OUR LITERARY CORNER.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14993, 13 June 1914, Page 9

OUR LITERARY CORNER.

TWO GREAT COLONISERS • EDWAED GIBBON WAKEFIELD AND SLR WILLIAM MOLESWOItTH. (By James Collier.) (eFECIXW-T VBITTEN FOll "THE PRESS.") No name is more honourably or more gloriously associated with the colonisation of New Zealand than that of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, and in these days of centenaries it is surprising that the hundredth anniversary of its founder should not have boon publicly celebrated by a grateful and worshipping Dominion. There is a speaking ■portrait of him in the Canterbury itfosetun, as there is a bast of Moleswortb in the Parliamentary Library at Ottawa; an obscure township) in New Zealand, and, possibly, a street or two may have been named after him; and that is nearly all. . None of the great natural features of the country —its mountains or glaciers, its lakes or capes—bears his name, although latterly an attempt has been mad© to repair this omission by calling "Mount Wakefield" the hill on -which is erected the Wellington radio station. No national pantheon holds his consecrated dust, though ho died in Wellington, or is ndornod by bust, statue, portrait, or other memorial. Literature has done much for his memory. His instructive correspondence has been partially, as it should be wholly, published; every compendious treatise on colonisation, - from his day to ours, discusses • his principles. An accomplished polygraph, "the late Dr Garriett, of the British Jfttfeum, has sketched his life in the ■ .'"Encyclopa.'dia Britannica," and also composed a biography of him that Mr Hugh Egerton Beit, Professor of Colonial History at Oxford, pronounces '' "singularly fascinating"; Professor James Hight is understood to be engaged on a critical review of his theories; and the Clarendon. Press has lately issued a cheap reprint of Vakefield's classic, "The Art of Colonisation," with an Introduction by the' present writer. WAKEFIELD AND MOLESWORTH. Other works have a .good deal to tell about; the great coloniser. The biography fof Sir James Stephen, primus, were it fully written out, ' would have revelations to make. The informing volume of Sir Charles Adderley, Lord Norton, on the colonial administration of Earl Grey, has a little, and-more should be forthcoming. Sir Edward Grey is overwhelmed by, State iffairs, but Earl Grey has now leisure enough to vindicate the grand-uncle whose title he worthily; bears. Meanwhile, some beams of fresh light have been shed on Wakefield's career, by Mrs Henry Fa weett'e excellent bio- \ graphy of Sir William Molesworth. THE COLONISATION SOCIETY. When Wakefield first met with Molesworth, and induced him. to interest himself in the nascent colonial movement, he must have thought that be had hooked a very big; fish, indeed. Molesworth was : still young, But jiad the ardour of youth; and with, it were joined wealth, the prestige of lank, ."» high? education, some culture, udliie prospect of a great career. Wβ are able to fix the date when the two first associated. Wakefield's own account, given in "The Art of. Colonisation," of the Colonisation Society, which was the another of nearly all the later* colonising associations and companies, was that it was founded -in 1830 by,a small number of young men, Bcrme of whom afterwards became famous; and Dγ Garnett believes that - Molesworth,'.' and Mill were 1 among, the original members. Both 1 Wakefield and Garnett were clearly mistaken. In an earlier work, called" "England and America," Wakefield . t gave a list of names, forty in number, , as being the first" members of the sot ' ciety, and among these the names of jGrote, Molesworth, nor Mill are .to be found. As.Mrs Fawcett re- * marks, Molesworth was ■ - then only twenty years old, and he had as yet - taken .no part in publio affairs. Moreover,, he was not on the spot, but travelling in Italy during the whole of 1830. We have, indeed, definite evidence that the connexion of these two eminent men began at a later date. In a speech on the condition of the colonies, delivered in the House of Commons on. June 29th, 1838, says Mrs Fawcett, but really on March 6th of that year, according to her own (very i imperfect and inaccurate) list of Moles- _ worth's speeches on colonial subjects, ■ he stated that "so long as nearly five years ago" he "took an active part in the foundation of" South m Aus- , tralia,, As he could not then have joined the South Australian Association, which was not formed till 1834, ,and t was an offshoot of the Colonisation Society, Mrs Eawcett rightly infers that he joined the Colonisation Society in 1833. Hβ soon became a strenuous member of it. The enthusiast, who had convinced the logical intellect of Mill, the robust understanding of Charles Buller, and the clear, cool brain of Stephen llintonl, editor of the "Spectator," would have little difficulty in persuading the powerful, tut still undisciplined, mind of Molesworth, already ardent in all great public causes. Molesworth showed his confidence and his devotedness by accept--1 ing