NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR, AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, May 24, 1845.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 33, 24 May 1845, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR, AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, May 24, 1845.

The remarks we have frequently felt called upon to make respecting the spirit manifested by the missionaries in these islands towards the colonists and colonization in general, having been construed into hostility against the missionaries or their professed objects, we take the opportunity which is presented by the very unexpected appearance of such letters as those we published in our last number, to go at some length into the general subject ; and if, in examining the relation in which the missionaries stand towards their countrymen, it should be discovered that they are peculiarly liable to beted into that line of conduct of which the settlers so justly complain, it will appear that we are performing a really friendly part towards the missionaries themselves, by warning them of the tempting circumstances that warp their judgments, and continually suggest the expediency of doing that which is a great and lamentable evil, that so some speculative good may come. A careful and dispassionate review of the past leads inevitably to 'the conclusion, that missionaryism — for such, in the absence of any other specific name, it may be stiled — is decidedly hostile to European colonization. The steps by which this conclusion is arrived at are so easy, that when once stated, the proof is simple and the deduction certain ; for the sake of brevity, they may be thus arranged : — The missionaries endeavoured to prevent the occupation of the country by Europeans — Their subsequent conduct has been biassed by the same feelings they then expressed:— Therefore, missionaryism is adverse to colonization. The truth of the major of these propositions has been repeatedly admitted, and hence it might be sufficient to take it as granted, instead of offering proof; but the latter course is preferred,

as the statement of the evidence will lead tp a preliminary enquiry into the justice and reasonableness of the objections offered. Mr. Dandeson Coates, secretary to the Church Missionary Society, stated in evidence to a committee of the House of Commons, that the Society he represented had resolved — " That the New Zealand Association is highly objectionable from its involving the colonization of New Zealand by Europeans ; such colonization of countries inhabited by uncivilized tribes having been found by universal experience to lead to the infliction upon the aborigines of the greatest wrongs and most sever einjuries; — that they consider the execution of such a scheme as that contemplated- by the New. Zealand Association especially to be deprecated in the .present case, from its unavoidable tendency, in •theirjudgment, to interrupt, if not to defeat, those measures for the religious improvement and civilization of the natives of New Zealand, which are now in favourable progress through the labours of the missionaries ; — and that for the reasons assigned in the preceding resolutions, the committee (of the C. M. S.) are of opinion that all suitable means shpuld be employed to prevent the plan of the New Zealand Association from being carried into execution." Mr. Beecham, the secretary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, also expresses similar sentiments : — " The Wesleyan Missionary Committee had regarded it as a solemn duty to express their opposition to the proposals made for the colonization of New Zealand, on the ground that, while all history declared that European colonization had ever proved destructive to the aboriginal population, there was nothing, in their judgment, in the plan of the "Association" which would warrant the reasonable expectation that colonization in New Zealand would be less disastrous to the natives than it had been elsewhere." The diffuse " resolutions" of Mr.' Coates, thus substantially adopted by Mr. Beecham, when stripped of the intentionally mystifying grandiloquence of their verbiage, amount to this, that the native race will either be destroyed or demoralized by the effects of colonization, and therefore they (the missionary societies) oppose it. These are the objections, into the reasonableness of which we propose to enquire, hoping to show that the first is a specious fallacy, and the second an impossibility. The proof on which Mr. Coates rests his case — that which is usually put forward as an av.gumentum ad hominem in support of the allegation that European colonization is destructive to an aboriginal people — is the rapid "diminution and probable extinction of the natives of -North America, to which some add, those of Australia; — to this we answer, that the fact of their dimu.nition does not prove the cause. From a table before -us, compiled by R. C. Wyllie, Esq., if appears that the population of the Sandwich Islands' is but little more than one-fourth of what it was in the year 1788, and that in thirteen years, from -1823 to 1836, during peace, the diminution was at the rate of twenty-three onetenth per cent., while in the year 1838, one of the missionaries computed that the deaths outnumbered the births by 3,503, which, in a population of little more than 100,000, gives an annual decrease of three-and-a-half per cent., — a rate of mortality that — if unchecked — will de-populate-the islands within thirty years. But what would be the effect of the extinction of the North American Indians < upon the human family ? Let the United States with their thirteen millions of inhabitants answer — let Canada with her teeming thousands be heard — these all, or nearly all, -are Britain's sons — sons, that the still over-populated " Mother country" never could have borne ; and who, therefore, would not have been in being, if there had not been found " room for them to dwell in" the wilds that the red man idly roamed over. There they have settled, and the people, cities, ships, aye, and churches, of the yet budding Empire of the West proclaim with a voice that must be heard — for it is the majestic voice of the Maker of Universal Nature — that thus He is accomplishing His inscrutable decrees. Away, then, with this pseudo-sympathy — this sickly, maudlin sentimentality — that would prefer the' wigwam of the painted savage to- the temple of the arts, the " home of the -brave and free !" To this it may be added, that there is no analogy in the cases of the natives of America or Australia, and those of New Zealand. The former were huntsmen, for whose precarious subsistence vast tracts of land were essential, and whose means of existence must therefore fail as these were curtailed ; but the latter are agriculturists, for whom a small space only is required, and who can be taught to obtain more sustenance from a few acres than they have obtained heretofore from a square mile. Besides, the pastoral pursuits to which they are accustomed, are an excellent .preparative for their adoption of the habits, and pursuits of -civilized men, and in the end, for amalgamating with them. The forester, accustomed' to a life of roving indolence, can scarcely be expected to submit to the restraints of industry and order ; but the New Zealander is prepared for this, and those persons are sadly mistaken, however well meaning, who endeavour to stand between him and this solid good. The demoralizing influence of colonization upon aboriginal races is another ground of op-

