eanying on a war contrary to their own better judgement, acted on the defensive only, and never attempted to harrass our troops passing to or from the place of attack j and it is admitted by the troops themselves, that if the na lives had felt &o inclined, it might have ended very differently for them. This strange behaviour on the part of hostile natives only proves the truth of the foregoing assertions, that the war was contrary to their wishes, and the moment their stronghold was lost, and they had an honourable excuse, they sued for peace. The defeat of the rebel natives being thus happily effected, and their suing for peace, placed Captain Grey m a most fortunate position, aud the good sense aud feeling thus displayed by them iv wishing again to be on terms oi friendship with the Government effected what a force of 10,000 military would have in vain attempted, had the natives chosen to establish a guerilla warfare. Captain Grey displayed much sound judgment in the free pardon with which he met the submission of the natives; thus disarming all cause of ill feeling on their part, and, by refusing to accept of any of their lands as a peace-offering, he disabused tbeir minds of the impicssion that the Government entertained any desire or intention to appropriate their lands. The war having being thus satisfactorily ended, the blockade was immediately removed from the Bay of Islands apd adjacent ports, and an unrestricted intercourse was once more established between all parties. Numbers of the old Bay of Island's settlers have returned to their homes, and houses and stores are fast springing up. A little village has already arisen on the ruins of the old township of Kororarika and there you may see the military, the native allies, aud those who were lately bur foes, all mingling in friendship together. The harbour is again the resort of whalers, there being no less than six of them refitting there at the present time. Before quitting the Bay of Islands, I would wish to draw the most marked attention to the very peculiar features of the war which was carried on in that district, aud to which the war now existing iv the New Zealand Company's settlements, at Wellington in Cook's Straits, forms a most painful contrast. It is well known here, though not perhaps at home, that the disturbances at the Bay of Islands arose from the visionary Heke imagining that the presence of the Government there, and the erection of their flag staff, had caused the great decline of trade, and the desertiou of the harbour by shipping. Hence his war with the flag staff and his efforts to remove it, aud iv doing so fancied he thereby removed the obstacle to the re-establishment of the former prosperity of the place. His misdirected attempts, together with the blind and miserable policy of Government during these eventful proceedings, led inadvertently, to the fall of Kororarika ; for its destruction was neither premeditated nor intended, but followed from the sctljcr* uot having sufficient confidence in the

natives and uot remaining , in their houses. Had they done so,' these would not have beeu destroyed nor their property molested; and this opinion expressed by many at the lime, has been lately verified by Heke himself to some of the returned settlers. The natives never had any cause of quarrel or complaint against the settlers, and no ill feeling towards them ; but, on the contrary, the most happy relations hetwixt them existed from the first, and continue up to the present time. Their quarrel was with the Government alone. This marked distinction they have made throughout the war, and the best proof of this statement is the simple tact, that, during the whole period that the Government continued hostilities, numbers of settlers remained located in the very centre of the war, travellers proceeded through the territories of the hostile tribes, who, with every opportunity and the power in their own bauds of robbing and murdering, never injured a settler from first to last. One incident s'rougly illustrative of this may be mentioned. At the storming of the last pah, some 40 or 50 volunteers (civilians) were employed iv crop-cutting some trees within shot of the rebels; but as they weje not soldiers the natives did not think them fair food for powder, but at the same time thought they had no right to aid the operations for their destruction. Three successive times did they warn them to go away, as they did not wish to shoot them ; and after the third warning the captain in command, making a polite bow of thanks to his generous and considerate enemies, drew off his men. Sucii are the features which characterize the northern war. How drfferent the feelings already exhibited by the natives of the south ! But of this hereafter. Meanwhile we will folldw Captaiu Grey, who, | after seeing the it ar to an end at the Bay of Islands, relumed to Auckland, leaving about 300 military at the former place. During the three weeks which his 1 Excellency spent at the capital before proceeding to the southern settlements, the public were not made aware of any contemplated changes in the government of the colony. It soon became known, however that a curtailing of the expenditure was going on, from the dismissal of sundry gentlemen from the various public offices ; but as the lopping oft a few junior clerks, with small salaries, could not have much (.'fleet in diminishing the expenditure, it was generally believed that his Excellency did not make I these wuh any such view, but rather to make the heads of departments earn their large salaries by working for them. Home appointments are too frequently very expensive ones to the colonists; for, generally speaking, they could be efficiently filled on the spot, with a saving of nearly one-half. Soon after the dismissals above alluded to, a reduction of a much larger item of expenditure was made, and one iuvolving a political change, viz., the dismissal of the whole protectorate establishment. This act of the Governor waa apparently received with very general satisfac ion by the colonists, and more espetially those in Cook's Straits, for it had been long felt that the aboii^ines were quite able to protect themselves. There were not a few, however, who were of opinion, that although the protectoiate body were not required under that name, they were still a necessary part of the Government establish me»t, as the medium of communication with the native race, but would require to be remodelled and placed under a new system. Many suppose that the Governor entertains the same opinion, but merely waits the opportunity of securing the services of more efficient aud enlightened individuals to carry out mere enlarged views than have hitherto beeu attempted for the improvement of the aboriginal race. The reasons for entertaining such views &re simply these :— With a population ol 110,000 souls, it cannot be supposed ihatlhc iuterests and wants of such a large community could even become kuown, far less attended to by any one individual, and least so by the Governor, whose attention is necessarily occupied with other matteTsr It would- occupy~haH" the Governor's time to give audiences to the various native chiefs, who codstaully visit the capital to obtain information regarding the intentions of Government, to state their grievances, and to make their wishes kuown. An intermediate class of persons is required, with whom the natives can first communicate, and whose duly it would be to lay these communications in a tangible shape before the Governor. They would live amongst the natives, and being a superior class of persons would secure their esteem and confidence— direct their minds, and improve their moral and physical condition. The existing protectorate, however, Captain Grey has paid off, whether with ulterior views, as above expressed, is of course conjectural. (A press of Advertisements compels us to postpone the remainder of this letter, and other matter, although in type, till our next.)