AUCKLAND. [From the New Zealander, May 21]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 820, 11 June 1853, Page 3

AUCKLAND. [From the New Zealander, May 21]

On Tuesday the 17th instant, the following gentlemen— Messis., Brown, Whitaker, Salmon, Forsaith, and Dignan — as .representatives of the people, elected under the Provincial Councils Ordinance, waited upon his Excellency by appointment, to present an Address against the payment to the New Zealand Company, of any portion of the proceeds of the Latad Sales in this Province. Mr. Whitaker briefly, explained the general principles upon which the Address was founded, and the reason why the signature of the Member for the Suburbs of Auckland, being temporarily absent from the Colony, was not appended to it. The Memorial was read- as follows :— ' To bis Excellency Sir Gborgb Gkbt, X.C.8., Governor and Cotmnaader-in-Chief in and over the Islands of New Zealand, &c. ( The Memorial of ibe undersigned Members; of the Provincial Councils New Ulster, . Sheweth, — That your Memorialists, as Members elected for the District* of. New Ulster, unconnected with the New Zealand Company; in the month of January last transmitted a Petition to the Right Honourable W. E. Gladstone, for presentation to the House of Commons (a copy of which „ accompanies this Memorial) praying exemption for those districts from the payment of any portion of the New Zealand Company's debt, and setting forth at length the grounds on which suchT prayer was preferred. That the recent extensive Sales of Crown Lands, and the probability of future sales of still larger amount, — the results of the recant beneficial alterations in' the mode of disposing of Crown Lands— render the Land Fund of the^few Province of Auckland a most important object of consideration, and appear to your Memorialists to call for some immediate step in reference to the New Zealand Company's claim. That the Province of Auckland, at just constituted, under the " Act to grant a Representative Constitution to the Colony of New Zealand/ contains about thirteen millions of acres of Land, with a population of about 10,000 Europeans, and 70,000 aborigines, — nearly 3-sths of the whole population of New Zealand,— and possesses a trade and shipping equal it least to those of all the other Eve Provinces of New Zealand together. That all the Districts of this Province are, and ever have, been, as unconnected with the New Zealand Company and its colorizing operations

