RESOLUTIONS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 14, 11 January 1845, Page 1 (Supplement)

RESOLUTIONS.

Ist. That the conduct of the New Zealand Company in sending out settlers to New Zealand, not only without the sanction, hut in direct defiance of the authority of the Crown, was highly irregular and improper. 2nd. That the conclusion of the Treaty of Waitangi, by Captain Hobson with certain natives of NewZealand^was a Dart ofa series of injudicious proceedings, whiqhpad commenced several years previous- to his assumption of the local Government.' 3d. That the acknowledgment by the local anthoritieJkg^aiigit'of property on the part of the h^Ps of New Zealand, in all wild land in these islands, after the sovereignty bad been assumed by her Majesty, was not essential to the true construction of ihe Treaty of Waitaagi, and was an errorjghic^ had heen productive of very injurioata^Bquences. 4. That the New- ZealfmTjlghpany has a right to expect to be put in 'possession by the Government, with the le*st possible. delay, of the number of acres awarded to it by Mr. Pennington ; that the Company has this, right aa against the estate of the .Crown, without teference to the validity, or otherwise,, of its •opposed purchases from the natives, allclaims derived from which have been surrendered. &i That the Company, in selecting the land to b« granted by tbeCrown wiibln the defined limits-, cannot claim the grant ofany land not! .tested in. the Crown. ,-'-'.-, .. , , Of That means ought to befer.thwitlj.adop,ted for establishing the exclusive title of the Crown (to all land not actually occupied and ,«njoyed by. natives op held under grants of the; Crcwu; such land to- be considered as. vested { in the Prow n for the'pnrpose of. being employed in the manner most',conBucive to the welfare of tfi<^ l'nhabftants, whether natives or, Europeans.

7- That in order to prevent land from being held by parties not intending to make use of the same, a land-tax, not exceeding twopence an acre, ought to be imposed ; that all pat-ties claiming land should be required to put in their claims, and pay one year's tax in advance, within twelve months. , 8. That such tax ought not to be considered as applying to the whole estate of the New Zealand Company, so long as they shall continue to sell not less than one twenty-fifth of the land granted to them, annually, and to expend a fixed proportion of the proceeds in Emigration. 9. That such tax ought also not to be considered as applying to lands now actually occupied and enjoyed by the natives, or to reserves set apart and held for their benefit. 10. That reserves ought to be made for the natives, interspersed with the lands assigned to settlers, with suitable provision for regulating their alienation and preserving the use of them for the natives as long as may be necessary ; and that these reserves ought not to be included in calculating the amount of land due to the Company. 11. That as it appears by Evidence, that the non-settlement of the Land Claims has been productive of great confusion and mischief in the colony, it is expedient to adopt measures for granting legal titles with the least possible delay to the actual occupants of land, unless under special circumstances of abuse. 12. That the prohibition to all private persons to purchase land from the natives ought to be strictly enforced, except that land which may have been purchased by natives they should be at liberty to sell again, provided the transaction be sanction by the Protector. 13. That it is highly important that the ; Governor should have more effectual mean's of enforcing obedience to his authority, and also greater facility for visiting frequently the different settlements ; and that with this view it is expedient that an armed steamer, of moderate size, be placed at his disposal. 14. That It is expedient that the settlers should be organized as a militia, under the orders and control of the Governor j, natives, under proper precautions, being allowed to serve in it. 15. That it is expedient that an attempt should also be made to" raise and discipline a native/force of a^mdre permanent character, officeivqiUii «ene«il bi&Europeans, but in which^K^ofjt^.njftjfe^who may be found trus/jflrthy Ra£]S^d cj^imands. 16. / That23£§*|mplcfyment of natives in the civil service ot the Government, in any situations in/which-Hiiey^n be useful, is highly desirable. •" r - ■ 17. That efforts- should be made gradually to wean the natives from their ancient customs?- and to - induce them to adopt those of civilized life, upon the principle recommended by Captain Grey, in his report on the mode of introducing civilization amongst the natives of Austa'Ua. 1 8. That the principles in which the New Zealand Company have acted in. making the reserves for the native, with a view to their ultimate as well as present welfare, and in making suitable provision for spiritual and educational purposes, are sound and judicious, tending to the benefit of all classes. . 19. That the Committee, upon a review- of the documentary evidence relating to the loss of life at Wairau, without offering any opinion upon the law of the case, deem it an act of j justice to the memory of those who fell there, | to- state, that it appears that- the expedition in cjufistiou was undertaken for a purpose bei lieved by the' par ties to be lawful and desirable, andr which also r example in analogous cases had" unfrfrt'uately fed' to* expect might be effected' without resistance from the natives. The Committee cannot withhold the expression, of their regret at tW toss of life wfiich 'occurred,, especially th« toss of Cap.t. Arthur | Wakefield, whose long and 1 distinguish* ed I services in, the British Navy, are recorded' in ! tjiej'papefs bgfefe^tfie Oommtftiee, and Sir. j^onigsoqj, ,to7e , fclpeni#ary\ Magistrate, Mr; Richardson, the 'Crown- Prosecutor^ 4 !Capfaih England, Mr v Cotterellj Mr., i&i&ievt, and Mr. Howard/

, Tiesßepoutr r*as presented to tbe House r on, the 29th July;, VB44i- ' r £on3 Jdhrt RussftJl in * letter t<J the Go-

vernor of the New Zealand Company exp'anatory of the agreement between the Government and the Company in 1840, says: — " I did not suppose that any claim could be set up by the natives to the millions of acres of land, which are to be found in New Zealand neither occupied, nor cultivated, nor in any fair sense owned by any individual."

The following remarks concludes the 14th Report of the New Zealand Company : — " Concerning what may be the immediate result of this verdict in your favour, we cannot afford you any information at present ; but whilst we entertain the hope that Lord Stanley will be generously disposed to forget the unhappy differences with his Lordship's Department, which have been so fatal to the settlers in New Zealand and to your usefulness as a colonising body, and to place the Company on a footing of relations with the Colonial Office and the Local Government which would enable us to carry out with immediate effect the objects of your incorporation, we feel it to be a duty which we owe to you, and still more to the suffering Colonists, to act on the result of this enquiry by the House of Commons, so far as may be in our power ; to banish all thoughts of allowing the Company to be broken up by the adverse circumatances in which it has been placed ; to resume, as far as your resources will allow, the Colonizing operations of the Company ; and to rely for complete success, sooner or later, on that support from public opinion which was constantly extended to you whilst our difficulties were not concealeJ from you, and which in this free country is the best dependence of a just cause.