THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT QUESTION.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2020, 6 January 1864, Page 4

THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT QUESTION.

A LARGE and influential meeting of the citizens wai held (as previously announced) on Monday evening last, in the Brunswick Hall. The room wnt crowded from top to bottom, and the platform was occupied by * number of gentlemen, amongst whom were the following : — Messrs, Daldy, D. Graham, King, Killings, Ksrr, Beveridge, James O'Neill, "R. Luak, Ash ton, and Macfarlaue. His honor the Superintendent being called to the chair, thanked them, for tho honour of placing Into in that important position, and said it afforded him great pleasure at all times to occupy the chair at any public meeting of the citizens. He sympathised with the movement, and would state that the meeting had been culled by tho Chairman of tho City Board, at the request of that body, and he thought very judiciously, so that that the inhabitants of Auckland might also have a voice in the matter. He had no doubt but that the resolutions which would be Drought forward would be discussed temperately, and in a manner worthy of the citizens of Auckland. He called upou Mr. Macfarlane to move the first lesoltition. Mr.' Macf vrlane said that on that important occasion he had thought that an older colonist should have occupied the position he did, as mover of the first lesolution ; and he had impressed this on the gentlemen who had originated the meeting. Although many ■were absent from the platform thiough modesty, or from the meeting thiout;h other causes, lie was glad to see that there was a sufficient number of old colonists present to give a tone and chaiacter to the meeting He confessed he was not one of those who sympathised with men lef using to discharge a duty which naturally devolved on them ; and he thought the uicvn who ihunued the discharge of his duty ought to foifeit the privileges attached to that position, did he think tljrt on an iinpoitaut occasion like (be present, when . i death-blow was being made at their political existence, every man should be in his place. He feared, how ever, that therevv as too little publicspiritiu Auckland. (Hear.) There were too many partie=, and too great a devotion to self interest. They wasted mi infusion of fiesh blood, and of that large feeling which made men look beyond their own interests to their neighbours around them. Let him bring under their notice the object for winch the meeting had been called together. It was to adopt a petition to her most giacious Majesty against the attempt which was now being made to remove the seat of govei nment They all knew the deep mteiest which her Maje^y had taken m the prospenty of the colon}, and how le.iddy .instance was sent to them in the hour of their need It cheiefoie became them on an occasion liko the present to giatefully acknowledge that assistance. They had seen also how nobly the troops which had been sent to them had behaved, and jt would be blucu mgiatitiide if they did not ackuowledge the gallantly displaced by them on a lecent occasion. Thp people ot this, province hud always been reuly to show then loyalty to their Queen, find they had shown it recently by every man fioni 1G to 60 bearing hi- share of military duty. They had done so certainly in their own defence and m defence ot their country, but they hail also done it to suppoit the authoiity of the Queen and supremacy of hei law-.. (Hear ) He claimed for Auckland the distinction of having been the fiist to ongniate a volunteer c»ip3, and he said the Auckland volunteeis as well as the militu hid icted nobly in their hour of trial. (Cheeis ) He made no boast o£ these things, for they had only done their duty, and he would not have mentioned them but for the cowar lly attempt to remove the seat of government ■while they were in the very act of enduung h udships, dangers, and suffering, and to remove flora the minds of tliose at home that they in tins colony had been guilty of some gross deiehction of duty when this stain was sought to be h\ed on them. He had spoken of the aid sent by their Queen How was it that it was so instantaneously effective* Was it not that their general took /Auckland as the base of his opera tions, and that he could thereby keep open the communication and defend his lear 1 There was water communication on both sides, by which assistance might be sent to any part of the province ; and tins could be send by land as well as by water. They ■were so positioned, too, that they could keep apart two of their most deadly foes, preventing them fiom ■uniting and enabling us to deal with either one or the otbei. No othei place was, in fact, adapted for a seat of government 01 base of operations The bite ■was fixed by Cvptain Drury, aftei a careful snivey of the whole oast, as the proper one for the town. Twenty jeais had justified that choice. (Mr. GilhlUn here made some remarks to the speaker ) Mr. Gilfillau said it was Captuu Hobson