OUR FIRST FIFTY YEARS IN NEW ZEALAND.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 461, 9 April 1890, Page 2

OUR FIRST FIFTY YEARS IN NEW ZEALAND.

The lecture in aid of the Public Library, which was announced to be given by the Rev S. Lawry on the above subject, was delivered in the Court House on Easter Monday evening. The audience was not nearly so large as it ought to have been, considering the claims of the institution for which it was given, and the well-known ability of the lecturer. Other attractions, and the threatening aspect of the weather, perhaps tended to: keep many from being present, but for-so deserving an objact, a fuller attendance might ceitainly have been expected. The Rev F, G. Evans was voted to the chair, and after a few preliminary remarks he culled upon Air Lawry to diliver his lecture. In commencing, the lecturer said the geography, geology, scenery, and natural history of New Zealand, were all inviting themes, but be would pass them over in favour of the historical aspects of the first fifty years of our Colonial history. A few introductory remarks were then devoted to a description of the early condition of the Maoris, who, in consequence of deadly intertribal wars and other circumstances, appeared to have been rapidly falling off in numbers before they were brought into, cqi.tact with Europeans. Refer* once w§s next made to the transition period between the time of tho old conditions of life that first existed among tlie M apr is, and the "regular settle-; - inept o| the country by a white population, ap l in dealing with this pertiop of his subject the lecturer paid gn eloquent tribute to the work accomplished by the ear]y missionaries, the first of whom, the Rev Samuel Margden, arrived in the colony as far back as November, 1314. The first public Christian service was on Christmas Day of the same year, and

from that time the wotk of the Church Missionary Society was regularly carried on. The Wesleyan missionaries came o i the field a few year* later, an! after their arrival it was arranged that the two bands should have separate sph< res of labour, the Church of England taking the East Coast, and the Wesleyans the West. Under their influence the intertribal wars of the natives lost much of their cruelty; and polygamy, cannibalism, etc., began gradually to disappear. The lecturer here def.q led the early missionaries from the aspersions of those who had accused thorn of enriching themselves by trading in lan 1. He next referred to the efforts made to establish settlements of Europeans long before the colony wa9 proclaimed. As early as 1825, Captain Herd, in command of a party, attempted to form one at the tongue of land at Hokianga, now known as Herd’s point, but had to aban lon the project owing to the fierce character of the natives. In 1833 British interests were of Mifficient importance to call for the appointment of a British Resident, and Mr Jas. Busly was appointed, but without executive powers. Considerable trade was at that time carried on between Now Zealand and other countries, and in 1838, as mnny as 131 vessols of different nationalities visited Kororareka, now known as Russell, On the 15th of June, 1839, New Zealand was included in thedomainof N.S.Wales,and in January 1840,Captain Hobson took the oaths of office as Lieutenant Governor of New Zealand. Reference was next made to the Treatv of Waitangi, the proclamation of which was issued in the North Island on May 21,1840, and in the South Island on June 17th foliowing, just in time to prevent that pait of New Zealand from becoming a French colony. In speaking of the early settlers the lecturer praised their enterprise, perseverance, and courage, and said that one of the great difficulties in the way of colonisation at present, was that people did not now show the same willingness to go into the country and do pioneer work. In those days men wore content to live in the humblest dwellings, and to sacrifice numberless things that are considered necessaries in these more refined times. They went into the bush with the determination to make homes for themselves an 1 families, and to that end every other consideration was made subservient, Having converted the forest and the wilderness into smiling fields and pleasant homesteads, they now deserve to enjoy the fruits of tin ir patience and industry, far more than do those who hasten to he rich by rush speculation, which more often leads to wretchedness and ruin,than to prosperity, peace, and happiness. The Maori wars were next touched upon and the numerous evils arising therefrom, especially as retarding the settlement of the country, hut the work of colonisation had continued to prosper. Allusion was alsomadeto the‘ - triumphs of peace,” The trade in wool and frozen mutton, and the mining, manufacturing, ami agricultural industries were in turn dwelt upon, and statistics w>rc quoted to show how enormously the colony had advanced in material prosperity during recent years. Politics,politicians, and the public works policy of 1870 eacli received a share of attention. Speaking of Sir Julius Vogel in connection with the last named subject the lecturer said while the faults of that politician were too’apparent to be either I denied or e'xcuseu, his policy as a whole was as wise as it was hold, and had done more to settle the Native difficulty and to develope the resources of the colony than any other scheme that had been propounded. Looking at the future the lecturer referred to our place among the nations,’’and incidentally to the subject of federation. His opinion was that no scheme of Australasian federation had yet been set forth that would be of any real value to New Zealand. He hoped the’'day would be long coining when we would wish to sever our connection with the parent stock, but in perfect harmony with that spirit a movement might go on having for its object the forming of a South Sea Island federation, with New Zealand for its centre. This might be a dream which flattered our vanity, but the dreams of one geneiation become the strong aspirations of the next, and actual realities in the experience of their grandchildren. Finally touching upon the “ conditions of our success as a nation,” the rev. gentleman concluded with the following eloquent peroration : If any lesson is to be learned from the past 50 years it is that our greatest public foes are dishonesty and incapacity, and thqt success lor the future caii be secured qnly by demanding that public life shall be as amenable to moral law as we expect commercial or domestic life to be. . . We must cultivate the spiiif of a righteous democia-y. . . All men’s good must be each man’s rule. Equal laws must be made for rich and poor. Capital and labour must he so adjusted that each shall be the friend and ally of the other, and not the sworn enemy. A less proportion of our earnings must be spent in gratifying a diseased appetite for strong drink and on dissipating amusements We must more fully recflgnise the dignity of labour and be concept to grow rich by our own enterprise and industry instead of greedily grasping at ethers’ possessions by every art of gapibling In sboyt we mus t accept the cjld fashioned dogma exalteth a. nation but sin is a reproach, to any people,” Then shall we look with pride upon our chosen motto, emblazoned on a IhoqsauJ ban..erg *• Advance New Zealand.”

A cordial vote of tlmnksj wqs; passed to the Rey Mr Lawiy for his able lecture, auJ to the rev. Chairman for presiding.