NEW MUNSTER EXTRACTS. The Canterbury Association. [From the "Wellington Spectator," August 14.]

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 676, 6 October 1852, Page 2

NEW MUNSTER EXTRACTS. The Canterbury Association. [From the "Wellington Spectator," August 14.]

In the remarks which we have made from time to time in reference to the total failure of the Canterbury's Association's scheme, we felt satisfied that we had given place to no statements which could in any way be disproved, and in this we are assured by what may be considered as an acknowledgement of their correctness by the Lyttelton Times, which journal is unable to refute in the slightest decree what we have said with regard to the Association's proceedings. That Lord Lyttelton in England, and Mr Godley in the colony, have done their utmost to prolong the delusion, every one must admit; but for them to make further attempts to keep up that delusion would be not only useless but absurd in the extreme ; since— putting aside the wickedness of the act— it is no longer a mere foreboding, but an undoubted fact, the proofs of which are unfortunately too numerous, that the entire plan has broken down, involving in its failure the ruin of those who placed confidence in the projectors of the scheme who took the precaution to guard themselves against any pecuniary loss, in the event of the experiment proving a failure. It can be no mitigation of the injuries inflicted on the land purchasers for them now to be told that if the Association had sold so " many thousand of acres their social position in the settlement would have been different, that the promises so sacredly made would have been as inviolably fulfilled. The Innd purchasers were never warned that the success of the scheme, and the fulfilling of the engagements made with them, depended upon really accidental circumstances ; on the contrary

they were led to believe that arrangements of the most substantial kind had been made for carrying ! out the design to the fullest extent, and that complete success must infallibly ensue. Calculations were reduced to an unerring certainty, and plans were made and talked of as if an enormous balance actually lay to the credit of the Association at their Bankers, Messrs. Cocks and Biddulph; so that intending settlers, who looked only to the great inducements which were held out to them, placed every reliance on the promises made without giving a thought as to the probable contingency of a failure. The array of names in support of the scheme was in itself quite sufficient to lull any suspicions or doubts which rn'igiii have arisen in the minds of those about to embark their fortunes. The attractive features were great indeed. — " One sixth of the purchaio money, or 10s. per acre, is paid to the Government for public purposes ; another sixth which when the whole plan shall be carried out will amount to £ j, '250,000, is to be expended in surveying, road making, and the general administration of the plan. A third, or £1 per acre, being .?2,500,000 ir. the whole, is to be an Emigration fund, devoted to the purpose of paying for the passage of the land buyers with their families, their servants and other persons of the labouring class, and the remaining third (£2,500,000) is exclusively appropriated to religious and educational objects, such as churches ond^ common schools, a parochial clergy, a Bishopric, a achool of ths highest class, and a college fit to supply New Zealand, and the other Colonies of England in the South Pacific with a local Cambridge or Oxford." — And all this was planned and promised by one who had the assurance to inform the public, that on matters generally having- reference to colonies and colonization his opinions were to be received implicitly ; that on such matters he could speak with authority, as he had " foy some Lime past" been thrown " into habitual intercourse with colonists personally, and acquaintance v/ith the various organs of colonial opinion/' — "What consolation, we would ask, can it be to tli3 unfortunate land purchasers to be now told by Mr. Godley that they cannot have schools, c'-.Ujxihed, a Bishop, and college, because a sufficient number of acres has not been sold. He and the Association in no way suffer from the failure, they coolly observe " the experiment lute failed, it will be a warning to us in future should we again attempt to work out the art of colonization." My. Godley, at any rate, will have purchased his experience cheaply, he can lose nothing for he has embarked nothing ; he possesses no real stake or interest in the country but, like his brother agent and agitator Mr. Fox, is quite ready to leave the colony at a moment's notice. He cannot be made legally responsible for all he has done, the deluded land purchasers have no control over him, and an appeal to Government or Parliament would be fruitless. In criticising the proceedings of the Association and their Agent, Mr, Godley would have it believed that we are in reality hostile to the settlera themselves. In the same way Sir George Grey was said to have attacked the settlers and the settlement when he exposed the fallacy of the Canterbury scheme, and stated that "he feared the present system would injure the Church ; it led men incautiously, even in the publications issued under the authority of the Association, to hold out the clergy as a feature of attractiveness, and even touse such language in support of what is termed ihe religious principle as that 'the merest land speculator has an interest in the Canterbury bishopric.'" But the settlers are in no way identified with the projectors of the scheme, no "thin partitions do the bounds divide," the separation of interests between the victims and those by whom they have been deluded is most complete, the line of demarcation between them is broad and umnistakeable. They were attracted by the scheme as was intended, the bait took, the experiment was tried and failed, and the unfortunate purchasers will be left to flounder out of their difficulties as they best may. We say again, let them act as did the pnrchoßoro under the New Zealand Company, and rest satisfied with nothing short of " their bond." Twenty months have almost elapsed since the arrival or the first body of Canterbury settlers, and up to this time with the exception of being placed in possession of their lands, we cannot see that they enjoy any of those extraordinary advantages which they were led expect. They have no Bishop, no churches, no " school of the highest class," no "college fit to supply New Zealand and the other colonies of England in the South Pacific with a local Cambridge or Oxford,"Eyen Avith regard to the promised roads and bridges, the absence of these alone causes much bitterness to the newly arrived emigrant who finds that he has to incur an expense about as great as in a passage from England to transport his baggage from the Port to the plains ; a pack horse can be got from Lyttelton to the ferry over Ileathcote, but all heavy baggage has to be sent round by water to Sumner, the owner having to incur expense and much risk. Whichever way then we turn, we find engagements unfulfilled. No wonder that Mr. Godley should be so eager to control the press, and prevent complaints from being heard. It is said that the nominal editor of the Lyttelton Times is one who is much indebted to Mr. Godley, is perfectly dependent on him, and acts entirely under his direction. Very little reliance seems to be placed in England on the information in reference tothe settlement contained in that journal.