GOVERNOR GREY'S DESPATCHES.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 146, 23 December 1846, Page 3

GOVERNOR GREY'S DESPATCHES.

The following extracts from Capt. Grey's despatches, to the Colonial Secretary, which have been published by the British Government, have been taken from the New Zealand Journal of June 20th, and we have no doubt will be perused with the greatest interest by our readers. The first extracts are from a despatch to Lord Stanley, dated Aukland, Dec. 8, 1545 :— " I found that the chiefs not well affected to the Government may be divided into two classes, — those who have been in an active state of rebellion, and those who, under the guise of what they term neutrality, aie quietly awaiting the event of the contest, intending ultimately to side with the strongest party, and who, in the mean time, aid the actual rebels with both men and supplies. I believe in many instances they have done so because they distrusted the firmness of the Government and were intimidated by the threats and activity of those chiefs who were engaged in active military operations against her Majesty's troops. " I thought it right at once to test the real sentiments of these so called neutral chiefs, and I therefore, immediately after my arrival at^the scene of operations, explained generally to the natives that I should not recognise any neutrality upon the part of any chief* that I should require the whole of the so called neutral chiefs to render me any assistance which I might call upon them to afford ; that if they failed to come anil see me and to afford me any assistance which I might require, or any informationu pon the state of the country, I should certainly consider them as rebels and treat them as such. " When the neutral chiefs became aware of these altered sentiments on the part of the Government, the whole of them, with the exception of two (whom I shall probably yet see) visited me, promised to afford the Government any assistance that might be required, and stated tha* they looked ou the rebels, who were in a state of insutrectian, as rogues and robbers ; that they were most heartily afraid of them, and that they trusted most sincerely that the Government would inflict upon them the punishment which they deserved, Indeed, I never heard more sensible and just remarks than many of the leading chiefs made upon the motives and conduct of the rebels." "In conclusion, I have to assure your lordship that I cannot discover that the rebels have any single grievance to complain of which could in any degree extenuate their present, conduct, and that I believe it arises solely from an irrational contempt of the power of Great; Britain, accompanied by a desire upon

the part of many of their chiefs to gain influence and renown, and of a wish upon the pan of their followers to share in the excitemeni and plunder which would result from successful rebellion upon their part. I believe, also, that many of the chiefs throughout the islands are actively preparing themselves, by collecting arms, amqaunition and supplies of various kinds, for the adoption of future active hostilities against the Government, if they should see_ any probability of adopting these with success ; but I think that these are simply individual preparations on the part of each chief, and that no extensive combination of chiefs against the British Government either has been, or could be, successfully formed. In fact, the general desire openly expressed by many chiefs is, tlat the Government should afford them protection, and put an end to the present disturbances, which prevent the welldisposed from remaining in a state of tranquillity." The next ..extract is from a despatch to Lord Stanley, dated 10th, and explains his Excellency's views on the land question : — " In the first place, as regards the aborigines, I have directed that no further applications for the direct purchases of land from them by private individuals should be received by the Government, until I have had time to inquire into the subject, and to determine what line of policy, in reference to the sale of lands, shall be adopted, and referred for your Lordship's definite instructions upon this point. "lam inclined to think, that it would be most unwise on the part of the Government to waive the right of pre-emption secured to the Crown by Vie Treaty of Wailangi, as no more certain means of controlling the natives could be found than refusing to purchase any lands from those who conducted themselves improperly, and in whose intentions of surrendering their lands, no confidence could be placed. I find moreover, that various complicated disputes have already arisen between the natives and various persons who have purchased lands from them under the terms of my predecessor's proclamation, waiving the Crown's right of pre-emption. These persons all look to the Government, under whose sanction these purchases were made, to put them in possession of their lands, and a series of new land claims have thus arisen which are likely to prove more troublesome than those which have already been so perplexing to the Government. I have therefore refused, at least for the present, to sanction any purchases made from the natives by private individuals. " I am also about to introduce into the Council upon Friday next, a measure to enable me to prohibit, for the present, the importation of arms and warlike stores, and to regulate the sale of them in this colony, The immediate effect of this measure will be to reuder those who possess arms and gunpowder very unwilling to part with them ; and I have no doubt that the tribes in rebellion will very soon be unable to make any use of their arms from their positive inability to procure ammunition and percussion caps." " Upon the returns contained in Enclosure No. 1. I have no remark to make, exceptiug that, in as far as the revenue is concerned, and the balances which are stated to have remained in the colonial chest at the end of each quarter, available for the succeeding one, it must be distinctly understood that these balances consisted merely of debentures for as small amounts as ten shillings and five shillings, which could be created to any amount which was required, and which were made a legal tender within the colony, hut which, after my arrival in New Zealand, were useless to the Government." * * * The following extracts describe the state of bankruptcy to which Capt. Fitzroy had reduced the colony : — " 1 beg further to observe, that the amount for which debentures were authorized to be issued, was limited by the ordinance authorising their issue to fiftenn thousand pounds (£15,000) and that the estimated expenditure for the year 1845 was twenty-six thousand pounds (£26,000) uhilst debentures have been issued to the amount of nearly thirty seven thousand pounds {£31,000) ! and the expenditure has, in fact, been carried on at the rate of about forty-five thousand pounds a year ! ! ! The combined result of these two causes has been, that the means placed at my disposal by her Majesty's Government have been quite inadequate effectually to meet the present crisis ; and, as large unexpected demands have also been made upon the Local Government to meet contingencies arising from the war in the northern portion of the colony, I shall certainly be obliged to act, to some extent, upon the general discretion given to me by her Majesty's Government, and to draw drafts upon the Lords of the Treasury in excess of the credit of fifteen thousand pounds, which has b"een made available for the servie sof this Government. Your lordship may, however, rely upon my making every practicable reduction, and upon my doing