position. We can scarcely restrain the indignant question, Is the man an Englishman who thus insults his country ? Let eye-witnesses be heard, and it shall be proved that so gross and horrible are the enormities that have been practised in these islands, that not only is demoralization impossible, but the tone of morals, if that word can be so employed, would necessarily be raised by the presence of Europeans, even though they were the feculence of society. The Rev. A. N* Brown writes — " 25th Aug. 1836. ' We visited to-day the site of the mission stat ion, and the spot where the battle was fought. ' Sticks and native weapons were placed about ' in different directions on the plain, denoting ' where the several natives who were shot fell. ' We then went to the spot where Wakaroa's ' party lay encamped, and where for two days ' after the battle they remained to gorge on ' sixty human bodies. The sight is even now ' horrifying ; human bones of all kinds, the re- ' mains of their cannibal feast, are spread about ' in all directions, many of them evidently broken ' for the purpose of extracting the marrow, and ' all of them picked as clean as they could have ' been by the wolf or the vulture. On a pole ' in the centre is placed a ghastly-looking scull, ' with a large gash over the temple, and the ' back of the head broken in ; while two long ' lines of native ovens mark the spot where the ' bodies were cooked; and a smaller oven, 'with ' a wreath of the Kahikatoa bush around its ' edge, and two pointed sticks by the side, on ' the one of which was a potatoe, and on the ' other a lock of hair, points out the place where ' these children of wickedness set apart, accord- ' ing to the native custom, a portion of their ' repast for their father the Devil." This is but one instance, taken almost at random. In the " Blue Book," from which the above is taken, there are details* so revolting, that we dare not transfer them to our columns ; and yet these, whom one would take to be Goules performing 1 their horrid orgies, rather than human beings, are spoken of as liable to contamination from intercourse with Europeans. Were the statement rerersed, a lamentable truth would be told : — Europeans, however steeped in vice, are contaminated by intercourse with them. Opportunities for the indulgence of criminal propensities are so constantly presented, and the wholesome restraint that society has imposed having no longer -an influence, Europeans join with natives in their reckless deeds, and those who can only see the-latter, and forget that the former are men also, set up the parrot- cry of " demoralization." The facts of the ~ca&e, when viewed without prejudice, incontestably prove, that a body of colonists, are the most effective missionaries. They bring with them the institutions of civilization and religion, so that those invaluable blessings, which society has slowly risen to the possession of, are transplanted in all their vigor, — the colony commences at a point which it has taken the Parent State ages to reach, and thus, instead of the " thick and dark night" of the middle ages, through which -England had to pass, long after the Standard of the Cross had waved upon her shores, the " transition state" need scarcely occupy a single generation ; and the objection, that the natives are so well satisfied with their own barbarous institutions, that we have no light to endeavour to change them for those of civilization, is not only futile in itself, but cannot be urged with any appearance of fairness by -those whose professed object is to Induce these very natives to change their institutions, in the matter which most vitally affects them — their religion. •Space warning us to-concludefor this week, we only add, as being " germane to the matter," that the question at issue was not, whether the islands should be colonized ? but whether the colonists should only be lawless outcasts, or a community in which hiws and religion should be recognized and established? and is even Mr. Beecham himself concedes, though with great reluctance, that the character of the :olonists must determine whether their influence !s to be for good or evil, we are content to cave our case, for the present, on this admitted ? act. o

