THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Saturday, November 4, 1843. Luceo Non Uro. THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NEW ZEALAND COMPANY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume I, Issue 29, 4 November 1843, Page 2

THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Saturday, November 4, 1843. Luceo Non Uro.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NEW ZEALAND COMPANY.

'• If I have been extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beacons from the spark I bore."

Our readers will be happy to perceive by the letter which is-published in another part of our paper, that the Government and the New Zealand Company have at length come to an amicable understanding; this will be alike beneficial to the settlers in Auckland and in Cook's Straits, and will, we sincerely trust, be the means of putting an end to all unjust and disagreeable feelings on the part of both.

We have been all along convinced that so long as two powerful and rival interests existed in New Zealand, the general good of the colony must suffer. Auckland and Port Nicholson instead of mutually assisting in promoting the prosperity of New Zealand, were each seeking to sacrifice the other, and in attempting to accomplish this, they were merely injuring one another, and destroying the best interests of the colony. Jt is with much satisfaction that we hail the arrival in Auckland of Mr. Bell, the agent of the New Zealand Company, who, we are informed, has come amongst us for the purpose of selecting 50,000 acres-of town, suburban, and country land, which have been purchased by the New Zealand Company from the Home Government. This land has been granted to the Company in lieu of the same quantity of land at Port Nicholson. It is in fact a simple exchange of land, something on the same principle on which the other land claimants are allowed to do by Lord Stanley's instructions. They are permitted to select or rather to purchase £IO,OOO worth of Town lands, at the upset price of £IOO per acre, to be put up in blocks not containing less than 10 acres ; £25,000 worth of Country lands, according to the existing land regulations; and £15,000 of Town, Suburban or Country lands, the Suburban at £5 per acre, and to be put up in blocks of 100 acres. This arrangement has, we understand, been effected through the New Governor, Capt. Fitzroy, who has been the happy means of reconciling the Company and the Government. The Company are also allowed equitably to extinguish all native claims within the limits of their settlements in Cook's Straits, and .are also to exercise in respect of the unfortunate land claimants there the same unjust -right of preemption as the Crown itself lays claim to. .

The Port Nicholson settlers are also to have a resident judge who was immediately to leave England, and it is left to the discretion of the New Governor to appoint an executive officer at Wellington, to represent the Government and to act upon any emergency without waiting for instructions from his superior. A person we imagine with the same authority as Mr, Latrobe exercises at Port Phillip. From all this it must be evident that the Home Government have much 'confidence in the New Governor, so that much discretionary power is placed in his .hands, which we hope he will exercise for ,the general good of the colony. We have not been able to" obtain any information as to what other conditions have been imposed upon the Company besides the ajboye, but we imagine that a principal on

ot them wiJibe, that they should immedir ately locate immigrants upon the land. • > In carrying out this object', jre trust they take special care to select persons with some capital; any other class of immigrants we do not want in Auckland at least. We have abundance of labour, abundance of profitable employment for labour in our copper mines, coal beds, courie forests, and flax fields ; but we want the' capital to employ the labour. The resources of this district are inexhaustible, but we unfortunately have not hitherto had the means of making them available. Let us now however hope that the days of our suffering are at an end. " The reign of terror," will soon be over, the Government and the Company will act as powerful checks upon one another. The Gompany has the means of coloDising the whole of New Zealand if directed, and regulated by a wise Government; and if (as we sincerely trust) the natives are again restored to their freedom, the duties of the Government will be plain, simple, and easily executed. While the Company and the settlers shall be actively engaged in the> work of colonization, the Government will only be required to preserve order among both races, and see that the same laws are administered to both, and respected ?ilike by both. Several private letters which have been received from parties at home, confirm the statement which we have made above, and lead us also to believe that a very extensive emigration of men of capital will take place to this settlement. We extract the following passage from a letter received by Mr. Montefiore:

" The New Zealand Company are I belieye, pleased with the appointment of Capt. Fitzroy, and it is reported that they have made up their differences with the Government, and 1 believe some of the members are feteing his Excellency. " I hear the New Zealand* Company have purchased 50,000 acres from Government, at and around Auckland, and intend sending you out emigrants as fast as they can dispose of it; this w«U be a good thing for you and fellow-colonists."

This was the only chance the New Zealand Company had of getting out of their difficulties. The conduct of their agents and settlers at Port Nicholson and Nelson, the quarrels with the natives and the Government had completely blasted their prospects in Cook's Straits; they have now laid open to them the most splendid field for colonization that they could possibly desire. Land of the richest description abounding in vegetable and mineral treasures, affording by means of its safe harbours and noble rivers, every facility for internal communication, where the native population are exceedingly quiet, orderly, and industrious. If the Company manage properly, they may in the Auckland district retrieve their own losses, and confer a great benefit upon New Zealand generally.