PUBLIC MEETING.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 18, 8 February 1845, Page 3

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting took place on Tuesday evening last, in the Britannia Saloon, near the Aurora Tavern, for the purpose of considering ".he propeiety of forming the- male inhabitants of Wellington into a Volunteer Corps. The meeting was called for seven o'clock, rather an early hour ; but before eight the Saloon was densely crowded, and as many persons as were able took possession of the platform. On the motion of Dr. Dorset, seconded by Mr. H. Joseph, S. Revans, Esq., was called to the Chair, who then said — Fellow colonists, I take the chair on the present occasion with much pleasure, and shall be willing, as I always have been willing, to do so when I coincide in the object of the meeting. The necessity of preparation is palpable. A contest with the Aboriginal population is inevitable. It must ensue as the natural consequence of the incapacity to to which we have been the victims for the five years during which we have resided in New Zealand. All of us came here filled with every desire to benefit and maintain the native population. The wisdom of the Colonial Government has placed the two races in a hostile attitude, and yet I feel confident that the angry expressions which are uttered from hour to hour towards the native popula- i tion are not based upon feelings of hatred towards them. We- are placed by the ignorance, folly, and imbecility, of our rulers in a most harrassing position, and the most palpable cause, the opposition of the natives, is that which is dealt with ; while in fact a moments thought must make every man feel, | that his hatred ought to be directed, and most justly directed too, I beg to say, towards the Colonial Government, and towards it alone. We came imbued with the warmest feelings of kindness towards the native population, and if they have been cast into abeyance for the moment, no blame attaches to us, or to the native population. The local Government is the sole cause of the present unfriendly feelings. Remove our curse — the native curse — and replace it by a blessing, a rational Governor, and the present misunderstandings will be cast from our minds on the instant with feelings of delight on our part, and with the best guarantee to the natives, that the maintenance of their real interests will be the consequence. (After some remarks on the Government of the Colony under Hobson and Shortlaud, Mr. Revans continued) :—: — We have now had a year of this quarter deck gentleman's Government; and some new word must be invented to explain the loss New Zealand has suffered in Mr. Shortland's being displaced by the arrival of Capt. Fitzroy, to assume the powers placed in the hands of a man filling the office of Governor to a most unhappy Crown colony. Gentleman, in my opinion Captain Fitzroy is mad, — in using the word mad, I should be understood to attach to it its sad and serious meaning. Captain Fitzroy, gentlemen, in my opinion, is insane ; if by this expression you will feel more fully the force of what I mean I shall have accomplished my purpose, It is now sometime since I expressed my conviction that Captain Fitzroy was insane ; but since then I have repeatedly uttered it in mitigation of his unhappy career. My conviction of Captain Fitzroy's insaniiy, whether he has or has not already been in the hands of a keeper, that he will die in confinement is perhaps the completest conviction I have ever felt in my life. Can any man doubt Captain Fitzroy's state of mind I would ask 1 though perhaps few would so openly declare his opinion as I have done. In making rereference to the unfortunate state of this I man's mind, I have no desire to give him or | his pain, but duty demands at my hands the statement of my conviction. And let me ask you, fellow colonists, why a Governor should not become insane as well as a Governor's master — a King. It is a curious circumstance that while a provision exists for dealing with insanity where Royalty is concerned none has been provided for the colonies, even though they be distant 16,000 miles from home. If Royalty be provided against, why not Captains in the Navy ? Captain Fitzroy has unbounded atabition. He would even / endeavour to rival Punch, from whose lucubrations, though distant 16,000 miles, in vulgar space — we are no distance at all. Were we in a condition io smile — I dare

hardly talk of laughing to colonists who have suffered for five years as you have done — the Government Gazette would be found no mean rival of Punch. I have heard of lawyers talking of the pleasure to be derived from law books. A certain state of mind is of course understood ; unfortunately circumstances prevent colonists from being in a state of mind to derive the pleasure which ought to result from perusing Purich's Government Gazette ; and Captain Fitzroy, or Captain Punch, more properly speaking, labours to the settlers and to the natives disadvantage equally, without affording either even temporary pleasure. With these few remarks, I beg again to say, I take the chair with pleasure.