'The Session of the Legislative Council for this year, closed on Tuesday the 22d of April, with a speech from his Excellency of mingled congratulations, apologies, and regrets. As at the commencement of the Session, we took occasion to review the statements contained in his Excellency's opening address, it may not be unprofitable to contrast the performance with the promise ; — to consider what has been done, we will not say. by the Council (for the other members appear to be mere tools in the Governor's hands), but in the Council, affecting the interests of the Colony. Before making this retrospect, we devote a short space to his Excellency's parting words, as compared with his opening address. Then, he had aggravated his .voice so as to roar as gently as any sucking-dove, he was astonished at " the wonderful forbearance, self-restraint, and general tranquillity," of the natives ; — but as the natives have given him, even while uttering these opinions, greater cause for astonishment, his countenance is changed towards them, he rages in Ercles' vein, and now roars, that it will do any man's heart good to hear him — " The fall of Kororarika has taught all a lesson ; and I trust that improvement will be the consequence, after a season of bitterness

and inevitable warfare. British authority must i be vindicated, but with justice and mercy." : Accordingly troops and volunteers are despatched . to the Bay of Islands, by the same Governor who declared that sooner than adopt coercive measures against the natives, he would resign ; : and martial law is proclaimed in the devoted district. Now he breathes nothing but vengeance, and Mars is in the ascendant — • ; " War ! war ! no peace ! peace is to me a war." Of the ordinances introduced at the commencement of the Session, those for amending the Property Rate, and for licensing General Deal- ; ers, have died a natural death ; the bill for the I abolition of imprisonment for debt is postponed ; ! the naturalization bills, and the bill for author1 izing rates, or tolls, to be paid for the construcj tion or maintenance of roads, or other public I works, have been passed ; the latter, under the name of the public roads' and works' bill. So ' far as we can learn, it provides for a- toll oit wheel-carriages not exceeding sixpence, and- for the existence of a board of commissioners elected by landholders from among their own body, to! pass a rate to provide for public improvements. t Whether the provisions of this act may be applicable to this Settlement, whether it givespower to the commissioners to tax absentees,, and so compel all landowners to contribute equally to improvements which have so material' an effect on the value of land, we know not; we can only obtain our information from the meagre 1 reports of the debates in Council furnished by the Auckland papers. The Local Government must suppose that the settlers in Cook's Straits will obey the law intuitively, since no copy of the bill has been forwarded to Wellington. But the most important acts of theCouncil.theMilitiaßill and the re-imposition of the Customs, were not set down in the programme. Of the Militia Bill it is sufficient to say that those precautionery measures for self-defence adopted by the settlers after the lamentable catastrophe of Wairau, which his Honor Major Richmond was in such haste to denounce as unlawful, are now sanctioned by authority, and his Honor is Commander of the corps to be raised in this settlement. The expense of this measure, which is absolutely necessary for the, protection of life and property, and the maintenance of the Queen's authority, will, of course, be defrayed by the Home Government. Captain Fitzroy has produced a state of things rendering such a force indispensably necessary : it is sufficient that the settlers devote their time, perhaps their lives, to the support of British supremacy, 'without being forced from their necessities to contribute to this burden. We have .already expressed our opinion on his Excellency's sudden:- re-imposi-tion of the Customs.; but there are a few .points connected with this subject worthy of notice, to which we have not adverted: — His Excellency observes that this chaage was made by him with extreme reluctance ; but there was no choice. We maintain that he has not given the Property Rate a fair trial. If he had issued Crown Grants, as he ought by this time to have done, to the settlers in Cook's Straits, and put them in quiet possession of their lands, he might have obtained double the amount collected in these settlementefjunder this ordinance. But without waiting tc^near the Colonial Minister's opinion* of his measures, without any warning, without any consideration, he blindly rushes from one extreme to another. And what may be the consequences ? The next arrival from England may bring Lord Stanley's disapproval of the Customs' Amendment Ordinance, imposing an additional tax of 5 per cent, on all British imported goods. The next arrival may also bring the gracious intimation of " the Queen my mistress," that the Property Rate shall be a permanent measure ; but, alas ! non est invenlus. In either case, what will Captain Fitzroy do ? It ought to be noted, that these changes are made without the slightest reference to the interests or welfare of the settlers. His Excellency states plainly, they were made to pacify the natives, and failing of this effect, the chief motive for the abolition of the Customs ceased ; therefore their re-establishment became imperative. The trade of the colony is now burthened with heavier impositions than when Captain Fitzr&y fiyst arrived to -assume the Government, in spite of his professions in favour of free trade. These taxes also materially affect the shore fisheries, one of the most important and productive branches of trade in the colony, and which is chiefly carried on by the merchants of Port Nicholson. This subject was distinctly brought before his notice in the memorial presented to his Excellency by the settlers of Port Nicholson on his first arrival, and they received his assurance of relief and encouragement. But this promise has shared the usual fate of his Excellency's professions. We may, in conclusion, notice a few points connected with the Estimates, which ought not to be lost sight of. The sum of £1,400 is voted for the Survey Department. This exclusively relates to Auckland (the Government incurring no expense on account of surveys in the southern settlements), and was to have been defrayed out of the land fund. This fund Captain Fitzroy has annihilated, and the burden is thrown on the colony, though the southern settlements have not the slightest interest in the matter. Again, the sum of £1,420 is voted for public works, the whole of which is spent at Auckland, for the miserable pittance set apart for improvements