in the following year the position t o£ trustee in Wakefield's first big scheme •—the South Australian. Association, where the risk was considerable. POLITICAL NEW-BIRTH. From this year of 1833 • year of the new-birth of his spirit— ', Moleswortli was indefatigable, iv the 1 House of Commons, on the platform, in the Press, and in eocial intercourse, in commending and defending the interests of the British colonies, long-estab-lished, nascent, or yet to be born. His correspondence, Mrs Fawcett tells us, abounds in evidence of the interest he ■took in colonial questions. Public evidence is lacking till we find in 1837 quite a number of speeches on Canada, the : etate of tho colonies, colonial lands, and, aboro all. transportation. In al/ " of these speeches we can easily trace "the influence of Wakefield, whose executive in Parliament Molesworth and, with him, Bufler had become. COLONIAL SELF-GOVERNMENT. It was from Wakefield that Moles- ' *orth derived the idea .that every

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i colony, as soon as it arrived at a certain degree of maturity, should be entrusted with the rights and powers of self-government. That it was not derived from his political friends is proved by the fact that his new views puzzled ifis friends. Sara Austin, wife of the eminent jurist, could not imagine what he meant by his attacks on the Colonial Office. To her they "looked liked madness." Roebuck was perplexed by the contention that the colonies should be endowed with respoasiblo government, i which ho held to be inconsistent with the sovereignty of the Mother Country. Even Grote, who was one day to write nobly of tfie magnificent colonies m Magna Graocia failed to grasp the real nature of the issues at stake, Molesworth's whole colonial crusade went right in the teeth, of tho Radical stalwarts of his day. ! TRANSPORTATION. Molesworth's first speech, of much importance in the House of Commons was on tho subject of transportation, when in 1837 he moved that a committee be appointed to onquire into the system and its efficacy. By no other than AVakefield can the resolution to eradicate tho foul thing have been planted in Molesworth's mind. That groat coloniser was still earlier a reformer of the brutal English code. Within the grim walls of Newgate he had seen it in a degraded form; he there had involuntary intercourse with the convicts who were to be sent to Australia and Van Diemen'e Land; and in the newspapers and gazettes published in these colonios he learnt what was their influence on the communities of which they formed one-half. . The first of his two prison-books had that for its theme, and by means of it, and etill more by his influence on Molesworth, he did more than any other man, save Archbishop Whatoly alone, to expel the unclean thing: On. Molesworth's part the fight was incessant till 1851, and even then the battle was not completely won. - THE PUBLIC LANDS. After a speech on the state of the colonies, for, which the material "was furnished by Wakefield, Molesworth delivered, in 1839, a speech on colonial public lands. It was mainly devoted to expounding "principles of recent • discovery" first "put forth by my friend Mr Wakefield ... to whom the great merit of their discovery is exclusively due." (In a speech delivered to his constituents in Leeds in the following year he epoke of Wakefield as "one of the greatest and most original thinkers of the present day, and whom I am proud to be able to call my friend.") Ho proceeded to rehearse their history. In 1833 they (were developed by Wakefield in an admirable work, "England and America." We shall follow him ov to lees familiar ground, wl>ere Mrs Faweott brings-new facte to light from .Molesworth's correspondence. A SECOND PENN. . Tho ever-scheming brain ofWake- vfiold, living only for his projects of colonisation, meditated an undertaking that might have brought out to New Zealand and settled in Canterbury or Otago the leader of the colonial party in the House of Commons. On January 4th, 1840, Wakefield addressed a letter to Molesworth, who was then in residence at Pencarrow. He urged Molesworth to achieve — "Some work of noble note . . . . Not unbecoming men that strove with ■•■ ;>■ ' ■•■■.• Molesworth had been talking about the Governorship of New South Wales, as if, disgusted with the state of public affairs, he might be willing to accept the office, and Wakefield sought to dissuade him. He could ■successfully hold such a post only if he were sent out to Sydney with the powers of a dictator, as Lord Durham was sent to Canada, and if ho were supported by .the Government of the day, which Durham was not. Both" of these chances Wakefield believed to be improbable. But he had other tigers for Molesworth to comb. Was there no other career where he would' find scope for his talents and become an independent maker of events? Wakefield considered that there was. ' Molesworth might found a colony in person. A new colony in New Zealand had been projected by a band of men who would Tβjoice to have him as their cekist or lea.der. ,-. His brother Arthur, and some