t3 any one, of the colonies of Australia. That not one ihilling of ttiat Company's money baa baen speut in any way for their advancement or advantage,,- nor have they ever received from it any benefit or'aervice whatever — to much, in deed, the reverie, that, during the ten yeara of its existence, the Company fought every occasion. I to calumniate and injure the Northern Districts, and thesettlement of Auckland in particular. That your Memorialists would deprecate any attempt to evade the payment of a just debt, but they unhesitatingly state their conviction (and in this respect they represent the universal feeling of their constituents) that so far from any moral obligation resting on this Province to pay any • portion of the New Zealand Company's claim, they firmly believe that it is tht duty of every man in the Rrovince to use every effort iv his power to prevent a' fraction of its revenue from being applied in payment of a charge which cannot be looked on in any other light than as obnoxious, unjust, and oppressive* That your Memorialists cannot but believe that the infliction", under the circumstances, >f such a charge, iv direct violation of her Majesty's Faith as to the disposal of the Land Fund pledged to the Settlers by theßoyal Instructions of 1846) especially when no opportunity of being heard against such a measure was afforded to those wlio are the sufferers -by "it, can only have been permitted njider misapprehension and -mistake, and they have every confidence that, as soon as the | facts become fully known to those who have the power, the injury and injustice done will be so manifest that the grievance cannot fail to be'aj once redressed., * . Your Memorialists therefore respectfully, but .eat nestly pray that no part of the Land Fund of the Province of Auckland shall be paid over to the New Zealand Company, fill the Inhabitants of the Province shall at least httve had their case considered, after having been afforded an opportunity of having it fairly heard ; and that your Excellency will be pleased to lend your assistance towards the relieving this Province altogether from - a tax,- the injustice of which is ao deeply - - felt that its.enforcement cannot fail to produce discontent and disaffection amongst her Majesty's loyal subjects. And your Memorialists will ever j>ray, &c. W. Brown, F: Wbitaker, J. Salmon, T. S. Forsaith. A. O'Neill, J. Macky, W. F. Porter, P. Dignan, G. Clarke. His Excellency the Governor then read the following reply :—: — - Gentlemen; — In this memorial you request me for various reasons to delay issuing instructions for the payment ,of foe New Zealand Company of a. sum of about nine thousand pounds, which under an arrangement recently sanctioned by Her Majesty's Government is now payable to that body from the Land Revenues of this Settlement, the object of this delay being to allow of the case of the inhabitants of .this Province being carefully considered by the British ' Legislature, after it has .been fairly stated and fully heard. Several months 'since, Lieut.-Governor Wynyard and the Executive Council, transmitted to me. strong representations the policy. and justice of charging upon the Land Revenut? of this SeulenienuV debt ,j)f £^68,37<M'{>si^a> -4eged.*to be/due^to thesew Zealand Company together with the large arrears of Interest now due. upon that amount. I forwarded those represents ions to her Majesty's Government, stating jaay entire concurrence in them, and the reply to thost despatches may be expected to arrive in the Colony within the next three months. I have also upon several occasions recommended Her Majesty's Government, so soon as it had been ascertained what amount ought tp be admitted to be due to the New Zealand Company, .to sanction an arrangement which would have enabled the Government, after the necessary enquiries had been made, to have directed from what portion of the Land Revenues of New Zealand, and in what proportions, the amount due to the Company should have been paid. It thus appears that it is- the opinion of the Executive Government of this Province that the amount of £9000 claimed by the New Zealand Company from its Land Revenues, ought neither in equity, or policy, to be paid to that body, until the whole question has been further considered by her Majesty's Government. The same opinion is, I also find from the memorial you have. now presented to me, entertained by yourselves who have been chosen by the inhabitants of this part of New Zealand to represent their interests. Under these circumstances! shall have, much pleasure in complying with the prayer of your memorial, and I feel entirely satisfied that in thus referring the whole subject for the consideration of her Majesty's Government, before attempting to take so large an amount from the Land Revenue of this district, I am adopting that course which is bast calculated to promote the interests of her Majesty's service,, aud the honor oi tht Crown. G. Grey, .. • Gqvernor-in-Chief. To the Members of the Provincial 1 Council of New Ulster, presenting the Memorial. May 17, 1853. Mr. Whitaker drew his Excellency's attenj tion to' the third paragraph of the reply. . 'Had it terminated at the foregoing sentence, it would have been most satisfactory, but the third paragraph seemed; in some sense, to admit 1 the justness of the .Company's claim. Mr. Brown and Mr. Forsaith also r called the attention of his Excellency to this part*of. the ' reply, and asked for some further explanation. His Excellency explained that whatever might be the ultimate decision of her Majesty's f Government, with respect to the amount justly r due to the Company, and as to the, relative f obligation of the pledges which had been' given, • to that body, and those wbiqh had been pre- » vioiw?y given to the Settlers of New Zealand generally,* his own opinion was that this Pro- • vince should be exempted from bearing any 1 share of the Company's debt, and that he had ' so reported to her Majesty's Government. , In reply to. a question from Mr. Whitaker, , His Excellency stated that no payment had yet s been made to the Company, although a sum of about £9000 was now lying in the chest, payi able according to the existing regulations. A document had been prepared, showing the exact amount up to the 31st March last, a copy I of which should be handed to the Deputation. r Mr. Dignan remarked that this fact was « j satisfactory corroboration of tb« opinion ex-

Pressed by his Excellency that the Lnnd Fund °f this Province should be exempted. The Deputation then tendered their thanks lo his Excellency, and expressed themselves satisfied with his reply. Mr. Whitaker said there was another subject upon which the Deputation would be glad to ascertain his Excellency's views, and with permission they would ask a question. It had no reference to the subject of the address, and they did not by any means wish to take his Excellency by surprise; but an answer. might save the necessity of waiting on his Excellency on a future occasion. The Governor having signified his willingness to receive the question, Mr. "Whitaker proceeded to lay before him the, great want of a Government House, and the necessity of some steps being taken towards the re-erection of ■one. His Excellency, in reply, stated that plans -had already been prepared, and if it were the wish of the inhabitants that a Government House should be built, he should be ready to comply with their wishes. Mr. Forsaith said that the Deputation might, he believed, unhesitatingly assume the responsibility of declaring it to be the wishes of the inhabitants geueraily, that a Government House should be built. His Excellency then said he would consult his Executive Council upon the subject, and if they coincided, immediate steps should be •taken for the purpose. The interview then terminated.