SELECTING THE CAPTIAL CITY

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 33, 8 February 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

SELECTING THE CAPTIAL CITY

A COUNTRY without a capital city would XIoSL- belike a man without a head. There must, be some place, some nerve centre, from which to control the functions of the body corporate. A man's head finds its right place in accordance with the laws of Nature: a country is given a capital in a much more haphazard' manner, according to the whims and caprices of politicians. The selection of its site, especiallyj: in a.'onew, country, is not an easy task, as many;diverse factors have-to be taken 'into consideration in making, the choice—climate, access^ to sea and surrounding country, configuration of land,. defence, and so on—and it is seldom that a decision is reached without much contention and disputation. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand have each gone through the throes of bitterness in this respect, and in the case of ■New Zealand the story of the final location of the capital at Wellington is of interest, seeing that it. is seventy years this month since the dignity was transferred from Auckland. ' The ancient rivalry between Auckland and Wellington sprang from the refusal of the first Governor, Captain Hobson, to accede to the wishes of the settlers who arrived here in 1840 to make Wellington his place of residence. His choice of the uninhabited spot on the Waitemata isthmus which he ultimately named Auckland was most unpopular with the Wellington ;:pioneers, who were not slow to show their1 strong resentment.' When, a quarter of a century, later, the seat of Government was transferred to Wellington, it was Auckland's turn to feel annoyed, and a perusal of newspapers of the period provides ample evidence that it was not slow to do so. -■'•■■■■ "HOBSON'S FOLLY." When he arrived in New Zealand in 1840 charged with the duty of establishing a Government Governor Hobson—at that time he was Lieutenant-Governor, New Zealand being a dependency of New South Wales—was not satisfied with Kororareka, in the Bay of Islands, as a seat of Government, and as lie was resolved, to establish a settlement somewhere arid, somehow,,'he turned his attention to a site four miles away, to be called Russell. Here he took up his residence in a wooden. house built by a Mr. Xlendon on land which Mr. Clendon had agreed, to,.sell to the. Government for. £13,000. ■•: •P^fPftfib tiiei«f?c;!;..that the Lieutenant-Governor's cowbell down a-steep place near,the house and broke her' neck, his Excellency resolved that Russell should be the capital. Thus did Russell acquire the derisive' soubriquet of "Hobson's Folly." The capital did not long, remain at Russell, for Captain Hobson thought he would turn his attention to *a place on the Hokianga which he proposed to call "Churchill." He did not pursue this project very seriously, however, but cast his eyes in the direction of what Mr.'Albert Edward Glover, an Auckland M.P., was in later times wont to call the "sparkling waters of the Waifeihata," and where, on October 20,1840, land was purchased from the local chiefs. In the meantime the settlers at Port Nicholson had been active in the matter of trying to induce Lieutenant-Governor Hobson to take up his residence amongst them. A public meeting of the colonists was held on July 1, 1840, for the purpose.of voting an address to the Lieutenant-Governor. The address was unanimously adopted, and it "humbly expressed the hope of the settlers that his Excellency would decide: upon fixing the seat of Government at a spot so admirably adapted for it as Port Nicholson, and among the great body of the respectable colonists from England." Colonel Wakefield, the agent for the New Zealand Company at Wellington, was entrusted with the mission of conveying the address to Captain Hobson. In due course he returned with letters from the Lieutenant-Governor thanking the settlers for their expressions of loyalty and goodwill, but declining to reside in this part of the country, and stating that a sense of public duty induced him to select "a more centrical position, and one more adapted for internal communication." "HOBSON'S CHOICE." Captain Hobson, apparently, had no very high idea of Wellington as a site for the seat of Government nor of the settlers at Port . Nicholson. With the exception of one circular visit occupying two months, he sedulously kept away from^ the settlements south of Auckland, and he busied himself writing dispatches to the Home Government calling the loyal settlers at PortNicholson "demagogues," and even "guilty of high treason," arid depreciating the location" and capabilities of Port Nicholson in order, as Mr. Edward Jerningham Wakefield says, "to • excuse his selection of a desert site, before he had compared it with that already colonised." Accordingly "Hobson's Choice," as Auckland was afterwards very generally called, was finally decided upon as the new site for the seat of Government, and the removal thither from Russell was completed in' March, 1841. Actually the site was formally taken possession of by Mr Felton Mathew on September 18, 1840, the Union Jack having been hoisted at ,Fort Britomart and duly saluted by two war vessels which had taken a party there. The name Auckland was bestowed on the place after Lord Auckland, then Governor-General of India. Hobson's advisers in choosing the Waitemata isthmus as the site for the capital are said to have been the missionary, Archdeacon Henry Williams, who had arrived in theiNorth Auckland peninsula in 1823, and Captain Symonds, a surveyor. Although if he had not been so narrow-minded, Captain Hobson might have come to Wellington and planted himself amongst the Europeans already settled, there is this to be said in his favour, that in his choice " of the Waitemata isthmus' he performed what has been well described as a great strategic stroke in taking up a position which cut the then powerful Maori tribes.almost in half, and at the same time established a splendid trading centre, a place which Kipling J n later times

