Church of Scotland.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 16, 23 September 1842, Page 2

Church of Scotland.

AT A PUBLIC MEETING of the Committee of the Scotch Church, and of numerous .friends and members of that Church, held at Barrett’s Hotel on Thursday, the 16th September, 1842, in terms of advertisement, ■ ' " " ■ Present—Major Durie, Dr. Knox, Lieut. Wood, Messrs. Wilson, Park, Smith, Strang, Bethune, Sellers, Hay, Scotty Murray, &c. &c. Dr. Knox having been unanimously called to the chair, and several interesting, documents in Connexion with the object of the meeting having been read by Mr. Strang, the following motions were proposed ' and' "unanimously adopted. Ist. It was proposed by Lieut. Wood, and seconded by Mr. Park, that The Rev. John Macfarlane having intimated that the' term of his engagement, with the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland would soon expire; all members of the kirk, and her friends in the Colony, are urgently solicited to enroll themselves before the 26th day of September, 1842, as a preliminary step towards raising a fund for the support of a resident Presbyterian Clergyman at Wellington, and the speedy erection of a place of worship, and that for this purpose a few lists be sent to the Hutt, and distributed throughout the Borough for signatures, and when the period for registering has expired, a Public Meeting to be called, and progress reported.

2nd. It was moved by Major Lurie, and seconded by Mr. Bcthunc, that the following names be added to the original Committee, viz : Mr. Seller, (baker), Mr. Adam Reid, Mr. R. Murray, Mr. William Hay, (carpenter), Mr. Rule. 3rd. Moved by Mr.' Hay, and seconded by Mr. Strang, that Messrs. Wilkie, Telford, M‘Ewen, and Sinclair, form an Auxiliary Committee at Petoni and the River Ilutt. 3rd. Moved by Mr. Park, and seconded by Mr. James Smith, that Mr. George Robertson be instructed to procure signatures in terms of Lieut. Wood’s resolution, and also to assist the Treasurer in collecting the sums subscribed for the erection of a Scot’s Church in Wellington. sth. Moved by Mr.. Seller, and seconded by Major Duric, that a select Committee, consisting of the following gentlemen, be appointed to frame a constitution for the intended Church, viz., Mr. J. Wilson, Dr. Knox, Mr. Adam Reid, Mr. Strang, Mr. Seller, Mr. Betliune, Convener, the said constitution to be submitted to the next general meeting, to be held on the 26th/inst. On the motion of Lieut. Wood, it was unanimously agreed to, that the thanks of the meeting were due to the Rev. Mr. Macfarlane, for his zeal and ability in furthering the interests of the. Church, in his communications with Colonel Wakefield and the Colonial Secretary. Thereafter, on a motion of Major Durie, a unanimous vote of thanks was tendered to Dr. Knox, for his able conduct in the chair.

The Treasurer begs to acknowledge the receipts for the following additional subscriptions, toward the erection of a Scotch Church in Wellington. Amount already advertised exclusive of Government grant £358 13 6 Samuel Revans, Esq 1 10 Lieut. Wood, Wellington-terracc. . 22 0 Mr. W. G. Bell, Wanganui. ..... 3 30 Captain Salmon, ship Middlesex per Captain Hay 2 20 £367 1 6 Parties whose subscriptions have not yet been received, will be waited on by Mr. G. Robertson, to whom they arc respectfully requested to make payment. Kenneth Betiiune, Treasurer.

