PUBLIC MEETING AT THE HUTT.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 1, 12 October 1844, Page 4

PUBLIC MEETING AT THE HUTT.

A Pubjcic Mebtieo was held on Thursday, the 19th ult., by ths inhabitants of the Hutt, at the Aglionby Arms, for the object of discussing the present state of the district, as regards the seizure of their lands by the natives, and of drawing up a memorial to his Excellency the Governor upon the subject. Although the notice was but short, and the day very unfavourable for the distant settlers, the large room of. Mr. Burcham's was so full that many were obliged to remain outside. Nearly all the chief gentlemen attended, and there was a considerable number of the small proprietors and labourers, W. S w ainson, Esq. , F.R.S., of Hawkshead, having been unanimously called to the chair ; he opened the business by observing — " That the meeting had been called in consequence of a requisition, he now laid upon the table, signed by some ofthe most respectable names in the district, and dated on the 15th August. Anxious, however, to wait the result of" Mr. Commissioner Spain's return to Wellington, and to give the inhabitants of that town an opportunity of expressing their sentiments in the first instance, he had recommended a short delay. But finding that Mr. Spain had proceeded to meet the Governor at Taranaki, and that nothing was doing by the settlers at Wellington, he thought that no more time should be lost. True it was that the business they had now met upon deeply concerned the interests of every individual in the colony. But it came more immediately home to the inhabitants of the Hutt. The aggressions of the natives were directed upon them in the first instance, and not through the medium of another class of the community. - He conceived therefore that we should state our own individual grievances — since general assertions, unsupported by the detail of facts, usually carried but little weight. He then informed the meeting that with the assistance of his friends, several resolutions had been drawn up, which would be successively read, together with a memorial to his Excellency the Governor, wherein these statements and resolutions were embodien. As he had been particularly cautious in ascertaining the accuracy of the facts brought forward, very few of which, from their local nature, appear to be known at Wellington ; he trusted the line of procedure he had adopted would be sanctioned by the gentlemen present. He wished however, then any person present, who tad objections to make, would do so with perfect confidence that he would be fairly heard. He concluded with trusting that the meeting would set an example of order, patience, and sober feeling to other parties in the colony, whose proceedings were generally conducted in a far different manner (applause.)" i The following are the resolutions then proposed, the whole of which were carried without a dissenting voice, and with much applause. Proposed by James Watt, Esq. ; seconded by the hon. H. W. Petre : — 1. That this meeting considers the protracted settlement of the Land Question, after a period of near three years delay, to be fraught with incalculable evils to all parties, especially since hi 9 Excellency the Governor waa understood to pledge his word that it would be settled before his first departure from this settlement. Proposed by A. Ludlara, Esq. ; seconded by Mr. Scott : — That in consequence of this delay, the demands and aggressions of the natives are daily increasing, each concession only leading to more unreasonable demands or to greater outrages. Settlers have been recently driven fiom lands which the natives had previously given up to them. Their houses have been taken possession of, or have been destroyed, and the crops they had planted have been rooted up. In some instances they have been driven off by. those very natives whom they had paid fur clearing it. A deposition, to this effect, being now laid before tbe meeting. Proposed by R. Barton, Esq. ; seconded by G. Compton Esq. ; — That as the law is now administered settlers can obtain: no redress from the civil authorities under all these aggravations. The Court* of Law indeed recognise the right of settlers among themselves to their land, by punishing trespasses and enforcing rents, but the natives are dri no way molested for any of these or for worse' acts which they are daily committing. That th<s lenity thus shewn to them has brought to the Hutt, a remnant of wandering tribes from all quarters for the avowed purpose of retaining the power of supplying Wellington with provisions, and preventing vt from cultivating the soil for ourselves- , . Moved by G. Compton, Esq. ; seconded by Mr. Hick*:— ' That there is abundant evidence that the Hutt lands, thus seized by strange tribes, is not or ever was, required by the former and legitimate owners to grow their own food. Oh the arrival of the first settlers, many of whom are now present, not more that eight or nine acres were in cultivation, and these still remain as native reserves. The rest of the valley containing near twenty thousand acres, was one dense unBrbken -chain of primeval forest, every where interspersed with trees of one to more than three hundred years old. No sooner however, had