who chose the site, but he (Mr. Macfarlane) talked after Thompson, the historian of New Zealand, who said Drniy made the survey before Hobson took up the position. But he might add, that the same facilities of access were not alone enjoyed by this pioviuc 1 , but they were available for the whole of the colony ; the \\ est coast was open, and could be bettei governed from Auckland than fiom such a place as Cauteibury; and if all this was Uue, it was strange that after twenty ye vrs' experience of the advantages of the site of Auckland, an attempt should be made to call it in question. It was stranger still that the attempt should be made at a time when they were struggling for existence (cheers), and he ventnied to say that for dastaidlmess it had few parallels in history, and all the more so because it was pieceded by a bribe. (Cheer«). That bribe was intended to lull their suspicions — to put them off their guard. Most ostentatiously had their Southern fuends taken credit to themselves for bearing a share of the expenses of the war , but they little dreamt that their liberality was a cloak which was to covei the issassin. Yet so it was ; and he felt assured that the baseness of the attempt would not be counten meed by her Majeoty The scheme was concocted to get the government away from Auckland m the fhst instance, for the conspirators did not fix on any place, for they could not get a majonty of the Couucil to vote for an-y. It would not do to say the Government was going to Otigo, for that would not have suited the objects of the main conspiratoi s, and so Cook's Straits was fixed, in the fir-t place. Cook's Straits might mean "Wellington or NVlson, and fading both, which Canterbury men thought would be the case, they would have the next best chance of getting it there. He Kud those men v,)ted against Auckland under that expectation. Most wis; councillors ' In this iu-tance they pulled the strings, for they knew right well that Wellington was unsmted for the cacital from its exposed position and difficult means of defence , that Nel=on was equally unsuitable; ihat Otago would never consent to be governed from these places. This was not the first time that We'hngton had sought the Be^t of government. Tine it was a more central position, but that was not the only requibite for a capital, or else it would be necessary to remove almost every capital in the whole world from its present positiou. As had been said by one of the daily journals, they might as well think of removing the brains to the stomach as remove the seat of government from Auckland to a more central position. The seat of government should be whe^e it was most wanted; and when they looked at the native difficulty which must exist for many yeais, they must come to the concliisi in that Auckland was that place ; and if they were only true to themselves, Auckland must leinaui the seat of go vernment. He was not for separation, for supposing separation took place, Otago would be putting on restrictive duties, on spints foi instance, and the effect of that would be that theie would be a good deal of smuggling This again would be the cause of interminable quarrels between the two colouies He felt assured that the Queen would interfere to prevent anj course being taken that would be detrimental to the colony. A great European crisis was probably at hand, which mu;ht involve the world in a geneial disruption, ami they might have to defend themselves or become the appanage of another crown. In the view of that, where was the w.sdom of altering the present arrangements' After some other remarks the speaker read the following address :—: —

Unto Her Most Excellent Majesty the Queen. The hnmble petition of your Majesty's loyal subjects, the Citizens of Auckland, in public meeting assembled. May it please your Most Gracious Majesty, — That your petitioners approach your Majesty with sentiments of undiminiahed loyalty and affection. That yonr petitioners are deeply grateful for the timely aid which your Majesty has rendered to this colony in its hour of need. That during the present great struggle your petitioners have cheerfully made every sacrifice that duty required, almost every man from 16 years to 60 having borne arms in defence of their homesteads and to maintain the supremacy of the Crown and the authority of the law. That the unrivalled position of the city of Auckland, with its harbours on the east and west coasts, has afforded a base of operations to the LieutenantGeneral commanding which has enabled him to render instantaneously effective the aid so graciously sent by your Majesty from the' Australian colonies, from India, ami from Home. _*- / w Thafc whilst the city of Auckland has been found to be the best seat of government in time of war, experience has proved it equally well adapted for governing the entire colony in times of pp»ee. That events have thus fully justified the wisdom of your Majesty's councils in selecting the city of Auckland as the political and commercial capital of the colony of New Zealand.