honoured by his description of "Last, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite, apart." At long last Governor Hobson persuaded himself that it was time he visited Wellington, and in August, 1841, he duly arrived. Then it was that he must have had some qualms about having fixed on Auckland as the site of his capital. He acknowledged that, as a port, nothing could surpass Port Nicholson, and that "they must not expect to see anything like it at Auckland." He frequently admired the site. and capabilities of Wellington, and Mr. Edward Jerningham Wakefield records that everyone who heard him in Wellington felt convinced that he deeply regretted having chosen the Waitemata site on the hearsay evidence of others. . f LONG JOURNEYS TO PARLIAMENT. Jn 1853, after much agitation by the settlers, Representative Institutions were granted to •■ them, and in May, 1854, the first Parliament met at Auckland. There was no steamer service on the coast in those days, and no c railways, and it took a long time for members from southern districts to reach the capital in time to be present at the opening of the session. It is recorded that on one occasion members from the South Island were six weeks on the journey to Auckland, having been delayed by untoward weather. In these circumstances it was only to be expected that a cry should be set up for the seat of Government to be transferred to some more central part of the colony. The Wellington journals were ever ready to espouse the cause for a transfer, and the . Auckland papers and people were equally ready to resist any movement of the kind, with the cc»nsequence that a somewhat bitter war. of words was launched. Wellington was taunted with being nothing but a "little fishing village on the shores of Cook. Strait," and Auckland had to endure whatever "compliments" the Press and people of Wellington felt disposed to bestow in return. At different times the necessity for a removal of the capital from Auckland to some more central place was uf*ged by some southern legislators, and on August 12, 1862, the Premier, Mr. Domett, whose Government had assumed office six days before,'informed Mr. T., Dick, member for Dunedin, that the Government acknowledged the necessity for a change of the seat of Government to a more central position in the colony, but that it was not intended to move in the matter that session. Mr. Dick continued to press, the matter, and on August 21, 1862, he moved: "That it is the opinion of this House that the interests of the colony, require the removal of the seat of Government to some^ place in Cook Strait." . A fairly long debate ensued, those opposing the motion contending that it would be most unwise to approve of a change from Auckland until the, Native insurrection in the Waikato had been quelled.. A point of interest in reading the reports of the discussion is that what is now called the South Island was then invariably referred to as the Middle Island. '. In speaking, to his motion, Mr. Dick said that while at one time Auckland might have been the. right centre of Government, and the Native question was almost the only one that called for the attention of the Governor, the circumstances had completely altered. Auckland was now at the extremity of the colony, and the Middle Island had a population of upwards of 60.000—more than all the Native population, together—therefore Us wants must have more attention than had been given to them previously. No one could deny, he agreed, that Cook Strait, was in reality the true centre of New Zealand, and he thought that probably Wellington was, all things considered, the rbest position in Cook Strait. v • PICTON'S ADVANTAGES. Strong opposition to any change was raised' by Mr. E..W. Stafford (Nelson),'who compared the relative" advantages and disadvantages of Nelson; Picton, and Wellington, and placed Picton first on the score of ease of defence, access to either coast, and the excellence of its ■■ harbour, declaring that it was a matter of indifference whether Wellington or Nelson came next. He refused, to accept the proposition that the geographical centre of the country should be the overwhelming or overruling consideration in fixing the seat of Government, and remarked, that if they were to select a place because °f its central position, they would find the Kaikouras to be about the central position of New Zealand. On the ground that Auckland was 180 miles from the northern end of the island, Mr. Stafford disputed the assertion

that it was at the extreme northern end of New Zealand.

