THE NELSON EXAMINER. Tuesday, April 16, 1867.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 46, 16 April 1867, Page 2

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Tuesday, April 16, 1867.

Journals beeorno more necessary as men become more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to secure liberty ; they maintain civilization. DE TOCQUEVILLK, Of Democracy in America, vol. 5, 230. The story of a certain Lieutenant Brand, of her Majesty's navy, serving in Jamaica during the negro revolt in that colony, is probably still fresh in the recollection of our readers. As there are several morals to that tale, we may perhaps be pardoned if we touch upon its leading features here. Lieutenant Brand was President of one of the Courts-martial that sat in Jamaica for the trial of the revolters, and, as such, was to some extent responsible for the very rude kind of justice administered. Since the revolt was put down, the language used by those who disapproved of the severities exercised has been remarkable rather for its strength than its courtesy, or even, in some cases, its justice. Exeter Hall has resounded with abuse of no very measured kind of the authorities in Jamaica, and, of course, the Courts-martial received a large share of the odium poured upon all the actors in the affair. Galled — not, it must be confessed, unnaturally — by the contemptuous expressions mode use of regarding himself and his companions, Lieutenant Brand lost his temper, and wrote a challenge to a member of Parliament who had been remarkable for the vigour of his condemnation of the Courtmartial over which he had presided. The challenge was couched in very strong and not very gentlemanly language, and called forth a reply from Mr. Buxton which could hordly bo expected to soothe the officer's wounded feelings. To this reply the sailor wrote a very angry, and indeed unwarrantably insulting reply, and in consequence he has been dismissed from her Majesty's navy. This is the story, and, as we have said, it has more than one lesson of importance for us. A case not very dissimilar has arisen recently in New Zealand, we understand, and although it is by no means the first of the kind, it threatens to assume an importance beyond any former occurrence of the same nature. A certain Colonel "Weare, of her Majesty's forces, wrote home to his brother informing him that so horrible was the spirit and temper in. which we colonists

carried on our warfare with the natives, that we were absolutely savage in our treatment of the defenceless and captured. In illustration, he related that General Chute, in beginning his march through the back country at Mount Egmont, ordered his men to " make no prisoners" — alleging that the Governor and colony did not want any, as they were inconvenient. In pursuance of this, Colonel "Weare asserted that Maoris were bayoneted in cold-blood, and that others were disfigured and maimed in a disgusting way by having noses slit and ears cut off, and the like. The responsibility of this was cast upon the Governor and the colonists so markedly, that it does not appear even to have occurred to the Home authorities to tax General Chute with these butcheries. Colonel Weave's brother, horrorstruck at such a narration, sent it to the Government for their information, - and at this point we begin to see the analogy between this case and that of Lieutenant Brand, cashiered for resenting in ungentlemanly language very offensive remarks about his own conduct. The Home Government received the letter, and wrote — not to Colonel Weare to demand his proofs for so improbable and injurious a charge, practically against hundreds and thousands of honourable Englishmen — but to the Governor of New Zealand, putting him on his defence against the hearsay slander of Colonel Weare. Sir George Grey most wisely referred the despatch to his Ministers, who replied to the Home Government in a Memorandum expressing astonishment at,such a course having been pursued towards the Governor and colony, and that it was not rather Colonel Weare who was put upon his defence for propagating falsehoods so gross and improbable. The result of this remonstrance has been a peremptory demand upon the Colonial Government to withdraw the Memorandum, and an order to the General to send home every soldier now serving in the colony. This is the present position of the affair, and it is full of matter for reflection. In the first place, the course to be pursued by the colony is pretty plain, under the circumstances. There can be no going back from our position ; no withdrawal of our Memorandum to please the Home Government, which has treated us so badly and has evidently no idea of treating us better. It is a remarkable instance of blindness that an English Minister should at the same time make strong demands upon a colony, and withdraw the only possible inducement to the colony to comply with these demands. Had the Home Government said, " Withdraw your Memorandum casting blame on us, or if you do not, all the troops must be sent home," the course would have been a mean and contemptible one enough, but it would have had some show of sense about it. Experience during the past four years has prepared the colony for anything mean and pettyfogging in the conduct of the English Government, but it has not up to this prepared us for mere silliness. We can find no other word, however, to express our opinion of the ridiculous position of the Home Government in this matter. But its absurdity is not its worst feature. The charge made against the Governor and the colony was one in the highest degree criminal and disgraceful. If Colonel Weare did not tell falsehoods of the grossest kind, then Sir George Grey, and his advisers representing the colonists, were not, as had been supposed, English gentlemen, but bloodthirsty savages. If they were responsible for massacres in cold blood, and for barbarities more revolting than massacres, they were worthy of punishments the most severe conceivable. Strange to say, the Home Government thought these things probable, actually probable, or they would not have put a British Governor on his defence against such charges. Nor is this all ; it is not enough to cast so gross a slur as this is upon the character of a whole colony, but they must be indignant and impotently resentful because we do not accept their estimate of our character. Are English statesmen in their dotage that they fancy colonists will quietly endure such things ? Can they really be so weak as to imagine that the honour of being bullied by a Secretary of State for the Colonies will make up to New Zealand for repeated insults of so gross a kind as this ? The folly visible in such conduct leads us to doubt whether the Home Government can foresee the results of its proceedings, or we should unhesitatingly say that their object was to bring about a separation of the colony from England. We have long thought that the abuse so unsparingly lavished, the demands so unblusbingly made on a poor and struggling colony to pay for England's blunders, the menaces for the future and the reproaches for the past, which have formed the staple of the despatches for the last few years, meant something of this kind. To this is now added the absolute withdrawal of Britain's assistance from the colony, and England's appearance in the unenviable position of an undisguised Shylock bent upon getting back every sixpence she can of past expenditure, extending over many years. Now, however, we doubt her meaning. She has acted so silly a part in this last transaction, that we fancy it just possible she may think all this conduct calculated to endear her to New Zealand settlers. It is for our Government to undeceive her in this matter, and we think we may trust them to do so. Under the circumstances, it is a matter of no common congratulation to the colony that the representative of her Majesty is in no way mixed up with this conduct of the English Government. Whatever our opinions of Sir George Grey's success or failure in governing this colony, there can be but one opinion as to the loyal support and assistance which he has given the Colonial Government in these wretched disagreements forced upon us by the British Government. It may be that the Governor will personally suffer in the esteem of the British Government, but we can hardly doubt 'that he will find cause for more than consolation in the assurance that he at least has not disgraced the character of the Sovereign whom he represents in this distant colony.

