NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, March 17, 1852.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 691, 17 March 1852, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, March 17, 1852.

The recent discussion of the different topics connected with the Land Claimants Ordinance has interrupted our examination of Mr. I ox’s hook, which we propose to resume in our present number. The second chapter is entirely devoted to his remarks on the natives and the subject of the waste lands. Mr. Fox’s great desire is to throw discredit, whenever an opportunity occurs, upon Sir G. Grey’s statements, and to prove that neither the Government nor the Missionaries have done the slightest good for the natives- With regard to the population Sir George Grey is, as a matter of course, incorrect in hi? estimate ; every one else must be right.

Mr. Fox says (p. 49) “ In a late despatch (dated 22nd March, 1849) Governor Greystates the number of natives in the Northern Province to be 80,000 ; in the Southera 25,000. There is reason to believe that the estimate is erroneous, and that half of the respective amounts would be nearer the truth.”

Now, a reference to that despatch shows that Sir George Grey is in no way certain of the accuracy of his estimate, for he says with regard to the Northern Province, “ The number of natives may perhaps be stated, for all ages and sexes, at 80,000.” In reference to the Southern Province he says; “ I have no means of calculating accurately the native population within the same district, but those in immediate contact with the Europeans at Wellington, Taranaki, and Wanganui alone amount to about 7000 souls, and I do not think that the -whole of the native population in the district named can be taken at less than 25,000 souls.” : -

It is quite impossible to test the accuracy of the latter estimates from data fur-

nished by estimates prepared by others, as Mr. Fox pretends to do. Until the country becomes more opened up, and the natives less migratory in their habits, and a censnscanbetakensiinultaneouslythroughout the colony, it is absurd to suppose that Government can take an accurate census of the native population. Indeed, -with the exception of the statistics -which were carefully prepared by Mr. Kemp, it is believed that the information supplied by Mr. Grimstone, Mr. Mantell, Mr. Hamilton, Mr. Brunner, and the Company’s Surveyor at New Plymouth, is based more upon a rough guess than upon the actual counting of heads. About four years since, when Duncan, the native interpreter, was instructed to take the census as he passed along on his overland journey from Wellington to Auckland through the interior of the island, he was prevented from collecting the necessary information as the natives insisted on his paying a shilling a head. Mr. Fox, in making his calculation to prove that Sir G. Grey’s estimate is incorrect, leaves out any estimate of the probable number of natives inhabiting the country at the head of the Wanganui river, to the southward of Taupo, around tlie Dase of Tongartro; across tlie island to Hawke’s Bay, and along the East coast.

With regard to the total amount of the population he says, (p. 51.) :— “In 18-10, the missionaries and other parties, certainly not interested in understating the numbers, estimated them for the whole of the islands at from 120,000 (the highest) to 109,000 (the lowest.) Dr. Dieffenbach, from information furnished by the missionaries in various parts of the islands, assumed 114,890 as the total number. In 1846 one of the oldest and most intelligent missionaries, holding high rank in the colonial church, expressed (privately) an opinion that the native population was ‘ under 90,000, possibly very much under.’ In the same year, Captain Fiizroy, the ex-governor of tie colony, estimated them at 80,000. In 1850 an intelligent and well informed Wesleyan missionary estimated them at 70,000.”

Taking Sir G. Grey’s estimate for the whole of New Zealand to be 105,000, we find it considerably lower than any estimate made previous to 1846. It is perfectly true that Captain Fitzroy, in his pamphlet, estimates the number at 80,000, but this to us seems strange, as only a few months before his successor arrived belaid on the Council table a return prepared by his oracle on native matters, Mr. Clarke, shewing the number to be 109,550. Mr. Clarke states in a note that no complete or accurate census having been taken, “it can only beconsideredas an estimateofthe probablenumber of inhabitants.” The same must of course be said of all other returns of the like nature. It is presumed that the return in question was prepared with great caie, and that Mr. Clarke availed himself of all the information possessed by the different missionaries, and by tlie local Government; it >n».r V. A,, ~ i - xuitiici pie&uuieu that Captain Fitzroy was satisfied with the estimate, or he would not have laid such a document before the Legislative Council. Mr. Fox makes no allusion to this return, which is the more remarkable, as we believe it is the only official return which gives an estimate of the whole native population. We believe we are correct in stating that the Bishop of New Zealand, who is the best qualified to give an opinion, estimated the population at 120,000.