the settlers made roads, built dwellings, cleared land and began to supply Welling! on with provi»ions r than the natives disliking the competition/ followed in their steps, and finding they were, allowed, by the authorities to take posseslion of small patches, have now assumed a right over the whole of this district. Moved by D. Riddifordy Esq., seconded by Dr. Turnbull — 5. That notwithstanding the, long continuation of these faithless 1 and hostile proceedings, this meeting is not aware of a single act of retaliation, as yet, having be&i committed upon the natives. But on* the" c6ntr"ary/ that they have been almost universally treated, if not with kindness, at least with unexampled forbearance. Moved by the Hon. H. W. Petre, seconded^ by A. Ludlarh, Esq. — That this meeting considers that thej', in common with the other settlements founded by the Netf Zealand Company, are suffering under hardships' unparellelled by those of any other of her Majesty's subjects-— and unexampled in the history of colonization. They cannot get possession of land purchased from the Company five years ago. They cannot purchase land from the Government, for it has none to sell. They are prohibited from buying of the natives alone, and if they desire to rent land from the native owners, the Government decline to protect it subjects from any outrages the said owners may commit. Thus although nominally they are said to live under the safe arid protecting laws of their native country, they have no power of acquiring property in the soil ; and even their temporary possession of it may be destroyed, and their lives endangered by the momentary caprice of a' , faithless savage. Moved by Dr. Turnbull, seconded by D. Riddiford, Esq. — 8. That thi3 meeting desiring to call the calm and unprejudiced attention of his Excellency the Governor to this state of things, request ihe Chairman to embody these resolutions in a respectful memorial to his Excellency, adding a request that in case he has not the power of relieving the settlers he will be pleased to submit these our complaints and memorial, with its accompanying document, to the Right Hon. the Secretary of the Colonies. Moved by the Hon. H. W. Petre, seconded by James Watt, Esq. — 8. That a Memorial to His^ Excellency the Governor drawn up by "W. Swainson, Esq., be now read and adopted. Moved by A. Ludlam, Esq., seconded by D. Riddiford, Esq.— 9. That the Chairman be requested to write an official letter to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to forward the Memorial now passed to his Excellency the Governor, to meet him at Taranaki, on Ist October next ; and should his Excellency not be there, to forit by the earliest opportunity to Auckland. Moved by D. Riddiford, Esq., seconded by R. Barton, Esq. — Thai the thanks of this meeting be given to W. Swainson, Esq., for his able conduct in the Chair. To his Excellency Captain Fitzroy, R.N., Governor of heii' Majesty's Islands of New Zealand, &c. &c. The respectful Memorial of the holders and expectant holders of the New Zealand Company's lands in the Hutt district, and other inhabitants of the same settlement, sheweth — Ist. That the chief agricultural population of this colony is concentrated on the valley of the Hutt, wherein is contained, by a recent census, between 650 and 700 British settlers, nearly the whole of which are engaged in agriculture. 2nd. That the protracted settlement of the land question, after a period of near three years delay, is producing incalculable evils to all parties concerned, destroying the good understanding that formerly existed between the two races ; teaching and tacitly encouraging the natives to violate their own solemn compact, and bringing distress and ruin upon all those settlers who have emigrated to this colony. 3rd. That in consequence of this delay, and and of the Proclamation issued by the Officer lately Administering the Government, whereby the settlers are prohibited from occupying all lands in dispute, the natives have again taken possession of land they had formerly given up ; and as remonstrances by the authorities have only been followed by concession, each concession has only led to more unreasonable demands, or to greater outrages. Settlers have been recently driven from lands to which no opposition had formerly been made. Their houses have been taken possession of, or have been destroyed, and the crops they have planted have been rooted up. In some instances they have been driven off from land by those very natives whom they paid for clearing. Various depositions substantiating these and other aggressions, your memorialists beg to transmit herewith. 4th. That from this delay has originated another evil, destructive of all good government, and of moral law on the minds of the natives. Several instances have arisen of dissolute and wicked individuals instigating the natives to acts of outrage, by dispossessing the industrious settler of bis land, and giving it to thetfr. sth. That according to the present administration of the, law, the settlers can obtain no redresi from the; civil authorities. The courts of hvw, indeed, recognize the rights of settlers to their lands,' between themselves, by punishing trespassers, and enforcing demands for rent. But there % no power to check, much- less to punish the least, or the worst of any aggressions committed by the natives. 6th; That notwithstanding the long continuation- of these faithless and hostile proceedings, your memorialists are not aware of a single instance of retaliation, as yet, having been committed upon ttie natives; on the contrary, that they have been treated altmost universally if not with uniform kindness, at least with unexampled forbearance. 7th. That it is the opinion of your memorial-

