New Zealand Spectator AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, March 15, 1845.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 23, 15 March 1845, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, March 15, 1845.

It any one desires to see the legitimate result of a temporizing policy, if he requires ' to be convinced of the miserable folly of sacrificing principle to expediency . let him carefully attend tc -what is going on in New Zealand; where he who runs may read, where the most superficial observer cannot fail to be struck with the consequences which follow ,from Captain Fitzroy's conduct. Before his arrival there was a pause of expectation, — the settlers had suffered fearfully from the evil passions of the natives, which had been roused and stimulated by no ordinary excitements — by the love of revenge, by the gratification of their cupidity, and the prospect of impunity. Some of the most valuable colonisxs had been murdered, others had been plundered of their property, every thing was rapidly tending to a state of anarchy and confusion, and they asked — can such a state of things continue under a new Governor, who entertains any solicitude for the honor of his country, or the lives and property of those who he is appointed tQ govera ? Their imaginations continually dwelling on the subject, they began to believe what they hoped. Their wish was father to their thought, and in idea they invested their expected Governor with all the qualifications which a raan equal to the emergency ought to have possessed. The natives also, in this interval of expectation, began to feel uneasy, their* own perceptions of right and wrong led them to dread punishment from a just and upright judge, because they knew they deserved it, and there was a restless impatience on their part, from the consciousness of guilt and the dread of merited retribution. Both were soon fated to be undeceived in their anticipations. His .Excellency lost no time in convincing the colonists tha^hey were not to expect from* him thK^flwce should be equally and impartially ministered ; — they were no alarmists any more than ißs Excellency professes to be at present, but they could not disguise from themselves the fact that the excesses of the natives had reached an alarming height, only because no effort had been made by the Government to repress them, and that they would go still further lengths, unless proper corrections were "administered to existing evils ; and therefore, for the sake of the natives as well as themselves, they asked for justice and protection, that both races might dwell in peace in the land. So reasonable a request was refused with contumely and insult, and because they asked for justice and protection, the settlers were taunted with being oppressors of the native race. To the natives his Excellency deplored the evils of which they had .been, guilty,— he told them that ft was all very bad, that it made his heart dark, and that they must do so no more — if they could help it. He appeared to treat their excesses, not as offences, but rather affected to regard them as infirmities, as a failing they Sad; and they were not slow in discovering the motive of his Excellency's conduct, and in- imputing to weakness and fear, his mistaken aricT 111- timed leniency. Twelve months have passtfdjaway, and every "day has~c'onfinned thenTlathis belFef, which they hesitate not to avow and act~ upon on every, occasion. Even his Excellency has awakened from jhis delusion — but too late — * for whatever may be the result of the.mea* sures hie is- about to adojtt, the course fyg has thought proper to pursue* towards the na,jffi||S has rendered inevitable that collision •which he formerly appeared so earnestly to deprecate, and which' would never have occurred, if he had consented to be guided on his first arrival by the experience of the •settlers. We have been led to make these observations in consequence of the continually increasing number of outrages by the natives, on the settlers, which, we are concerned to state, are becoming matters of almost daily occurrence. In to-day's paper will be found an account of a robbery at Wanganui, and the sworn depositions of the sufferers in another robbery committed at Wairarapa. Both these outrages deserve serious attention

from the peculiar features they exhibit. Our readers must all remember the recent outrages at Wanganui, about five weeks since, of which we gave a full account at the time, and the return of our gallant Superintendent, bearing, in his own estimation at least, his blushing honours thick upon him ; though from all we can learn, and we have been diligent in our enquires, his honours appear of a negative character. He did not, so far as we can ascertain, punish the natives for the robberies they had committed, or the insults they had offered to the women, the wives and daughters of the settlers, and we suppose he claims credit for not doing so. We do not believe he ever caused restitution to be made of the stolen property ; all that he did was to coax them to go away and not to do so again — if they could help it. The effect of this policy, aided by the judicious disti ibution of blankets by the -Bishop to the natives, was such as to cause a young chief, a witness of the proceedings to observe, " I never stole any thing from the white man ! I am not a thief, but shall become one bye and bye, and then shall get paid as these men have been : " accordingly, the very next robbery we hear of in this district, is committed by Pakero, this chief 's father. And as the native imitates the example of his fellows, so the Magistrate at Wanganui copies his official superior in his treatment of the delinquents, and like most copyists he tries to improve on his great"exemplar by a few original touches of his own. He actually offers to become the receiver if the thief ! He informs the thief he will take care O£ the stolen property for him. The thie^ however, is too knowing, and refuses to make this assignment of what we suppose he now considers his own property, greatly* preferring a family arrangement, at least we hear that the piece of greenstone, the property stolen, is carried off to the Pah, and then disappears altogether, while the unfortunate owner is left without the ' slightest chance of obtaining redress or compensa. tion of any kind. When these and a few other facts connected with the administra • tion of justice in New Zealand, become known in England, they will disturb many antiquated prejudices and received notions of right and wrong, they will imagine that like Molier's Medicin malgre lvi, who placed the heart on the right instead of the left side — nous avo'ns change lout cela. We think our readers can have little doubt that this outrage at Wanganui is a legitimate consequence of the Fitzroy policy, for if Major Richmond had acted with greater vigour on the occasion, this robbery would never have been committed, but when thieves are permitted to keep what they have stolen, " unwhipp'd of justice," we cannot be surprised that robberies become more frequent. But let our readers reverse the picture — suppose a robbery or outrage committed by a settler on a native, we say suppose the supposition, for happily no such case is on record, how busily employed would every official be from the Superintendent downwards in the display of virtuous indignation, how anxious for the exercise of even handed justice. All the terrors of the law would be arrayed against the offender. Thus can the demigod, Authority Make us pay down for our offence by weight. - The words of heaven ; — on whom it will, it will ; On whom it will not, so ; yet still 'tis just. The outrage at Wairarapa is remarkable for many reasons. This district has lately, by the energy of our fellow colonists, been made available to this settlement for keeping cattle and sheep, for which it is admirably adapted, and property to a large amount in stock ha* been sent to the different stations, which have been established under the charge of competent persons. There are not many natives in the district, but they have the power of inflicting a most serious injury on the prosperity of this settlement, if the settlers are to be subject to a repetition of such outrages as this which has jusl occurred. While in other parts of the island, all respect for the Government or fear of its authority has long since ceased to influence the natives," while the Auckland papers are full of via mentations on the weak and vacillating politfo of the Government, and assert

