WANGANUI.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 121, 29 June 1844, Page 65

WANGANUI.

In the New Zealand Gazette of the sth instant, we find a short report of a public meeting held at Wanganui, on, the 17th of ]ilay, the object of which was to take into consideration their position with respect to the New Zealand Company, and particularly the remuneration to be demanded • for loss oft time and expenses incurred in endeavouring to obtain possession of their land.

The two following resolutions iwrere "l . That a deputation be appointed to wait on Colonel Wakefield for the purpose of ascertaining whether he, as' the Principal Agent of the New Zealand Company, is prepared to give remuneration to the settlers in tjhis district, ,for .time and jfunda expended, in endeavouring to get possession of their land. f "2. If the answer of .Colonel Wakefield be not satisfactory, the deputation be empaweredto express to him the unbounded indignation the settlers feel at the treatment they have indivi,'4u]ally and, collectively received from him as the agent p'f the jtyew Zealand Company.'* n of seven of the principal •settlers Ithen1 then waited on .Colonel Wakefield, who was at Wanganui at the time w|th J^Tr. Spain. In ; reply to the substance, of the resolution, Colonel WaJcefie|d said— "That .he had no funds at his disposal ,for such a. purpose; but, if a fair and Reasonable statement of their.expenses were made out, ne pledged bis honour he wquld undertake tp forward it and to recommend it to the Jpirectore as one worthy of consideration ; andythat, in -fact, he had long since represented p{ the Wanganui, settlers to be one of considerable hardship ; and he had no doubt the Directors would give a much larger sum^han any lie. felt authorised to pay." An adjourned meeting took place a few days afterwards, when the deputation made known the result of their interview "with the Principal Agent of the Company, The Chairman (P. Wilson/ Esq.) opened the business by, stating what had transpired between the deputation and Colonel Wakefield, which he observed was of such a nature as to remove the necessity of acting on the second resolution; and proceeded to ' observe that, since the last meeting, the settlers' position was completely altered; that, although they had assented to Colonel Wakefield^ proposition to send a statement of their case to the Directors in London, and wait their reply, yet that now the Company having failed to complete their purchase of this district, by the natives refusing further payment, he did not conceive they were now bound to act up to their arrangement. Had the Company been enabled to give the settlers possession of their land, from that time further claims on the Company would have ended; now, however, they were interminable. That, instead of the speedy settlement of the land question, as at the former meeting had been expected, they had nothing but a still longer series of neglect and inactivity: and he put to the meeting whether Wanganui was still to be that Elysium by whose attractions they had hitherto been as it were magically bound, or take the only course in his opinion left, viz., to apply to his Excellency the Governor for his interference between them and tbe New Zealand Company, in order to compel remuneration for past outlay, and for the means of transporting themselves and families to Auckland or its vicinity, where they could have the prptection of Government, and exert peaceably that industry which. they had , hitherto ~ been prevented exercising. Dr., Rees observed that they must first assure themselves that the Local Government intended to withhold protection frqm this settlement—^tiat, by Mr. Spain's' award, the Wanganui block, with the exception of native reseryes^had become the property of the New Zealand Company— that they had, from very good authority, every reason to believe that Government would very soon take an active part ,in supporting settlers in possession of their, lands —that every day^s experience proved the only way of doing this was by a show of military foree — that they bad better first ascertain the intentions of .the Local Government in this respect; and, should it be found that the settlers were condemned still to continue in the same neglected state as they hitherto had been, the sooner they appealed to the Governor for his interference,, and the means of removal, the better. He therefore proposed — " That a humble memorial be forwarded to his Excellency Captain .Fitzßpy, setting forth the, treatment the Wanganui settlers have received, from the New Zealand Company, their position with regard to the aborigines, and praying that immediate Government protection be extended, to this settlement.**

T/ois resolution having been seconded by Samuel .King, Esq., was carried nem. con. .After considerable farther discussion relative to the power of; Government to compel the Company to do thesettlers Justice, and the rjght of the latter to an action at law against the Company, it, was agreed, that in the' memorial, to his Excellency a mil statement of afl, grievances be made, and. that the (arujer consideration of the claims against the Company, .and the propriety of petitioning, the Governor for his interference between the settlers and the Company, be adjourned until a reply to the memorial be received from Auckland.