New Zealand Colonist FRIDAY, JULY 21, 1843.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 102, 21 July 1843, Page 2

New Zealand Colonist FRIDAY, JULY 21, 1843.

It is not .a very easy task for any one to free his mind from the excitement which has been so studiously kept up in this place; sufficiently to take a calm and comprehensive view of our present position—to ascertain what it really is that we require, and in what manner our necessities may, with the most- certairity, be provided for. And yet unless all experience is, to be dis*? trusted, and History is to be thrown on one side as an old. almanack, 1 we cannot hope, without a cool and dispassionate investigation,. either to discover the best remedies for the admitted under which the Colony labors, pr to adopt the, fitting means to secure their application* As; However, we have some interest in the prosperity of this place, and should be sorry to see-a single chance of benefiting it thrown away, we shall, at the‘risk of being charged with coldbloodedness, and told that we ate no Englishman, endeavour to take a reasonable and unexcited view of the subject. We wantithree things, especially and above every thing Hlse;—secure possession of the 1 lands we believed we were purchasing when the Company sold us the landprders which we still hold; —roads by which these lands may be, rendered accessible, and their produce brought to a market,—and the introduction of capital, either by .Government expenditure,, or by, some other means, to supply the place of that which we have invested in permanent but unproductive improvements, until the produce of the soil, of our flax manufacture, and of the fisheries, may

render us independent. There. are tw ; o sources from might hope to o,btdin these — >.T|.e, Qoiqg&ny apd . English do to decidl whic%pf th|'f;better prospect of receiving the requisite assistance,- but; we kpow that neither will afford aid,, unless some motive 6f gain, personal or national, or some powerful legalpr moral obligation can' bev.shewn. What we therefore are anxious to effect, is, that in addressing either, our case may be so , presented as to make .the desired impression.

But in order that this may be done with the EnglishrGovernment and Legislature, to which it wbuld appear that 6dr representations are alone to be addressed, since the .agents and advocates- of the Company never utter a hint -to shew, tlieir. belief in . any assistance from that .quarter,; We. must first be persuaded of a fact which is sufficiently unpalatable—that neither the Government nor .the Legislature of Great Britain feel aDy particular interest iii our welfare, and that we have to contend against the two most difficult 6f all obstacles, indifference, and, ; an indisposition to exertion. I This is a truth which all ; colonies have an indisposition to believe, but any one of them in turii hasbeeh compelled to accept the mortifying conviction. Of the six hundred an 4 odd-members of the House of Commons, we doubt if there are twenty -Who would voluntarily take the trouble of ; making themselves acquainted with the circumstances of our case, and it may be doubted whether the half of these would advocate any measure for our relief, that would impose additional burthens up6n the over-taxed people of England : while ,we have had already abundant evidence that the Government of England is not ; actuated, by-any very strong feeling of kindness towards us.

It may be said that this indifference has been overcome by other colonies, who have compelled the Lnglish MjniStryto take the requi-

site , trouble Ito, remove ! their grievances, by making the cotitinuaiide of these grievances a source of still .greater annoyance. This is undoubtedly the fact. But in the most prominent case, that of' Canada, there were 4wo circumstances to be noticed—first, that the vicinity ef the United States introduced many embarassing considerations which prevented the English Government from dealing with the case as. at pleased—and, secondly" that the party who have finally triumphed there, bore somewhat the same relation f to'the English colonists that the Natives of 'New Zealand bear to us. We cannot therefore regard this as an instance from which we should draw a favourable augury for oiir success in any intemperate or ill-considered measures. We believe that with temper and prudence we may so urge -our claim upon the Government as to secure attention, but we are assured that any display of needless irritation—any extrayagant or unjust demands cannot'fail to injure us deeply, perhaps irreparably. And, if ever there were a colony called upon by the nature of its position, and the imminence of the dangers with which it. is threatened, to suppress all manifestation of anger, and to apply itself with earnestness and calmness to a siirvey of 'its and Resources, ours is such an one. The Gazette has said, that we are in danger of becoming, a pork and potato community. Such was our dahger a few weeks since. Now however, there may be' the additional danger of not being able to. obtain even these supplies. To be a pork and'potata community implies that we are upon friendly- terms with the native?f;from;,Whom, by far the greater portion of our consumption of these articles has been ofeined.. And if . the counsels of our contemporary'were followed this might notbe the case. . Without ,thi^ ; :^4ded ; difficulty hoyr-

ever we have quite enough against which to contend ;.; and we .can hardlyhope without assistance, to carry our Settlement - safely through the impending crisis. Surely therefore,. we may be pardoned if, deeply impressed with these -considerations,, we. think more of What concerns 'our eventual success, than of what would ‘gratify.'a- .transient fjeefihg, and prefer' the welfare of >the thousands whose fortunes are embarked in Port Nicholson,.-to the doubtful chances of-a war undertaken solely for the; purpose of revenge. The statement made by our contemporary, that the Government

Officers would care nothing if the Settlements in Cook’s Straits were sunk in the sea;so that .salaries were safe, is one that he'must have known and felt to ]be false byen while fie inade tt.; It, is among thp dishonorable artifices to which he is compelled to- have in order to support a cause which shrinks from impartial argument, and can only maintain itself, so long as it succeeds in exciting animosity and propagating delusions.

The Gazette is very indignant that Mr. MacDonogh should have spoken of the defensive measures adopted in this place, as designed to strengthen the. hands of the Government. If Mr. MacDonogh was in error-in this statement, he was led into the mistake by. the assurance of those gentlemen who had taken a'leading part in the meeting held for the purpose, and .who waited upon him to state what had been done. Perhaps those gentlemen knew better than the Editor of the Gazette, what were their own,intentions; and, at all events,Mr. MacDonogh was justified in accepting tlieir communication as sincere. Whether Mr. MacDonogh, in heading the volunteers of this place, would have all the motives for pride suggested by our contemporary, is a question into which we need not enter.