That the proximity of a large native population renders it imperative that the seat of government should not be removed. That your petitioners learn with the deepest feelings of regret, that efforts are being made to remove the seat of government to another part of the colony. That your petitioners believe that one of the first results of the accomplishment of such au object would bo the dismembeimeut of this important colony, and the formation of two or three small and perhaps antagonistic communities. That your petitioners have always cheei fully discharged the duties imposed upon them as inhabitants of the metropolitan city. That your petitioners are unable to discover any just grounds, either political, commercial, or social, for interfering with the decision of your Majesty in proclaiming the city of Auckland the capital of the colony of New Zealand. That your petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that your Majesty will be graciously pleased to interpose your royal authority to prevent the accomplishment of the proposal to remove the seat of government. He then moved the following resolution : — "That the petition now read be adopted, signed by the Chairman on behalf of the meeting, and that it be sent to his Excellency Sir George Giey, with a lespectful request that he will forward the game to her Majesty tlnough his Grace the Duke of Newcastle." (Cheers.) Mr. J. A. Gilfillan, who was received with cheeis, lose to second the resolution. He said that when he was asked to do so he thought that no member of the Geneial Assembly should take part in the meeting, foi the reason that he might be fighting the battle over again and telling a twice told tale. But aa a citizen he could not refuse to assist in the movement. (A voice . " Speak out ") His voice was weak, bnt his heait wasshong. (Cheers) Ho only wished that they had had a meeting like tins sK weeks ago, for it would have done more good than it could do now. He was glad, however, to see so many at the meeting, which would make it effective. Auckland being what it was, they could not allow the seat of government to be taUen away from them, and he would like to see the mau 01 the Ministry who would attempt to go ver.i Auckland fiom any other place. They remembered last July, when the town was thieateued • how could immediate steps have been taken to defend the town, if they had had to wait until they sent down to Chnstchinch or Wellington ' Mr. Eastwood (who came up on theplatfoim from the body of the meeting), said that although he was only a new coiner of ten months' standing, he took ab deep interest in the question as 01-ler colonists did. He could not but think that when this question was put forward at home, this staring fact would be appaient, — first, that the Geueial Assembly asked the Irapeiial Government to guarantee then loan of tluee millions of money, and that it would be impossible that they could make such a request at the sune tune that they asked foi the revocation of thu deliberate policy that the capital of New Zealand should lie wheie it was. He could not but think that the people of thy old countiy would look at this qilestiou with a colonial eye, and say, " Heie is the Matiuku.u, the Waitein ita, and the Kaipaia ; could theie be a more beautiful Site ' — it is impossible to leinove the seat of j,oveui ment fiom the place where nature has placed it " But the people of Auckland had themselves to thank for this attempt to take away the seat of government f loin them; for theie had been no eiloit made by them to connect these three means of water communication, and they hid constiucted notiamna^s. Why, if they had, they could have had then provisions and men convejed over Uie country foi one tenth part of the cost, — a\e, for one fiftieth part. They had, in fact, given the othei piovincei 1111 opportunity to say that they weie asleep. (Cheeis). The seat of government, hovvevei, should be wheie natnie had placed it; aud aa the seat of tiade, the seat of inteligence, and the seat of power was heie, so must they have the seat of government Mi. OsMOND Lewis admitted that the signatuie of the chanman to the petition on behalf of the meeting would cairy great weight ; but he thought that if they got a thousand signatures of the people themselves the petition would carry still mole weight. TheCHAiRMvN said he had intended to call their attention to this mattei. The leason that it was thought pioper that the chairman should sign the petition was that it might go by the piesent mail Theie would be, however, a petition prepared foi the community to sign, but he hoped that instead of it being signed by a thousand it would be signed by eight or ten thousand. (Cheers ) Mr. Alex. Black said that the first land sSle that took place here was in Government House, when Mi Mason, the colonial architect, acted as auctioneer. It was then stated that Auckland was to be the cipital of New Zealand. Captain Hobson was said to have lelected the site , but they might as well say that it had been selected by Captain Cook. Theie was this fact, that Captain Hobson had selected a Scotchman as a pilot to take him round the whole of the coast of N*w Zealand (Cheei3 aud laughtei). Hn name was Robeit Claik, an old resident, who came to this country before he (Mi. Black) did. Hobson chartered a schoonei, and