September 20, 1.842

PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BURGESSES OF WELLINGTON. A meeting of the burgesses having been summoned by advertisement on Wednesday evening, at Barrett’s Hotel; long before eight o’clock the room was crowded to excess. Some delay was caused by the parties who had called the meeting not appearing at the proper time, and considerable dissatisfaction prevailed. The room was decorated with placards containing the following sentences, which afforded amusement to the greater body of persons assembled : “ Lovin'for Collector of Rates.” “ Ludlam for Town Surveyor.” “ Mocatta for Auditor of Accounts.” “ Chetham for Town Solicitor.” ’ “ Partridge for Recorder.” “ No common Mechanic in the Council.” “ Oppose Wade-andthe unwashed.” “ St. Hill for Town Architect.” Mr.’Chetham then came forward, and proposed that Mr. Lyon. take . the. chair, which resolution was carried unanimously. Mr. Lyon stated, that he was not aware of the purpose for which the meeting was called, but perhaps some gentleman in the room might enlighten them on the subject. He hoped that every person addressing the chair would be allowed a fair hearing, and he should be supported in his endeavours to maintain order. (Loud cheers.) Mr. St. Hill then addressed the chair. He stated that the meeting had been called in order that the burgesses generally might have an opportunity of giving full expression to their feelings as to those indivithey might consider most worthy to represent them in the Town Council. There was no occasion for riot. He came there with- no hostile feeling towards those persons whose names appeared on the list of which Mr. Sutton was chairman. • He, - in conjunction with others, had prepared a list of names to represent them, and he would submit them to their approbation. He would not attempt to force any one upon them. (A voice, Yes, Col. Wakefield as mayor.) It is true that a deputation had waited upon Col. Wakefield to request him to allow his name to be put in nomination, and that those who had solicited him to do so, had also offered to exert themselves to secure that office for him ; but, gentlemen, in doing so, it was intended as a compliment to the Company. He denied that their proceedings had been conducted in the dark: theirs were no hole-and-corner meetings, although it has been stated so by one of our newspapers. He had seldom intruded himself , upon public meetings, and he now claimed a fair hearing. It" has been said that some of the gentlemen with whom he acted, had endeavoured to intimidate parties by tffi-eatening to withdraw their custom from them, but ; he did not believe such to have been the case. As far as regards himself he positively denied the fact. Their wish had been, that they might be represented by persons'who had some stake in the colony, and they considered their list as composed of such names, and he hoped the gentlemen ' present would give them due consideration. One more remark, and he had done. He saw various placards on the walls of the room, which he thought did no credit to those who placed them there. Among them was one, “ Guyton for Mayor.” It had been said that Mr. Guyton had declared he would pay £ J IOO but what he would secure that office. He '*■believed it was entirely false. There were parties who seemed to take delight in propagating falsehoods, for the purpose of carrying some sinister point. But there was

a gentleman present who had stated that he would bring ] 50 whalers in as burgesses, in order to secure hisclcction. (Cries of Name.) lie would name him ; it was Mr. Wade. He would trespass no longer upon their time, but merely read the lists of both parties, in order to prove that there was in reality no great difference as they at present stood. Mr. St. Hill then submitted the list to the meeting. Mr. Wade rose and said:— •

It was quite true he had stated, some months ago, that he would bring 150 whalers in as burgesses for Wellington; but it was in consequence of its having been reported that Mr. Molesworth would bring 120 persons from the Hutt, to vote for him. He only viewed the affair as a joke. He had too high an opinion of Mr. Molesworth to believe him capable of so base an act. As a proof that he was not serious in his assertions respecting the whalers, he said that he would send the schooner Jane for 150 of them. It was merely a hoax. Mr. St. Hill had said, they were called selfelected, because they had waited on Col. Wakefield to solicit him to stand for the office of Mayor. He would repeat that they were self-elected; tliey had no right, without calling a public meeting first, to assume to themselves the air of patronage they had evinced. Col. Wakefield had very properly declined the offer, and he gave him more credit for his refusal than he could those who waited/upon. him. He disagreed from Mr. St. Hill about there being little difference in the two lists ; there were eight or nine names not included in Mr. St. Hill’s, and he considered that a material difference. They had struck out of their list the only representatives of the working men; if those on Mr. Sutton’s list did not. please them, why not insert other working men in their stead. . Mr. St. Hill said that they were inimical to the Company: he would dare him to prove his assertion; there was no hostility exhibited towards the Company by the working men. They only wished that there should not be a majority of decided Company’s men upon the Council.

Dr. Evans then enquired of the chairman whether any motion had been proposed by Mr. St. Hill, and on being answered in the negative, proceeded to address the meeting, who received him with a diversified melange of cheers, hisses, and groans, accompanied with various imitations of the canine and feline species. The chairman in vain endeavoured to obtain a hearing for the learned Doctor; who, making a footstool of the knee of one gentleman and the shoulder of another, mounted the table amidst roars of laughter. Mr. Wade and Mr. Annear followed his example, and the chairman, after another attempt to obtain a hearing for the learned Doctor, told him pointedly that lie would now leave the chair, and that whatever breach of the peace might occur, or damage done to property, it would be at the Doctor’s risk and peril. Mr. Lyon then left the chair.