Mr. Fox says no attempt has ever been made by the Government to get a general census; we have already referred to the

impracticability of taking one, and Sir George Grey states as much when transmitting the blue books, for he says, “ I think it right to call your Lordship’s attention to the fact that these books only record the state of the European settlements, and of the European population, it having been found impossible to obtain any accurate information regarding the actual number of the native population.”

Mr. Fox’s remarks on the extinction of the natives by scrofulous and cutaneous diseases arc full of exaggerations; he says “thousands are sweptoff every year;”— what reliance can be placed on the statements of one who writes in this manner ? “ The moral cause in operation,” he continues, “is perhaps less obvious, but no less certainly at work, and probably little less effective. It consists in a depression of spirits and energy which, in the mind of the savage, ensues upon his contact with civilized men....he cannot .form in his mind the hope of rising to the level of the superior race.... The gulf bet ween him I and the new comer is too great, he cannot i conceive the possibility of bridging it, so he sits down and broods in silence till his appointed time.” However these remarks may apply generally to savage nations, to the New Zealanders they are most inapplicable, as must appear obvious to those least observant of the native character. Far from sitting down in despair, and brooding in silence, the New Zealanders have done just the contrary, for from their first contact with civilized men, they have been filled with hope and are fast bridging over the gulf which separates them from the new comers. “ Brooding in silence,” indeed! when, to use Captain Fitzroy’s words, “ They are purchasers of a large amount of blankets, clothing, hardware, tobacco, soap, paper, prints, arms, ammunition, boats, small vessels, canvas, and other articles for which they pay in money, in native produce, (such as flax, pigs, fish, potatoes, corn, &c.) in land, or by their own labour. The amount of native produce consumed by the settlers is really surprising.” A race described as being “well armed, proud and independent, and equal in natural sense and ability to the mass of the European population,” is not likely to suffer from a depression of spirits ana energy Dy coming in contact witn a more civilized race.

Mr. Fox tells us that “ the most probable method by which the operation of these feelings could have been checked in New Zealand, would have been the encouragement, to the greatest extent compatible with the general Government of the Colony, of the institution of chieftainship which we found existing among the natives,” and he gives a brief extract from the letter addressed by the chief Tamati Kgapora to Sir George Grey complaining, certainly in a most pathetic manner, of the loss of influence which the chiefs formerly possessed over their people. Mr. Fox quotes the Bishop and Mr. Clarke as also complaining of this loss of influence, hut he leaves the reader to infer a perfect indifference on the part of the local Government with regard to this subject. Now Mr. Fox could not have overlooked Sir George Grey’s despatch enclosing Ngapora’s letter; to have quoted it would have placed Sir George in too favourable a light, for his Excellency complains of the loss of influence and warmly sympathises with the old chief who certainly did not sit down and brood J n silence. We give at length the Governor s despatch as it describes in a very graphic manner the position in which the chicfe are placed, and further proves that the Government has not been unmindful of suggesting measures which Mr. Fox would have his readers to suppose had occurred only to himself:—