Mr. Stafford and other opponents of the motion praised the virtues^pf the Waitemata and Manukau Harbours, and the point was made that if the seat of Government was to be changed settlers at Auckland would be entitled to monetary compensation, as they had taken up sections on the understanding that Auckland was going to be the capital of the colony. After the Native Minister, Mr. Dillon Bell (father of Sir Francis Bell) had announced that he would resign his portfolio if the seat of Government were removed to Wellington, Mr. Dicks motion was negatived by 23 votes to 21. On August 28, 1862, citizens of Christchurch petitioned for the removal of the capital from' Auckland, but nothing -was done until on' November 20, 1863, Mr. Domett, who was now out of office, his Government having been sueCl: eded by the Whitaker-Fox Ministry, moved: (1) That it'has become necessary that the seat of Government in the colony of New Zealand should be transferred to some locality in Cook Strait; (2) that, in order to promote the accomplishment of this object, it is desirable that the selection of the particular site in Cook Strait should be left to the arbitrament of an impartial tribunal; (3) that, with this view, a Bill should be introduced to give effect to the above resolutions." Mr. Domett withdrew the third resolution, as he considered that it would be better to proceed by way of Address to her Majesty than by enactment, but he made a fairly long speech in advocacy of the other two motions. SEPARATION QUESTION. The question of separation of the Middle Island from the North in the matter of government was very much in the air at that time, and it was frequently predicted in the course of the debate that unless the capital were removed from Auckland the Middle Island would demand a Government of its own. It is somewhat curious that in these late days, even with the capital in the centre of the country, we sometimes hear of demands for a separate Government for the South Island, but he- would be an optimist indeed who believed that such a split could ever 'occur now. Mr. Domett, a South Island member, was no believer in separation, for he said that there could be no. possible greater evil, and,, he cited the examples of Greece, Italy, and Germany to show the bad effects of divisions of States. As a matter of fact, it was really > because he feared the possibility of separation that Mr. Domett brought the resolutions before the House. While supporters of the resolutions maintained that a failure ;to transfer the seat of Government would lead to : separation of the colony, there were others who just as stoutly argued that the risk of separation would be even greater if Wellington became, the capital, but at length the resolutions were adopted by 24 votes to 2, «nd, accordingly, on November 25, 1863, Mr. J. E. FitzGerald, the member for Ellesmere, proposed that the Governor (Sir George Grey) be asked to request the Governors of New South Wales,_ Victoria, and Tasmania each to appoint one Commissioner as the tribunal. A PRECEDENT FOR WELLINGTON. Mr. FitzGerald recalled that the establishment of the Government at Auckland in 1840 was met by the most vigorous, constant, and reiterated protests on the- part of colonists in the other parts of the islands of New Zealand. As a full answer to the claim of any one town in the colony to be deemed, as a matter of right, to be the seat of Government, Mr. FitzGerald pointed out that for three years at least between the years 1846 and 1852, the Governor (Sir George Grey) had resided in Wellington, the seat of Government of what was then called the Province of New Munster, from which he conducted the whole of the government of New Zealand, Auckland being the seat of Government of the Province of New Ulster alone. As there was much talk at that time of establishing a mail steamer service between New Zealand and Panama, Mr. FitzGerald maintained that Cook Strait should be the terminal of the service, as being the most convenient site. He quoted Euclid to prove his arguments geometrically, and concluded by . declaring that either Auckland was going to become one great commercial extremity in one of the greatest States, or it was going to become the capital of an insignificant State, in juxtaposition to a colony five times its size, and populated by their countrymen, whose superior importance and wealth would make it impossible for them to compete. t •

