ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

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

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

I • (vopri)

To, the 1 iasertin^ihe Has takbii plaice between' Mr. H:eiiSbn/ as' ! Solicitor, and Colonel Wakefidd; oh; the s\d| jepjt’of the treatment we experienced fromiffl Wicksteed, at New Plymouth. 1 ;; Asuwe panno| anticipate from Mr. Wicksteed any attention t| our claim, we have Thought it but'/fight t| bfihg the matter before the public here, an| shall, at the same ’ time, make an'application foiv(-redress to the New Zealand Ccmpany iq England. ’ . •:.• ; :1 -&I We are,-Sir, - | Yours respectfully*... •; Thomas Waters, j .... F. D. Greenwood. ■; rapTeUington, September 24,1842. f . f ’ — : —^p rr -<r-. ... ■ j.) i letter, which' was written by u| |pT Mri ’ Wichsteed “at Tarahaki, will explain ; circumstances which gave rise to this bdfi'espobdence

Nw Sib,— should ourselve4^d|&te« fi mM|!^S^»^s r e|ro leweffifjmMffi mouth, withoi| andpositiye rive s m^th e l||n. affomqd four hepe) to vessels bringing cs?go to be landed place, viz., that of giving of the boat orbofcti belonging to the Company, either on hire, or gratis, Yj bring the goods brqughtfo them ashore. You cannot justify this refusal,, <on either the privet) d jrf , of a jetlei addressed to you -for rsomedays alter our-wnwu here, or on thepublic one, of our visit toyfhis pm Hon. of the Colony benefUAal:. tia yOtil^ trary a manner reftiring us the assistance and facilities Gazette i (rfveS&ls visiting Tai ranaki, ‘ ‘Ocean,\ ’ but to-tbis,place, nojrfrpjn henCe to thi northward, would, have beOh.undertaken, but,pn;the (a| least understood) conditijffiJh&t these boatsWouid be u our service, as, usual. ,in ,fh^ tw discretion vested' in you;by line ‘New 1 Zealand- Company’j PrijicipalAgent, you ato’ of opinion thatiyOUL ate,. 1$ tli^courße,.proinotingVtife:iiit^ii^Of/the,GQmpaqy ;b| albwusto are. sufferete,dn'ajte; COUbry point oftviewj Iby the refusal an jajgng yourself open to the possible. gnspicjqn of Jjgjnj interested in this course, particularly as tberb is now j vessel from Port Niebbtßon ljring off New Plymouth with a similar cargo tothat we have brought, viz. potatoes, said by yourself and others to be much wanted here at the tone, pewere; induced by puch represen: tation, to go to the northward at a considerable.eanjensd But Be this as it may, we are n r ot‘ to 1 put -up vritlF (siilc wUl.hot quietly put up witli) theimptoperoCxetcisi q thg powerf that seeps to hayebeen .placed [in; yapr h§p& of"either "forwarding, or very materially yetMdipg, tni news Of those who are 'ehtetpnsihg a similar- undertakingto that;we have; 1 of th implied conditions alluded to here/ eifigaged‘hiii:/j ’- »• . ; We may,-; ip conclusion, remark, jof thi grounds on tius morpiug <weto, as we yj|Ct(t. for the letter alluded to, in the first'place, on the condition that it was not 1 to 1 be delivered- un| convenient- to us; as.regards.the commodities brpugl| by.us for sale, tne^quanty,.Ac., of some of wiucnyti Complained, no jjiterao'h 4 (it is alinoSt unnecessary to' saf shohld complain' of ah article; [or'Hts price, seen, approved of,, and bargained for it ; ohi6'bu ; doe| he should blame his own judgment, of whom he - We'mii^; r now,.in cons«juence of your decision aboa the boats, ggeek another market foiMhO sale'Of tiie carg we have brought’hwe, have fetch© good prices,, we got Perhaps w cannot obtain any loss we may sustain But’the be- lbhefi£ted Jbyitibeii| bade ’ known 'to tfifi'sje wh‘o ' bay ppUfempls|etbringjnj supplies pends on the c&pricd'kf aU; individum.’'• ‘* i,v ’ We are, Sir, Your obedient summits, - ; : \ •Phomas waters, i .. }:/ u * F/Xp; GREENWOOD. • i£-J. T..Wickstejtd^Esq.. . • : '' \ • &c. , -&c.- r,dco*. v.'■« 1 • ‘V# 3-4. "t. / ). y r r.... ). - . .. >a’ WelUngtou, September 2l j ;1j842.^ My PEAR Waters an Mr. toub&qojt sation arising out o€*the followmg wil winch prpbably you have become acquamted ffom 6tlie sources. . ' ; 1 : J

