FOOTPRINTS ON THE SANDS OF TIME.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5366, 8 June 1878, Page 3

FOOTPRINTS ON THE SANDS OF TIME.

Continued. >< In the Poneke of old, party feeling ran high, or rather there wore frequent ebullitions of feeling,; party, and personal. '.The former used . to find vept In public meetings, held as a rule * at Barretts' Hotel, but through what safety valves theother; escaped does not generally appear. Sometimes writing a letter to the paper enabled a colonist to ,evaporate his superfluous _ -heat, and,to attain.a moderately.cool tempera-While:-more j than onoo the old fashioned ~ pUn of horsewhipping a man with a stick—by .' one called ,a cane, and by another a bludgeon was adopted vigorously.. , ■ - ---There seem to have been heartburnings and s' anent the, first anniversary fete, 'an'd'a correspondent' signing himself Anti- : Humbug, S.H.M, and 0.T.P., commences a ’ 'letter " l to' .the' Gazette - in. this ’ simple -'monosyllabic and : 'plain Saxon, ..style,:—: “The first ’great requisite of national pros"i’perity -is tmaminity'of purpose and of action, and this lo an especial manner applies .to a colonial population,' which, necessarily, small, * and' having difficulties to ! encounter which ■’ combination’alon'o can surmount, renders every f-’indl'vidtfid of the body valuable in. proportion ■'to'the aid ho’ 'is able to bring to the general fund of labor; and in proportion to the. value Dof-'that dabor -or usefulness should 'bo the re-, gpect paid to him.” The writer proceeds to -'refer : t6’ the'original committee and the ’selfelected! committee, the -latter having f'-r its .basis excludviam themostAlmackian. Then, •>'*' Whb,< task, - are the movers Of this grand : private'fete ’and* eauCtum, 'sanctorum, ball? -Some'-hoary -marqvuaca.and stripling' dukes ? Surely no. At least some easenced Sir - : Fop'pingtonA or ■> hewhiafcered ■ Guardsmen I No t—but .some who have made -so little noise in the world that really the world 'WOtild-bo none the wiser if the to fame unknown/-were trumpeted' from Maidenkirk, to". John O’Groafs.—Carrahota ! ” Carrahota • probably settled the business, for the fete was held. ■ “!Anti-Humbug" was a strong writer ; ■7 Just the -least eccentric in his style, • . ■ .' The next Gazette is missing from the file, ■butfromthcf issue of the 30 th it is learnt that » ball .Was held at Barrett’s Hotel, despite bad /weather. ' On tho-23rd’there were aquatic 'sports,-Dr, Ralph’s-'Black Nose winning the DELECT rowing race. - On Monday the - popo- - CAB. fete wa» held at Evans Bay,- A whaleboat race was won by Cuba, boating Kangaroo, by' a minute; Thistle and Flying Pieman being nowhere.-.-' 1 The arrangements of Captain. >■ Chaffers and Cap,tain Rhodes -gave : general • satisfaction.;- A'hurdle race for £lO 155., giveiuhy members of the Pickwick 'Club, 1 was won by Calmuok-Tartar, ridden by the Hon. Hi' Petre, -tho other .competitors and riders being—Currency Bass, Mr. George Wade; Blaokißilly/-Mr,-Watt ;- and Sulky, Captain /Hodges.:-' 1 Mr.’ Duppa’s l schooner-rigged boat of about ten tons won tbe sailing race, though -the Sandfly’came -in firs t,. but she was dis•qualified'because her keel was one foot Wo 'long; *- The rifle match,-prize £5, was won by ’,Mr7 George' Crawford, there-being ten com- : petitors. There were saok'races,'climbing a -greasy ipole,-and wheeling-barrows'blindfolded. The names of the - competitors in these?events do not appear, but this was remedied in, 1812, when ‘.Tho ■ ’entries - for the wheelbarrow" race •jnjrerthns ajmqunced ; —“ ' ~rv ” J ' '• ' WHEEtftABEOW BACK. - ‘ - S’--Mr. 'Wallace's Plying Dutchman , ' ■ ' Mr. Virtue's Pickwick ' l ■■ 'la-niT r Mr. budhun'sCherubim ■ . . l - . -i , - ■ “'■■i'- Smith'sSeraplifm’ ’ - 'i." 'Mr. Sutton's—Continually do cry—Cat’s meat -'i i Ma X,yon’a—Wono so busty . . Johnson and Moore's X am not Aware ■, . -The popular ball was held in the evening Exchange, iii what ia now known as .yiuCustomHouse-street.,, report goes on to say: "Tho natives forgotten, '’Ample, supplies of rico