As before, Mr. Stafford proved an uncompromising opponent to any change, and moved as an amendment: "That in the opinion of this House, in the present critical state of the colony, with a dangerous Native insurrection reaching within a few miles of the city, it is highly inexpedient to take any steps for removing the seat of Government, having special regard to the effect which such a proceeding would have on the Native mind and oh the Imperial Government." Mr. Stafford regarded it as almost wicked to agitate the question at that moment, and asked Mr. FitzGerald to quote, even from,the Dark Ages, precedents for the seat of Government of either great or small States being, situated at the mathematical centre of the State. At some length Mr. Stafford delved into tlie technicalities of Great Circle sailing to show that in the matter of the projected Panama service' the voyage to Auckland would be shorter than-that to Wellington. . The Postmaster-General, Mr. 'T. :B. Gillies, after stating that the liability of Cook Strait to earthquakes was a serious reason why Government records could not be kept there, as permanent buildings could not be erected, said the removal of the Government to Wellington would be only to add to the misgovernment'. of the south the misgovernment of the north also. "SMELT OF THE TAPROOM." It was Mr. Julius Vogel (Dunedin and Suburbs North) who imparted a real tone of bitterness to the debate, alleging that during the session the question had been involved in an atmosphere of trickery, dodgery, and intrigue. He asked the House to think of the "patriotic steam company alliances, of the intrigues and trickery, arid the public-house conspiracies which assisted in placing the question before them," and said that outside the House the question had been treated in a spirit of intrigue that was utterly discreditable. The very resolution before them was the result of a five hours' conference at a public house, and it "smelt of the taproom." He said no Commission was required to settle the question, for Picton possessed undoubted advantages over Wellington and Nelson, but he asked whether they were justified in injuring Auckland to afford a measure of relief to Otago. Were there no vested rights to be considered? Mr. Vogel urged that it was wiser to retain the seat of Government nea/ to the troublesome Natives, who, he feared, would interpret the carrying of the motion as meaning that the whites were afraid of having the capital near them, and that the Australian and English Press would view the step as having been dictated by the Native disturbances. He believed that separation was a great political necessity, but that that was not the time to bring it in. He wanted a separation concurred in by both islands—a separation which would be for the benefit of both islands. Saying that the proposal, if not wicked, was insane, Mr. W. Colensa (Napier) said it would be regarded by the Natives as a signal for the military to exercise unlimited power in the northern part of the island. He believed that envy had prompted the proposal, which, if adopted, would lead to great bitterness and dissatisfaction between the two great provinces of the colony, and the ultimate effect would be separation. Replying to the debate, Mr. FiteGerald said that the Native Question could be more easily settled in the absence of the Government than otherwise. Mr. Stafford's amendment was defeated by 24 votes to 17, the address to the Governor was adopted, and in due course, after the Legislative Council had by 11 votes to 8 also carried an address to the Governor, the Hon. Joseph Docker, M.L.C. (New South Wales), the Hon. Sir Francis Murphy (Speaker of the Legislative Council, Victoria), and Mr. R. C. Gunn (Tasmania) were appointed Commissioners. WELLINGTON RECOMMENDED. These gentlemen having made a personal inspection of all 'suitable places, arrived at the unanimous decision "that Wellington, in Port Nicholson, was the site upon the shores of Cook Strait which presented the greatest advantages for the. administration of the Government of the colony." .•, N . .'•■.. On the motion of the Hon. H. ;-J. Tancred (Canterbury), the Legislative Council asked that the change should be carried, into !effect with the least possible delay. Wellington,was chosen as the seat of Government on October 3, 1864,; the change was made during the Recess, and was completed in February, 1865. ■: :; : Thus, after twenty-five years of agitation, did Wellington, the Empire City, come intb /her rightful place as .the.- capital of an■ expanding colony, and she has amply proved that the 'change: was a-wise one. .. '' ; : Auckland, perhaps, has never taken kindly to what was: done seventy years ago, and the bitterness of feeling which the decision aroused may be judged from the following extract from the leading article in the "Evening Post" of February 24, 1865:—'There is not a contemptuous epithet in the big dictionary of abuse they (the Auckland papers) do not heap on this unfortunate city—nothing in the way of disparagement is too strong; they malign- her cruelly—they scatter slander broadcast through the colony about her—they cordially listen to any maliciously untrue accounts .of: her, and use all the spiteful cunning of envious niinds to blast her in'the eyes of the Mother Country. That, the green-eyed monster is quite at home in the once metropolis, is patent to everyone. Nonsensical diatribes neither better Auckland nor take ought from Wellington; no absurd newspaper harangues can stop her onward course; it would be far better were Auckland to cheer her on, as she must go. By and by even the city of the north will acknowledge this; it is only a question of time, they may, be sure. Would it not be far more dignified "were Auckland to assume the heavy father patriarchal dodge—'Bless the boy; he is-, getting on?/" ) .'.