THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. “Verite sans peur.” WANGANUI, MARCH 13, 1862.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 6, Issue 284, 13 March 1862, Page 2

THE WAN GANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. “ Verite sans peur.” W ANGANUI , MARCH 13, 1862.

The cause of Sir George Grey’s not paying us a visit does not say much fox* the efficiency of the naval protection the Commander onTthis" station vouchsafes to New Zealand in the prospect of a war with America, Jwhichg so many of our fellow-journalists have found a very fruitful field for leading ai-tioles. We do nob much’'.fear a visit from an American cruiser ; but it is certainly disgraceful that the ouly?"steam vessel in H.M. service left liei*e should be unable to undertake a voyage of 200 miles except under canvas. The boilers of IT.M.&. “ Fawn ” are in such a state of decay or dirt that" they cannot be trusted; and His 'Excellency knowing the uncertainty of a voyage under canvas has not thought fit. to leave Auckland for the indefinite period which such a means of transit implies. The Hon. Mr. Fox came overland to Napiex*, where he attended a Maori meeting, and thence to Wellington by the “ Storm Bird,” which arrived there on .Sunday afternoon.. Mr. Fox, we be . lieve, will be in Rangitikei within the next few days, but, being obliged to return to Auckland by the steamer, which leaves Wellington on the 24th, lie will not be" able to favour Wanganui with a-visit. It is to be hoped that the postponement |> f Sir George Grey S’ visit .will only -give us occasion to welcome him more heartily, because more gratefully, for what he will have done for the pacification of the country, when he is able to pay this place a visit. The' accounts from the North seem to indicate that such a hope is not unreasonable. Some report seems to have been afloat in matters were looking worse in Waikato. This must have arisen from a rumour r as to the attempt to remove Mi*. Gorst, which is mentioned elsewhere. Our more x’ccent accounts speak differently and very ■ favourably of the position of affairs. The.request of William i Nayler,"to have a road made through his district, and the few pregnant words Chief Justice Arney at Taranaki, give reason for believing that the leaven, which the Governor lias. introduced into the Waikato, is working, and will soon leaven the whole country.

.Although His Excellency the Governor’s visit has been postponed, it may be well to notice more particularly the subject we referred to last week, as one to which his attention might have been called on his arrival amongst us. During, his , former tenui*e of office in New Zealand, .he : handed over a very valuable piece of ground, measuring about 200 acies, and io ’ining part of Wanganui township, in trust to Bishop Selwyn, for certain; pur-, poses. What these purposes are, and. how they were intended to be carried out, we have not beeiffable definitely to leai n, not having seen a copy of the deed-by which the land was conveyed. But we believe that the object contemplated was the application ot the funds annually raised from these lands to the education of Moories and Europeans. On what "conditions pupils were to be admitted to the benefit of this very liberal endowment we. do not know, but suppose" that the conditions were > left to be fixed by the bishop, or any other person he might appoint as his sxibstitute or successor; and, if we are coiTectly informed, lie has handed over the trust to synod. The object very laudable. It' is hi"hly desirablc that the inhabitants of this country should be a well educated and intelligent race, whether Europeans or Maories, and to endowments for effecting this' obj ect w gran tod by the State wo can offer no objection. It' seems to us quite proper that the State should-aid the education of. the people; and we long, with the poet,f 4 for “tlic coming ot the glorious time” 'when the State shall ' admit ' ‘ •, ... . .“’Tlio obligation on her laid to teach? , ‘Them n ho are born to serve, her and obey.

To this particular endowment, howevi r there are .sundry objections which must have 'occurred- 'to- eveyy one aequain ed with the facts regarding it. It may have' been very well at the time it was ; done to, take land bought from the natives and set it apai’t for their particular benefit. It was then understood that they, could never obtain for. their hind more than the Government was willing to give. But now the case is different, and if they are to be allowed to dispose of tlieir land in their own way and on their own terms, they seem scarcely in a. positioiqfov requiring grunts of land for any purpose. If they desire educational endowments, they should be taught.ty..make thenr .out of that enormous quantity of waste lands which they tanriot n.se themselves, and which meanwhile they are indisposed to sell to others. So that ..the endowment ought to be restricted -i»- its application to Europeans. It riray indeed be' questioned whether it is propefi to' take so much land from a township,‘and/set it apart'Tor any such purpose.:' . Sucli an. act must bo adverse to the., prosperity of the town; and, we suppose, it was on this ground that the lion, the Colonial Secretary, in last session of the General A s *mbly, opposed the confirmation of a grant of laud made to a, private individual by the Maoies at Manawatu, the laud being part of the space expected .to be marked out for the site of a town, at the mouth of that, rivet. But allowing that for the benefit of posterity the sacrifice should be nrladej the generosity shown in making it on account of tlie maori population is quite uncalled for. “Hot only are their own resources ample ; but judging from the past they do not take advantage of such privileges when bestowed'upon them, the attempt to train Maoris to industrial pursuits oil this land having miserably failed. Still,though neither justice nor generosity calls for such a diversion of the public funds for the benefit of the maori, this objection o the' grant we would not insist oh. The principal, and it appears to us, .'fatal ol jeotion is to be found in. the Trustees. These are the Bishop of New Zealand and those .Appointed by him. The ground is handed over to the church of England in New Zealand. Probably no ecclesiastical body in the country would better administer the funds. It is not that there isjmy great, fear of their being' misappropriated or wasted by the present Trustees. The objection we have to them, we should equally have to the Presbyterian, or Wesleyan, or any other denomination being put in possession of so much of the pub. .lie money, to be applied so entirely at their own discretion. The endowment of any sect out of public money is inexpedient and unjust. Now, although this is not strictly a church endowment,, it is so to all intents and purposes, and its effect would be to place all other denominations in the place at a disadvantage. If this ground is to remain as an Educational endowment, let it be placed in the hands of a body of public Trustees without re-, spect to sect or party ; let it be administered in a liberal spirit, so that all parties may partake of its benefits ;- let there be no suspicion of its being, used as a means to advance the interests of any particular ecclesiastical body.’ It may indeed be said, that this gift having been bestowed, cannot -now be recalled. But it is a question whether Sir Geo. Grey did not exceed his powers in making this grant; and if lie did, there can be no difficulty in gettingut now put in a proper ' position. : Even however, though the gift may have been strictly legal, the power that gave may reclaim, If the public of.Wanganui wish to have, any advantage from this magnificent educational grant', they should move in the matter immediately, as so soon as active measures are taken by the present trustees in the way of appropriating the funds there will he niorCtliffijulby in having the end-.)' - ment thrown open to the ’ general public. So soon as we obtain a copy of the- deed conveying the land ife shall return to the subject. Mean while might those interested call a meetingfor the adoption of a memorial to the Governor, on the subject.