CORRESPONDENCE

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 28, 19 July 1851, Page 9

CORRESPONDENCE

Between His Excellency Sir George Grey, X.C.8., Governor-in-Chief of the New Zealand Islands; and John Robert Godley, Esq., Agent of tlie Canterbury Association, I31)on the subject of erecting the Canterbury Settlement into a separate Province. Lyltelton, June 19, 1851. Sib, —I have been instructed by the Comr/iiltee of the Canterbury Association to place myself in communication wifli His Excellency •the Governor-in-Chief, in consequence of a rearrangement of the Provinces of New Zealand. It would appear that Lord Grey has lately intimated to the Committee that this matter will be left altogether to His Excellency's decision. It therefore remains with His Excellency to determine whether the hopes so confidently held out by Lord Grey to Lord Lyttelton, in his letter of 31st of May, 1848, on the subject of erecting Canterbury* into a separate Province, shall be fulfilled.

The words used by His Lordship were as follows—"As to the second point to which you have called my attention, I shall be prepared to instruct the Governor of New Zealand to report to me whether the district which may be ultimately selected for the Settlement can te formed into a distinct Province in the manner in which you recommend, without injury to existing interests, and regard being had to the policy which the Governor may find it necessary to pursue with respect to the Native tribes; and if it can, what boundaries can be conveniently assigned to it.

" For this purpose, it will probably be advisable that the agent whom you have selected should communicate the site on which he may fix immediately to the Governor, in order that I may receive that officer's report at the same time that the Association is informed of the choice made by its agent; and, as I consider it highly desirable that the ivishes of the promoters of the enterprise should in this respect be complied with, I shall learn with satisfaction that a district is fixed upon which unites the advantage of being capable of erection into a distinct province, with other favourable conditions for colonization.

" In transmitting copies of tlie correspondence to the Governor,' I will not fail to express to him the desire I entertain, as far as possible, to meet the wishes of the Association, as I am convinced that the success of this undertaking will be attended by very great advantage to New Zealand and to this country,"

It is needless for me to point out to His Excellency how powerfully the hopes thus raised must have already operated in promoting the rapid colonization of the Canterbury Settlement, or how much of its future success depends upon their realization.

It is also needless, and would be impertinent, for me to enlarge upon the advantages which would accrue to this Settlement, from its people having virtually in their own hands the management of their own affairs. With the arguments in favour of local government. His Excellency is no doubt familiar, and he will, I feel convinced, attach to them such weight as, under the circumstances of the case, they may fairly claim. To the Canterbury Settlement, founded as it is on a peculiar and exceptional plan, those arguments apply with a peculiar and exceptional force. But the special point, in the case of the Canterbury colonists, to which I would entreat his attention, is the understanding, almost amounting to engagement, given by Government before the settlement was founded, that it should, at no distant period, be erected into a 'separate Province. To this understanding, it was appended as a condition, that the Settlement should pay the expenses of its establishment, and by this condition the Association, on behalf of the colonists, are fully prepared to abide. They believe that it may even now be fulfilled by an economical arrangement with respect to the few offices which a Province so small as ours would require, and they instruct me respectfully, but earnestly, to entreat, that if such be found to be the case, the hopes held lout to them by Lord Grey may be realized as ./soon as possible. I am, &c, (Signed) John Robert Godtley, Agent Canterbury Association. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, &c,

Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, June 27, 1851. Sib, —I have the'honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th hist., stating-, for the information of the Governor-in-Chief, that Lord Grey has lately intimated to the Committee of the Canterbury Association that the re-arrangement of the Provinces of New Zealand will be altogether left to his Excellency's decision, and requesting that in the case of the Canterbury Settlement his Excellency would fulfil the hopes held out by Lord Grey, by conconstituting it a separate Province. In reply, I am directed to state, that Sir George Grey has as yet received no instructions from the Secretary of State on the subject alluded to by you, and consequently can give no definite answer regarding it. His Excellency can only say that it Avill in this case, as in all others in which he can properly do so, afford him great pleasure to conform to the well-ascer-tained wishes of the settlers in the Canterbury Block; and that therefore if the power is left in his hands, His Excellency will, if they desire such a course to be pursued, raise no objection to the block of land at present vested in the Canterbury Association by Act of Parliament being erected into a separate Province. Should it, however, be desired by the Canterbury Settlers that any addition should be made to this block of land, it will be necessary that His Excellency should be informed what addition is sought to be obtained ; and further, whether, in the event of the Province being so enlarged, it is intended that tho peculiar regulations of the Canterbury Association for the sale of land should be put in force throughout the whole of the province so constituted; or whether it is proposed that although the entire province would be subjected to the same local government, and to the same legislature, the system adopted for the disposal of lands by the Canterbury Association should not be uniform throughout its limits, but be confined to their own block, the unsold lands of which would alone be responsible for any debts which the Association may have contracted, or may hereafter incur. Because, if it is intended to subject a 'larger district of New Zealand to the Land Regulations of the Canterbury Association, and to entail upon it the present or future liabilities of the Association, it will be necessary that His Excellency should take means to inform himself what are the wishes of the large body of Her Majesty's subjects who would be interested in this question ; so that, in deciding ujion the course which he should pursue, he may be satisfied that he is not acting- in opposition to the interests or wishes of those whose welfare is involved in it. I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant, (Signed) Alfred Domett, Colonial Secretary. John Robert Godley, Esq., Agent Canterbury Association.