A PROCLAMATION

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 21, 26 January 1931, Page 11

A PROCLAMATION

WHEN HOBSON LANDED

LITHOGRAPH COPY

. "Anniversary Day" for Wellington province having been, celebrated this week, reference to a proclamation which was among thG first to be made by Lieutenant-Governor Hobson on his arrival in New Zealand is not inopportune. A lithograph copy of the proclamation in question was brought into

'Tho Post" by Mr. A. Clenias, of Mastcrton, who stated that the interest surrounding tho copy was that it was a facsimile, of the original, but that.the original liad apparently been lost. Inquiries made by a "Post" representative from Dr. Scholefield, of the Assembly Library, disclosed the fact that lithograph reproductions of two proclamations, one of which was the one under discussion, were made by Messrs. Wilson and Horton, Auckland, on the occasion of the Jubilee of New Zealand," in 1890. The proclamations were published one on side of an issue which was given as a supplement to "The New Zealand Herald" on 29th January, 1890. ■• It was stated at the time that the originals were preserved at the Auckland Institute. No doubt they were presented to the Institute in the days when the seat of Government was m Auckland. The reproduction was used later by the same firm in their record of the jubilee, entitled "The First Fifty Years of Our. History." Tho proclamation in question was originally drafted under the instructions of Sir George Gipps, Governor of New South Wales, and handed to Hobson to bo promulgated on .his arrival in New Zealand. The official records published in the English "Papers Relating to New Zealand" say that Hobson had the proclamation drafted in a slightly altered, form, and dated from Korararica instead of from Sydney, and signed by himself instead of Sir George Gipps. This is the one that was promulgated at Bay of Islands. The original was given 'to the Auckland Institute, and the copies printed at the Mission Press, at Paihia (containing certain variations in the. text) were sent. Home to the British Government and used in the New Zealand Gazette. Governor Gipps, writing at the time of Hobson's departure from New South Wales, said that this proclamation was issued by him in order to put an end as far as possible to the speculations | in New Zealand lands which were then being openly carried on in. Sydney. The text "of Mr.. Clemas's copy is in places a little difficult to decipher, but an almost accurate transcription is as follows:— | PROCLAMATION. By His Excellency' William Hobson, Esquire, Lieutenant-Governor of the British Settlements in progress in New Zealand. Whereas Her Majesty Queen Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom . of Great Britain and Ireland has been graciously pleased'by-Instructions under the hand of the most noble the Marquis of Novmanby one of Her Majesty's principal Secretaries of State bearing date the fourteenth day of August, 1839 to command that'it shall be notified to all Her Majesty's subjects settled in or resorting to the Islands of New Zealand that Her Majesty taking into consideration the present as well as the future interests of Her said Subjects and also the. interests and rights of the Chiefs and Native Tribes of the said islands: does not deem it expedient to recognise as valid said (?) titles to land in Now Zealand which are not derived from or confirmed by Her Majesty. Now therefore I William Hobson Esquire Captain in Her Majesty's Navy and Lieutenant-Governor in and over such parts of New Zealand as have been or may be acquired in Sovereignty by Her said Majesty do hereby accordingly Proclaim and Declare to all Her Majesty's Subjects that Her Majesty does not deem it expedient to recognise any titles to land in New Zealand which are not derived from or confirmed by Her Majesty as afore. But in order to dispel any, apprehension that it is intended to dispossess the owners of land, acquired on equitable condition and not in extent or otherwise prejudicial to the present or prospective interests of the community I do hereby further Proclaim and Declare that Her Majesty has been pleased to direct that a commission shall bo appointed with certain powers to be derived from the Governor and Legislative Council of New South Wales to enquire into and report on all claims to such lands, and that all persons having any such claims will bo required to prove the same before the said Commission when appointed and I do further proclaim and declare that all purchases of land in any part of New Zealand which may be made from any of the Chiefs or Native Tribes thereof after the date of theso presents will be considered as absolutely null and void, and will not be confirmed or in any way recognised by Her Majesty. Given under my hand and Seal at Korararica this 30th day of January, 1840, and on the third year of Her Majesty's Reign. W. HOBSON. By His Excellency's Command. Geo. Cooper. . : God Save Tho Queen.