New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, February 21, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 371, 21 February 1849, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, February 21, 1849.

New Zealand — for a long time the victim of misgovernment and mismanagement of all sorts — distracted by wars and murders and interminable disputes about land — deserted by many disappointed or ruined settlers, whose patience had been exhausted — in fact become a bye word and proverb among statesmen- — a synonym for social

and political chaos, and an oppressive incubus on the Colonial Office, — is now a thriving and prosperous colony. This change so visible, so manifest, is due to the talent and practical ability of Sir George Grey. What New Zealand wanted, as has been emphatically observed, was " a man." If we may judge from the results of his policy, Sir George Grey has proved himself to be that man ; he has shown himself worthy of the large confidence reposed in him, and has greatly added to his previously well merited reputation. What he is most remarkable for, is that qualification in which most Governors are so deplorably deficient, namely, an untiring diligence and devotion to business : work seems to be the very element in which he lives, " He reads much " He is a great observer, and he looks " Quite through the deeds of men : he loves no plays," but allows his whole attention to be absorbed by his duties. But great as is the change which has already taken place in this country, so brief an interval as three years is hardly sufficient to remedy all the evil occasioned by previous incapacity, much less to construct and consolidate all that is necessary to ensure the future welfare of a country previously distracted by such a multitude of adverse and conflicting interests — northern and southern interests — natives' and settlers' interests — New Zealand Company's and Government interests, &c. No, much as has been already done, there still remains much to do : it is absolutely necessary that his talents, and the invaluable experience acquired by Sir George Grey should continue to be made available for the government of New Zealand for some time to come. Events have proved that his capacity for Government is of no ordinary kind. His plans both in peace and war have been equally successful. He has acquired a reputation among the natives, as well for determination and firmness of character, as for a kind considerate regard for their interests and welfare, which is of more avail in maintaining peace, than any conceivable amount of military force that could be spared for service in this country. His policy towards them has secured their implicit confidence. Nor can the importance of this fact be easily overrated, since it is impossible to suppose that the present peaceable disposition of the natives is attributable to any display of military prowess which they have yet beheld. The existence of a military force in the colony has doubtless not been without its weight, but from the peculiar nature of the country, and the difficulties thereby thrown in the way of military operations, it evidently has not produced this result. It has been mainly brought about by the personal character of the 'Governor, and his consequent influence with the chiefs. And it becomes the more necessary to record this', because Earl Grey, when out of office, seemed to consider, contrary, we think, to his own principles, that even great talent, without high rank, would not obtain this influence with them ; though he has since had the candour to acknowledge his error on this head. And here we must remark that unless Great Britain is prepared at no distant period to incur the disgrace, and the enormous expense, necessarily attendant on an inglorious maori war, the wisest course to be pursued is to leave Sir George Grey to continue to work oat the admirable policy he has begun, and in which he has hitherto succeeded confessedly far beyond the expectations of his most sanguine supporters. In the opinion also of the settlers, Sir George Grey is entitled to their lasting gratitude, for having rapidly changed the state of the colony from war, misery, and destitution, to peace, prosperity, and plenty ; and thus opened to them a wide sphere for useful occupation, and rendered the country an inviting field for immigration. Nor should it be forgotten that, in producing these results, he has enabled the New Zealand Company — at one time in a state of insolvency and of almost hopeless despair — to resume its operations, and plan new and larger settlements. Some there are indeed,

whose short memories will not serve to carry them back three years, and enable them to recollect the almost insurmountable diffi- j culties which his energy has overcome, and the apparently irretrievable confusion from which his ability has extricated the colony. And there are others to whose peculiar interests Sir George Grey's policy is known to be adverse, land-jobbers and contractors at Auckland ; and a few hungry place-hun-ters at Wellington, who think that by their noisy agitation they may obtain something rather better and more profitable than an unpaid seat in the Legislative Council ; who would gladly have some Governor of less ability and local knowledge and experience who, not seeing his own way to govern the country, and being sensible of his own weakness, might -readily avail himself of their assistance, and too^willingly share the responsibility of his office with them ; — who, — because Sir George Grey, acting with a clear perception of what is for the permanent welfare of the whole colony, and with a determined purpose to aim at its realization, is not diverted from his course by their weak and trivial reasoning, or their narrow minded local prejudices, and does not estimate their abilities and their knowledge according to their standard,— endeavour to use the little wits at their command in venting their abuse against one, in whose presence they shrink into, and appear in, their own proper dimensions. Nor, now that the difficulties have been overcome, must it be forgotten by any that the merit of overcoming them belongs to Sir George Grey. It is very eas> to say he has had means at his disposal, which have been denied to his predecessors. But how did he obtain them ? Why were means entrusted to him which were refused to others ? , Doubtless because he convinced the Home Government that he was worthy of the trust he asked them to repose in him, and which the result has fully justified. He did not sit down and lament over the embarrassments with which he was surrounded on assuming the reins of Government, nor like his immediate predecessor write desponding despatches, setting forth in a glaring light, and bewailing, the hopeless condition of New Zealand. Nor did he stand aloof from either the settlers or the natives, but set vigorously to work to acquaint himself with the real state of the country, investigating with unwearied patience the causes of the evils which distracted it, that he might ascertain the nature of the remedy to be applied. He did not proceed empii ically, and ascribe such a complicated state of confusion and disorder to any one cause ; but at once perceived that an incredible mass of blunders had been committed on all sides, from want of knowledge as to the true state of things. He then began a series of lucid despatches, not more remarkable for the masterly comprehensive grasp of the whole subject which they displayed, than for the analytical accuracy with which they treated of details : he neither contented himself with generalizing, nor did he bewilder himself and his readers with unnecessary minutiae. He showed that, though others had failed in the attempt, he could govern the country, restore order, establish peace, create confidence, and lay the foundation of future prosperity ; but then he asked to be supplied with the necessary means. He asked for a sufficient number of soldiers to establish certain posts, which should give assurance to the loyal natives that they would be protected, and that the government was in earnest in its determination to maintain the colony, — a fact which they had begun seriously to doubt, — that by this means their loyalty might be confirmed, and the disloyal both intimidated, and induced to submit and adhere to a power which should thus be seen to have established its supremacy. He enumerated these posts, and showed the necessity of their being sufficiently strong to ensure their safety. He asked for a grant of money for a definite period, until the local revenue should have sufficiently recovered to enable him to carry out his pacific plans. For he wished to settle those apparently interminable land questions, whose non-adjustment had well nigh ruined both Wellington and

