EARLY NEW ZEALAND.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 13 July 1927, Page 7

EARLY NEW ZEALAND.

IN CH DENT O F 1824 RECALLED. BARON DKi THIERRY'S BEANS. An incident in the relations of the famous Baron tic Thierry with early New Zealand was recalled recently by a correspondent (jl “the. London Times" as- showing how, only a century ago, bhci sovereignty over the- country .seemed neither .settled nor even greatly desired by either of the countries concerned, England and Holland. 'L‘ii name- (originally Xieuw Zeeland) recalls that Dutch navigators first discovered in 1(542 what was long believed to ibe ! a single island. lint the first permanent >j>ettlei - s c_licl not airriyc until 1815, and they were a few British mlss'ionaries. 11 to statils of the island a century ago is indicated in a letter written under date .London, 1 chiuaiy 9, 1824. No. 18. bv Air. A. 11. Fa-lck, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of H-AI. the King of the Xetherl-amls in London, to the Chevalier Rein-hold. acting--Alin is ter- of Foreign Affaire at The Hague.

PURCHASE OF LANDS FROM

NATIVES. The Ambassador expressed embarrassment at having to transmit an offer made by the Baron Charles tie Thierry : “Has communication to me is to the effect that 1 .should induce H.AI, (the King of the Netherlands) to critic H.Aldus rights. to- N'ieuw Zeeland to the Baron Charles for a lump sum payment of fifty thousand pounds sterling. This gentleman.” lie continues, “was born in Brussels • ■ • came to this country .in early childhood, and has served in the English cavalry. Alter the declaration of peace, when he was placed upon half pay, he married ia. ilady of some moans and .settled down in Cambridge.” It appeals, that “some natives from this Australian territory were brought to Engl and by' missionaries ant! were taught their Catechism iu the neighborhood of Cambridge. • From these natives the Baron Charles had obtained, hy hill of sale, dated August 7, 1522. the full ownership of all the lands, forests and waters within certain areas along the Yoki-Am-ga River in Xieuw Zeeland “in consideration <l-1 axes to us now given-” The astute Hollander.doubts whether even .so moderate an outlay .is worth while for the honour of becoming “a. landowner in so wild and remote a, country,” but proceeds to .point out that, “with the pre-sent surfeit oi capital in England and the persistent tendency among agriculturists- as well a« craftsmen to carve out for themselves a more ample livelihood in other latitudes,” it was not difficult for AI. de Thierry to obtain the required financial backing for his colonisation plans, which the cession of the Dutch King s nominal (.sovereignty mv* to complete.

COLONJAL OFFICE INDIFFERENT

The first concern of the diplomat was to ascertain the English point of view as to the sovereignty over the islands, “for I know,” lie states, “that the English authorities of New South Wales have from time to time issued orders as through Xieuw land were subject to their Colony. To appease him, the Baron produced “an official communication from flic Colonial Office.” a copy of which lie transmits. “from which it may. 1 venture to think, lie concluded that H.AI. could assume to himself the sovereignty of Xieuw Zeeland without the British Government being able to say anything about it.” Even iso. the proposal seems somewhat extraordinary to the worthy envoy. notwithstanding the redeeming feature that “the man asks hut for a conveyance on paper. without any guarantee . whatsoever which might subsequently cause us trouble or responsibilities.” "Whether the dignity of the King would permit of such a “paper conveyance” of sovereign rights to a nrivnte individual seems to have been doubted by the correspondent. but faithful civil servant as he had long been, he wound up by explaining the exact procedure by which the London Embassy could, if desired, carry through the transaction and make sure of receiving “cash upon delivery.” The Netherlands Foreign Office and King William did not see fit to entertain the adventurous baron’s ,proposal, but it seems strange—in the light of subsequent developments—that the matter could even have been raised so comparatively recently as a hare hundred years ago.