PAGES FROM THE PAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1922, Page 10

PAGES FROM THE PAST.

THE LAND QUESTION. DIFFICULTIE.S IN THE EARLY DAYS. CAUSE OF MAORI OUTBREAKS, (By “Juvenis.”) The cause of all the early troubles in Taranaki, like the cause of troubles in other parts of the world, was the land question. To understand the position let us go back to the early days The original owners of the land in ar.d around New Plymouth were the Ngatiawas, who, in 1834, being attacked by the Waikatos under Te Whero Whero, were destroyed enslaved, or dispersed; and the fugitives, flying to the south, settled along Cook’s Strait and near Port Nicholson. The Waikatos, glutted with slaughter and rich in slaves, never occupied the district, but at once returned to their villages, when a miserable remnant of the broken tribe, about sixty, who had probably hidden themselves in the neighborhood, appear to have stolen back; and, as to insignificant to excite further hostilities, were suffered to remain quiet in their desolated homesThe New Zealand Company commenced their operations by despatching Colonel Wakefield to acquire land from the natives, and to choose a site for the first settlement. He arrived in 1839, and, in the course of his arrangements, attracted by its proverbial fertility, sought to purchase the district. He succeeded in buying up the claims of the fugitives in Cook’s Strait; also those of the remnant in occupation, who were anxious to attract European settlement as a protection against further Waikato aggressions. Soon afterwards. Te Whero Whero asserting his claim by “right of conquest,” threatening to march and take possession, it became necessary to treat also with him; and Governor Hobson, who maintained his claim as well-founded, paid him £4OO on the part of the company for its extinction. It appears that th eeompany took all possible precaution to effect a legitimate purchase, whilst the Governor’s interference and participation therein should have stamped it with validity. START OF SETTLEMENT. The first emigrants arrived in 1841, and were warmly welcomed as protectors by the few resident natives. Other ships followed; by degrees the settlement took root and flourished, attracting at intervals some of the fugitives from Cook’s Strait: and, as the Waikatos had commenced the liberation of the slaves, the aboriginal population of the settlement was every year fast increasing; gradually a disposition became manifest to dispute the white man's possession although, as the Crown commissioner for settling “land claims” was soon expected t ©examine the company’s title to this particular district, in common with that to all others, the natives remained tolerablv quiet. Mr. Commissioner Spain, after many delays, during which the relations between the two races were gradually assuming a more serious aspect, at last arrived in June. 1844. and at once open'd his court; Colonel Wakefield appearing for the company. Mr. Clarke, subnrotector, for the natives. The case was h-ied in the presence of the settlers and bout 300 natives: it lasted several da vs. and was thoroughly investigated. The 'ompany claimed a block of nearly 70,000 acres; Mr. Spain awarded them nne of ‘60,000. The Commissioner’s deI eision was grounded on what he regardIcd as native custom and the natural justice of the case. And when it is considered that, under the company’s original regulations, one-tenth of the soil had been reserved for the natives, making in this instance 75.000 acres, to which the Commissioner added all their pas, gardens, and burial places, while their actual cultivations did not amount to 150 acres, it must be admitted that a most liberal and philanthropic provision was made for their future wants; and that their repudiation of the award could not arise from the slightest probable want of the disputed territory.

In his account of the settlement, diaries Hursthouse, from whose work T have freel-v quoted, says:—“'Well knowing that Captain Fitzroy’s government, banded with the savage, would not scruple to sacrifice the settlers to their imaginary rights, trespasses, cutting timber, petty robberies, followed close on the Commissioner’s departure; and a marked determination was evinced, either to extort some enormous payment, or to stop the progress of cultivation by driving the Europeans into narrower limits. Tn this conjuncture, the settlers asked for protection, when Captain Fitzroy came in person. A DIFFICULT PROBLEM. Captain Fitzroy arrived in AugusC 1844, and very soon informed the settlers that although he had not oven read the Commissioner’s report of the case, being satisfied that his decision wa3 wrong, he should at once preoeed to set it aside. Tn this, his professed object was to do justice to the “returned slaves.” who. as his chief counsellor. Mr. Protector Clarke, assured him. had not, agreeably to native custom, lost their rights by slavery, they were not parties to the sale, and thus the company’s purchase was null and void- The Commiasioner maintained quite the opposite opinion; whilst Governor Hobson, disagreeing with both, had paid the Waikato as the true lords of the soil. These dashing opinions might have convinced Captain Fitzrov that any attempt effectually to decide the question by the ■' ague and oft-conflicting customs of barbarism would be utterly hopeless, and that the best guide would be common sense and common justice; consulting which, he would have taken some such view of the case as this:—Three parties were supposed to have claims on the district at the time of purchase, the Waikato conquerors, the few resident natives, and the absentees, consisting of the fugitives and the slaves. The first anrl principal were paid and satisfied; the second and the fugitives were also paid, and the slaves should have been compelled to receive the same, or some reasonable amount of payment. Let it be distinctly remarked that a high authority had pronounced their claims unfounded; and ample provision having been made for their future wants, they had not the slightest occasion for that land, the possession of which was necessary to the European. Te Whero Whero, the conquering Waikato chief, fully recognised the purchase: he had always been on friendly terms with the Government. and was held in dread by those natives, who. recently hie slaves, were