others of the best sort, .were thinking of joining in the undertaking. New Zealand was the best field, because "the physical geography of the country pointed out the expediency of forming many separate settlements." There he would plant the settlement of Molesworth, lead out some thousands of pilgrims, and organise its government., Molesworth would also be a member of the General Council of the whole colony. But the chief attraction would bo the planting and forming the new I community. Ho might rely on receiving all possible aid from r tne New Zealand Association. It would be by far I the greatest colonising enterprise of that or any day. And ho pledged himself that ho would work for Molesworth's success and renown with all his heart and soul. EXPLANATIONS. Molevsworth promptly replied, and though his letter has not been found, we j can gather tho drift of it from Wakefield's explanatory letter. Molesworth mentioned seven indispensable conditions —1. He evidently doubted whether a large enough following could be' got together; but of this Wakefield has no doubt—indeed, too many might bo willing to go. 2. Molesworth inquired about the amount of the capital required, and named '£200,000 (the capital of the New Zealand Companywas a quarter of a million). Again Wakefield has no doubt that the requisite sum could bo raised. 3. What would be tho outlay of the cakist, or leader? It need not exceed £6000; £10,000 would be ample. Molesworth need not expend £3000 a year, and he might grow richer by investing in the purchase of landed estate. 4. Where should tho new colony settle? In any of a dozen different places, so well adapted was New Zealand for colonisation. 5. Would they not injure the new colony at Port by planting -a rival settlement? No; the. rcore and the bigger the colonies the better. The sixth query is omitted by Wakefield. The seventh related to tho period tho founding of the colony might occupy; Wakefield believed that it would consume only a few years. But Molesworth might g"o and come, as Perm did in Pennsylvania. And Wakefield projected a banquet to "Lord John, where Molesworth could fire off a broadside that would shake tho public mind. The proposed colony would "surpass immeasurably in all good qualities everything of the sort that • has been done in the world before." This letter was replied to, but all that we know of the answer is that Molesworth feared that Wakefield had too many projects afloat for this new one to be wisely managed. Such, he says, is a summary of tho letter. MOLESWORTH IN PERSON. A letter in Molesworth's own hand, shows that he backed out of the eiterpriso and it reveals his reasons. Ho had uo doubt of the success of the proposed colony; : landed property m

New Zealand that he had bought for £1000 was row worth £<3000. Bui he doubted whether the honour gained would compensate him for the privations. his health nor his character fitted him to be the cekist of a new colony. Hβ did not ccc what pace he should hold in it, nor what he could do. At best he would be a decoyduck in England and a pigeon to bo plucked in New Zealand. "Wakeheld was too fond of getting up etagoeffects. Going to New Zealand would injure his prospects in England; he had no mind to r-eeome a colonist and cease to bo an Engli-jlimay. A POSSIBLE SEAT. Why did not Wakefield enter the House of Commons instead of using its members as his instruments. Alas! why? By his own magnanimous act he accepted imprisonment instead of being mulcted in a heavy line, because he would not trench on tho portions of his children. The act redounded to his honour, but it cost him Tlis political career. No constituency, as it proved, would seriously consider his claims. Not so did the case appear to .Molesworth. He Mas at all times ready to champion "Wakefield's cause, and he appears at one time to have considered the difficulties of getting Wakefield into Parliament not insuperable. Mrs Fawcett found at Pencarrow the draft of an unfinished letter from Moleswbrth to Lord Durham, offering to contribute £1000 to Wakefield's election expenses, and "to extend to him every kind of personal support." nothing appears to hnvo been dono. Molesworth may not even have finished the letter. "Oh, the pity o't." It was lamentable that one who, beyond all others in his time, was fitted'to urge on and direct the building un of Britain's colonial Empire, should be doomed to remain outside of the scenes where his guidance was imperatively required. THE END. Unable to come out to New Zealand, he sent his young brother, irancis, who (lied prematurely through an accident, and in -whose memory an obelisk was reared on Barrett's Keef, near "Wellington. L nable to get "Wakefield into Parliament, he remained in it himself. In l&5o he was appointed Minister for the Colonies. His death in ofiire was nothing less than an Imperial calamity. x. x r yed ' ho mi S ht ha ™ d on© much to bridge the transition from the old regime, when "tho colonies" were looked upon with aversion, and tho new, when "the oversea Dominions" aro governing the policy and reacting on the public life of the Motherland.