INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND A DEPUTATION OF THE INHABITANTS OF WELLINGTON.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 141, 16 November 1844, Page 1

INTERVIEW BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND A DEPUTATION OF THE INHABITANTS OF WELLINGTON.

[From a correspondent of the New Zealand Spectator. 1 }

The conversation began by the deputation reminding Captain Fitzßoy that, when he was here last, he had pledged himself not to leave Port Nicholson until the great question respecting the acquisition and occupation of land had been satisfactorily arranged; — that at that time he had also stated, in answer to a question put to him by one, of the present deputation as to what he woulcTdo in case the offer of further payment to the natives should not effect a final adjustment that he could not contemplate such a possibility ; — that this possibility had, nevertheless, become a certainty, and that, in consequence, the state of the settlement had been rapidly deteriorating for the last eight months ; — that, if any scheme which he (Captain Fitzßoy) might now contemplate for obtaining possession of the land should, in like manner fail, another eight months or more of the same deteriorating process would ensue, which must end in the general ruin of the colonists ;— and that, therefore, the deputation was most anxious to learn what ultimate measures Captain Fitzßoy intended to adopt in order to prevent such a result

Captain Fitzßoy, in reply, said that he remembered the promise about not leaving Port Nicholson, but that it had not been given on the condition Btated by some persons, namely, that he would personally settle the whole of the Land Question, but it related merely to the settlement of the purchase made by the New Zealand Company of the land in the neighbourhood of Port Nicholson; and that he had settled that question. He was then told that the Hutt formed the principal part of the Port Nicholson district, and that he had not settled that purchase ; and therefore he had not performed his promise. He then said that he was aware of the evils resulting from the delay in finally arranging the general question as to the land, and that he trusted that he should be able soon to effect a satisfactory arrangement as to a portion of it ; but that, in case he should not succeed in his endeavours, and the natives should continue to obstruct the settlers, he would not consent to the employment of force. He then justified this decision by saying that the white men, however much they might covet the land, ought to remember that it belonged to the natives ; that it would be grossly unjust to take it from them without their consent ; and that it would be impolitic to make an attempt to do so even if he had sufficient force for the purpose; and he should also be acting against his instructions from home.

The deputation thenstatedthat,in their opinion, the Government had proceeded on an erroneous principle from the very first, by assuming that the whole of the land belonged to whatever natives might assert a right to it. That this assumption involved the admission that, if the first Europeans that landed in New Zealand with the intention of colonising had found a couple of "human beings, or, indeed, only a single one, vrho, \nthont cultivating, enjoying, or possessing one inch beyond the ground on which he stood, daisied the 'whole country, such a claim must be admitted as valid, and thus prevent the colonisation of a single acre. That, acting on this principle, the Government had, whenever a Maori obstructed the settlers by setting up a claim to land, at once conceded the point. That if, on the contrary, the Government had at first shown ordinary firmness in maintaining the rights of white people, the Maories might have been easily kept in order, and might have been made useful to the settlers instead of bejng their opponents, befotetrhom tbOTriule mea-ires* now in full retreat. • , . , _ , ...,-, Captain fttcßoy said" that'll iafl never admitteVi that the Government had acted oa «py swfcfrm-

ciple as the one described ; and that he requested that gentlemen would not attribute sentiments to him which were not his ; and that he did not -concur in the opinion expressed of the position of the Maories and the settler*, although it might be the real opinion of some few persons who thought they represented the public, just as " the three tailors in Tooley Street" imagined that they were the people of England. After a pause, Captain Fitzßoy entered into an explanation of, what may be called, the yielding system. The substance of it seemed to be, that the settlers might ask the Maories to sell their land, or give up possession of what they had sold; end that, if they complied, so much the better ; and, if they declined, so much the worse. That the Maories were to be coaxed and wheedled ; to be patted oh the back when they were good children ; and, when' they were bad, to be let alone ; but that no coercion or even restraint was required. He illustrated this doctrine by a description of what had taken place at the Bay of Islands, where he said the settlers had been most anxious for troops; and that the moment the troops arrived, the same settlers were most anxious to have them sent away. That the officer commanding had assured him that there was only one road, about seven miles in length, along which the troops could advance ; and that, therefore, he had arranged the matter with the chiefs, all of whom had lent their most cordial and efficient' assistance, except Heki and a few followers who had committed the outrage on the flag. These were, perhaps, not the words used, but they comprise and express, as near as may be, a number of desultory remarks,

" Captain Fitzßoy then adverted to a scheme of exchanging the land belonging to absentees for land belonging to the settlers ; and laid a map on the table in which the land of the absentees was coloured black, showing that large blocks of uncultivated land, one nine miles in length, intervened between land occupied by settlers. He pointed out the advantages that would result from causing these blocks to be cultivated, and to be intersected by roads, by means of giving them to settlers in exchange for their land elsewhere, of which the occupation was prevented by the natives ; and said that he had spoken to Mr. Hanson on the subject, who would consult the agents of the absentees, and report to him.

The deputation hereupon inquired whether, if the scheme of exchange were carried into execution, the Government would guarantee the possession of the land to the settlers who might wish tojcultivate it ? and Captain Fitzßoy replied that the Government would do nothing of the sort. He thought, however, that an arrangement might be made with the chiefs of tribes, to pay them a salary for preventing the natives from molesting the settlers, or in any way disturbing them in the possession of the land. He then read a despatch from Lord Stanley respecting the Wairau affair, which he characterized as " able, careful, and elaborate ;" and said " that it was quite clear from that document, that ne (the Governor) had acted in strict conformity with the views and intentions of the Colonial Office." After this, he entered at great length into a statement of the natural productions and resources of New Zealand, and declared that it was one of the finest countries in the world for colonisation: upon vrhich he was asked, how were the settlers to avail themselves of it, by taking possession of the land ? and he replied that that was a very difficult question !