L Mr. Waters, hv-concertwith Mj*. Greenwood, cha tered a small schooner, called the “ Ocean,’* for t! jpuiqjqge of conveyjjntg gojops .fo the settlement at N< Plyrpouth. .They ihj.that yessel, and arrived-the in the month of July; On meir arrival, as they had be led to expect would be ffie case; , they bad the use of large boat belonging to the New Zealand Coihjpmiy,; enable them hi several ‘days; ‘by the riolencfe of the su through which ■no - could proceed with safety, t whole of their, goshf<were securely landed. They i mained at’New Plymouth for a few days after the coi ptete ; landing) of persons, among .Mr. Wicksteed, tiie Zealand Company’s'Agept' at tnat wak'a considerable Uhff | thatrthey would. the> place,. luge profit to, thenqlqlyea^^yAriMing/jin.a,.«agp| these articles, northward, for the A| an ahsehefe of they retur^ to the settiement^:lli^fii^^)Sf^B& ; *>f potatoes anj

auMmty,dt Y mMJ!e: r cr I; On thdur an®ridj k ho^revffliv:w ftra* gfetft ff lof ihe boat of ffie New the pi Ipose of landing their jWipksteed,.t6 Eight to vessel ■spttlemehfe AgpuistjaacH Platers, aud MrV leffpct; and- tfre conference ■somewhat disconrtebmdyby?ll|rf howevef', of this refttsal to |pany.’iScboat, they were-uhhblfetp^md. r ftteJpotrop ■which ithey might have ltQn.,;.'.they were compelled .'ito . employ siol&ity ■take off some goods which had been landed'oh tlp|| lyibus visit and- left on shore ; -in ■two packages were so damaged as to be ■Whosat/Once thernselvesbfiithbh^ ■ties" of Mr. and his companion;: andithi|ecuy ■adequate cotdpfe'satioMfoEjlfhfe risk they ■haring.' the ; displeasufe of - Mr. Wicksteed.. Mr; WS ■and Mi*. Greenwood however, -cpptrivew ■get on boar.d f of their,vessel their-gOQdsj and ■for Nelson, when fheir potatoes were 1 scud for ■per c ton. ■. < ',i. V* • act ir. -I-cd p-J 1/ The loss consequence 'bf Bthe -price were w soiafaf N||| fcnd|thatw|jch^wght:havevheen obtained fijr iailririg the fen dhys lost" in consequence of ; %e rii|

Nelson; taut £ls, the damage done to the two packages! which were spoiled by the salt water in»getting them off together £127. For this loss, occasioned by what they! consider a breach of duty on the part of a servant of the! New Zealand Company', as they understand, appointed! by and responsible to yourself, they now claim compeja-| sation at your hands. I am well assured that I heed not remind you how much it becomes a ,body like the New Zealand Company to guard themselves.froni any Suspicion of being actuated by personal dislikes or private interests in the mode of performing the public functions which they have assumed to discharge; nor how catefteliy they should atone for every injury inflicted by, it may be the disinterested, buf the erring zeal of their ‘ servants. Assuming that Mr, Wicksteed had no personal interest in the matter, it still cannot be denied that the grounds upon which he interposed to destroy the profits of a trip undertaken with his knowledge, .and partly even'at his suggestion, are altogether • inadequate' for' his justification. The boats were built by the. New Zealand Company for the service of the public—they were intended to render New Plymouth accessible to vessels.of the. class of the Ocean , which it never otherwise could be; they have been referred to in .the New Zealand, Gazette, as having removed an obstacle,, which, previously, existed, to 'the landing of goods, especially from small vessels,' and they , have always -been considered, as being at the service of every vessel visiting that place, not of such a burthen as to be able to carry boats of the requisite dimensions and construction. Mr. Wicksteed, I would submit, had nothing to do with the opinions or conduct of the persons by whom the use of the boats might be required any more than he would have with the character of the goods they were employed to land. It could never have been the intention of the Company, in authorising an expenditure for the purpose of facilitating the landing of merchandise at this settlement, to place the settlers and -merchants equally at the mercy of the caprice, the interest, or the blunders of their agent. They must have designed that the facilities they provided should be open alike to all; at least, such was the light in which their intentions were regarded by Mr. Waters and Mr. Greenwood, and it is because these gentlemen trusted in the impartiality of that .Company, that they have sustained the injury for which they now seek compensation. I have therefore to request that you will afford to Mr. Waters and Mr. Greenwood an opportunity of proving to you the loss which they have sustained, and that upon such proof, you will, oh the part of the New Zealand Company, pay them the amount which they now seek to establish. Or, should you feel that you are not authorised to award compensation, that you will inform me, so that I may be able to bring the matter under the immediate notice of the board of Directors. I remain, dear Sir, Yours obediently, R. DAVIES HANSON. To W. Wakefield, Esq.

