THE NELSON EXAMINER. NELSON, MARCH 10,1849.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 366, 10 March 1849, Page 6

THE NELSON EXAMINER. NELSO N, MARCH 10,1849.

Journal* bedside mora necessary a* men become more i equal and individualism jaore ,to be feared. It would be to ! underrate their importance to suppose that they terra only to moot liberty; they maintain civilisation. Da TocttußViixa. Of Democracy in America, vol. it., p. 900.

We published on the 23rd of December last, a despatch from the New Zealand Company to their Principal Agent, dated June 29, on the subject of the Trust Funds of this settlement, the purport of which was an excuse for not furnishing the landowners with an account of the past expenditure of the funds, in compliance with the request they had made, and promising, "if possible,' 1 to do so by the ship engaged to be despatched in the first week in September. Although the promise thus given was not absolute, being guarded by aa " if," we

were yet of opinipn that the two full months ..which the . Company had before them,, would hare sufficed for^ao simple an sfiair (l a3. furnishing a .set pf .accounts, provided that the books containing them had been kept in a proper manner. It seems, however, that we were too sanguine in the matter, for not only did the vessel "en* gaged to be despatched in the first week of September" sail without the promised information being given, but another vessel, sailing two months later 'still, has arrived in the colony, and yet we hear nothing of these account!*. This is very unwise on the part of the Company, and is calculated to jßhake that faith in its honour and integrity which was happily so nearly re-established. To understand the anxiety which we feel on the subject of these accounts, we may state, that there is an apparent difference between the Company and the settlers as to the amount due, to the extent of from £25,000 to £35,000 ; for while the Company in its late published documents have spoken of a small sum of only £25,000 as due to the settlement, it has been shown incqntrovertibly that it could not be less than £50,000, while the memorial sent home by the landpurchasers made the balance due to us £60,000. Apart from the general interest we have in this matter, in common with every person in the settlement, we feel a particular desire to see this difference satisfactorily cleared up; because, relying on the integrity of the Company, we have repeatedly defended its conduct on this very subject against the severe attacks of those who, we thought, put too literal an interpretation upon its published accounts, which we believed to have a special signification. We have always contended that the Company would never be guilty of appropriating the subscribed funds of this settlement to maintain its own establishments, and that too in the teeth of the most solemn pledges to the contrary; and that, when called upon by those who had a right to seek the information, fair and satisfactory accounts would be rendered. The delay of the Company in doing thii, shall not shake our opinion of its justice and honour, but we will refer it to some unforeseen cause, which the next arrival we hope will satisfactorily explain. If for a moment we could doubt the integrity of the Company, and its willingness to do justice to the settlement, both in the letter and spirit of its engagements, we should still think, as a matter of policy, that it would never attempt unjustly to defraud us of a fraction of those large sums of money which the unbounded confidence of its landpurchasers placed in its hands as trustees. It is impossible to believe that a body of gentlemen, among whom are some of the first merchants and traders of the metropolis of England, could sully their reputations by an act so discreditable, or that' they could suppose that even though done in a collective capacity, they could individually escape the odium which must attach to conduct so flagrant. "While, however, we rely with every confidence on the Company's good faith, and are disposed to construe favourably any delay which may even have a seeming unfavourable appearance, we must at the same time caution the Directors of the Company against resting too securely on their own sense of upright intentions ; for they should remember that they are accountable to the world as well as to their own consciences, and that it is not sufficient that they mean to act justly, but they should also avoid creating a suspicion that they could ever act contrary. Looking at the manner in which the Trust Funds have been so long locked up, intended as they were to help the settlement in its infancy, and the positive injury it is now sustaining because they cannot be made available for the purposes for which they were subscribed, it is natural that some impatience should be evinced on the subject. In fact, the time has now arrived, when by

their assistance great practical benefits may be .secured to us-if these funds, are placed, 98 agreed, at the f disposal of the settlers and the representatives of. the Company and the absentee proprietors. Nelson has had, as is well known, to fight its way up to its present satisfactory position without assistance, but it now feels that the time has come when the Trust Funds might be uHd to materially improve both its present and future prospects. The Company can have no interest in thwarting our wishes in this respect, and we confidently expect that a very short time will see our expectations and wishea realized.

The condition of the aborigines in this neighourhood has always been a subject of interest to us from the day the settlement was formed, and we have from time to time derived «onsiderable pleasure in witnessing the progress they were making in the arts of civilized life, and the accumulation of property. The natives were far too acute a people not to discover, at a very early day, the advantage of having a settlement of Europeans in their neighbourhood, and the benefit of disposing of their produce to actual consumers, getting payment in money, and furnishing themselves with goods at the market prices, instead of dealing with coasting and Sydney traders, who measured them out yards of calico against the same measure of potatoes or maize placed along the beach in kits or baskets. But although their interest to cultivate a good understanding with the strangers who had come to dwell among them was thus palpable, and felt and acknowledged by the majority of those who came in contact with us, there were still some who, from a restless spirit, a jealousy of self-importance, and a fear that 1 the power and authority they had been used to exercise over their followers would be destroyed, who little relished our presence, and strove to keep the minds- of the peaceable disturbed. This feeling, however, seems now to have passed away, or to be held by so few in number, as to render them perfectly harmless among the large body of their more reflecting and sagacious countrymen, and the majority now seem anxious in every 1 way to profit by their intercourse with us, and to consider themselves wholly under the rule of British authority, and amenable to British laws. It is only necessary to refer to the statistics, taken at the end of last year, to show how the native condition has been improved. The land then in crop belonging to the natives in this district was no less than 1,T58 acres, out of which there was 1,137 acres of wheat, to which property may be added several head of horned cattle, horses, and goats, pigs almost innumerable, and a few coasting vessels of about twenty-five tons each. Seven years-ago, and the wealth of this people consisted in a few acres of wretched potatoes, barely sufficient to bring their principal men a little clothing, and a scanty supply of the luxury of tobacco. And to show also the improved disposition of the natives, we will mention what occurred the other day at the Motueka, where a question respecting the reserves set aside for the Maories, which by delay and neglect had grown into what was apprehended would be a troublesome business, was disposed of with the greatest ease in a few hours. When the land was originally purchased of the natives, a tenth part of the whole was reserved for their use, to be held in trust for their future benefit. The unfortunate state in which the colony was placed for a few years, so deranged the trust which had been appointed to take charge of this property, that nothing was done with it, and the natives at the Motueka undertook, in several instances, to lease and sell parcels of the reserves in that district on their own account. The gentlemen recently appointed as the trust board, expected considerable difficulty in getting this property back into their hands, but were induced a few weeks since to make the attempt. After a few hours' talking with all the parties concerned, who were got together on the spot, the whole thing was arranged in the most amicable manner, to the entire satisfaction of all parties. But the mission of these gentlemen did not terminate here. The Government had lately laid out the site of a new village in the Motueka, and furnished the natives with a model on which to build their houses. This has been adopted by