that it is high time that compounding felonies should have an end, this district haa been quiet, and the few natives there appeared to be restrained by some fear of the law. Those who were engaged in this robbery threatened the persons on whom the outrage was committed that they would take their lives, if they should inform the veople of Port Nicholson of their conduct. It is evident that this essay is an experiment, to be repeated on a larger scale if successful ; these Ngatekahunis adopt the language and sentiments of Held, and the natives at Wanganui ; " they said we were slaves to Mr. Barton, and Mr. Barton was a slave to the Governor, and the Governor a slave to the Queen ; that the Governor was afraid of them, and if they killed us it would be taken no notice of, as there were gentlemen killed at the Wairau, and that was taken no notice of. and as we were slaves that we would never be thought of— see Bell's depositions." It therefore entirely depends on the Way in which Major Richmond deals with this case, whether the settlers receive any further annoyance in this quarter. We are anxious to impress upon his Honor the importance of this question, as he must be well aware that the unsettled state of the Land Claims, together with the want of roads, has the effect of raising serious impediments in the way of clearing and cultivation, and that these causes working with Capt. Fitzroy's Free Trade Ordinances, which we reviewed last week, operate as a heavy blow and great discouragement to the mercantile classes of the settlement. Almost the only opportunity then, (certainly the most profitable one) which is left for the employment of capital, is in keeping stock, for which, as we have before said, the valley of the Wairarapa offers peculiar advantages. It was stated in evidence, in the case of Smith v. Betts and another, which has just been decided in the present sittings of the Supreme Court of this district, that the value of sheep in this colony had 'increased six shillings per head witfem the last twelve or eighteen months, in consequence of the Wairarapa being thrown open to the settlers for keeping stock. If we are deprived of this resource through the violence of the natives, and the want of protection from the Government the consequences will be very serious. We understand that Mr. Forsaith has been directed by Major Richmond to accompany Mr. Barton to Wairarapa, for the purpose oi making further inquiries into the circumstances connected with this affair, and or their return we shall again revert to the subject.

We take the present opportunity to remind our Subscribers that the term of their first subscription is nearly at an end, and that it will oe necessary, if they desire that the paper should be continued, immediately to forward their names to the Editor. In the last or the penultimate number of the term, we shall give an account of our Stewardship, and take a Parthian glance at the principal events which have occurred since its commencement. We need hardly say, that from the way in which the paper has been established, it is peculiarly entitled to be considered the Settlers Paper, and a fair representative of public opinion. It has been called into existence by its Subscribers, and has been managed by a Committee of their number : no one connected with its management dsrive the slightest advantage or emolument from it, the Committee having undertaken the responsibility solely from public motives. The settlers have to maintain a struggle for their existence, an unnatural struggle, against the power of the Government directly or indirectly exerted to crush them ; and they can never consider themselves safe, until they have received a Crown Title to their lands, and adequate protection for life and property — unt il a reasonable firm and consistent policy is adopted by the Government of the colony. They requiie a change not only of measures but of men, for the present set of men are incompetent to comprehend and carry out a firm and consistent policy ; and the only means of obtaining this desirable change, is by the influence of public opinion through the press, by faithfully recording passing events, and by a free and public discussion of the tendency of the different measures of Captain

Fitzroy's Government. Our Subscribers must remember, that in such a malady no skiu deep cure can be attempted, we must not skin and film the ulcerous place, we must probe to the bottom. In a struggle of this kind, no relaxation in our efforts can be permitted — no, not for an instant — to pause, to hesitate, is to go backwards.