New Zealand Company, I Principal Agent’s Office, I Wellington, September 22, 1842. I Sir, —I am desired by the Principal Agent of the Newl . Zealand Company to acknowledge receipt of your letter! of yesterday’s date, complaining of a grievance said to have been sustained by Messrs. Waters and Greenwood, at the hands of Mr. Wicksteed, the Company’s resident agent at New Plymouth, and to acquaint you, that the particulars will be communicated to Mr. Wicksteed by the first opportunity, arid upon receipt of his answer, a further communication will be addressed to you. I remain Sir, Your most obedient servant, JAMES KELHAM, Principal Clerk and Accountant. ‘ To R. Davies Hanson, Esq., Wellington. This letter was sent, under cover to us, by Mr. Hanson; and we sent to him, on the next day, the following letter in reply : Wellington, September 23, 1842. Dear Sir, —We have to acknowledge receipt of your communication on the subject of our complaint against Mr. Wicksteed, with a copy of Col. Wakefield’s reply-to the letter you addressed to him thereon. To us the answer is veiy unsatisfactory, inasmuch as we had good reason to suppose that Col. Wakefield was in possession of Mr. Wicksteed’s version of the .affair, particularly as there have' left New Plymouth since its occurrence two vessels, arid the matter was deemed of some importance there; irideed, Mr. Wicksteed was .distinctly informed that notice would be taken of the matter .on our arrival here. We request of you to urge upon Col. Wakefield our wish for a reply to our demand for compensation •without delay. If he refuses to give, it, he must not blame us for any course we. may think it expedient to pursue.

We are, dear Sir, Yours respectfully, THOMAS WATERS, • F.D. GREENWOOD. A copy of this-letter was- transmitted by Mr. Hanson to Colonel Wakefield on the 23d September, the day upon which it bears date, to which the following reply was received: — New Zealand. Company’s Office, V Wellington, New Zealand, .September. 24, 1842. Sir, — I am desired by the Principal Agent to acknowledge receipt of your letter of yesterday’s date, handing a copy of one of the same date, which you.have received from Messrs. Waters and Greenwood, and in reply, to state, for the information of those gentlemen, that he can only forward their statement to Mr. Wicksteed, who is authorised to settle and adjust all accounts and disputes between the Company. and any other parties relative to the settlement of New PLymonth. < 1 remain, Sir, Your most obedient servant, JAs. KELHAM, ‘‘ Principal Clerk and Accountant, To R. Davies Hanson, Esq., Wellington. o :—'

To the Editor of the New Zealand Colonist.

I , - Sir, —I. regret that .press of business prevented my h - bestowing as.much, attention on Mr. Levin’s letter as it . perhaps ought to receive at my hands. Mr. Levin, in f . the. commencement, makes what persons would call ; a k “ strong assertion without proof,” in stating that I have I. . selected his name for the exhibition of my well-known |, “ inventive powers.” I leave the public to judge how •!. far Mr. L. is borne out m this assertion. In selecting ) his name, I chose the one most notorious in the mouths I of the whole community for the. delinquencies which f ' were the subject of my former letter. If I have unwit-

; tingly done Mr. Levin injustice, I should feel great , pleasure in retracting any thing I asserted; to his preju- ||\ ( dice; but I must here positively deny the truth of Mr; ; ' Levin’s assertion, that he had never, spoken to thos£ h. persons on any subject whatever. This is doubtless a p. mistake of Mr. Levin’s, as he possibly spoke to so many

strangers on the subject alluded to, that he might, easily! liave forgotten their individuality. Why does not Mi'll Levin broadly deny having made the offers he is.ac.4 jused of making to any individual whatever, and not! 3.onfine himself to particular cases ? 1 I am, Sir, s| Yours obediently, JOHN WADE. : ; Wellington, September 27, 1842. o .