THE COMPANY'S SETTLEMENTS

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume V, Issue 340, 17 April 1844, Page 2

THE COMPANY'S SETTLEMENTS

The Southern Cross of the 23rd of March, has a long article under the head of "Auckland and the New Zealand Company's Settlements."

It commences 'by declaring it to be invidious to draw comparisons, and then asserts •the superiority of Auckland over Wellington in respect of position and of soil. Our contemporary frequently gives us Port Nicholson news ; and we learn from this article that private letters recently received from this place by persons at Auckland, state "that the Company are again -in an underhand manner endeavouring to procure the removal of the seat of Government, and they even boast that it shall shortly be done." One of these letters, and a correspondence -on the subject, appear in the Southern Cross of the same date^ we should certainly like to have the names of the Port Nicholson correspondents ; from the tone of their letters generally, it is proof they are not friendly to the place.

The Auckland ptess has often accused the Port Nicholson people of attacking the settlers at the seat of Government ; the charge, however, has never been supported by proof. But whether the press of this place be or be not open to the charge, certain it is the press of Auckland takes every opportunity of endeavouring to foster, if not to angm«nt, the jealousies which arose out of the mal-ad-ministration of the Government by Captain Hobson. The purpose our worthy contemporary the Southern Cross has in view is very evident, he seeks by insidious insinuations to raise up a bad feeling in the mind of fcis Excellency towards the Cook's Straits settlements. If, as our contemporary asserts, Auckland be so superior to Port Nicholson, and that even our fellow settlers have admitted this, -is this not sufficient ? Under such circumstances, is not the fear of this being made the seat of Government somewhat cowardly ? Further, is it not telling his Excellency he is so incapable of distinguishing between good and bad, that unless he submits his mind to the controul of the Southern Cross, he will assuredly fall into errors, alike fatal to the best interest of Auckland and his own reputation? We wonld suggest to our worthy contemporary the propriety and the wisdom of using a little more delicacy. His Excellency can and will judge and decide for himself, though his so doing may be disagreeable to the senate.

Not only are we informed that the removing of the seat of Government is the present occupation" ! of the Company, but the plan is also divulged, in the Southern Cross. The plan stated is to persuade his Excellency that, owing to the large native population, there is a scarcity of good unoccupied land in this Island .; that the presence of the settlers is likely to .retard the civilization of the natives, and that therefore the Europeans had better resort to the Middle Island. This plan is quite new to us.; we certainly did hear that the Bishop- of New Zealand thought it would be advisable if possible to collect all the natives in this part of the island, and settle them in the rtar of Mount Egmont; and we have heard tbjrt the Missionaries consider the

formation of Biitish settlements in New Zealand disadvantageous to the civilization of the natives ; but it is the first time that we have heard the Company proposed turning these opinions to the purpose of getting the seat of Government removed. We are further informed that his Excellency has adopted these views, and while here recommended them to the consideration of the Colonial Office. Our contemporary, who states it to be invidious to draw comparisons, not only asserts that there is abundance of fine land unoccupied in this island, but declares that the Middle Island is little better than a barren waste. We fear our worthy contemporary will defeat his honorable purpose by over staring his case. He must be aware that it can easily be shown that there is abundance of fine land in the Middle Island, and that qualified persons, unpossessed of interest in these settlements or in the 'Company, after visiting Middle Island, have over and over again declared its eligibility in respect of fine ports, abundance of good land, and good climate. With the latter portion of the first of the subjoined paragraphs, we fully agree. The Wakefield's have pursued a course ruinous to the New Zealand Company, and likely to be attended with a most costly Government, for years to -come, to those who settle in New Zealand. Surely therefore the protest of the colonists against the proceedings of 'the New Zealand Company will command the attention of the Colonial Office.