Dr. Evans, however, maintained his position on the table, amidst the most deafening uproar; cries of “No burgess,” “ Off off,” “ Turn him out,” “ Hear the Doctor,” &c., &c. The learned Doctor continued to pace the table with great dignity, folding and extending his arms alternately, and going through eveiy variety of gesticulation, though we were unable to distinguish a word he said. Mr. Wade, Mr. Roots, and Dr. Dorset, now mounted on the table. As the Doctor paced the table, vainly attempting to be heard by the tumultuous meeting, we were forcibly reminded of some lines in Virgil:— “ Ac veluti magno in populo cum ssepe coorta eat Seditio, sscvitque animis ignobile vulgus, Jamque faces et saxa volant, furor arma ministrat, Turn, pietate gravem ac meritis si forte virura quem Conspexcre, silent, arrectisque auribus adstant; Ille regit dictis animos, etpectora mulcet.”

The uproar still continued unabated, when suddenly we saw the Doctor give way, as if seized by some one by the legs—for a second he tottered, and then fell hack over the heads of those near, and was lost to sight amidst the sea of heads and arms. A scene now ensued which baffles all description. The Doctor struck out furiously around him on all sides—and presently he and the person with whom he was grappling were carried bodily out at the upper end of the room —the chair was shortly afterwards vacated, and Dr. Evans again appeared at the head of the table still determined to be heard—he at length gained the chair, and after many minutes of prolonged uproar, obtained something approaching to a hearing.

He had been told he was T no burgess ; he was a burgess as much as any one in that room. He had a large stake in this colony, as large perhaps, as any man there. He bought of the Company largely.at the first, and owned many hundreds of acres in this Island, though he had not got them all yet. (Hear.) The money he had paid for land, had brought out 200 emigrants to the colony, arid was it to be said he had no stake in this colony ; that he had no right to have a voice in such a meeting as the present ? He had tendered his £?1 and the usual declaration to the Police Magistrate, and he was refused, he was informed he was too late, it was after the hour which Mr. Murphy had appointed to receive the names of burgesses. He had come there that night to shew that he had a right, as much as any man, to be heard in this town; he had come to shew the Police Magistrate how little he regarded the course he had thought proper to pursue, and to shew this meeting that he was resolved to maintain his right, and-he was determined to punish that government stipendary, to pull up Mr. Murphy, so help him God, before the Supreme Court, (cheers.) Five and twenty years ago, gentlemen, I laboured heart and soul, in England, in the glorious cause of radical reform ; I have always been a supporter of the rights of the people. I have always maintained their interest. I have never advocated this party or that party, but the only- cause I have ever supported has been the substantial welfare of this colony, and the happiness and prospei-ity of the universal people. (Cheers.) Gentlemen, I had the honour to propose this very Corporation Bill to Sir George Gipps. During my visit to Sydney, I had the honour to suggest this very measure which is about to confer upon you one of the greatest political privileges : and now, Gentlemen, after having been instrumental in framing and bringing about this Corpoi'ation Bill, having been the