In illustration of the great social changes winch are now going on in this country, 1 have the honour to enclose the copy of a letter which « rpnpivpf! n fpw Joyc. « - oiwvciiom it aiKato chier, named Ngapora, pointing out the evils which are resulting from the constant weakening of the authority of the chiefs, which is taking place without any equivalent efficient power for the punishment of crime, and the repression of disorder being substituted in lieu of that which the chiefs formerly exercised for these purposes. “In fact the chiefs feel as I do, that the iMaon laws, which compelled subordination, and restrained the violence of the evil disposed multitude, are being rapidly swept away, whilst the local Government find it difficult, if not impossibie, to spread their administration of tlie European law into the interior of the country so rapidly as the influence of Maori law disappears. The whole of the inclosed letter gives a vivid picture of the claims which the high minded Maori chief feels his people have upon his care and superintendence, of his sense of deep responsibility for their proper government, of bis

present state of embarrassment in finding himself a Christian, whilst some of his people disregard the laws of God, and consequently remain unin. fluenced by those feelings which have induced him to abandon his old customs, of his anxiety to see some authority set up which should prevent the continuance of the present evils, and of his anxious wish to co-operate with the Government in establishing such an authority throughout the country.

“ J hope that the wishes of the chiefs who feel the evil of the present state of things will be fully met by the provisions of the Resident Magistrates Ordinance when the operation of that law is extended by the Government into the remote districts of the country, which extension shall be carried out as rapidly as the means at my disposal will admit of.”

Mr. Fox makes no allusion in his work to the appointment of assessors under the Resident Magistrates Ordinance, who are selected from among the most influential of the natives.

So far as we can gather from the work now under consideration, and from various published statements by Mr. Fox, he hears towards the New Zealanders no very friendly regards. He advocates the right to seize their lands, and argues that because in all probability the natives, in a comparatively short space of time will cease to exist, it is a mere waste of money and labourite attempt to bring them into a'state of civilization, an opinion repugnant to the feelings of every Christianminded Englishman. Mr. Fox does not seem to care much about the facts, if he can only get people to believe that nothing substantial has been done by the Government towards improving the condition of the natives, and that Sir George Grey’s reports home in reference to the Hospitals which have been established, the property accumulated by natives, in fact everything he says about the progress made by them, cannot be relied on—for that the natives are yearly “ dying by thousands,” —that they are still in a filthy degraded state, mere savages,—and that the facts brought forward to prove the progress made, only allude to a very few individual cases —in short, in his opinion, the Government, instead of taking practical steps for the civilization of the native race, “ has satisfied itself with mere talk and despatch writing.” Of course, the following statement made by Sir George Grey, “ in despatch writing,” must not, if we believe Mr. Fox.be relied

Ull. £C It xrrvidC "bo Uuiliv ixi ni»«.4 t'hnf tha great majority of the native population can read and write their own language fluently; that they are a people quite equal in natural sense and ability to the mass of the European population ; that they are jealous and suspicious; that they now own many vessels, horses, and cattle; that they have in some instances considerable sums at their disposal, and are altogether possessed of a great amount of ■wealth and property in the country, of the value of which they are fully aware ; that there is no nation in the world more sensitive upon the subject of money matters, or the disposal of their property:” and again Sir George Grey says “ in despatch writing” March 1848 :— “ The attention they (the natives) now pay to the cultivation of wheat, to improved modes of agriculture, and to the rearing of horses and cattle, is also very remarkable. To give particular illustrations of the kind of property they own, I may mention that the natives near Nelson, about 600 in number, had upwards of 340 acies under wheat, 300 acres of potatoes, 80 of maize, and 50 of other crops, besides several small vessels and eleven horses, in addition to their pigs, poultry, &c.; whilst the Ngamotu natives, near Taranaki, consisting of only 118 males and 86 females, are not only large growers of wheat and other produce, but are possessed of 23 head of horned cattle, 7 horses, 2 drays, and 1 plough. These are particular instances which happen to have been lately reported to me, but I have no doubt that other much more striking ones exist in other portions of the Island.”