were prepared for them, and a further reward was offered as an inducement to try their skillinr canoe racing.. Wo .are, however, given to ’understand that they were, forbidden, .by, .the. missionary to engage in such .sports- 1 ■-/!£« this be true (and we fain hope it is not) upon what ground, :holy or unholy, is such a command forced upon the half-educated .New Zealander.- This missionary may have been right after all, for if a Maori had paddled 7 a canoe race in 1841 he might have trundled the cat’s meat ; barrow in 1842.’ It would be difficult to get a better illustration of the evils caused by sports, for if the playful beings who chose such strange names for their wheelbarrows had never b’4(jn boys, and had never run races, they would not have gone to the Book of Common Prayer for their nomenclature. But then the the Maories would not have done that, .because they were not Christians. ■ Governor Hobson seems to have lived in warm water —to have been bathing in a sort of perpetual hot spring—which sometimes became a political tepidarium. The Gazette of the 6th February says:—“Well, we know what to expect from Captain Wm. Hobson. Hehas committed an overt act of. hostility,, which admits of no'mistake or palliation. He was sent to New Zealand to protect her Majesty’s subjects, - and ho assails them. Instead of aiding, he injures us. Who are or soon must be his paymasters ? Tho settlers of Port Nicholson whom he thwarts ; not. the mere shred and remnant of a colony which he may possibly collect at the Thames.” There was no provincial jealousy in 1841, because there were no provinces. It was very like Auckland versus Wellington," as’to which’should he the seat of Government. In the leader from which the quotation is given there is some tall writing,- of. which,this :fcla fAlr• specimen:■— “No terms ican be kept; with this man, what description of people does he take us for? Have -we no determination ofoharaeter? Let a voyage to the Antipodes and the foundation of a colony, in his despite, answer that’question/ Have we no influence at Home ? Our friends; rallied from all political parties! defeated Ministers in the House 6f Commons. Kemembor' that, Captain Hobton, - You .have the'power of annoying us for a time; but it will riot be difficult to'crush you, and tbe paltry coterie byrwhomtydVare ruled. Therefore many members of, the’ House of Commons on whom we-can-depend, and- there is reason to ■believe that Lord l Brougham will be our advocate in'the .'House-of .Lords, where the' Duke of Wellington and his friends the Earl of Devon and Lord Ashburton ‘arc counted among our allies.”/Or! 'i/7, V.J.U.s'J 1 ✓i’

Thero-is a sub-leader; -in/which'very severe things regarding one Captain Crimp are said : —‘/He has .’sanctioned' a ; job of a_ very bad description touching the land at Auckland. Instead of putting up all the land ready for the sale at the .Thames on fair and equal terms to all bidders, certain Government officials are allowed prior and exclusive selection. .. There is •no need, we trust, of appealing to Bord John Bussell to defeat this job. If Sir George Gipps permits it, he is not the man we take him Tor.” ‘ ‘ . Governor Hobson is referred to under the name of Captain' Crimp. Truly WE spoke oub minds in those days; However'there seems to have existed soma kindly; feeling in oub breast, fori in thq same issue we say “Wo are T happy to Captain Hobson’s health has been'quite restored.” ‘ . The excitement" against Captain Robson in-, creased, aijd : bn J the 15th February a public,, meeting was, held'at Birrett’aHotel. tp“.take, into 1 consideration the ‘ne&ribns'' now being made by Captain Hobson to seduce away the artificers and laborers of this settle-, ment; and to . petition her Majesty for his" recall.” ,

The’ meeting determined to ask' for tho -Governor's removal. ■ Some of the-speeches made might fitly bo termed spirited. Mr. J. C. Crawford said tbe colony been attacked in the most disgraceful manner'by; Captain Hobson, the man who of all others ought : to ; have extended [his protection tof them; * .The * Lieutenant-Governor.was.seeking to deprive the,.colonists .of/labor for which they had ■already paid.,.. -Was that, honest ?, Supposing them to be Cresar and CaptainHobson Brutus, might they not exclaim, “et tu i?rufo.”/.Bnt ho hoped-they would not ; say, “‘ Then fall Ctosar.” ; Nb.l let the colonists have.a watchword and a rallying point among them, i and they might bid defiance .to. all their , enemies. Mr! ..Crawford, would’appear ;to have ;used classic history ,to clothe the hint, ' “ Don’t, oh (don’t '.duck- him -in the horse-pond.” The word “ colony ” was often used in a sense that seems, peculiar. ,It was applied to (he “colony” that came up to Fort Nicholson, and did not include the land or people in the North or §quth., ; The : Tham.es and;Bay of. Islands were regarded as dangerous rivals, arid theffight fou the,seat of Goyernment.was from.the first keen and well-sustained. ,; n‘ I

