COLONIAL EXPENDITURE. House of Commons, July 15. New Zealand.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 588, 3 December 1851, Page 3

COLONIAL EXPENDITURE. House of Commons, July 15. New Zealand.

On the vote of £20,000 for New Zealand. Mr. Y. Smith asked for sonic explanation of our position with reference to the New Zealand Company. It was understood that the Company under the Acfc passed three years ago, had given notice of their desire to relinquish their undertaking, and the result of that was, that the lands vested in the Crown became subject to the liabilities of the company ; but the Commissioner appointed by the Government would have to arbitrate between them and the company. What were the liabilities likely to amount to ? Would any further sum be required than the amount specified in the Act? Perhaps the correspondence could be laid on the table. Mr. Cobden could not understand why the people of England should be called on to pay all these charges for people living at the antipodes, who, in many respects, were in a better condition than people here. The vote on a small scale, afforded an illustration of the folly this country was perpetrating in all parts of the globe. There was, first, for the salary of a governor, £2500 ; then for the salary of a lieutenant-governor, £800. Not content with paying the governor, this country paid the chief justice £1000 ; and all this was done for a population of 30,000 or 40,000 emigrants. This country also paid their bishop £600 ; chaplains and schools £590 ; it paid their army as well as their church, their judicial establishment and their governors. There was a, naval force also, of course, to be supported. Then for public works and roads, the employment of natives, and miscellaneous expenditure, a sum of £10,935 was charged to the people of this country. Why should they pay for public works and roads? Could not the emigrant pay for these, if wanted ? And what was meant by employing natives ? It seemed to him, that to charge the people of this country with these items was on principle most indefensible and unjust. What return were they to have for it ? Was it in contemplation to bring New Zealand within the range of their taxing power? Did they exjicct to get one farthing from New Zealand ? lie could understand the course taken in the case of a territory where they were going to plant their custom-houses and taxgatherers. But he could not imagine that of New Zealand. They could not possibly have any return, even of the exclusive trade by which they used to pretend they were compensated. He predicted that the people of this country, when they had some voice in the representation of that House or members of that House, when they did their duty, would have these items struck out. He protested against the payment of the money. Mr. Plumptre did not believe there was any colony more deserving of support. Its progress had been marvellous since the time — but a fe £ years ago — when its inhabitants were cannibal^ ; and he questioned whether there was any more beautiful display of Christianity in this country then in New Zealand. The bishop who discharged his duties very satisfactory, received a simifar payment from a religious society as well as that to which the hon. member objected ; and the vote, he felt convinced, would not be grudged if the opinions of the people were canvassed in this country. Mr. W. William was glad to learn that the Bishop of Now Zcalaud had a larger salary than at first appeared, but wished the religious society to pay the whole ; or some deduction, he thought, mit*ht be made from the enormous salaries of bishops in this country, to form a fund on which the salary of the Bishop of New Zealand might be charged. lie begged to move that the vote be reduced by the amount of £GOO. The expense of the Colonial Government was enormous, £79,000, of which £52,000 were defrayed from local resources Mr. Hume referred to complaints made in the public journals and otherwise of excessive taxation in New Zealand. Instead of increasing, the population were Hying from the colony. [An hon. member — To California.] Yes, to California. On public buildings at Wellington, which there was no one to occupy, £14,000 had been expended. He blamed the course taken by Her Majesty's Government with respect to the con•titution of New Zealand, and proposed to reduce the vote by the amount of £10,935. t Mr. llawes referred to a despatch from the Governor of New Zealand, dated October 28, 1850, to bhow that there had been an accession to the trade of this country on account of the colony. The hon. member for the West Hiding of Yorkshire had excluded from his view the native population, which numbered from 150,000 to 200,000 ; but it was necessary to have regard to the whole population. The constitution had not