ists that the belief of the lands in the Hutt being required by the natives togrow their own food, is completely erroneous, and for the following reasons: — On the arrival of the first settlers, some of whose names are hereunto attached, not more than eight or nine acres, not far from the sea, were alone in cultivation, and these have never been occupied by the settler*; (he rest of the valley, containing nearly 20,000 acres, was (and almost now is) one thick' unbroken chain of primeval forests, every where' interspersed with palms and arborescent ferns of from one to 300 years old. No sooner, however, had the settlers made roads, built dwellings, cleared land, and began to send provisions to Wellington, than the natives, jealous of this competition, followed in their steps. And finding they were allowed by the authorities (then held in some respect) to take possession of small patches of land, came among us for the first time, and invited others at a distance to join them. This lenity has been followed by its natural cocsequence, remnants of vagabond tribes, from all parts of the North and South Island, are fast congregating in the valley, where they have built two fortified pahs, and are well provided with fire arms. Although they are but remnants of tribes who have slaughtered each other in former wars, and still retain a smothered enmity, yet they are now brought together by one common interest; they openly avow their determination of cultivating potatoes and rearing pigs for the white people at Wellington, a trade they find both easy and lucrative, from tne facility of the roads constructed by the Company, and the impossibility of the white settlers cultivating the land. Your memorialists beg leave moreover to call your Excellency's attention to this remarkable facts, that none of the aggressions have been committed by that tribe, which was in possession of the Hutt, at the time it was purchased by the Company. The Chief of this tribe E' Puni, of great influence and as much beloved by the white population as by his own people, uniformly declares that the" land has been fairly paid for, nay more, he has actually refused to receive any further compensation. Seeing, however, that any wandering natives may now take passession of the land he sold us, E' Puni within the' last week, has sent a party of his people to do the same, but with this assurance, that so soon as these strange natives are ordered off, he will immediately withdraw his own people. Evidence upon this important fact will be submitted to your Excellency. 9th. That of 175 sections or 17,500 acres in the Hutt valley, thus purchased from the tribe whom the Company found in possession. The stranger natives have only allowed the settlers to occupy 19 sections, seven of which, on the sea side, are only fit for occasional grazing, while portions of the remaining are still in the hands of the natives. 10th. That in further evidence of the enormous quantity of land laying waste, above what is wanted for the native population, your memorialists beg to cite another instance in the Wyderop vally, a magnificent tract of alluvial land, near 60 miles long and containing by the surveyors estimate more than 3 Of), 000 square acres. This vast tract however is almost uninhabited excepting by about 200 natives, cultivating a few potatoe gardens towaids the sea. This fertile region, it is obvious might support all the native population of the whole islands, and it has njl been sold really or nominally to Europeans. But it is too far from Wellington to s>erve the purpose of the natives and they will therefore not occupy it. 11. Upon a due consideration of all these circumstances, your memorialists can come to no ocher conclusion, that in common with the other settlements founded by the New Zealand Company, they are suffering under hardships unparellelled by those of any other of her Majesty's subjects — and unexampled in the history of modern times. They cannot get possession of land purchased from the Company, who are authorised by the Government. They cannot purchase from the Crown, for it has none to sell in the settlement. They are prohibited from buying from the natives a'one, and if they rent land from their chiefs the Government declines to protect them in their lawful bargains or agreements. Thus, although they are said to live under the just and protecting laws of their native country, all power is taken from them of acquiring property in the soil ; and even this temporary occupation of it may be interfered with, and even their lives endangered by the momentary caprice of a faithle«s savage. 12. That your memorialists beg to call the calm and unprejudiced attention of your Excellency to this fearful state of affairs, and at the same time request that, if you have not the powei of immediately redressing our grievances, you wil! be pleased to transmit thi3 statement of thtnij together' with the documents hereunto annexed to the Bight Honorable her Majesty's Secietary of the Colonies, and your memorialists will ever pray, &c, &c M &c. Signed by 118 inhabitants of the Hutt.