FALLACIES

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20026, 6 September 1930, Page 14

FALLACIES

lII.—THAT CANTERBURY WITH THE FIRST FOURW^^m ' ! • ; ' (spicuxiy mitD *oa rnx nxss.) [sy GXOBGE HAEPKE.] . - 'illlEllH:::

Wheu did tlio Canterbury Settlement begin? Colonies founded in pursuance of a deliberate a double history, that of the emigrants on the spot, and that of the "contrivers" at home. Canterbury baa a still more interesting tale to tell, of the struggle undergone on its behalf on the other side of the world by men whom it interested as representing a principle. So wrote Garnett in his book Builders of Greater Britain (1896), being the biography of Edward Gibbon Wakefield, as one of the contrivers at home. A man, as he said, inferior to none in genius and achievement. To this man, as stated in that book, also in Harrop's The Amazing Career of Wakefield, and Miss O'Connor's Edward (ribbon Wakefield, New Zealand owes a debt of eternal gratitude, and especially the Canterbury Settlement, as it was not until the hands of the British Government were forced by his courageous initiative that steps were eventually taken which resulted in the Islands of New Zealand coming definitely under the British Crown in the year 1840. The Bace for New Zealand. Wakefield by his actions with a vacillating Government saved New Zealand from falling into the hands of other Powers; and in particular, Banks Peninsula into those of the French, culminating in ■ the proclamation of both Islands as British territory, and the Treaty of Waitangi also in 1840. In other words, it was he -who was the originator of the race to New Zealand between those Powers, which, fortunately for us, was won by Great Britain.

in ISSO, is a owing to the "the spot" during terbury Plains * gradually became,^9fl^^^H|[ ing place for * settlement. . TllflHjHjH Early As far haek Peninsula had visited half of Cooper - ports originally some purchase of on the Peninsula though the first - chase was about and adventurers " stations at Peraki * in IS4O the '■ pany with emignuits^^a|^^^^B having previously. the Maoris, the title or less Crown. In IS4Q -laaj|9j^^^B Sydney had sentggjffij^^^H whose descendants - Peninsula, to buy on the Plains, incln9BH^H"' from the Maoris^ abandoned. * Pigeon Bay andto Ri&arton, as respective Zealand Land being subsequently grants; and these possess. - The Plains and this period had visitors from-the as Bishop . Sel wyn,: tell, and Dnppa, at Pigeon .Bay and reported upon "contrivers" at ally adapted foe fuiwJ99^^H| Proa 18»lj|HH| From the late lent book, Earliest Settlement, it triU Peninsula 'was gradually - number of recorded in the families, numberii% dred and sixty,of many of tiuem These names the Greenwoods at th e Maiisons, • strongs,- Prices,; Magistrates besides Owing 'to - "practical of the .Brothers, who: tbcAssoeUtio^^^^^^^^^g to occupy the sula, according was materially. grants who there, whose low in estili^iM^^^H , The hiitary told in Hay's Wary, and Alcaroa, and settlers were ances from • ■ adequate pbiij)e^n|H^^^H and-no commpny|M^H|H|^Bß Island, except: intervals. overcome when the- ' May it' that tlte many years, emigrants' on December

But, as far back as the year 1836, it was Wakefield, who, after having been the chief founder of South Australia, first turned- his attention to New Zealand and its colonisation. In giving evidence before a Parliamentary Committee, he pointed out that near to Australia there was a country dascribed as the finest country in the world, which did not belong to the Crown, although Englishmen were then beginning to colonise it, but •in n most slovenly and scrambling manner, and in that year he took the first steps towards forming a New Zealand Association, which developed into the New Zealand Land Company in 1839, of which he was the principal promoter, and whilst the Government was still hesitating, he dispatched the Tory with pioneers to Wellington. The Canterbury Scheme.

Again in 1847, he, as the chief actor, together with Lord Lytteltomand J. R. Godlev as his immediate asso-; ciates, himself defined the scheme for the acquisition and settlement of the Canterbury Plains, resulting in the subsequent formation of . the Canterbury Association with Godley as its principal administrator, whose services Wakefield had fortunately secured, and by whose able administration the success of the scheme mainly resulted, entitling him to be called the actual Founder of Canterbury, in the year ISSO. . So far, therefore, it may fairly be said that Wakefield was the "ch\ef contriver" at Home for the acquisition of New Zealand,- his major scheme, thus making it possible for him ,to contrive the lesser scheme of the settlement of Canterbury, and by a deliberate plan, founded as nearly as possible on the principles laid down by him in his famous book on the Art of Colonisation.

Wakefield also by his importunity brought about the granting of the NewZealand Constitution with its representative responsibilities, the Statute, (England) being based on a draft scheme prepared-by him under his actual guidance. But apart from Wakefield's work, the period between 1840 or earlier, and the coming of the First Four Ships ,