Although Mr. Fox affects to place no reliance on this despatch writing, we think the following extracts, from the “accurate census” on which Mr. Fox does place reliance, go far to prove the correctness of Sir George Grey’s statements with regard to the ■wonderful improvements in the social condition of the natives. Mr. Kemp, in his summary of the native population within the districts of Wellington, Waikanae, Otaki, Manawatu, Rangitiki and Wairai’apa states the number who can read and write out of 4,711, including men, women and children, to be 1148. The following description of property he likewise gives in the same return as being distributed among the natives in the above districts in the beginning of 1850— Horses Cattle Sheep J* Hand Mills “ Boats Vessels rj f P®J )08 ’ ,0 *’8 in X’lvings Bank 18 ° nB Amount dopotilcd- ' .’.'.xais'io 2

We quote the following pas- £ sage in Mr. Kemp’s report connected with ’ the census (and it should be remembered Mr. Fox attaches much weight to the in- * formation collected by that gentleman) in 1 contradiction to the remarks made by Mr. J Fox in reference to the general condition of the natives: — “As to the general condition of the Natives; I think there is sufficient in the Returns to show that, in point of actual wealth, they are far better off than they were a few years ago; and we cannot look at this fact alone, without feeling much satisfaction at their having attained a position j among a civilized people which comparatively few other Aboriginal Races have done, and their progress in which may be fairly looked upon as the one great bond of union, bringing with it its other attendant privileges, and above all, the blessings of peace: the eagerness with which they desire to become possessed of useful European Property, and the value they place upon those portions of land which have been regularly reserved to them and their children under the direction of the Government, fully demonstrate the correctness of the favourable view taken by persons acquainted with these subjects, and whose long residence in the country, attaches considerable weight and value to their opinion and tes-

timony.” Mr. Fox himself does away with the inference he wishes to be drawn from his remarks on the civilization of the natives, and contradicts what he had previously said about the natives “ sitting down and brooding in silence,” when he admits in support of his arguments with regard to missionary influence that at Motucka, “ with a population of 1400 souls there are 1000 acres of wheat and 600 acres of

other produce.,’ In Mr. Fox’s opinion nothing has been

done towards civilizing the natives, because they have not been instructed by the Government to make ploughs, carts, ships, articles of dress, boots, shoes, &c. This utilitarian sees no advantage in their present social condition -which shews, as he says, little progress —in fine, why waste time and money, they must in a few years become extinct —“ they are yearly dying olfby thousands” —“it is a law of nature, the barbarians must wither and die under the tread of civilized man.” It is merely, he coolly says, a question of time, physical and moral causes are at work which cannot be diverted ; let them then sit down and brood in silence waiting for their appointed time. His Excellency Sir George Grey accompanied . KJ, Lt™.. O.Un»l left Wellington yesterday, in the Government Brig, for Lyttelton. We under that Mr. Roy, who is is also a passenger in the Brig and who lias had great experience in road making having been engaged in several extensive works in England, will examine and report to the Governor on the present state of the road from Lyttelton to Christchurch.

♦ 1 A deputation of settlers and landowners, consisting of Mess. G. Moore, Hunter, Ross, Hart, ( Stokes, Buncan, Spinks, M’Betli and Bradey, • waited upon his Excellency Sir George Grey on Monday, for the purpose of presenting to him a memorial (which ataprevious interview it had been intimated was in course of signature) praying for the immediate, suspension of the New Zealand Company's Settlements Act of Parliament and the revival of the Land Claimants Ordinance. It was represented to his Excellency by the Deputation that the memorial was signed by live hundred persons who were, for the most part, either landowners or stockowners, or renters of land, and included a large proportion of country settlers: that in some country districts as the Rangitikei and Wnirarapa, the memorial was still in course of signature, and that' several in the country districts were desirous of signing it, but had not yet had an opportunity of doing so. and that if further time were allowed, a considerable numberof additional signatures would be obtained, but it was deemed advisable to present the memorial to his Excellency before his departure from the settlement, in order that it might be forwarded by the Midlothian to the Home Government. The memorial was very favourably received by his Excellency, who consented that the names of such persons as were desirous of signing it might be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary of New Munster, and said that it was necessary he should first ascertain the wishes and opinions of the settlers, and receive the representations which were being made to him from the other settlement: lie was also desirous of receiving the opinion of the Home Government on the Land Claimants Ordinance, but promised he would shortly give an answer to the memorial. The deputation then retired, highly satisfied with the result of thcii interview.

