Original Correspondence. THE FENCIBLES.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 143, 13 October 1847, Page 2

Original Correspondence. THE FENCIBLES.

To the Editor of the Neva Zealander. Sm,— l do not remember many events which has caused more pleasuieable excitement since the arrival of Captain Grey, than the announcement that the Fencibles were to be located in the. neighbourhood of the capital. T he honor of the Crown was pledged to a body of people who had already done good service to their country, and showed themselves ready to do so again ; and it would have been cruel as it would have been unwise, to betray them into a situation which left them no alternative, between the refusal to obey orders and the disappointment of their best hopes. That the Governor is actuated by the best motives, I verily believe, and I am as willing to think that he thought he was doing right by sending the Fencibles to the north. Great discoveries have generally arisen from very trifling causes, and the disappearance of a certain gentleman from that.quarter since the departure of the Government schooner would rather awaken a suspicion that an individual or two would have been gre.it gaineis by the removal of the Fencibles and their families to the intended quarter. Of course people's lands must become more valuable as they become more peopled, and with a little sagacious enquiry, it would often be found that persons olfei* the making of gieat sacrifices to give value to that which would otherwise have beeu valueless. Ido nut say that such HAS been the case, in the piesent instance", but, knowing > the gentleman, to whom I allude, to have tried all sorts of schemes for giving us the benefit of a new township, ' and not having seeu him since yesterday, l think there may be something more in the business than meets the vulgar eye. Be it as it may> which is, most fortunately | ot secondary importance at the present moment, 1 cannot help expressing, as hundreds of others, my astonish* j ment that such a location should evei be tnoughtof foro r , men having with t lie in their wives and families, and I being peifcctly ignorant of the manucrs and customs of the touchy race amongst whom the have to dwell. it cannot be fair towards the Fencibles to send them into |ihe very neighbourhood of an enemy, at whose hands we have aheady suffered so much. Should any outbreak occur there, and the Fencibles be called upon j to assist the troops to fight the Queen's battles, who would there be to aid their wretched families — and how could they lly hither for refuge should they be hardpressed, as were the ill-fated residents of Kororarika ? This is indeed a serious consideration, but a yet more seiious oie is, what good could the Feucibles do for themselves by the removal ? 1 hoar that in answer to their questiou of •• iiow should they get supplies,"~ they were told that small shops would soon spring up. Most assuredly they would, and these small shops would he the only gainers. Here would be a tine field for the smuggler ot spirits and Tobacco, and the Fenciblcs could get a full sixpenny worth of goods of the woist description for every shilling they migtit have to spend. But, 1 ask again, what good could there arise to the Fencible — could he sell his eggs— his poultry— or the produce of bis acic of ground— or was it intended by the Home Government that his acre should be a millstone about his neck to sink him more speedily than he would have sunk at home I It must be perfectly clear to every reflecting mind, that the condition ot the Fenciules would be moat miserable if driven to such a distance from a market and from protection— without roads, and without vessels. It is our business to strengthen and not to weaken our position.. The wisest of all Captain Fitzroy's measures was his attempt at concentration ; for the masses cau alone give us security, and we must be aware how we divide them. Let us not be betrayed into false security, and bring|down the fabric which.has been raised, by the injudicious disposal of the forces which are being sent out to us, to be located within " five miles of the capital," to assist us in defending ourselves, with the aid ot militia, when her Majesty shall be pleased to withdraw the troops from the colony. If the Fencibles left England under particular pledges from the Government, they have every right to expect the performance of the promises given them. An acre of land in New Zealand is of little value any wheie beyond the of the town— and beyond reach of a market a hundred acres would scaice be worth accepting ; and a tliouband acres would poorly repay a man who has seen twenty-one years of hard service tor the loss of the social benefits arising from the imme diate neighbouahood of a town, and means of getting employment tor himself or his tamily, or husbands anil wives, tor his sons and daughters. The Governor may send them all away, as tar as the remotest corneis ol the land, but theyj will tind their way buck, at every risk or sacrifice, when they taste the bitter cup of poverty and disappointment ; for, be it remembered, the Local Government is only bound to find the Fencibles.— (that is, the head of each family) woik " foi the first yeur." From location at Onehunga thcre > is everything to hope j the strengthening ol our position— ready access to a market tor the Fencibles— an efficient township and Fort of Entry at Manultau, and ultimately abundance of good coal from the Waikato district. Abundance of land may be had in every section of the country by allowing the natives to sell by district auction (in the Maori language) what lands they were willing to dispose of, subject, it needs must, to a registration duty of a shilling or two per acre. Of al l means of pacification this would be the greatest, and lands surveyed for this purpose, and so disposed of, would quiet all disputes between the Government, the settlers, and the natives. Fear nothing for the latter ; the natives will not oversell themselves, and should they, why let them go to work for their neighboursA man who has done 21 years of faithful service, may grow old and be useless, but he cannot well be a bad man ; let him remain with us, to send him away were cruel ; he will tind employment suited to his abilities, and each family will add to our strength, and improve our circumstances. He will do well provided lie be honest-refrains from having disturbances with the natives, and avoids the bott.e. 1 am, Sir, yours obediently, A FRIEND. October 12, 1847.

To the Editor of the New Zealander. Sir,— Have you any local law for regulating weights and measures ? If not, I think it is high time the-ie was one. lam a working man with plenty of young mouths to fill—and I find it hard that I can seldom get a pound of butcher's meat, or a loaf of bread, or any other little article of family consumption, to weigh the full weight that I pay for. It was only last week that I sent to the butcher's for a couple of pound of pork chops, hoping it would be enough for three of us, but bless you, when dressed, the whole scarcely made enough to satisfy the craving of one moderate appetite. I re-weighed the next two pounds from the same stall, and found it barely one pound and a half, bone and all. This setjme on the gui vivc in earnest, so I submitted the loaf to a similar scrutiny— and found what I had bought for 2'lbs. barely, if, 14 oz. For every eight of these loaves that I had paid for, I found myself and family cheated out of onp. Our small packages of tea and sugar have sometimes looked rather suspicious— and our small liquids anything but bumpers— but different practices I find prevail at different shops. I dare say there are several shopkeepers in this town who would be abovejlending themselves to such petty unprincipled practices. My only'present recourse is to inform you that such tricks are played, and very much to the iujury of people who, like myself, have to work hard for what w« earn, and want to pay honestly for what we get. Hoping you will make your useful miscellany the medium of bringing about a more desirable state of things,— I remain your frequent reader, An Inhabitant. Auckland, October H, 1847.

[" An Inhabitant" is informed that an Ordinance to establish Standard Weights and Measures was passed during the last session of Council, and which now awaits the Royal confirmation.]