The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 265, 13 December 1848, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

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

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1848,

Press of matter has, hitherto, prevented us from giving vent to the disgust, with which a perusal of the Gazette of the 30th November, overpowered us. The fiist item is a proclamation of certain scraps of wretched soil, cut up into the smallest possible segments, and by force, we presume, of a veiy vivid imagination of the Survey Department, termed " Allotments of Land !" "brain of the Cacique of Poyais might have rejoiced in the mean dexterity of such an The beggarly treasury and the unprincipled

expedient ; but that any recognised or ordinarilyconstituted government) much less a fragment of that government, " on whose empire the sun never sets," should have made the necessities of its citizens an occasion for fleecing them — that it should thus play pander to circumstance, in hope, fiom the horny hand of toil, to wring its " vile trash," is a point of degradation to which we should scarce have imagined the Whigs would have consented, even by deputy) to stoop. Nothing can more incontestibly prove the rottenness of the British Colonial system than the gioss venality, the mercenary rapacity of its traffickmgs in waste lands, and the sordid spirit in which those lands are held waste. As the incapacity and the injustice of the Colonial Office has at length elicited something like a very general indignation, we trust that those energetic champions of the public weal, and of colonial enfranchisement — Lord George Bentin ck, and Sir William Molesworth — will direct their attention to such worse than Shylock -like itching after lands : — the first and grand curse of all British colonies — the clog to their progressive prosperity — and one of the main scause of their helpless dependence upon, and expence to the mother country. Leave colonists the lands, whose presumed facilities of acquisition, and untaxed champaign, were the all seductive motives to expatriation. Leave us these to conveit, and ii" we cannot win our | way to independence, if not to wealth, we shall be undeserving of the country from which we sprung, and to which we can reciprocate no benefit. But to return to Auckland, and its " Town Allotments !" We have before had occasion to animadvert upon the injurious concentration of our infant capital, jammed, Aye might almost say, within a hand's breadth. We remarked upon the improvidence and the impolicy of thus, at the outset, huddling a community into the narrowest and most nanseous range. We stigmatised it as unexampled in Colonial history, and as in marked contrast to every other township of Australasia. It may be likened to compiessing the human frame within the garments of infancy — leaving not even a tuck in the vestments of a growing girl ! If the original error were a culpable one, what shall be said of the second ? How shall we speak of the conduct that dictates the shredding of the land on the skirts of the present overcrowded hive ? We dare not give expression to the indignant scorn with which we regard this sacrifice of a community — this destruction of an embryo metropolis to the grinding exactions of an illiberal government. We contend — and we have undeniable proof and precedent in confirmation of our assertion — that the most ample space, and most at the moderate price, should be accorded to all disposed to augment the riches or improve the character (by building) of the town : — the only stipulation, judiciously exigible by the government, being the class of building, according to the class of the allotment. An acre would be a fair maximum, and a quarter of an acre a moderate minimum. Such quantities, might afford to the original locatees, if alienated at a just price, an after opportunity of profiting by the surplus they might be willing to dispose of. Government would thus act fairly by the colonists, instead of (as they at present do,) injuring the town, and degrading themselves to the level of the most abject and penurious regraters. Let the Colonists of other lands, only look at the atrocious manner in which the town allotments of Auckland are marked off. There are, for example, seventeen lots of nine perches at £10 2s. 6d. per lot. Sixteen more of similar dimensions at £10 12s. 6d. per lot, — Three lots often perches at £15 12s. 6d. per lot. Twenty two others of equal capacity at £12 10s. per lot — and sixty -five others, varying from eight perches to two roods, thirteen perches — the average price per acre exceeding Two Hundred Pounds. If this be not discreditable, we know not what is. And that there may be no mistake in the huckstering spirit that directs such graspings, we have merely to point to the pitiful advantage taken by the Gubernatorial Vendors of corners and other desirable spots — as evidenced in lot 24 of Section 32, (and others) which, containing but eight perches, is valued at £12 10 — whilst lots 3 to 22 of the same section measuring ten perches each, aie offered at the same sum ! Eight perches ! Well may our contemporary the Cross exclaim, that these scraps must be intended as family resting places rather than as family residences ! What ! When the earnest solicitude of British philanthrophy is directed to sanatory reform by an extension of space, and a wholesome circulation of air in England's old fashioned towns ? At such a moment, shall the grinding oppressions of the Colonial Office, pen up England's Antipodean subjects, in the wild lands of an infant colony, into bounds destructive alike of health and decency 1 It may be said, no one is compelled to buy. We deny such a hypothesis. — But even were it correct, we would ask, is it not the imperative duty of a parental government to minister to the legitimate wants of its subjects ? If that question be granted to be the truism we have been wont to consider it, we would then inquire, is it a parental act to exact from necessity its uttermost penny ?

