New Zealand Colonist. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1842.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 18, 30 September 1842, Page 2

New Zealand Colonist. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1842.

By the Victoria, from Auckland, we have re-- < eeived intelligence of the death of Captain Hobson, the particulars of which we give in another place. ? His ( death will /probably tend, in some degree to alter the sentiments entertained or towards him by our contemporary, who will at lea3tbe disposed to bury all animosity in the grave of a departed enemy. .Though, after aUj the ehmity, such as it was, was dp on the sicje of our contemporary. For oprselves, we nos take the opportunity of expressing our opiniol that: there/ has, seldom been a .Governor; wH| more sincerely desired the prosperity of eacli 1 and all of the settlements established within'his

gove&in&it* or who laboured with .jriore since-S rity and ieampstness of the general! a 1" mceikeiit; of' the . Colonel j cy ci many, bfi his tertaiiied.,doubts; of the raster, and’the honesty of his pilose, we* hav« never for a moment doubted. The main, error, ip the prpcpedmgs of Cpptaml Hohrilfi,rh Ms ptiblic 'oapacityi Was,‘> it odds, the fixing of th 6 seat of government at qi distance from the" majority of ;the population;! [We do not design to enter into any mvidious! [comparison between Port Nicholson aiid Band, nor to, assert, as some fiavg aperted, tfoa [utter unfitness of the iatter place as the site offl [a capital. On the contrary, supposing that! jEtaglish settlements were to continue to iripreasel Bn t!he northern part of the North Island alone,! until the. establishment of lour / settlement,! [was'the case,- and to he confined to that part,! L e believe that no more suitable spot cooi|| [have been discovered. .Auckland is the natural capital of the Northech District, and it appeal rcojbe as cpmpletely injllcsa.ted by nature for thatj [purpose as we beUeve Nicholson to be fojr| [the capital.of the .entire Colony. If tjie New! [Zealand Company bad not colonised i Pdrtl w.e think that no one could hayfl [accepted to the wisdom of the selection madel [by Captain Hobson. * . : 1 I But it appeared, and it still appears to us J [that the circumstance of so large a |being formed in Cook’s Straits, a settlement! [which contained in itself the elements of pro-1 [gressund diffusion to an extent with which nol [riffipr settlement, existent or prospective, could! [compete, should have determined Capt.- Hobson! [to select this place as the seat of Government ;! [especially since confessedly Port Nichojsompos-J [sesses all the requisites for a town which should] [be the sea -t °f Government, as well as a centjre] [of commerce. We regretted, and have nevejjl [ceased to regret, the decision qf Capt. Hobson 1 [because it- has led to a waste of capital; has] [produced that weakness which ever results from] [division, instead of. enabling us to enjoy tk<| [advantages of combination; and has necessarily [entailed upon this place many inconveniences ißutwe bqlieve that-Captain Hobson acted hdrj [nestly, according, to /his deliberate judgment J [and w;e.cannot venture to say, looking back4oJ [all the circumstances, but that many personsm| [his position would' have acted as he did. * Wi[ ■regret his proceedings, but we must acquit himj [of any interested bias which might lead hhn to] ■decide against his better judgment. N ' J I ' Since this choice, however, we believe that] Die has . uniformly done all that his position eml |abled him to do, to give to Port Nicholson,all] ■the advantages which it was in his power to] ■confer, without allowing himself to be moved! ■for a moment by the abuse with which he was ■assailed. In every instance in which any appliIcation was made to him, involving the interests lof this place, his prompt attention was given lit*, and he always evinced a desire to do nM ■merely what was needful, but also to do this m Isuch a manner *as to meet the wishes of the ■community. - -•'