The opposition to the Governor continued violent. -.On the 30th July a, meeting was, held to consider how he should be leceived on his then, expected-i visit -to Port; Nicholson. l A resolution. for. jan address of i congratulation was, negatived,, and - this amendment,, was carried-.—'• That, in the existing "state, of, uncertainty ,as to i Governor Hobson’s intentions towards the settlement, any public expression of opinion on the occasion of: his: Excellency’s expected visit would be r premature - and,inexpedient:” or . m e , • a : The Loudon Gazette of- the 20th. November, 1840, published this, proclamation :—“ Down-ing-street, November,,2o.—Her, Majesty has been pleased, by-Letters Patent under the Great Seal of; the. United:. Kingdom,,to erect tho Islands of:. New Zealand into a distinct and separate colony.,...The.i.Queen has been pleased to appoint William’ rHoB&ON,, Esq., Captain , of the .Royal Navy; to ;be Governor and Commandordn-Chief, of, the Colony of New Zealand.” This ,was not reprinted in <the New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator until the 22nd May, 1811. The:.State paper bad been in Wellington on its way to-the-Governor, for it arrived in the Bally, and then was seat to tho Thames/ in the James on- the 18th April, together jvith despatches from the Colonial Minister respecting .the. creating of: a local Legislature, and;the administration of, tbe affairs of the colony, “ these;filling a,very, largo box.” _ ;

There, were giants in., those days/literary Goliaths, who wrote with a pen like a weaver’s beam, and were ready to do battle-with any one. i This is how,, we of the.-Gazetle, on tho 21th July, challenged,.not the host of Israel,: but the Irish race, , to-do, battle by Its champion, . I “A SPECIAL EDICT. :

i .. “ Through Ulster,. Loins ter, Connaught, Munster; : Crimp’s the boy to make the fun stir.; ■. • , i“. Few of our readers have any notion of;their whereabout. They fancy, forsooth, that in tho Northern Island, of New Zealand::,they-have fixed their , residences , and, founded; their for-: tunes,: .Deluded, beings.... They are-peopling New Ulster. This is the moat recent news from the Gulf of Shouraki—the last decree of the,Auckland divan. His Excellency William,, or, as ;he .is . gazetted/ John, Hobson Esquire, has issued a solemn proclamation, im-i posing >a ; fresh nomenclature on these/islands,. -which, are . to bo -known?henceforth<aa New! Ulster, New Leinster, and New Munster. Anofficial announcement was needed-, to render! the perpetration :of- 7 so gross < an .absurdity: credible..- No-doubt his Excellency is one of a small minority, of .Irishmen- in an English and Scotch community;; but,if-ho wore: to oon-i tiuuc - our ruler in perpetuo, or for any long time (which God forbid), still to ■ christen tho whole of Now Zealand withithe names of Irish. provinces were as gross a blunder as if. our Sovereign r were to repudiate her present; title for :that of Norah Orcina,: Empress of: Killarney.” ' “We presume that future iproclamations will alter. the names of towns jaad"; streets, i Wellington will become and: Nelson Bally bunion ; Wanganui will be con-: verted into Grigaholt,-and Taranaki;-rejoice in the appellation oftSeattery-. Bay., Of, all tour streets qne only.iyiil .be allowed, to retain its name—and. that of course will be, Murphy-; street. As,for his Excellency,..we expect he will obtain the title, of‘Lord Mount Coffee House, the Irish peer,’immortalised by Lord Byron. Seriously,- - however,' we ! must protest: against ' this < wholesale Hibernification—this : total twist into a territory of tators—this merciless application of the Milesian melting-pot.” The editor’s attempt to bo serious was hardly a'snccess!. Possibly: if ho had.tried to write in' a* light' and jocular strain he - might have written wqvdsyof sober seriousness, y. ■ ; ( ' r c ’.' ‘ (To be , Continued) j|