was twelve months going round the whole coast ; and aftei going north, south, east, and west, this was the place he took as the site for the capital of New Zealand He (Mi. Bhck) recollected that when he was at Wellington, they weie building a Council Chamber there, and that they had to take off the top of a hill before they could getroom enough to build it. — (A laugh ) He was attached to AucUand, and would say everything for Auckland. Mi Macfailane might sij they wanted new blood and laigei minds, but he thought people who lived in glass-hoases should not throw stones (A laugh), tie expected to have seen some more members of the House of Representatives present on that platform. He saw one member here who, when he got up to speak m the House about the seat of government question, was threatened b} 1 the big gun of Chnstchurch that he would stand foi his seat He thought that when they put men in the House, they should put men ill who could repiesent them, and not dummies. There were two gentlemen, Mi Gilhllan and Mr. Wlntakei, who had nobly taken theii pait in the Council , and he must also give the piess gieat piaise foi giving them all ftie weight they could on the question. (Cheers). Mr Robert Lu&K said it appealed to him that one very stiong point in their favour had bpeu overlooked. They were aware of coarse that the Home Government had given over the contiol of native affairs to the colonial legislature, and that before that native aftaus were in u responsible hands. Now, had the seat of government been removed before this chf nge w a3 in ide, comparatively little harm would have been done, but to take it away now, from the very place wheie the natives were so rampant, would be suicidal. He s ml, thfiefore, that the Queen's Government having handed over to them the control of native affairs, they should insist upon the local colonial Government rein tilling here. Suppose the Government were lemoved to Chiiatohurch, what would be the effect' Why this, that if any difficulty arose on any subject, it would have to be decided by the Native Department, for there would be no time to send to Cauteibury. The Native Office would in fact govern Auckland, and he had been quite long enough m the colony to know what effect would be produced by having the Native Department to represent them. Let it have the management of aff urs and they would soun have another war "Whatever the Home Government might be mdiffeient to they were not indiffeient to this— they did not want any moie New Zealand wars, and the statesmen nt England wtre quite sharp enough to know that would be the remilt. But there was one point which had been dwelt upon in advocating this question, vu., that pei sons who bought property heie would be treated unfairly if the seat of government weia removed ; he thought, however, that if they showed that they wanted to keep the seat of government here simply for the purpose of raising the pi ice of building allotments they might as well hold their tongues. That was not the proper ground to take ; but if the Home Government could be made to ccc that the removal of the seat of government would endanger the Queen's supremacy, it would refuse to allow it to be done, and he believed that that was the Oiily ground on which it would refuse. (Cheers ) Mr. James O'Neili, said it was not his intention to Ilave said a single word relative to the iiupoitant subject which brought them there that night, had it not been that two incidents had arisen in the course of the remarks made by previous speakers, which called for a fey; words of explanation from him. They had just heard from the mover of the motion befoie,, the meeting, that new blood ought to be infused into the councils of the Auckland people, with the object, he presumed, of seeming public men of larger mind and greater capacity to represent them in the legislature. Well, he could only hope that the new blood would succeed as well in Auckland aa the old element; and at all eventi, that a man would not be allowed to pull out a roll of paper and read his speech either n the Provincial Council or the House of Representative*. It was not true that the Auckland members took no part in the debate on the lemoval of the seat of government. He for one »poko repeatedly on the question, and was ready to do so on every occasion that the subject was raised, because he was an old resident and had a large stake in the piovince Gentlemen who knew anything of tjie uiles of a Legislatuie were aware that the Speaker might put a question ill ouch a shape as to preclude a second amendment beinir put on an original motion ; and so it was with the question now before them when under discussion. His friend Mr. John Williamson was prepared with an