The Titan arrived on Saturday from Otago with Mr. Justice Stephen, who will be Judge in the Southern Province in the place of Mr. Justice Chapman. We have great satisfaction in presenting to our reader,) the Spectator in an enlarged and greatly improved form, the present number being double the size of its predecessors. For the last eight years during which the Spectator has been established, we gladly acknowledge its growing influence and increasing circulation, and return our sincere thanks to our numerous kind friends for the constant, and liberal support we have always received from them, and feel the best return wo can make is by sparing no exertion on our part: in its enlarged size the Spectator will keep pace with the general improvement and development of the colony, while it will always be found the

steady advocate of those measures by which the best interests of the colony will be promoted.

On Saturday last his Honor Mr. Justice Chapman and family left Wellington in the Munford, for Hobart Town, having vacated his office as Judge of the Supreme Court in this district, which he has filled during the last ten years with great ability, and accepted the office of Colonial Secretary of Van Diemen’s Land, in which new career we offer him our best wishes for his success. The following memorial was presented to him on his departure by the members of the Mechanics' Institute:— I - Wellington, New Zealand, March 12, 1852. Sir, —On the occasion of your departure from this settlement, as members of the Weilington Athenseum and Mechanics’ Institute we desire to express, in the warmest manner, our most grateful thanks for the active interest which you have always evinced in the objects i of the Institute since its formation to the pre- . sent day, having proved yourself a warm, ener- . getic, and talented fiiend, by the delivery of > several most instructive lectures, and in fulfil-

. ling the various duties devolving upon you as » its President. We feel it would be in the high- . est degree improper, and also painful to our . feelings, if we permitted this event of your ceasing to be connected with us to pass without placing on record our sense of your valuae ble services and kindness in having devoted so S much of your time to the furtherance of what . we hope may prove a useful institution. We ’ believe the example you have set has had the f effect of inducing other gentlemen to assist in 1 the instruction of their fellow-settlers less faQ voured in the attainment of knowledge than themselves. We trust that in the large circle 0 in which you are about to move you will find a l, community as ready to acknowledge those tae lents we so much appreciate, and which are so eminently calculated to benefit others. Wishing you and your family a safe and pleasant passage.

We remain, Sir, Your obedient servants, [Here follows the signatures.] To this memorial Mr. Chapman returned the following reply:— Wellington, 12th March, 1852. Gentlemen, —Permit me to offer you my very cordial thanks for the address which you have just transmitted to me on the occasion of my departure from the colony, and the consequent termination of my connection with the Athenaeum and Mechanics’ Institute.

When I look back upon the low condition of the Institution at the time you first did me the honour to elect me its President, and compare that condition with its present vigorous and useful existence, I cannot help feeling some degree of pride at my long connection therewith. That the interest I have taken, and the share I have had in promoting its usefulness and prosperity’, have satisfied my fellow-members, is most gratifying to me ; but I must not permit your kindly feelings to giveme more than my due. The institution is prosperous simply because we all worked together. I hardly know any institution of the kind in which so large a proportion of the members have been so ready, at all times, to throw in their contributions to the common stock. It is to this zeal and earnestness that we owe so much... Now, I am quite willing to take my share of the credit of this, but not more than my share ; yet I cannot hide from myself that your kind and friendly •feelings towards me have always had a tendency to award me more than my fair share; and, when I have witnessed the exertions of many of the members —especially those of the committee, I can assure you I have sometimes felt ashamed that your President had not done more.

I thank you for y r our kind wishes on behalf of mvself and my family, and I beg to assure you that to hear of the health and welfare of yourselves, and of those near and dear to you, will at all times afford us the greatest pleasure.

I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, H. S. Chapman To the Members of the Athenaeum who signed the Address.