New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, February 23, 1848.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 268, 23 February 1848, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, February 23, 1848.

It is impossible to rise from a consideration of Mr. Cowell's Report without a conviction that the main condition and object of his appointment has been completely lost sight of in the manner in which he attempts to discharge the duties of his office. It cannot be supposed that either the British public or the settlers of New Zealand will place any confidence in a Commissioner, who instead of acting impartially between the settlers and the Company has gone out of his way on the very first opportunity that presented itself to proclaim himself a partizan of the latter, and has been eager to do their bidding at any sacrifice *of principle. Ready on the most insufficient grounds to put the worst construction on the motives of the settlers, he cannot be surprised if in return they should only see in him a convenient and unscrupulous tool of the Company, who

does not hesitate to promote their views to the neglect of his duty. What can be thought of a judge who in weighing evidence should reject every other but the most interested testimony, and declare the unsupported evidence of one person conclusive in his mind against the testimony of fifty-five, and that person the son of one of the most active Directors of the Company and nephew of their Principal Agent, and therefore bound by every consideration to support their interests. Surely if the characters of the parties were equal, the weight of evidence is on the other side. But we suspect that few of those who signed the letter would feel themselves flattered by any comparison with the object of Mr. Cowell's preference. During his residence in New Zealand, Mr. E. J. Wakefield lived a good deal among the Maories on the coast, if report speaks true, did many things calculated to astonish even their notions of propriety : in the narrative which recounts his "Adventures in New Zealand," though unsparing in his attacks on the personal character of others, he has observed a discreet silence on much which, if repeated, would not greatly redound to the credit of his own. The statement which weighs most conclusively with Mr. Cowell in throwing discredit on the settlers, and in rendering their representations unworthy of attention is, as we have previously said, that referring to the amount of capital expended in forming this settlement, adopted by them on the authority of the New Zealand Company. In allusion to this statement he says : " I know oot which of these representations will be considered as approaching the nearest to probability, but it is evident that they are all removed from it by so vast an interval that those who advanced them were bound to themselves, I should say, quite as much as to the world, to substantiate them by the most convincing proofs. But of proofs of any kind they have not advanced the particle of a shadow." And in another part of his report, that the "Assertions of these gentlemen unsupported by proof, must necessarily stand affected in my mind by the character of that assertion to which I have drawn your lordship's attention regarding the average capital which they or their whole body brought to New Zealand." Who would expect, after this wholesale denunciation, to find this statement originally made in a petition of New Zealand colonists to the House of Commons in 1845, got up in London chiefly through the agency of the New Zealand Company, in which, unless we are greatly mistaken, Mr. E. J. Wakefield had a share, and which was presented by Earl Grey then Lord Howick. This fact betrays the spirit which actuates Mr. Cowell, and his ignorance of the subject, or he never would have ventured on this wholesale slander, since his imputation, if there be anything in it, must fall on those who originated this statement rather than on those who adopted it. The New Zealand Company have on this occasion lost a most favourable opportunity for regaining their original position, and of winning back in some degree the confidence and good opinion of the settlers. It is not necessary to restrict the question of compensation to narrow and merely personal considerations. While it is not only possible but absolutely requisite that justice should be done to those settlers who are de • sirous of, exchanging their worthless lands for those which shall more nearly answer the conditions of purchase, and which should encourage them in their attempts at improvement by a reasonable prospect of remuneration, that the sufferers at Wanganui, who have waited in vain to obtain possession of land which has not yet been purchased, and have witnessed the ruin of their settlement and the destruction of their hopes, should receive the compensation to which they are justly entitled for so many years of fruitless toil and anxiety, it may be doubted whether any equitable scheme of individual compensation towards the original purchasers of land from the Company could be fully carried out, since so many, ruined by the delays that have occurred, have left the colony in despair to try some other field for their exertions. But there was a way open to the.Conjpany which, if adopted by

them, would have greatly contributed to re^ store the confidence of their purchasers, and have effectually silenced any opposition. If, after making their terms with the Government, they had frankly said to their purchasers — "We are now in a position to resume our operations, the difficulties which weighed so heavily on us both, and which have almost destroyed you, are in a fair way of being removed. We are not insensible, in our efforts to obtain justice and to secure a fair consideration of our claims, to the great advantage we have derived from your cordial assistance, from your active co-operation ; to the sympathy excited by your sufferings, and the interest created in the public mind by your misfortunes, we feel ourselves mainly indebted for success ; in return we invite you to a participation in our good fortune. To attempt individually to compensate every case would now perhaps be impossible, but we are anxious to remove in every instance, as far as lays in our power, any real grounds of complaint, and further, by promoting the general prosperity, we may hope in some degree, however inadequately, to compensate you for your past sufferings. With this view, and with a desire to confer increased efficacy and importance on your new Institutions, we will grant to you, out of the lands received by us on account of that part of your purchase money devoted to giving value to the lands of the principal settlement, a corporate property, the proceeds of which should be appropriated to works of public utility and improvement." If in some such spirit they had offered an extensive block of land to the Municipality to be formed under the new Constitution, the exhibition of such a feeling at such a time would have been accepted as a graceful manifestation on their part of a liberal spirit and a sincere desire to promote the good of the settlement. But they have been tried and found wanting their rapacity was too strong to admit of the exhibition of any generous feeling, and as a consequence the confidence they have forfeited will never be restored. They may succeed in acquiring lavish grants of money and exclusive privileges from the Ministry, and these may for a time defer their impending fate, but they never can conduct their operations with advantage to the colony or profit to themselves without public confidence, and this they can never hope to gain, when the plain and instructive story of the wrongs of their first purchasers, and the treatment they have experienced at their hands shall have been extensively circulated, as it has been by this time, through the Mother Country. We shall become an example of their bad faith and a warning to others from having any transactions with those who are so regaidless of their obligations, and in spite of every favour, every privilege the Government can bestow, their utter failure will be another example of the truth of the homely maxim, that " Honesty is the best Policy."

The Inflexible returned from the south on Monday morning, with his Excellency the Governor and Mrs. Grey, and suite. The Inflexible visited Akaroa and Otakou, and his Excellency took the opportunity of landing at both places, and is reported to have been highly pleased with the nature of the country, and the advantages offered by these districts for the formation of prosperous settlements. The steamer afterwards proceeded to the mouth of the Molineux River, but a south easter springing up, rendered it inexpedient to attempt the entrance of that river, and taking advantage of the wind she returned to Wellington.

A deputation of the Superintending Committee of the Wellington Savings Bank, had an interview with his Excellency the Governor in Chief yesterday. In answer to the objections urged by the Deputation against the provisions of the Ordinance passed in the last session of the Legislative Council, they were informed that as the Ordinance only came into force in those districts in which it was proclaimed, and had not been proclaimed in this district, they might still continue to act according to the previous arrangement, the Government guaranteeing the Trustees a3 far as they have the power, against their present responsibility, until an Act can be passed by the Local Legislature, which may be framed more in

accordance with their views, and that he would instruct the Lieutenant Governor to consult his! Executive Council with the view of offering to the Trustees such assistance, as they may have the power to afford.