amendment on the occasion alluded to ; but the peculiar forms of the House enabled Mr, Speaker to ddcline putting it to the House ; thus preventing a number of the Auckland members from carrying on the debate, which they were to his own knowledge prepared to do : therefore, it was not geneious or fair to attribute apathy to the Northern meinbeis. Some twentytluee years ago, when Capt. Hobson amyed in New Zealand, he planted a small settlement at the Bay of Islands, and immediately proceeded in a little vessel, culled the ' Trent,' to select a site for the young capital of the colony, which, after much trouble and search, he fixed upon at tho Futh of the Thames ; on this narrow neck of land, five miles across fiom harbour to haibour, with the livers Waipa and Waikato on the south, lunmng far into the mteiior, aud the wateis ot the Kaipara opening out the countiy far noithward. Let them search England's foi ty colonies, and they would not find a place equally Well situated for the commercial and political capital of a great countiy. It was sufficient for him to say, that ia the eaily days of this colony, gentlemen fiom Sydney South Australia and Tasmania followed Captain Hobson to this countiy, and patiently waited for many months until the young capital was surveyed and offeiedjor sale ; and that enormous prices were then given for town and suburban allotments. When they contiasted those pi ices with the meie nominal ones asked for the building land m the townships planted by the New Zealand Company, they must amve at the conclusion that the pioclamation declaring Auckland to be the heat of the Colonial Government, made all the diffeience. They had, then, tins fact, that Auckland was planted by direction of the home authoiities, and the settlement at " Cook's btiaits" by pnvate enteipnse and foi pnvate gam These settlements weie always in antagonism to Auckland, and it was not until the members fiom the south came here some yeais back, and saw the beauty and high state of cultivation of the suriouuding country, that they were constiained to confess th.it they saw nothing like it in the south, and that Auckland was something more than a cluster of small houses touud a bauack wail, and its mhabitnnts something different to camp followeis. The resolution was then put, and cimed unanimously. Captain Porter moved the second resolution — " That copies of the petition now leail and adopted, be foi winded to their .Excellencies the Goveinois ol New South Wales, "Victoiia, and Tasmania." As so much hail been said on the subject, he would simply content himself with moving the lesolution. Capt un D \hv\ seconded the resolution, and would take the oppoitunity of making a few remaika. The meeting w,b convened by the City Buaul of Auckland, which hub not .1 political body, ami the niembeis of that lioaid had done then duty in calling it when the nitaiests of the citi/ens weie so much at stake He deeply legretted that duinig the action ot the General A»!>eml>ly in this muttei, it hud lost the piestige it onto held, not meiely in this colony, but out of the colony. No colonial legislature had stood highei m the estimation of the people of Biilaiu, and the action they had taken would lowei thtm as statesmen. They h<ul taken upon themselves to delegate a powei which they really did not possess of deciding this question , ami if they could lefei it to a commission, why could they not decide it themselves? It was because tuey knew they could not agree upon it amongst theinsehes. The Legislative Council, houevei, had not ventuied bo far. They only went p.irt of the way, it being a half aud hall ineisute with them He wis not one to sly that this question of the seat of L'<n eminent wjuhl not auae itmustaii.se some time in the same way Mint Calcutta was spoken of with lespect to India, and Quebec with Monti eul in Canada But in this colony, aa elsewhele, it was a question of the people- it was not a question to be decided by any House of Repiesentitives. (Cheer!).) It wis a ques tiuu as nnpoitaut as fii'e tiade and the Kefoi in laws weie to Biitain. How were they can ied 1 They were agitated tluou^hout the countiy, and at the geneial elections memheis neie letmned on this question He said that the same coui»e ought to be puiaiied in this instance He must leinark, too, very jtioiiifly upon the time that was chosen for this attempt upon the hbeities of Auckland. He did not wish to speak haishly of then fi lends in th« south, liiiMvnuld say that the hand of friendship which had been held out to diem had been veiy bsully leqmted The attempt had bmn mule by a juggle and not by fan contiover&i, to wrest fiom them the beat of go\ eminent. Piesuming tlmt every public mnn was public pmpuity, he would remark upon the gentleman who luled in the House ol Rppleseiitutives. It was with legiet that lie nad of )n<* conduct in this m ittei, and he felt as->med that if the foimer spealcei, Sir Uhailes Cliff >rd, had fi lad the chair, they would nut have had &uch n ruling fiom him He spoke of this .is loueuugtbe dignity of their Hoti*e ot Representatives, and as a wrong towirds the people. (Cheeis ) The thanks of tho people weie, hovvevei, due to Mi Stafifoid (Cheers.) He (Captain D ildy) had been opposed to that gentleman in politics, but he honouied bun foi his manly aud stiaiyhtfoiwaid conduct on that occasion. He had not hesitated to tell them at once that it was unst itesinanlike and undignified, aud that the tiuieumU>ppoituinty weie wiong. Well, the seat of government was to be removed to Cook's Straits ; but that might mean the Island of Mana, the Two J3iotheis, 01 Stephens' Island. (A laugh ) The mot.on was then put and can ied unanimously. On the motion of Mi. C J SroNC, Rtconded by Mr. Patrick Dignan, the thanks of the meeting wciu given to his honoi the Siipeutitendent for the kind m inner m winch he had pitsided The piocpedings then ttimmated, and the meeting, which was veiy ciowded, dispersed.