almost all— and the whole district, with .the exception of one or two families, have engaged to build [themselves wooden houses and abandon their. old filthy pas. A small premium is to be given to those who get the first two or three houses completed, which will cause the whole to hasten their operations. The good effect of this arrangement has been already felt, for the natives at Wakapuaka have also shown an anxiety to have the same course pursued towards them; but. as they on more than one occasion had treated the authority of the Government with disrespect, their wish was not regarded, until they came forward with the assurance that Paramatta, the chief J wHo v « had led them astray, had gone to reside at Taranaki, and promised better conduct for the future.

The following Entries for the ensuing Races were made last night :— TRADESMEN'S PLATE of Twbntt Sovsaxmws. added to a Sweepstakes of Two Sovereign* each. Weight* t —Two-year oldi, 7st. ; three, gat. j four, lOst. ?lbs. ; live. Hat. ; nx and aged, list. Jlb» : 4lbs. to mares and geldings. The winner of any race in Mew Zealand, except a stake for beaten, nonet, to carry 4lbi. extra. Two .mile nests. Mr. Schroder's br h Patch, 0 yrs, list libs, (Redwood Mr. Elliott's br m Srunett, 5 yrs, io»t lOlbs, (Bedbormgh Captain Cork's b m Plover, 6 yrs, lOit 101b, (M'Kune Mr. Jollis's b ax Lady, 5 yrs, lOit lOlbs, (Duppa Mr. Sullivan's Creeping Jenny, 4 yrs, lOst Slbs, (Dale The GALLOWAY STAKES of Fivtbbn Shilling* each, Seven Sovereigns added, for all horses aot exceeding 14 hands. No hone entered for any race of the value of Ten Sovereigns to be allowed to start. Catch weights. Heats, once round. Mr, Schroder's br g Paddy, sg, (Byes Mr. Hurley's b g Sam Slick, 5 yrs, (Gay Or. Benwick's g m Addy, 4 yrs, (M'Kune The TALLY-HO STAKES of Tbixtt Shillings each, Fifteen Sovereigns added. Over four sets of hurdles, 3 feet 6 inches high. Weighti— Three-year olds, 9it. 71bi. ; fow, list.; five, list. 61bs.; six and- aged, llst.7lfas.: 4lbs. to mares and geldings. Heats, once round and a distance. Mr. Schroder's Pitch, 6 yrs, list 71bs, (Redwood Mr. Sullivan's b m Creeping Jenny, 4 yrs, iQit 101b, (Dale The LADIES' PURSE of Sovxsbigns, added to a Sweepstakes of Two Sovereigns each. Weights — 14 hands high, Bst. 71bi. : 7lbs. extra for every additional inch. The winner of the Tradesmen's Plate to carry 7lbi. extra. Heats, once round and a distance. Mr. Stafford's c m Beeswing, ag, (Eyes Mr. Sohroder's br h Patch, 6 yrs, (Redwood Mr. Elliott's br m Brunett, 5 yrs, (Bedborough Captain Cork's b m Plover, 5 yrs, (M'Kune Mr. Jollies b m Lady, 5 yrs, (Duppa Mr. Sullivan's b m Creeping Jenny, 4 yrs, (Dale HURDLE STAKES of Fiftxim Shillings each, Seven Sovereigns added. Over four sets of hurdles. Catch weights. The winner of the Tally-ho Stakes not to be allowed to start. Heats, once round and a distance. Mr. Ken's c m Blue Bonnet, ag, (Dale Mr. Schroder's br g Paddy, ag, Mr. Schroder's br h Patch, 6 yrs Mr. Duppa's bk m Spraggs, o yrs, (Duppa The SCURRY STAKES of Onx Sovxbbisn each, Ten Sovereigns added. Weights, the same as for the Ladies* Purse. The winner to be sold for Thirty-five Sovereigns, if demanded in the usual way. Heats, once round. Mr. Stafford's c m Beeswing, ag, (Eyes Captain Cork's b m Plover, 5 yrs, (M'Kune Mr. Jollies b m Lady, 6 yrs, (Duppa Mr. Harkness's b m Fair Helen, 5 yrs, (Nixon

We last evening received Wellington, Auckland, and Otago papers, which we are sorry we cannot further notice this week, as their contents are interesting. We welcome back with pleasure two of our old and respected settlers, Messrs. Newcome and Witherby, who came out passengers in the Ajax.