LETTER TO LORD GREY FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LATE AUCKLAND MEETING.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 409, 5 January 1850, Page 177

LETTER TO LORD GREY FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE LATE AUCKLAND MEETING.

Auckland, Nov. 9, 1849 My Lord— With this you will receive a petition signed by 520 of the the most respectable settlers in Auckland and its vicinity, praying the recal of Governor Grey, accompanied by two numbers of the Southern Croat newspaper, and the Government Gazette, containing the official minutes of Council having reference to the following remarks. Suffer me to call your lordship's attention to the remarkable unanimity of opinion that obtains among us with regard to that request. A public meeting has been called, the largest ever held in this Province ; summoned deliberately — the notice purposely so worded as to invite the presence of his Excellency's supporters, if any could be found; yet every resolution passed without a single objection having been taken. For although there maybe many here unwilling to take an active part in opposition to a Governor, none went so far as to come forward openly in Sir George Grey's support. In such a small community, where the influence of Government is so immediately felt, it is to be supposed that individual interests and private consideration mutt have restrained many, who would otherwise gladly have done so, from affixing their names to the petition; bat, if the Pensioner force be deducted from the total of male adults— if oar large staff of Government officers, aud the relatives of those Government officers— ii the oat country settlers, as yet for the most part unaware of what has taken place— if those who declining on principle, to interfere in any way with political matters — if those who have favours to expect from Government— or finally, if thote who fear the enforcement of penalties by Government (it being notorious that the stringent >s|»isront of the f Native Land Purchase Ordinance, are and must be continually infringed, while the Executive is forced to overlook transgressions that are necessary to the small remains of our prosperity,)— if those classes be deducted, it will then be seen how large is the proportionate number of signatures affixed to the petition:

larger even than the number that the petition respecting native rights was able to command ; which w&s yet acknowledged to have expressed the unanimous opinion of the Northern Settlers. This feeling of dissatisfaction is not confined to the Northern Province only. Nearly at the same time, without any preconcerted scheme, a meeting of similar character was held at Wellington, at which a similar charge, of "systematic misrepresentation," was brought against Governor Grey, although the expression of it was provoked by another cause of complaint, for with either Province he has played a game, of different style in each, but false alike in both. The accusations that have been mainly dwelt upon in our petition, are these:— his extravagance, his experimentalizing, and his want of official veracity. With regard to the charge of extravagance, easily as it might be substantiated, I would observe that this is not the occasion to occupy your lordship's attention with matters' of detail, which we have repeatedly endeavoured to bring under your notice in other ways. It may suffice, to say that we accuse him of maintaining a staff of Government officers altogether disproportionate to the requirements of the colony; which the Governor affirms that he cannot do without, but which the colonists know that their resources cannot support. We accuse him of enhancing that evil by having not even filled up his appointments with the most efficient men, but having indulged in favouritism at the expense of the public service, electing men to offices, which, from their previous education and habits of life, they were totally unfitted to hold. We accuse him, moreover, of having wasted the ample funds that have been appropriated to the public works of the colony, the cost of which, through slovenly management and want of system, is ruinously out of proportion to the benefit derived. With regard to the charge of experimentalism, I would observe, that whatever the abilities of Governor Grey may be, he displays no small degree of self-confidence in so completely setting at nought the wishes and opinions of tiie settlers. He has turned a deaf ear to every representation that has been made. To the many memorials that were presented during the last sitting of the Legislative Council, (some of which will be found in the official minutes appended hereto,) he has not vouchsafed a single answer, save only to one which was brought up by a Committee of that Council, from which, indeed be had required the main point to be extracted before he would content to receive it, forgetful that the question at issue is a question of opinion only— that it can be reduced to his own individual belief in the soundness of certain schemes which he has framed for the advancement of the colony, in opposition to our own belief that they are fast entailing ruin upon us, he obstinately persists in gambling away our property and future prospects, in a desperate attempt to carry -out a course which we have reason to suppose was resolved upon, before he could possible have made himself acquainted with the peculiarities of the country committed to his charge. Even there the mischief does not «nd; for an outcry is being raised against the Colonial Office itself, which has so steadily supported him throughout. For what confidence can we be expected to place in an office, which offers the deliberate affront of subjecting our united assertions and opinions to those of a single man, a stranger, who happens to have won the confidence of the British Government by success in another colony, which, as is well known ia this hemisphere, is attributable to other causes than the abilities of Governor Grey, We are aware that his career in this colony has been cried up as a new proof of his abilities ; that he enjoys the credit of having a second time found a country sunk in the lowest depth of depression, and a second time succeeded in raising it to the height of prosperity. Yet both these suppositions are erroneous. We would call your lordship's attention to a fact that 'has never yet been sufficiently impressed upon the home authorities— that the sudden advancement of the Northern province dates prior to the arrival of Governor Grey in New Zealand. We maintain that a substantial and bona fide improvement in our prospects had already taken place, based on the development of our own resources ; and it is our firm belief, that had it not been checked by the mis-government of Governor Grey, we should before now have been ia a position to dispense with the aid that has been hitherto so munifU ciently afforded us from home. For what after all, has been the result of his much lauded policy ? It is this; — that by dint of ceaseless interference and harrassing restrictions he has sickened all spirit of enterprise ; that the country is almost unproductive, its very capabilities but scantily known; that mines have been found by individuals, who keep their discoveries profoundly secret, waiting, as they say, for better times, when a less grasping spirit shall be manifested by the Government, that exports are seen in prospect, which no exertion is made to promote; while the colonists are only saved from lapsing into utter apathy, by the conviction that such a state of things mutt come to a 'speedy end. Against this ke has nothing to oppose in answer but a showy revenue, which he appeals to as unassailable evidence of his success; carefully concealing the fact that it is merely supported by an enormous expenditure, drawn from the mothercountry's purse ; and that the very unproductiveness of the country, by forcing importations on us, of even the commonest necessaries of life, is an additional element in maintaining it at the present height: By necessitating the filtration of his whole expenditure through the Customs, he has been able to press one of his greatest errors into the service of his own credit at home. We believe, indeed, that no man is better aware than Governor Grey that his system has already broken down; but that sooner than submit to the mortification of confessing a mistake, he is now using his utmost endeavours tostuve off open and apparent failure until the expiration of his own term of office, careless of the difficulties he will thus bequeath to his successor. Bat the crowning, charge of all, is Governor Grey'a utter want of official Temerity, whether as regards the character of individual*, or the systematic misrepresentaions of fact by which he attempts to disguise the ill success of bis experi-