first to press upon you the expediency of adopting it, I did not expect that when I attempted to address the burgesses of the Borough of Wellington on this important subject, that I should have been dragged from the table by a ruffian from South Australia ; a person who has only lately landed on our shores, arid whose whole time here, I am informed, has been sperit in abducing and abusing the state and prospects of our colony while he puffs South. Australia, a colony at this moment on the brink of insolvency and ruin! (Cries of shame, shame.) I had not at first intended to qualify myself for a burgess, but I was told that oil this first occasion of exercising our high municipal privileges, •it might seem unmanly and cowardly to shrink from the task ; I therefore went on the last day, but was refused to have my name enrolled, because forsooth, the returning officer chose to close his office at 4 o’clock, instead of at the end of the legal day, at 12 o’clock, at night. But I maintain, that on that account, I am no less a burgess virtually. I have no less stake in this town and colony; I have, therefore, an equal right to be heard on such a subject. Gentlemen, in the preamble of the Bill, we are told that this is to be but a step to a higher degree of political privilege. We are led to believe that if we approve ourselves as municipal electors, we may expect to receive the luglier and more substantial pi*ivileges of. a more extended self-representation t But this is not the way to fit ourselves for those privileges ; it is riot by stifling discussion by noise and uproar —by party spirit, and animosity, arid faction, that we shall prepare ourselves for those higher functions of political franchise. Gentlemen, I would warn you against those 1 lists that have hitherto been adopted ; I would not advise you to pledge yourself to any man ; promise not to vote for any list, until the day of election; let each man carry home with him, and canvass, in his own breast, the names of those men who, in his own private, individual, and unbiassed opinion, are best calculated to represent the true interests of the colony ; let each man, from his own knowledge and experience of those around him, give his vote, unpledged, on the day of election. But, Gentlemen, there are parties in this town against whom I would warn you ; let me entreat you to return to the Council no agent of absentee landlords—no officer of the New Zealand Company—no stipendiary of Government! Yes, there are parties ties in this colony, ay, and in this town, who are in the pay of the local government, and who are employed to run down and oppose the best interests of this community. I am informed, from authentic sources which you unfortunately cannot obtain, there is a party—and a powerful party —in England, backed by the Government at home, and aided by the local government in the colony, whose object is to stir up the Native mind in opposition to the settlers—to keep them from their land, to retard their progress, and, in fact, stay the growth and success of the colony altogether ! Gentlemen, I ask you, would you return a man to your Council in any way connected with such a party ? Let me press upon you, to return no agent of absenteeproprietors—no officer of the Company or the Government,. to your Council! There are men here, in this room, against whom 1 would warn you—men whom, in their private capacity, I admire and respect, but who, from their connection with absentee landlords, or the local government, must ever prove the enemies of your true xvelfare. This is Mr. St. Hill 1 I respect him as a man ; but, Gentlemen, from his connection with the absentees in England, who own thousands, and tens of thousands of acres, in the untrodden wilderness of this colony, which they have never seen, and for which they have done nothing—men who are only connected with the colony as a profitable speculation —who have done nothing for you or for the colony; from his connection with such men, I say, Mr. St. Hill is unfit to represent you; his interests must always be inimical ta your true prosperity! And, there is also another ' man, whom I respect and admire in his private capacity, and whom I have left a few minutes since in my .own family circle, but who, from his connection with that local government, whose every effort and wish is for your oppression and destruction, is unfit to represent you in the Council. I mean Mr. Hanson ! (Cries of oh ! oh ! —now, it’s coming out!) Gentlemen, let me once more warn you against pledging yourselves to any man, or to any list; reserve your votes for the day of election, and act upon your own judgment—think for yourselves! Remember that this is but preparatory to more extended political privileges ; I trust the day is not far distant, when the representatives of many cities shall meet in the town, then the centre of the colony, in our own representative assembly! Look upon this Corporation as merely the step to higher political privileges—to more extended powers of representation ! Once more, I entreat you, pledge yourself to no man’s list—Mr. Sutton’s list, or Mr. St. Hill’s list, or the working-men’s list, or Mr. Anybody-else’s list. Scatter your lists to the winds of heaven, and dare to think and act for yourselves ! Again, I implore you to endeavour to approve yourselves in your present capacity of municipal electors, as soon to merit those more extended powers of election and representation which. are promised in the preamble of the Bill—by giving to each man an open hearing—by temperate discussion, and by the display of no personal animosity or spirit of faction, to endeavour to conduct yourselves, that soon shall be said to you as to the steward in the parable, “ Well done, faithful Borough ! thou hast been faithful over one town, thou shalt represent many cities !” (Mr. Roots then made some observations which we could not catch, when Dr. Evans said, We want no slaves to .power here; we will not be dictated to by the baseborn slave of an arbitrary faction. Mr. Roots next addressed the Meeting : He said, Dr. Evans, had talked a great deal about Governor. Hobson, and abused the Government; but it turned out, after all, he only wanted to have a slap at Mr. Hanson. Dr. Evans had gone all the way to England for politics ; what had that to do with whig and .tory ? what had that to do with our borough. He (Mr. Roots) was anxious that every man should have a fair hearing; that every man should speak his own opinion, and think and vote for himself; he begged them to pledge themselves to no man—to no list. He abhorred the Corporation Bill from his soul; he had always opposed its adoption; it could nevqr benefit them: but now that it was inevitable, he trusted they would think and act for themselves, and return those men who are’ most likely to support the working men’s interest, in which are involved the best interests of the colony. Mr. Roots left the Chair amidst • cheers and groans, shouts and hisses, from all parts of the room. The uproar continued for many minutes, when at length. Mr. Revans appeared, and endeavoured to be heard

He was;sui’prised,/he,was disgusted,.with what he had witnessed that evening ; he had witnessed a display that evening' of paltry animosity, and opposition of petty faction, which he had little expected from the intelligence vf the Borough of Wellington. He alluded to those blackguard placards he saw around the room,; they reflected no predit to the parties who put them thei’e ! He had all his life mixed in political struggles; lie was

