New Zealand Colonist FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1843.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 104, 28 July 1843, Page 2

New Zealand Colonist FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1843.

We publish in another column a copy of the letter addressed by Major Richmond, the Chief Police Magistrate, to Major Durie, on the subject of'the disbanding of the armed association formed for the defence of this town. There are two points to be considered in connection with this measure on the part of the Government—the substance, and the -mode in which it has befn carried out.*

With regard to the latter, we think that a needless petulance has been shewn by the Gazette. Major Richmond, who arrived here on Monday, and left for Cloudy Bay and Nelson on Wednesday morning, being instructed to put as top to the meetings for drilling, now that it was assumed that there was a sufficient force for the protection of the town, waited upon .Major Durie, as the person appointed as commander, to communicate to him the instructions, and to request that they might be carried out through his medium. Upon being requested to state this in writing, he did so in the letter wejmblish, which certainly appears to us courteous and .gentlemanly in its tone, and affording no reasonable cause of dissatisfaction.

But with regard to the substance of the order, we entertain a different opinion. We think it ilbjudged and premature, unfair to the

Settlement, and neither justified by the reason assigned, nor required by the circumstances of the Colony. It should be remembered that the association in . question was-strictly defensive in its original purpose, and was formed with the view of strengthening, the hands of the Government in any measures they might deem it advisable to take. The immediate necessity for the step was perhaps less pressing than it appeared, but there was certainly enough in the circumstances which had occurred and which might be apprehended to justify measures of precaution, of which this was the most natural and effective. Occasions also might arise in which the assistance of the inhabitants were required, and the catastrophe at Wairau had sufficiently demonstrated the impolicy of opposing men with no •previous training to a conflict with the natives. Both therefore for the purpose of self-protec-tion, and for that of' assisting the Government if called upon, a degree of familiarity with military manoeuvres which might at least inspire confidence, and give the habit and the power of combined action, was of the first importance. To disband these voluntary associations therefore until the members had attained at least this degree of skill, the result appears to us to have been premature. It was also we think unjust to the Settlers.. They have no security that the troops nowin. this place will be permanently continued here. Not that we distrust the intentions of the Government in this respect, but circumstances

may arise in other parts' of the Island which

•render it .essential that the whole military force •of the Colony should be concentrated upon one

point. If, for instance the Government should be convinced that it is its duty to follow out the instructions received from. England to put a stop to war among the natives, and should resolve to discharge this duty, it is impossible" tft say how soon their entire force might beneeded for tbat purpose. And other circumstances may be imagined which would equally render it necessary that for a time at least we should he left without military protection. In ‘this event, the putting a stop to measures which if steadily carried out would have enabled us to defend ourselves, would be severely felt, and we should find ourselves in the same defenceless in which we were placed when the news of the melancholy affray at Wairau first reached us.

And beside this, we doubt the validity of the reason assigned, for we doubt the power of 53 soldiers *to defend this town. They might no doubt defend their own position against any force which the natives could bring against them; but it is probable that their position would be the very last place which the natives would dream of attacking. And, though no military men, we should imagine that no officer would feel himself justified in risking a small party of soldiers in attempting to undertake the defence of a town assailable in 50 points at once. If therefore, there should be, what we trust and believe never will occur, any attack by the natives—the defence of the town must rest in a great degree with the Settlers themselves, whom this act of the Government has, not disarmed, but disbanded.

Nor is there any thing in the circumstances of the Colony which in our opinion could require such a measure. The fear that we might turn our arms against Great Britain is too absurd to be supposed for a moment to have any influence in causing its adoption. And the risk of collision with the natives was, we be-

lieve, diminished instead of being augmented, by the knowledge that we were training ourselves to the use of our weapons. Unless at the call of the Government we should have never dreamed of going beyond our own limits, and should have satisfied ourselves with proving to the natives that we were prepared to meet and repel any aggression. Nor was there any danger that our .objects should have been misunderstood, or if there were this was but trifling and insignificant in comparison with the substantial advantages detailed above. All such misconceptions moreover would have been speedily removed, and a desire to maintain friendly relations with us would have been created in the minds of the natives, by their knowledge that we could punish acts of hostility..