"been brought into operation owing to chcumstanccs which appeared to have passed away, for the Governor described the colony as having he^n, - ; .) ihoyou- 18J9, in a state of uninterrupted i Ir. Fo^t'i' was understood to remind me com-julrTt-e of t'r.e commercial advantages which this ( (OL'nt/y demed from its connexion with New Z«.Vnd. Mr. Cohden remarked that if they honestly, cons sk'Mtly, and logically adopted the principle of iree trade, they abandoned the pretensions under which they had taken possession of such territories as New Zealand. The merchant of this country would have no advantage in New Zealand, where any one who sold cheaper would have the whole trade. To the honourable memfor Kent he would put it, whether the honourable member's constituency were to pay not only for the ecclesiastical establishment in Kent, for the see of Canterbury, but also for another in New Zealand ? He objected, to taking the vote under a pretext drawn from missionary labour. lie objected also to covering the bloody misdeeds which had often occurred in remote districts under the plea that a church or chapel had been built. The Spanish sii.d the Portuguees did the Fame 5 they planted churches and crosses where they "had slaughtered, Peruvians and other nati\es, and the niini&trations at their altars were carried on amidst the screams of the victim^ they vr :re massacring, lie objected to the question of operation of the"" Christian faith through the Government in distant colonies being brought into the discussion. It was no part of the duty of Government or Parliament to extend Christianity either by force of arms, or by paying bishops. More than £100,000 were spent on all the establishments in New Zealand. It gave some idea of the expenditure, -when Lord Auckland some years ago slated that he wanted three ships for that country. The sum then sent out to New Zealand, under the proposed vote, was an export of so much of the taxes of the country ; and, t.ikmp the balance of profit and loss, he did not expect this colony would be paid five per cent on what it had expended upon Nesv Zealand. He did not expect a large commerce with New Zealand, which was not like a tropical countiy, but possessed a climate and yielded productions very similar to those of Great Britain. What he wanted was, that the interests of the taxpayers shouldbe regarded, and that Parliament should not go on wasting money, when there was not the least prospect of the country at large getting a beneficial interest and return for its expenditure. Lord J. Russell did not think the honourable member for the West Riding had made out a case to induce the committee to refuse the vote._ It appeared to be a subject on which one might : speak without, reference to the immediate profit and loss on the transactions which had occurred. (Hear, hear.) What was the general state of New Zealand when Ministers first assumed the government ? It was inhabited by a large party of natives; it was likewise overrun by many parties, especially by convicts, many of them of most desperate character, who had gone from New South Wales or Van Diemen's Land, and gave rise to bloody scenes of conflict. Itbecame a question with a number of people in this country, whether an attempt ought not to be made to colonise New Zealand ; and they were encouraged in the enterprise by missionaries who had been engaged in making voluntary efforts to instruct the inhabitants. But those who proposed to colonise, proposed to do what was against the law of the land, to establish laws in the colony to punish for criminal offences, without the authority of the Crown. He (Lord J. Russell) was then in the Colonial Office, and told them they could not do so ; and Sir T. Wilde, the present Lord Chancellor, confirmed that opinion. It became a question whether the Government should not offer to establish the authority of the Crown. He believed that though they were incurring expense which would continue for some years, they were doing one of those noble and heroic works which became such a nation ; it was not unworthy of them to relieve New Zealand from that state of barbarism on the one hand, and those convict incursions on the other, to which he had made allusion, and endeavour to bring it into a state of civilization and Christianity. It is with such views the Government began and continued from time to time grants in aid of that work. He could not but anticipate that the time would arrive, when the Government of the colony would be able to defray its whole expenses ; and he be<lieved it was not a matter of regret that the co- ! lony had been established. He was not even ashamed to own, that in the beginning of that colony it -v\ould have been his hearty recommendation to the Crown to appoint the present bishop, j He was not frightned by_ the name of bishop; j " and if a man who was a bishop should labour ior the civilization of the people among whom he was ! placed, if a man so laboured, whether lie was called presbyter or minister, or whatever it might be, it kerned very desirable that he should be allowed to proceed. (Hear.) With respect to the question of trade, these advantages were not given •which were admitted in former years. But according to the principles of free trade that question h.id two sides; because, in former times, when this country had a colony, they gave it the advantage of their markets, paying a higher price for the Productions of the colony. There was an end novV to that ; no produce of New Zealand Lad an advantage. It appeared to him that, on the whole, they might go on paying for a short time the sums included in the vote ; and he thought that if they did so, they would erelong have the satisfaction of knowing that they had established a flourishing State. (Hear, hear.) After a few words from Mr. Hume and Mr. Plumptre, Mr. E. Denison said he understood the vote was defended, on the ground that the colony was passing into the hands of the colonists. He would not withhold his support from the vote under the circumstances in hich it was brought forward ; but, looking to vie future, he thought it would not be improper if an opinion were expressed, that such charges as those for public works and roads in New Zealand were not charges which ought to be made on the public revenue. (Hear, hear.) The committee divided, when the numbers were —

For Mr. Hume's amendment 23 Against it 50 Majority 27 _ The gallery was again cleared for a division on Mr. William's amendment, but none took place. Tlie vote ~svas then agreed to.