f How different would the position of the Company and settlers have been if a master mind in an active body, with warm-hearted and manners, had presided over their affairs in New Zealand. A bold spirit would quickly both have discovered all the beautiful districts dependent on the Weirarapa valley, and have made roads into them. The actual necessity, if the Company were to succeed, would have annihilated every particle of fear of responsibility. Imagine that this course had been pursued, and all the settlers at Manawatu, Wanganui, New Plymouth, and Nelson to have been gathered about Port Nicholson ; and the funds which have been expended upon the Fort of Nelson and on the roadstead of Taranaki, to have been added to the road and other funds for public objects secured to those settlements, and applied in this locality, and how different would have been the prospects of all those who have settled under the auspices of the New Zealand Company! There would then have been one powerful -colony instead of several feeble settlements. This port is sufficient to transact the business of five times the number of persons likely to settle in Cook's Straits during the next twenty years ; consequently all the enormous sums expended at the neighbouring settlements to create sea-port towns are worse than a dead loss ; for it would have been better to have been concentrated lacking such an expenditure, than to be scattered with the condition of having such an outlay. The creation of towns by the Company, has been the most reckless act that could well have been devised. South Australia and Australind each have a town. No effort was made to increase the sale of lands in South Australia by adding the bait of town land, yet such might have been done, at Port Lincoln for instance, with greater justification than the New Zealand Company can furnish for the towns with which they have baited, and still are baiting, the public of England. South Australia has a town of, we believe, 1,000 acres, and 15,000 people arrived there in a short period. All the settlers sent out by the New Zealand Company to their settlements do not, we believe, amount to 12,000 : yet the Company surveyed a town at Port Nicholson of 1,100 acres, At Wanganui 500 New Plymouth 600 Nelson 1,100 3,300 This extent of town lands is sufficient for 300,000 people to reside upon. Add to these 3300 acres, the town of New Edinburgh 600, and for the Church of England colony as much more, and the Company will have formed towns in this part of New Zealand containing collectively 4500 acres, or apace for about 450,000 towns people, in the short period of about six years. Even if they were inland towns, they would have added unnecessarily to the taxation of the community, to maintain magistrates and other executive officers who would not have been required if the Wakefield system had been really instead of nominally applied ; but as they are sea-port towns, so long as the revenue is raised by customs duties, the argument, on the score of increasing the costliness of the Government to the colonists of New Zealand is infinitely more forcible.

What bitter disappointment has yet to ensue from inviting parties at home to expend their funds upon such a speculation ! The more sensitive of the Directors will regret for year* to come tbftt they lent their names to

the New Zealand Company ; for while they aimed at carrying out an important principle, they have been rendered parties to a most vicious game of chance, instead of to a sound system of colonization. Their only consolation will be, that they have given a great impetus to colonization. The Southern Cross remarks that —

Had Captain Hobson firmly carried out his first intention of causing the Nelson immigrants to settle in the valley >of the Thames instead of Wairau, the Wairau Massacre would never have occurred, neither would the settlers themselves have been disappointed and discontented. We trust Captain Fitzroy will take warning by this mistake of Captain Hobson, and determine that the Scotch Company shall "be settled in the Thames or any other of the good districts in this neighbourhood. Let him teach the Wakefields to carry out their own system. Let him concentrate the settlements, and thus prevent an expensive and ineffective government. Let new settlements branch naturally from the old ones, but let us not be taxed with supporting as many ragged colonies as Wakefield chooses to attempt to establish with the view of gulling the people at home. Permit freedom of individual dispersion, but prevent dispersion of settlements. Strength consists in union and combination of capital and exertion ; this is Wakefield's own Theory— but Wakefield's Practice is very different, he is the scatterer of settlements, the enemy of cheap Government, and the curse of all colonies.

We sincerely trust his Excellency will well weigh this subject. It is reported, but we do not believe it, that he has already consented to the occupation of the Middle Island by the Scotch Company, aqd has even written to the Colomai Office to the effect, that the Middle Island only is adapted for European colonization. We know the Port Nicholson people wish him to do this— but we cannot believe that he has consented. Their object is to remove the European population from the Northern Island, and then they are certaiu that the seat of Government will, as a matter of course, follow.— But we hope and believe the Governor has too much acuteness not to anticipate this scheme. He must see that this Island is the fittest and the best field for European colonization, and we trust that for the Rood of the Colony, for the good of the Scotch Company, and to save expense to Government, he will fix upon the Thames as the seat of the Scotch Settlement.

The Government must step in and put a stop to this system of creating beggarly settlements. We can imagine the derision and contempt with which the officials will speak of the Wakefield system. A finer field for applying the Wakefield system than New Zealand could not have been provided. It is much to be regretted that the system has not been tested ; first, because we still maintain it is sound ; and secondly, because the failure of a system which has usurped its name, will weaken if not destroy the influence exercised by the London colonial press upon " the Office." The Colonial Office is apparently destined !o have a most mischievous triumph over the assertors of systematic colonization, based upon the sufficient price principle ; but by the ruinous executive management, here and in London, of the Company's affairs, and by it mainly will the victory be obtained.