my utmost to entail as small a charge as possible upon Great Britain." * * " Adverting to the amount of the present colonial debt, which appears from Enclosure No. 2, to amount to about fifty four thousand pounds (£54,000) I should state that there are outstanding debts fhick are not included in that amount, and that there are also large arrears of interest which are not included in it, and of which I cannot obtain any satisfactory return ! ! ' It must also be increased by the sum of at least fifteen thousand pounds (£15,000) on account of the expenditure in. excess of revenue, which has been going -on since the Ist of October, and must continue to do so until the requisite reductions can be carried out. Ido not think, therefore, that the present colonial debt can be safely calculated at less than seventy-five thousand pounds (£75,000). * ,• Our space will not allow us to quote further from these despatches ; it is sufficient to state that the full information, and able views of the policy which ought to be pursued, which they appear to convey, have called forth the following warm approval ( from Mr. Gladstone : — Copy of a despatch from the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, to Lieut.-Governor Grey. " Downing-street, May 26, 1846.- " Sir, — I have to acknowledge the receipt of your several despatches noted in the margin, in which you have detailed the several measures adopted by you, up to the 19lh of December, for the pacification of New Zealand. "Her Majesty's Government have also learned, by advices from Sydney, that, on the 29th of December, her Majesty's forces were in the vicinity of the pah of the rebel chief, Kawiti, and that a decisive attack upon i( was , likely to take place at an early date. = " Her Majesty's Government see no reason for doubting the prudence with which the military operations have been planned, or the vigour with which they were in the course of being carried into effect; and they await the result with the sanguine hope that, under t^e blessing v of Divine Providence, it may bring about the speedy re-establishment of peace, and thus conduce to the permanent welfare of the natives as well as the settlers of New Zealand. " Her Majesty has been advised to give her assent to the A.rms Importation Ordinance ; and you will make known the fact bypublic proclamation in the usual and most authentic manner. " I have to signify to you my decided approval of your proceedings with respect to the negotiations with the insurgents, which you declined to renew, and of the principle upon which that refusal was based. "I have likewise the satisfaction of apprising you, that her Majesty's advisers high-" ly approve of your declaration with respect to the maintenance of the faith of the Crown, in regard to the treaty of Waitangi, of your grant of part rations to the loyal natives engaged in the active service of the Crown, and of your organizing a small number of the natives as a portion of her Majesty's forces, by way of experiment — a proceeding in which you have anticipated a conditional instruction, conveyed to you in my despatch No. 1. (Military), of the Ist January last. " I must not conclude without assuring you that the general effect of the despatches which have been received from you is to enhance the high opinion which had been formed of you, from your previous services, and to confirm the confidence with which the advisers of the Sovereign look forward to theissue of your labours in New Zealand for the public advantage. I am, &c, (Signed) W. E. Gladstone* "Lieutenant-Governor Grey, &c, &c, &c."