THE KAFIR WAR. [Prom tho Sydney "Morning Hcreld," November Cth 1551.] A careful perusal of the lately r, ceived files of newspapers) from Cape Town and Giabam's Town, apprises us of the deplorable and disheartening tenor of eve<y account from tho frontier down to the 12th of September. The additional reinforcements do not appear to have had much influence in holding the reb?ls in check ; atid the later movements of General Somerset are described as infelicitious. The district of Somerset was in such imminent danger at the commencement of September that the mo*t urgent messages for relief had been sent to Graff-Reiet. The disiflection amonp the coloured classes "wsb rapidly jncreubin^, and the i>ontier farmers were agun retiring westwajii with the remnanta of tLfir flocks and herds. Many heavy lost»oe had been suffered from the depredations of the *nemy. In the north the aspect ot aiFaus was, if pobeible still more gloomy. In the Albert division several frightful murders of faimers h:id been committed. A large force of Kafhs had entered tho district, and pwept off a largo number of cattle and hordes, i'urther to the north-eabt, Cornrnandcnt Bailhe, who sectns to be an independant partisan leader, had taken upon himself to attack the Basuto chiai', Bushuli

teruber.

wbo bad been pieviously consideied friendly to the colonist.. Mr. Baillie was ippulsed; he and his mounted' tro< perb with difficulty escaped, and about fifty ot his foot wpre slaughtered. Jn the Oiange River sovereignty sad confusion and anarchy pievailed, aggiavated, as it was asserted, by semo evtiaouhnary proceedings ou the pan of the Resident, RJojor Warden. A eroding to the Bloom Fonrem paper, " the affans of the sovereignty have arrived at a stage of as complete disorganization us can well be conceived ;" and th.it journal finds its only souice ot encouragement in the old saying that " when thing- are at the worst, there is a prospect of improving." The colonist of every class, farmers and merchants, Dutch and English, had signed a memorial to the high commisioner, reiterating the charges against Major Warden's administration, which were compiised in the resolutions of the Bloem Fontein meeting:, entreating his Excellency to send a special commission to that piovince, or to constitute an efficient Executive council, or to adopt such other measures as may soem to him best calculated to restore and maintain permanent peace in the Sovereignty. Finally, a letter from Natal, in <lip Grnaff-llient Courant dated S 'ptember 5, represents that colony as in a very unsettled state. The " Kafir commando " (probably the 500 Zulus sent to the aid of Major Warden) had disposed the clay after they set out on their inarch. The Secretary to Government. Mr. Moodie, who has i been for some time at variance with the LieutenantOorenor has resigned his office. The diplomatic agent Mr. Shepstone, is said to 1) ye lost his influence over the natives who were " getting more and more independent and unmanageable." The following earnest apppal to the burghers of Grafl'-Rient, from the civil commisioner will give an idea of the pressure of the crisis :—: — At this moment Mpssrs. Heugh and Ziervogel handed me a letter received from Mr Hudson, Civil Commissioner of Somerset, stating that that district is as it were completely oveminby the enemy, that even the town is in danger of being attacked, and that therefore the most pio^im; necessity exists for the seivices of a btron* buigher foice immediately to proceed to expel the enemy iiom that district. Buigheis! read this letter again and again, and judge for j ourselves, whether we can any longer sit still? if the dangpr is great in Somerset, not less so will it become to our district, as ne*t to Someiset, and bhall we then wait till the enemy is in our midst, and muidcr? and robberies aie committed even amongst us ! No ! — let us theti no longer remaiu behind, but with- j out further delay let us take up our aims in defence of our country and our lives. Get youi selves ready j and go with me, anJ we shall proceed to the district of Somerset to face the enemy and dofcnd the country by God's help. Though far advanced in years, \ feel myself called ] upon by circumstances again to place myself at the head of the Graff- ileinet Burghers, uustmg that some hundreds shall follow me, and that we shall a force sufficiently strong to put down the enemy. No one should stay at home who can at all be spared. NOW ! OR IT WILL BE TOO LATE ! I have fixed next Saturday, the 30th instant at 9 in the morning, to leave this. W. C. Van Rynlveld, Civil Commisioner. Grnaff-Reinet, 23rd August, 1851. The following is from a private letter from the same distric, dated 29th August :— Mr. Ryneveld goes himself at the bead of our burghers. We at art on Satuiday, next week. The accounts Mr. Pavor brought ot the state of Somerset are deploiable. What is to become of all this, Heaven alone knows ! provisions are fast reaching famine pi ices. Meal Ins been as Jiitrh as 42 Rds. per muid here, and at burghoi's Dorp 60 Rds per muid. Our stock are in a wretched condition ; but we are better off than our neighbours, for in some parts thousands have died of the drought . Puople say the Governor is going to the sovereignty. It is much the same where be goes, for be does us little good in thii colony. The military proc< edings of the month of August were of precisely the same character as those already published as occurring in July. Stiong patrols under the command of Generals Somerset and Mackinnon, and Colonels Eyre and Napier, moving generally by nitrbt marches and capturing lar«e herds of cattle, weie the chief operations of the military duung the month. The losses of the Kafirs, both as regards life and propeity, were very heavy, — nevertheless but little impression seems to have been made on the rebel chiefs-. The news of the discovery of our gold fields had been leceived at the Cape at the commencement of September. The accounts weie at first described as" singular and suspicious;" but further advices by the nay of Mauritius bad convinced the harrassed Cape Colonists of their truth and it was thought that many would leave the theatre of blood and warfare for our golden land.