a democrat himself; lie had always been a democM - but tire soul of political life was open and free discus; sion. Let each man.be heard ; let each man freely state his own He was sorry to see such petty feeling displayed in so small a community; he had .always courted discussion; it was the only way to get at the truth ; he was sorry to see so much animosity and personal ill-feeling as he had witnessed in that room ; he was always willing to give his political opponents credit for as much honesty as himself; he thought it possible for there to be bad men on both sides, and good men on both sides ; there might be honest tories, s well as honest whigs ; he thought the tories had done much mischief by their line of policy; he had always opposed them ; but the was willing to give them credit for as much honesty of purpose as himself; he had been prevented by circumstances from becoming a Burgess; and had lie been in a situation to be elected into the Council, lie should fear the onerous and responsible nature of the duties such an office would impose upon him, while he should endeavour to serve their interests if they had elected him ; he should by no means, wish to fill so heavy and responsible a station ; he begged the electors of the borough to beware of class representation ; it had been the curse of England ; the extent of the present franchise was as much as the greatest'advocate fer universal suffrage could desire ; how many a man in England would hug such a privilege! He thought, with Dr. Evans, that they should tear up all lists and think for themselves; above all this, to approve themselves as muncipal electors, and prepare themselves for future political regeneration. They should not strive thus to put down discussion, the proceedings of this night was a disgrace to the town he hoped he might never see a repetition of similar uproar and noise. Mr. Rowland Davis here begged to ask Mr Revans a question, “ whether he thought it right women should* interfere on such occasions, he had heard of two ladies who had canvassed even on the Sabbath/ ,(Cries of shame, shame.) Did Mr. Revans approve of this ? Mr. Re vans said, he had thought and studied much on that point in political economy, but he had never been able to make up his mind decidedly, whether women should, or should not, have a voice in the legislature ; however as the ladies in this instance were not electors, he thought any allusions to what he had imagined a mere squib ; talking of aged spinsters, in sncli terms, was at 1 exist indelicate, at such a meeting. Mr. Davis then asked what Mr. Rcvans thought of the man who could pay £l . a-piece to qualify 35 of the Company’s labourers. _ Mr. Revans said he considered it by no means wrong to advance any poor man the necessary qualification money who wished to he a burgess, but he would riot approve the mail who would threaten his labourer witli stop of work if he did not vote according to his wishes, such conduct he considered discreditable to the party who gave and the party who received such terms. Mr. Revans concluded by urging the electors to pledge themselves to no man, and to study their own interests by voting-according to their own unshackled opinion. Mr. Revans retired amidst long and continued cheering. Mr. Fitzhereert next addressed the meeting.

. He was sorry for the way in which Dr. Evans hod been treated that evening. He had not the pleasure or an intimate acquaintance with the Dr., but he respected his public spirit, and admired his talent, he thought then! was no man in the room-, he might say in the coloiiy, better fitted to address them, or represent them. lie thought the Dr. had not been fairly treated ; every man had a right to be heard. He had lately found the benefit of the Dr’s, benevolence, determination, and talent, when he (Mr. F.) had lately been dragged before a Police Court, and he felt assured the Dr. was in every way deserving of a fair heaving and of public confidence. He concluded by urging upon the electors to reserve their votes, to give no pledges, and to think for themselves. , Mr. Forster here moved for a vote of censure upon Dr. Evans, for his improper conduct in resisting the authority of the chair, and causing all the disturbance which had taken place, through his obstinacy. Dr. Evans ought to have left the table when he found the meeting was against him, he was no burgess by his own confession, and had no right, therefore, to speak to a meeting of burgesses, against their inclination.

An amendment on Mr. Foster’s resolution was then proposed, to the effect that those parties who were for censuring Dr. Evans should themselves be censured by the meeting. The Chairman said, in putting the resolution and amendment, that the meeting had ceased to be a meeting of burgesses when Mr. Lyon vacated the chair—it then became a public meeting, and he was inclined to he of opinion that Dr. Evans had only been guilty of a breach of etiquette, which might be considered pardonable under all the circumstances. Dr. Evans then Appeared at the lower end of the room, and moved as an amendment to the resolution and the first amendment—that the most business like way of closing the meeting was. by passing a resolution to the effect— That, this meeting do not hold themselves pledged to vote for any particular man or any particular list, but for such men only as each individual considered worthy of confidence, and would conscientiously discharge the duties/of a Councilman. It was objected by many-voices, that a similar resolution had been put at a late meeting, and some pressed for the original amendment; the chairman asked Dr. Evans if he would consent, on that ground, to withdraw his amendment; Dr. Evans would riot consent to do so ; it was then seconded, and in being put from the chair was carried by acclamation. A vote of thanks was passed to the chairman amid much confusion, and that functionary having thanked the meeting for the/ compliment, and the attention they had shewn him during the evening, left the chair, and the meeting broke up. . , ; .;