In this settlement, does not, we believe, amount fco£100; and even this sum is to be curtailed, and the services of the officer who acted as Govfernment Surveyor and Superintendent of Public Works in this District will be dispensed with. The salaries of the Police Magistrates at Petre and Hokianga arc struck out, possibly because police magistrates might be useful there ; and yet there are two police magistrates at Auckland, Messrs. Beckham and Watson, receiving full pay, and doing nothing. The boats' crews of the harbour establishment are reduced, as we "mentioned in our last number, to a coxswain and one seaman ; the constables in this settle*TM>Mt . *o to be reduced in number to four, the '< ..(. i v i, .stable acting as bailiff of the Court of Requests, and therefore practically ceasing to be a constable ; and the Clerk of the Police Court, according to the Governor's arrangements, is to act as Clerk of the Court of Requests. But the oddest part of the proceedings connected with the Estimates, occurs in their revision, when the Governor states, " He thought he had been acting contrary to his instructions in reducing the salaries of officers appointed by the Home Government, without first obtaining -the sanction of her Majesty ; — and as the Home Government had lately supported him in an instance, viz. the issue of debentures, in which he had acted contrary to his instructions," (though when he introduced the debenture bill, he declared he had " sufficient authority from the Queen to issue them without the sanction of the Council") ; " on account of the extreme emergency of the case, he was the more scrupulous to avoid the repetition of any such conduct." If any meaning can be collected out of this sentence beyond the confession of having formerly stated what was not true, it seems to be this : it was hardly worth while acting contrary to instructions, when forgiveness was tobe obtained on such easy terms. And yet, while the salaries of the Treasurer, Survey or- General, and other officials, are restored to their original amount on this plea, inconsistent to the last, he takes away Mr. Spuin's salary altogether. We believe Captain Fitzroy has only the power of suspending Mr. Spain, who is appointed by the Home Government, in the same way as the Treasurer and the other officials whose' salaries were interfered with. So that he must, in this case, be clearly acting contrary to his instructions. So much for his consistency !