Of Colonel Weare we have not now space to speak, and so far as he is personally concerned, he is too insignificant to be worth referring to again. As, however, we have suggested a comparison between his case and that of Lieutenant Brand, we hope to take another opportunity of showing how strangely consistent is the English Government in the apparent inconsistency of the two cases.

A letter signed "Eguitas" appeared in our columns on Saturday, which requires a few words. Our correspondent is one of those injudicious friends whom people pray to be saved from. "Equitas" has come forward to extenuate, if not to defend the conduct of a recently-appointed Magistrate at Motueka, who, about a month ago, was engaged in a disgraceful drunken brawl in one of the village public-houses. "Equitas," although a resident in Motueka, says he believes the " unenviable notoriety " acquired by the Magistrate in question, " rests on no better basis than the charge of drunkenness implied, though not actually made by one of theold Magistrates, at Mr. Curtis'meeting at Motueka, and again at that held by Mr. Barnicoat." A correspondent, an entire stranger to Motueka, who witnessed the occurrence, gave a short account of the brawl in the Examiner immediately after it happened, and it was commented on by us within the next few days, and before Mr. Curtis visited Motueka. Before we printed the letter spoken of, we satisfied ourselves fully of all the facts, and we do not hesitate here to say that nothing that has yet appeared in print has painted the scene in its true colours. " Equitas " might learn these for himself if he chose, but he evidently does not wish to know the facts. He could not however suppose that we should be so rash as to admit into our columrs charges of such a character against a local Magistrate, a Member of the General Assembly, and a Provincial Councillor, without feeling quite sure that they were actually true, and could be substantiated. "Equitas" has also constituted himself the defender of the late Superintendent in his conduct towards the Bench of Magistrates at Motueka, a year ago. No one acquainted with all the particulars of the case in question, except the political friends of Mr. Saunders, will approve of his conduct towards the Magistrates of Motueka, referred to by our correspondent. " Equitas," in his letter, tells the story in his own fashion, but sadly mis-states the facts. All the correspondence that passed between the Superintendent and the Magistrates was published by us a year since, and the want of courtesy exhibited by Mr. Saunders towards the Motueka Bench, and the political bias that weighed in the appointment of the constable at Motueka, in opposition to the wishes of the local Magistrates, was fully shown. We shall not weary our readers by discussing the subject again ; and we must inform " Equitas " that we cannot again permit him the use of our columns to make gratuitous attacks on any gentleman against whom he may have a personal dislike.

H.M.S. Brisk, with his Excellency the Governor on board, arrived in the roadstead last evening about five o'clock. His Excellency was visited by a deputation from the Committee appointed to make arrangements for his reception. The Brisk will enter the harbour about eight o'clock this morning, and his Excellency will land at noon. The procession which is to receive his Excellency will form at the Government Buildings, at ten o'clock in the morning. As it was fully understood that his Excellency would arrive yesterday, a general holiday waa ordered, and many persons from the country came into town to join in the reception to be given him on landfng. Great disappointment was therefore felt that his Excellency did not arrive at the time originally stated, but this might have been prevented had the intended change in the time of arrival of the Brisk been made known on Saturday, the fact having been telegraphed from Picton on Saturday morning to the Harbour-Master. Mr. Cross appears not to have apprised the Government of the information he had received, supposing a- similar telegram had been sent to the Superintendent, so that it was not until Sunday afternoon his Honour was made aware that any change in the intended time of his Excellency's arrival had been made. No public intimation of this could then be given until the following morning, so the holiday yesterday was a fruitless one, except to those persons who took means to enjoy it. In consequence of this disappointment, the reception that will be given to his Excellency to-day, will scarcely be so numerously attended as it would have been bad his Excellency arrived and landed yesterday. The intelligence received from the Buller on Sunday, by the Stormbird, is of the most encouraging character. About 1,000 diggers were on the ground — the scene of the rush, a few miles north of the Buller ; and others are flocking there as fast as the coasting steamers can arrive from the more southern diggings. As the ground is all deep sinking, some time must elapse before its real character will be fully known ; but it is the general belief that it will prove the richest gold-field yet discovered on the West Coast.