PUBLIC MEETING.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 83, 7 October 1843, Page 330

PUBLIC MEETING.

In consequence of the intelligence brought out by the Ursula, of the satisfactory arrangements made between the Government and the New Zealand Company, a public meeting was held on Saturday last for the purpose of hearing its confirmation from the Company's Agent. Mr. Fox, having been called to the chair, observed that, on a late occasion when he attended a meeting in that place, it had been observed that the community of Nelson had never met without having occasion to censure the Local Government of the colony. He hoped on the present occasion to be spared speaking of that Government, as he had good news to communicate respecting the acts of the Home Government. The meeting would remember his informing them a few days before of the rumours which had reached the colony by the Mary ; he had now to announce that the Ursula had brought their confirmation in a great degree. (Mr. Fox then read to the meeting the letter of Mr. Ward, the secretary of the New Zealand Company, which we published in our last.) The information (he continued) that the settlement of the land claims was arranged at home was most satisfactory. The Government must now put the settlers in possession of their land, and curb the aggressions of the natives. The announcement also of the appointment of Captain Fitzroy as Governor of New Zealand *was good news. It was understood that that gentleman took an independent view of the affairs of the colon}', and was not only free from the insane prejudices which had hitherto animated the Auckland Government against the Company's settlements, but he was, as he (Mr. Fox) was assured, prepared to advance their interests in the most friendly manner. The i importance of having a Governor friendly to the Company would be appreciated by all who were acquainted with the- injuries which had been inflicted on these settlements through the pique and hostility which our previous Go-*v vernor and the present Administrator of the Government had entertained towards the Company. Wheu Lord Glenelg, then Secretary of State for the Colonies, was applied to by the parties who first contemplated the colonizations of New Zealand, he told them " that Great Britain had colonies enough; they were expensive to govern, and not worth the trouble." Hopeless of assistance from Government, the Company despatched a body of between one and two thousand settlers to the colony, and Lord Glenelg's successor found himself reluctantly compelled to follow them with the show of a Government. Governor Hobson was its head, and he came out full of prejudice against the Company and its settlements. What the result had been was well known to every body present. He (Mr. Fox) considered that the colonization of New Zealand was now commencing. Hitherto every obstacle had been^ thrown in the way of the settlers by the Government which ought to have fostered and assisted them; they had had everything to contend with, everything to discourage them; henceforward, there was everything to hope for, everything to inspire them to exertion ; and he foresaw no difficulties but such is every man who deserved to be called a man might over-

come. In conclusion, he would only advert to th« existing apprehension of an attack from the natives.* H« trusted that it would not be attempted; but the surest defence would be to let the natives know that we were prepared to receive them. When they heard the thunder of our guns their hearts would shrink within J them, and not one of them would dare to set a hostile foot in our settlement. He had not the vanity to say, as was said by a Government officer at Wellington, that, in of an emergency, he would be proud to place himself at the head of the volunteers, but he would promise that, if it came to fighting, he would take a share in it. M'Donald congratulated the meeting £?n the prospect that at last appeared of their getting justice from the English Government. Its long delay, however, materially lessened its merit. The unsettled state of the land claims had seriously affected the welfare of the colony, and had checked that flow of capital into the ■ settlements which had been calculated on, and which, under more favourable circumstances, would have taken place. Mr. White, being called upon to say a few words, observed that he could not suffer the observations of his friends who had preceded him to pass without a few remarks. Even had it been all true, he should say (as Dennis Buigruddery did to a customer who began to abuse his wife before his face) — " Don't say nothing bad of my wife, for my sake ; and you will say nothing good of her without telling a lie, and good manners will prevent your doing that." Now, although he was not there to defend any party, yet he begged to say a few words upon the relative position of the Government, the Company, and the settlers. He said it should be borne in mind that, after the Government had declined to countenance the proposition of the New Zealand Company to colonize these islands, the preliminary expedition, of which he was one, set sail from England in spite of the remonstrance of the Government of that day, expec'ing to be allowed to establish a little republic uuder the sanction of the native chiefs. That, by so doing, we had forced the Home Government into a premature assumption of the sovereignty of these islands, by which act, by then existing treaties with foreign powers, they might have been involved in the consequences of a violation of those treaties; and that, consequently, some allowance ought to be made for the difficulties which were thus suddenly thrown in their way. He trusted, however, that as it now appeared those difficulties no longer existed, and that the Government and the Company had come to an amicable understanding, that all our difficulties and disappointments would be replaced by brighter prospects, and our hopes of future prosperity be realized. Mr. White concluded by saying that, although he did not consider his present situation a sinecure, still, by their steady adherence to that spirit of persevering industry which was the characteristic of Englishmen, they might render it so in a great degree, and he should be most happy to enjoy all the bene- . fits of it, so long as he was permitted to remain among them. Mr. Fox and the Sheriff were then heartily cheered, which was followed by a royal salute from the Fort.