We are sorry to learn that after next Monday the overland mails between Wellington, Petre, New Plymouth, and Auckland, are to be discontinued, on account of the expense. The overland mail to Auckland is of little corisequence to these settlements, they are not connected with the seat of Government in the way of trade, and this is the most difficult and expensive part of the route; but the discontinuance of the communication between the Company's settlements will be of serious inconvenience to the settlers at Petre and New Plymouth, who are accustomed to send to their agents in Wellington by the overland mail, orders for the goods they stand in need of, and when these are sufficient to freight a small coasting vessel, they are forwarded to their destination. By discontinuing the overland mail, the communication between these settlements becomes uncertain and irregular, and at length more infrequent ; positive injury is inflicted on the coasting trade, and a great discouragement thrown in the way of the progress of these settlements, and they have enough, Heaven knows, to contend against already. We are sure this step must have been determined upon without due consideration, and we should hope that a proper remonstrance to the head of the Post-office department at Auckland, signed by the merchants and settlers of this port, would induce him to place the means of communication on its old footing.

On Friday Rauparaha returned to Porirua crestfallen, his interference in the Hutt-question having proved completely ineffectual. He has been slighted and insulted by E Kuri and the intruding natives inhis own person and in that of his son, in a manner that, a few years since, nothing but the deepest New Zealand revenge could havetitoned for,in the indiscriminate slaughter of the offenders, on whose bodies the merciless victors would have banquetted, at once satiating their horrid appetites, and glutting their inhuman passions with vengeance to repletion. On his departure Rangihaieta, with his followers, joined E Kuri at the pa, by whom he was welcomed under his war name of Mokau. His followers were all armed, having only concealed their arms on their first arrival. On Saturday these natives, to the number of three hundred, executed a war dance on the arrival of the Ngatikahunis, from whom they received the most friendly assurances. Rangihaieta has gone over to Porirua to attend the great feast there, at which all the principal chiefs along the coast are to assemble, including those from Wairarapa, to decide on the policy to be pursued towards the Pakeha. He afterwards intends to return to the Hutt, and assist the intruders in maintaining their position, and declares nothing but force will induce them to give up possession of the disputed district.

Petoni Road. — This road would be much improved if a foot bridge were thrown across the stream at Ngahouranga ; at high water there

is great inconvenience in crossing, especially to females. We may mention, as connected with this subject, that Captain Fitzroy, on his last vilit to Port Nicholson, appropriated the sum of one shilling and seven pence per day towards defraying the wages of a man engaged to keep the*road between Wellington and Petoni in repair. This sum was increased by the settlers to two shillings and sixpence, and the payment was continued until last week, when the Government allowance was discontinued. The settlers, however, intend to continue their subscriptions towards keeping the road in repair.

Wheat. —We are informed that the natives of Petoni have harvested twenty-five acres of wheat this season, which have averaged twentyfive bushels per acre, the whole of which they are keeping for seed.

To-day being her Majesty's birth-day, there will be a review of the troops in honor of the occasion : it is said the field-pieces will be also brought out and exercised.

We learn that instructions have been received from Auckland, to call out the Militia to the extent of two hundred men. The following is said to be the list of officers :—: — Major in Command M. Richmond. Capts.— W.Wakeneld,D.S.Durie,G.Compton,J.Dorset. Lieuts. — Chas. Sharp, Hugh Ross, Robt. Park, Jas. Watt. Ensigns — N. Levin, Geo.Hunter, Geo.Moore, E. Abbott. Aid-de-camp, S. E. Grimstone — Quarter-Master, A. Hornbrook— Adjutant, A. E. Macdonogh.

At the weeklsp*arade, on Wednesday, Adjutant Macdonogh read the following memorandum : — Wellington, 21st May, 1845. The captains of the Wellington Militia are requested to meet, on Saturday the 24th instant, at the residence of Colonel Wakefield, between the hours of twelve and one, p. m., for the purpose of selecting the Lieutenants and Ensigns of their respective companies. The dress of the M|litia for the present will be — Blue caps, Blue woolen shirts, Dark trowsers, Black belts. After these companies are formed, each Captain will send in the names of three of the volunteer militiamen whom he considers competent to be appointed non-commissioned officers, namely, one as sergeant, and two as corporals. (Signed) M. Richmond, Major Commanding.

The following memorandum was read last night on parade :—: — Wellington, New Zealan I, May 23, 1845. The officers and militia men of the Wellington battallion will assemble, with arms, on Thorndon flat, at a quarter before ten o'clock, a. m,, on Monday next, 26 inst., for the purpose of taking tlifc oath of allegiance to her Majesty Qui»en Victoria. By command of his Honor, the Superintendent of the Southern division of New Zealand. Arthur E. Macdonogh, Captain & Adjutant.