Unless upon very special occasions, we have forborne to touch upon the "thousand and one " tales of intended Northern war and outbreak ; because we could easily perceive that the bulk of these were articles manufactured for exportation, and calculated, by reproduction, to minister to the self important swagger of the would be Tell of New Zealand. As our silence, however, has been miscon' strued, and as the bane* without its antidote, has, hitheito, been disseminated, in quarters where no test could be applied : we have determined, in future, to give publicity to facts as they aiise, pledging ourselves to the authenticity of our communications, and to the unexceptionable sources of information at the disposal of the conespondents by whom they are detailed. In conformity with this arrangement, we hasten to redeem the promise made in our last, and to furnish extracts of intelligence from the Bay of Islands to the 6th instant. " I am surprised," writes one of our correspondents, — " that, with the means of information you possess, you do not Gontradict those croakers who assert that Heke is but biding his time, with the intention, ere long, of stirring up another rebellion ! I am confident that he could not, if he would accomplish anything of the kind. His followers are hopelessly inadequate to the task ; whilst his influence is immeasurably short of what it was. He is regarded as a bouncing braggart, with ' the gift of the gab,' but no genuine pluck : in fact, many who fought with him during the last war, pronounce him a great coward; — indeed, his uncle Kawiti, says so himself, and that he will never have anything to do with him again. " The garbled reports of his recent ' sayings and doings ' are but exaggerated specimens of ingenious twaddle. With respect to the affair of the Messrs. Davis, Heke unquestionably had light on his side. How stand the facts ? In accordance with native usage, he imposed a fine upon those gentlemen because of the desecration of a native burial ground — some persons in their employ, having tit a fire, and cooked food upon a grave! It has been clearly ascertained that, in that transaction, Heke was no aggressor, but a positive mediator ; since, but for him, the parties so naturally incensed, would have exacted a much heavier penalty. He is said to be exceedingly annoyed at the reports circulated to his prejudice ; and to have expressed himself to the effect that he only hopes he may be able to catch some of these idle gossips taking his name in vain, and that, then, he will make them smart for it. Be cautious, good sir ; for however spicy in your own peculiar way, you would, I dare say, consider the barbecuing an editor, but a sorry mode oi going the whole hog.' " You may- place implicit credence in me when I assert that there are no grounds for believing in the entertainment of sentiments hosti'e to government. As to the feeling of the ttibes in the neighbourhood of the Bay, I know that they are of the most amicable kind. The influence of the authorities may be accurately judged of, when we see the natives renouncing their old customs, and submitting themselves to European ordinances, as was recently the case when two factions, armed and ready for battle, paused at the interposition of our Resident Magistrate, and shifted their scene of strife from the field to the Court, where the dispute was quenched by the force of argument, and not by the folly of gunpowder. " As I have seen no authentic statement of that interesting affair, I send you the following particulars, leaving you to make your own commentary on its successful, and I may say, skilful conclusion."

"In consequence of information conveyed, on the 18th of Nov., to Major Bridge, 58th Regt., the Resident Magistrate at the Bay of Islands, that, on the following day, a Taua was to be led against the Rawiti tribes, by George King, because of a son of Mokos having carried off and detained one of King's wives :—: — the Major proceeded at once to the Rawiti, with his inteipreter, Mr. Duncan, that he might hear what the opposite party had to say on the subject, and to endeavour to avert the effusion of blood. " On his arrival, Major Bridge found that party very willing to listen to advice, and although ready to set out to encounter the opposite faction, they promised that they would remain quiet, until they again heard from him. " Major Bridge then proceeded to Paroa Bay, where he was apprised he should meet the Taua. He arrived there before them ; but, shortly afterwards, they were descried — to the number of about one hundred and eighty, armed with muskets and double barrelled guns, marching across the hills. They were received by the Paroa Bay natives, and after a war dance, sat down to listen to what Major Bridge had to suggest. " The principal chiefs, Pomare, Hara, Te Mauparoa, George King, Broughton, and others, appeared to be much pleased at the Major's interesting himself in the controversy : and, having heard what he proposed, and what had passed between him and the Rawiti chiefs, they consented to remain quiet where they were, and to send an ambassador to the opposite party to learn what payment they

were disposed to make — the tesult of which measure they would let the Major know. " Accordingly, two days thereafter, Pomare waited upon Major Bridge, to acquaint him that the Rawiti people would not accede to their propositions, or come to any arrangement, but had treated their ambassadors with great indignity. As, however, the Major had set a barrier between them, by interesting himself in the matter, they had all (said Pomare) returned to their homes, and broken up the Tawa; leaving the adjustment of their differences entirely in the Major's hands. " Subsequently, Major Bridge returned to the Rawiti ; Hori King having agreed to leave the case to aibitration in the Resident Magistrate's Court — native assessors being appointed lon either side. To this proposition Moko and Rewa also readily assented. Accordingly, Hara having been nominated by Hori King, and Te Whikiwhiki by Moko and Rewa, the case was adjudicated in conformity with the local ordinance, on the 7th November ; — the decision being in favor of George King, and to this effect ; that the party who had possession of the woman, should pay him damages to the amount of one War Canoe, the assessors becoming surety in the sum of Five Pounds each, that the judgment of the Court should be duly observed. " In this judgment, the Rawiti tribe not only fully concurred, but profened two canoes, which, on the 14th November, were brought to the Wahapu, and delivered to the Resident Magistrate by Moko and Rewa; and, next day, transferred by that officer, to George Kingo King, however, did not seem satisfied, alleging that the canoes were old and rotten. He, therefore, crossed over to Kororareka, to speak to Rewa (then at that place,) on the subject. Rewa anxious to affoid every satisfaction, said another canoe should be given, which he accordingly conveyed to Wahapu on the 15th of November. Rewa, then requested the Magistrate to accompany him and his two brothers, Moko and Whare Rahi, as well as Mohe Tawhai, from Hokianga, (who, hearing of the dispute, had come down to the Bay, with the view of effecting an amicable adjustment,) up the ICawa Kawa, to George King's., to see the canoe delivered up, and the matter finally disposed of — giving up, at the same> time, all claim to a canoe belonging to them, and which Pomare had unceremoniously appropriated from off the beach at Kororareka — making, thus, four canoes in all. "On the 16th, Major Bridge accompanied this party, but George King being from home, he left the chiefs to await his return. King was so much gratified with their liberality, that he feasted his visiters for a couple of nights ; after which, they returned together to the Wahapu to inform the Major that their quarrel was fully and finally settled. " Thus terminated this native feud, which, but for the presence and timely interfelence of a Resident Magistrate, would, in all probability, have embroiled the whole of the northern tribes, and have caused much trouble and bloodshed to extinguish."