CAPTAIN HOBSON AS WITNESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22949, 29 January 1938, Page 1 (Supplement)

CAPTAIN HOBSON AS WITNESS

I By MATANGA

j The Truth About a Date

IN the Auckland provincial district January 29 has hitherto been observed as Anniversary Day. Other districts have given similar distinction to different dates, each chosen in memory of a local beginning. Auckland has preferred to keep one associated with "the establishment of the Colony," to quote the g r3 t official notification by Governor Hobson, who meant the Anniversary Pay he instituted to bo observed wherever in these islands there was European settlement; not necessarily to the exclusion of dates of local significance but as having a general inter est and value. The precise wording of the first notification should be heeded. It is here pnnipd from the New Zealand Government Gazette of January 26, 1842. NOTICE. qaTTTRDAY. tho '2oth instant, being the uirrOND ANNIVERSARY of the Establishm«nt of the Colony, His Excellency the rnvprnor has been pleased to direct that day ? 0 be held,a GENERAL HOLIDAY on which occasion the Public Offices will be closed. Exce ii, ncy , g command, WILLOUGHBY SHORTLAND. colonial Secretary's Office Auckland, Jan. 27, IS4'2. From thi« it is evident that " the establishment of the Colony " is the basis of the observance. It matters not at all that tho people of the Auckland area, having loyally kept the day before the provinces were created, went on doing so afterwards, content to seek no other date as peculiarly their own. This was perfectly natural, since the establishment of the Colony was effected in their region; but their continued honouring of the day, even if many of them mistakenly think 6f this as merely an Auckland observance, has not altered and cannot alter the fact of its wider origin and purpose. Decisive Letters In proof of what Captain Hobson meant by "the establishment of the Colony," reference can be made to his v own words. They clearly tell that this event was something other than his arrival in the Bay of Islands. Two letters that he wrote on January 29, 1840, while still on board H.M.S. Herald as a passenger, in private p ; : r capacity—ho did not land until the I following day—are extant, perfectly preserved. They were written to Mr. j Charles Baker, then in charge of the ! Church Missionary Society headf quarters at Paihia in the temporary ( absence of the Rev. Henry Williams, and are copied here, directly from the originals, care being taken to transcribe them accurately. H.M. Ship Herald i>D Jauy. 1840 I ily dear Sir , - 1L , „ , Mr. Busby -jvill send you the draft of an invitation toithe Native Chiefs which I shall feel very jnuch obliged if you wiU have Sr printed as quickly as possible. * I am desirous to meet the chiefs with the least possible delay and shall thank you to Is provide as many messengers to convey these fe notices as may be required. Whatever yon uetm proper shall be paid to them. I aiu sorry I did not see yon before yon went on shore, but I hope yon will favor me tvith a conference tomoTrpw. K /1 should like if possible to have some i'* conversation with the most influential gentle* S men here and at Hokianga but I cannot with propriety leave the ship until I appear in my proper character. It is an eventful moment for the Country, and I feel assured that the Public Interest will be best con- || suited by Union of Purpose. I hope to see ft Mr- Williams as soon as possible. Ever your very Humble A cbedient Servt. W Hobson Later in the evening Captain Hob--son wrote Mr. Baker, a further letter: Herald •29th Jany.

My dea* Sir . „ . . , I have resolved to read Her Majesty s Commissions tomorrow & to issue my proclamations at once. There are cogent reasons Tor prompt movements. I have sent the drafts of the Proclamations ;or the Printer, pray hasten their execution. [ shall I fear trespass a good deal on ypur establishment, but I hope with God s assistance that our measures will ensure prosperity :o this lovely Country. May I hope you will use your influence to procure a full attendance at Kororareka tomorrow at two. As this will not be delivered before the morng. don t mistake the day. If> I could have the use of your Church, It is tfiere I should most like to read these mportant documents Yours ever W Hobson

A Clerical Blunder it is well to get into memory Hob>on's emphatic words, " I cannot with propriety leave the ship until I appear in mv proper character." They show mind, nothing done on thai day, January 29, had official significance in the establishment of the Colony; and surely he was best entitled and able to judge. Another thing: about that critical morrow, January 30, ho is so anxious for all to go well that he underlines the four words " don't mistake the day." Hut January 29, not January 30, has nefji given honour in commemoration' ■)f it! How has that coino about? 'lhfl answer is'simple. Look again at that Gazette notice ibove. It refers to the second anniversary, in 1842; there was no official observance, no proclaimed holiday, in 1841, because of the unsettled state of things occasioned by the piecemeal transfer of the seat of government from the Bay of Islands to the Waitemata. And in 1842, when the holiday was first proclaimed, the 30th fell on a Sunday, so " Saturday, the 29th instant " was "hosen instead. The rest of the plain story can be "••ad in Hansard. Dr. Pollen, qualified by full personal knowledge to speak for putting things right, told the truth from his place in the Legislative Council:

For live years after that there was no 'dblic holiday; the people of New Zealand •ad 'other fish to try'-, there was very ■"nail occasion for rejoicing on the part of iny portion of New Zealand during thoso five years. After a time things began to look Tighter and hotter, and in January, 1817, i notification was made that there should be ' public holiday in celebration of the anni'emry of the foundation of the Colony. In iccordance with the usual offico routine, reference was made to the first notification of lie holiday on tho 20th, and it was opied verbatim, as giving the proper date for innivcrsary. Joint Committee's Report After Dr. Pollen's advocacy of tho laims of tho 30th, a Joint Committee >f the two Houses of Parliament sot out the facta in its report, recommending that " the date should be made 30th 'January, instead of the 29th as at present, so that it may be in accord ff ith the historical fact." In similar torins tho Legislative Council adopted the recommendation without dissent, hit tho House of Representatives has 't'Klected to give effect to it. Amends to history must bo made. , tf&xt year tho 29th will fall on a Sun'ny, so thore may bo a special inducement to observe the 30th then, as an transition to regular observance of the right date. But by 19-10 that date should be incontestably fixed, in accordance with the unanimous and already Published finding of tho Provincial Historical Research Committoo. Until . change is made, Captain Hobson's "don't mistake the day " will continue to read like a prophetic reproach of fienerations not tJien in his mind.