Nelson, by keeping the settlers, from year to year, hopelessly excluded from their lands. He was desirous of constructing roads, which should prevent the military, in the event of a future outbreak, — of which this would be the most likely way of preventing the recurrence, — from being again, as it were, cooped up in Wellington and rendered almost useless ; — which should open out the country and greatly enhance the value of all lands offered hereafter for sale, as well as facilitate the immediate cultivation of the country, and thus put a stop to the constant drain of capital from the colony for the purchase, after an existence of six years, of the first necessaries of life. .Another object, which he had in view, was to give employment to a large body of young natives, that he might thereby draw away from discontented chiefs their followers, and enlist them, as it were, in the service of the Government, while at the same time they should be taught industrious and civilized habits, and be enabled by the proceeds of tlieir honest labour, when these works should be completed, to supply themselves with those few necessaries which were absolutely essential to their adoption of an improved mode of life. He asked to be allowed to establish hospitals, not only with a view of benefiting the natives by endeavouring to arrest those diseases, which seem, — hitherto in a great measure unaccountably — to prove so much more numerous and fatal to them, whenever they are brought into contact with civilized man; but also of convincing them of the good will and paternal consideration of a Christian Government towards a race so inferior in all the arts and comforts of life ; and of showing them that the taxes they themselves paid were not all collected for the purpose of controlling and coercing them, but would, as they increased, with the prosperity of the country, be adequate to, and available for, such purposes as these. He requested also to be allowed to modify those laws which peculiarly affected the natives, that he might bring them to understand, acknowledge, and cheerfully live under them, instead of either depending for their obedience on the uncertain moral influence to be exercised by protectors, or suffering them to be driven away to " aboriginal districts" to be doomed to barbarism, and to become perpetual enemies of the Government and the settlers. And what was the reply of Earl Grey to these seemingly exorbitant demands ? What, we ask, was the reph of Earl Grey — a man noted for his economical views of government, — views which he had strongly expressed in reference to New Zealand itself, — and the pertinacity, not to say obstinacy, with which he adheres to his own opinions ? Why, an assent to all of them ; so satisfied was he with the reasons with which the Governor had supported these demands. And what has been the result ? We repeat that Sir George Grey's plans have succeeded, in every particular, surpassing the anticipations of the most sanguine. We shall make some further remarks, in our next number, on his plans for the future Government of the country.

The Osprey arrived on Monday from Hobart Town with Captain Smith and a detachment of the 65th Regt. as passengers. The latest English news received at Hobart Town was to the Ist November. The Sisters on her passage from this Port to Hobart Town encountered a very heavy gale on the 16th January in which she was nearly lost. A very interesting account, written by one of the passengers, is published in the Hobarton Guardian, which, from its length, we must defer to our next publication.

The Turf. — The following extract is from the account of the Goodwood meeting, published in the Sporting Magazine for August last : — 11 The Derby Plate — a pretty little picking — drew eleven to the issue, which turned up for my Lord Clifden with the Flycatcher filly. As his lordship's jockey, Pearl, passed the chair, Kitchener, the rider of the Duke of Richmond's Jelly Fish, the second, laid his whip about his shoulders for crossing him, as he avowed when he preferred a complaint to that effect before the stewards, ff on ever, all he took by that motion teas a caution to restrain his whalebone in future, on pain of forfeiting his professional privileges."

A very superior cow and bull calf, of the purest Durham breed, have been imported by Mr. Greenwood in the Duke of Portland, and ako four pure merino rams, and one ewe. We are informed that the proprietor when at Auckland, refused £150 for the bull calf, and £60 for each of the rams. They will be sent to Mr. Greenwood's station at Port Cooper.