now disputing possessiou of the very district which he had himself sold. I

Under these circumstances, says Hursthouse, Captain Fitzroy should have requested Te Whero Whero, with two or three of his principal chiefs, to accompany him to Taranaki; have then assembled the refractory natives, and quietly told them that the Waikato had. sold the district by right of conquest; but, as he wished to improve their condition, he would, for some stated period, make them an annual present subject to their good behavior, of blankets, cattle, and horses; that instead of the company’s indiscriminate tenths, he would throw the GOOD acre reserve into four or five blocks, so as to suit the convenience of the various liarpu, or families, and finally have referred them to his friend Te Whero Whero for any further information they might require; when those' best acquainted with this chief’s influence, and the Waikato name, must see that quiet possession of the district would probably have been obtained. Te Whero Whero might have objected to this arrangement for the native reason. that these slaves deserved nothing; but if the matter had been properly re presented to one so attached as he was to the Government, it is most probable that he would have lent this his pacific assistance. The Waikato, as the most numerous and warlike tribe in New Zealand, except the Ngapuhi and friends of the Government, are regarded with great respect; and although it is fifteen years since they so signally defeated the natives 8f this district, Te Whero Whero and the fight, or rather massacre of Pukerangiora, are still fresh in the memory of the vanquishedSETTDEMENT ENDANGERED. Far, however, from Captain Fitzroy was any such course; dealing with a company opposed by the Colonial office—■ blinded by maudlin sentimentality for “oppressed slaves” —spurred on by the messionaries, he came to judgment in a spirit which soon stripped the unfortunate settlers of their land, and which virtually dispossessed the company of the finest territory they had ever acquired. Some suppose that his secret intention was to break up the settlement, then to remove the wreck to Auckland: and whether this be true or not he nearly succeeded in accomplishing the first part. Governor Hobson had purchased the whole district for the company, the Crown Commissioner had awarded them 60,000 acres, Captain iFtzroy repurchased a patch round the village of 3,800 acres, without any timber, forced jail the settlers into it, abandoned the remaining 56,000 acres to the natives; and, as he says, “left New Plymouth perfectly quiet”—the quiet of death. Tn strict justice to Captain Fitzroy it should be observed, that the settlers who were thus removed received certain compensation in debentures, of which - they succeeded in disposing on better terms than was expected. This was Governor Fitzroy’s settlement of the New Plymouth Land Question. It may certainly be" said that the actual extent of land would more than suffice to grow food for the few dispirited settlers likely to be left; but for colonisation the settlement was annihilated: a dangerous precedent established, likely to invalidate all past land sales: and further proof afforded of that “truckling t osavages.” which, leaving Wairoa unpunished, causing some singular freaks and the restruction of Kororareka, at length produced a disastrous war at both extremities of the island.

Tn viewing this transaction it must appear that the natives exhibited blind rapacity; for, if they had yielded possession. emigration would probably have continued to increase when their 6,000 acres reserve would have been worth more pounds than it is yet pence. Their conduct must be attributed to bad counsel, to the ignorance of savages; and seeing that if they made further encroachments the settlers would be entirely driven away—the thing they least desired; or perhaps from some awakening sense of honor, they continued strictly to observe their bargain.

The settlement, however, thus compressed could but languish; and nothing save its natural advantages preserved it from abandonment by all those who had the means left of returning to England, or of trying their fortune in other colonies. Two years passed away, when, to the tumultuous joy of the country, Captain Fitzroy, relieved from the cares of Government, was superseded by Sir George Grey, who, closely engaged in quelling the native disturbances raised by his predecessors, was unable to visit New Plymouth before the commencement of 1847.

[An account of his visit and the results thereof will be related in next Saturday’s issue.]