Mr. W. E. Vincent said, — Mr. Chairman and gentlemen. In coming forward on an occasion so truly important as the present, he felt the difficult, onerous, and perhaps dangerous task, which he had taken upon himself;' and he had to apologize to the meeting for his seeming egotism, and to request from them a favourable hearing, that he might have a fair opportunity of making good his position ; and he trusted be enabled to prove to the settlers that the present meeting had been called on the most interesting topic which had ever been mooted in this settlement, viz., for to ensure to the colonists a due protection in all cases of difficulty and danger which were likely to arise from the known temper of the native race. Before doing so, he would advert to a remark which had fallen from some person in the room, to the effect that working-men had nothing to protect. The speaker was truly thankful that such were not his sentiments ; and he considered the individual who had uttered them to b» totally callous and dead to every feeling of humanity and common nature, for the life of a working man, and the lives of his wife and children were as dear to him, as that of a gentleman, or a gentleman's lady and family. He (Mr. V.) would promise, that the resolution which he was about to propose would in no ways clash or interfere with the meeting of Saturday last ; and he would also say that with the proceedings of that meeting he most cordially and sincerely agreed, not from any anticipated benefit which they might derive from their memorial to Sir George Gipps, not from any idea that their wishes would be attended to, but purely that from the fact of such a memorial having been forwarded to Sydney, it would prove to their friends in England, as well as to the civilised world, that -as a body oF honest, upright, and free thinking men, they had so completely lost all confidence in the justice and integrity of Captain Fitzroy, they had so completely given up all idea of Captain Fitzroy aiding and assisting those whom he was sent out to protect, that they had been absolutely compelled to petition a neighbouring colony for that relief and support which their own Governor had refused to grant. The meeting would admit with him that the British settlers in New Zealand were in a highly critical siiuation, and in a position of extreme difficulty and danger ; and no one would deny that the town and neighbourhood of Wellington itself, was liable at any time, at the caprice of the maories, to be subjected to the same annoyances and brutalities which had been inflicted on the sister settlements of Nelson, Wanganui, and Taranaki. The colonists had received convincing proof, that from Captain Fitzroy they would neither receive protection or succour. The passions of uncivilized man naturally prone to rapine and bloodshed, had been excited to the highest degree by the imbecility and irresolution of the Local Authorities. Had the first deeds cf violence committed by the natives been visite 1 by a due measure of punishment ; had the Government evinced a disposition to vindicate and uphold the supremacy of the law ; had they in fact have have acted as an honest Government should done ; the settlers would not now be mourning over their murdered, but unavenged, coun- \ trymen, butchered at the "Wairau, the settlers would not now have to curse the maories for indecent conduct towards white women, the j settlers would not now have to reflect on the robberies of daily, nay hourly, occurrence, or | to look forward with gloom and despair to the distant future. I The speaker spoke some time on the conduct of the Government, and said, — The set- ' tiers are defenceless. They are unprepared ; to resist any attack which might be made upon them, they can neither protect themselves, their property, nor those who are dear to them. What can be done ? The colonists must again form themselves into a Volunteer Corps. But some gentleman may ask why they were put down on a former occasion, or why did they as a body give way? Simply because the Europeans relied on receiving sufficient protection from abroad. They were deceived, and must now, though at the eleventh hour, concert measures for their safety. The aggressions of the maories were now too glaring, and had occurred too often, to be mistaken. The speaker vf as convinced they contemplated

a general massacre of the whites, so that they (the natives) might eojoy their property, and the benefit resulting from the toil, of ten thousand Englishmen. But some cautious person may say that the colonists will be breaking the law. Now it was a farce to talk of law, since, whatever law might have existed in the colony during the administration of Captain Hobson and Mr. Shortland, it was palpably evident that daring the rule of the present Governor, it had vanished ftom the land. There was in fact no law in New Zealand ; there was some old woman's notions, called "Fitzroy's .policy" carefully bottled, and sealed up, and newly imported from Exeter Hall. After a few more remarks, and alluding amongst other things to the manner in which the gunpowder was left on Somes' Island, without any force to protect it, Mr. V. move the following resolution :—: — That in consequence of the peculiar circumstances by which the colonists in New Zealand are surrounded, and the danger arising therefrom, more especially to the settlers in the immediate neighbourhood of Port Nicholson, it is deemed of the utmost importance to the well being of this place, that the male inhabitants ef should form themselves into a Volunteer Corps, so that they may be enabled to furnish that protection to their wives, families, and property, which the Local Government has refused to grant ; and further — that this meeting earnestly and respectfully request the unpaid magistracy to co-operate with their fellow Colonists, and give the Volunteers the legal sanction o£ their name, so as to prevent the possibility of; any legal quibble arising. After a few^" observations relative to the unprotected condition of the settlers throughout Cook' 3 S trait's, l^ r. Masters seconded the resolution. **■&

Mr. W. A. C|qoper, rose to request the meeting to consider .before they passed such a resolution as the one just read. He was convinced it was not legal. It was against the working man, who had nothing to protect. — (Hisses and laughter.) Mr. Swallow said, he agreed with the resolution, he did not know whether it was lawful or not. He then dealt out some severe remarks on the " aristocracy " or " gentlemen" who he (Mr. S.) was convinced would absent themselves. He then referred as an example to the last Volunteer corps, and stated that there was a few " gentlemen " who were above joining with the poor working-man in the ranks, so they dressed themselves in some peculiar dress, mounted very high horses, and styled themselves the " heavy dragoons." Now he was afraid they might do the same again, and when it came to the push, to the fight, the volunteers, the working-men,' would be left in the lurch,, whilst the heavy dragoons would be filing off considerably in the rear. He trusted this time, however, they would all join together, and he agreed with the resolution. The Chairman then put the resolution, which was carried unanimously. The following committee was then appointed to carry out the objects of the meeting ;—; — H. Ross, D. Wakefield, K. Bethune, S. Revans, Captain Sharpe, Majors Hornbrook, and Baker, Drs. Dorset, and Featherstone, W. Lyon, R. Waitt, Captain Rhodes, J. M'Betb, C. Suisted, H. Joseph, G. Young, R. Davis, J. Wade, J. Muir, J. Crowther, W. Neil* J. Masters, J. Swallow, Johnson & Moore, W. E. Vincent, J. Smith, E. Roe. Thanks were then voted 10 the Chairman for his able conduct in the chair, and the meeting seperated.

We understand that the Committee met on Thursday evening, when they resolved to solicit the magistrates to convene a meeting of their body, and consider the propriety of calling out the inhabitants for the purpose of being drilled and trained to the use of arms, in accordance with the Ist Geo. 4. cap. 2. The Committee consists of 28 members, 25 of whom were present.