mental scheinss. Those very despatches, upon which bis reputation is based, are composed in a deceptive spirit throughout; yet so nicely regulated as to be without a parallel in Colonial history. For they are ia reality remarkable productions ; much more so than those who read them in England only could retdily be brought to suppose. It is only ourselves, possessing accurate knowledge of the subjects which they treat, and aware of the intricacies of difficulty with which he has long since entangled himself, who can fully appreciate the cleverness with which the writer threads his way, and even still succeeds ia preserving some appearance of consistency. In the art of seizing upon trifling facts — magnifying or perverting them to suit the purpose of the moment ; in conveying impression, where he dare not assert — seldom risking being convicted of direct i falsehood, but contriving openings for future explanation, or pleas of misinterpretation to fall back upon, should his veracity be called in question; in the guarded care with which he fortifies] his mis-statements, by intermixing as much truth at possible, consistently with working out his ends — yet not without the courage occasionally to hazard a hold assettiou, where the gain is likely to be commensurate with the risk, he has shewn a talent which all must lament to see so ill applied. Setting aside all other considerations, the fact of such a charge having been made, should be sufficient to provoke the most searching enquiry*. But we are entitled to take still higher ground. Even supposing him to be wrongfully accused, universal distrust is sufficient warrant for his recal. Where a man's word is habitually doubted, he can have only himself to blame; while the fault of having needlessly exposed himself to the suspicion of untruthfulness, censurable in any one, is unpardonable in a representative of the Queen. Even should that recall be an injustice to him, his maintenance would be a greater injustice to us. Were it only a question whether the. colony be sacrificed to him, or he to the colony, there would be very little doubt with your lordship which consideration should turn the scale. But we pledge ourselves, our characters, and our consciences, that his removal will be but an act of retributive justice to himself. On private, as well as on public grounds, it is imperatively called for. What with his offensive manners, and arbitrary temper, (carefully veiled indeed before those whose reports may be supposed to carry weight ia England) which are such as men of independent feeling cannot and will not bear with ; what with his faithlessness iv promise, and mischief-making propensities; what with his aspersion on private characters, (for there is no man here that has twarted him or opposed his policy, who considers himself secure from being secretly maligned,) he has not only forfeited our esteem, but deservedly earned our deed aversion. Believe us, my lord, when we assure you that the affection of this Colony is being weaned from the mother-country day by day. When you see habitual disrespect for the Crown's representative growing up amongst us ; when you see men of what are called the highest Tory principles—advocates almost of despotism — making common cause with the extreme liberal party, some repudiating the Government, but all repudiating the Governor — believe that there is something ia such a state of things requiring earnest aud promp attention. The ill effects of aversion to a ruler extends far beyond the term of his continuance in office. For through such aversion may be no immediate let or hindrance to his proceedings ; through be be able to force bis measures through his Council with as much ease as through he were the idol of the settlers : yet it must be borne in mind that it awakens a spirit of contention, which, through it be directed for a while as much against the man as against his deeds, will surely nettle down at last into a habit of hostility towards established institutions; that the Queen's own name is brought into contempt through him, and that the kindly feelings of a whole community towards what they are still proud to consider their real homes are being enforcedly destroyed. Your lordship may perhaps observe, that in the accompanying petition, we have offered neither arguments or proof of facts. Both have been, designedly avoided, for we rest our claim to attention on other grounds. We have confined ourselves to assertions, believing that our signatures appended are sufficient vouchers for the truth of those assertions, and with a view of reducing all to a simple question between ourselves and her Majesty's advisers, on the one side of credit, on the other of belief. We have pledged our characters, and trust that your lordship's decision will not be such as to express an implied opinion that the vouchers is of little worth. Let us finally observe, that we have a donble claim upon your lordship's attention, in the fact that we have not been as yet allowed the privelige of self-govenment, BDd are therefore helpless to assist ourselves.— ln the full confidence that it will presently be granted, we have avoided pressing that question upon you, content with supplying the want of a representative assembly by the irregular expedient of a public meeting, through which alone we can cause our opinions to be known, or our wishes to be heard; and we trust that your lordship will compensate for difficulties from which the Home Government has as yet deemed it inexpedient to relieve us, by allowing us a voice, through yourself, in the management of our own affairs. I have the honor to be. &c, (Signed) Henry Wsbkks, M.D., j (Chairman of the Meeting.)

A Plague or Serpents. — Referring to the in undation at New Orleans, a local paper says, " W e learn that on Sunday a man who was walking barefooted in the inundated portion of the First Municipality, was bitten in the leg (probably by 6 mocosin snake), and shortly afterwards expired. On the same evening a little lad was either bitten by a similar animal or a congro, and died soon afterwards" from the effects."— Another paper advises all who live in the inundated districts to beware of the gangs of snakes which, driven out by the water, seek the shelter of houses. Already we have heard of several persons having been bitten, and in consequence we deem it proper to advise our friends to keep a bright look-out for the reptiles.