NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette, Volume I, Issue 50, 9 February 1842, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND.

(From the Sydney Herald, Jan. 6th, 1842 ) Among other documents recently received from our London agent is a copy oi the papers relative to New Zealand, which were ordered by the House of Commons to be printed, atid although they do not relate directly to this Colony, they contain much matter that must be highly interesting to our readers, and as space allows we intend to publish the more important or interesting portions.

One fact which which muse strike every one who gives this document the most cursory perusal is, that the charge brought against the Church Missionaries of endeavouring to prevent the sovereignty of the Queen being declared over all portions of New Zealand, is a direct fabrication, for we find that one of Governor Hobson’s most active agents in procuring the natives to sign treaties was the Rev. FI. Williams, who is we believe the senior missionary, and who, with two other clergymen, performed several distant and dangerous voyages for the purpose of visiting the most influ - ential chiefs, and from his great knowledge of the character of the natives, his thorough acquaintance with the language, and the respect in which he is held by the chiefs, Mr Williams must have been a very va uable assistant. Governor Hobson need ask no other tribute to his services than is contained in his various despatches, which show that he performed an arduous duty, which brought him into contact with various hostile and conflicting interests, with great tact and firmness, and that not withstanding the unfortunate attack of illness with which he was afflicted shortly after he assumed the Government, he went through a vast quantity of labour, both mental and bodilv, in causing Her Majesty’s authority to be duly respected and recognised. In Major Bunbury and Mr. W. Shortland His Excellency appears to have had two most efficient assistants.

It may be asked how then is it that the inhabitants of Port Nichols n and the New Zealand Company’s settlements are opnosed to Governor Hobson, and the reply, we think, is very simple, because he at all times considered the general prosperity of New Zealand of more importance than the Company’s interests, and would never acknowledge the farce of playing at Government introduced by Colonel Wakefield and his associates, which the Company’s lawyers told them was iliegal and must not be persisted in, and for which Major Baker, one of the Council’s Magistrates, made a public apology in the Supreme Court of Sydney. As soon as Governor Hobson heard of the proceedings of this self-constituted Council, he issued a proclamation reciting “Whereas certain persons residing at Port Nicholson, New Zealand, part of the dominions of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, have formed themselves into an illegal association under the title of a Council, and in contempt of Her Majesty’s authority, have assumed and attempted to usurp the powers vested in me by her Majesty’s letters patent for the government of the said colony, to the manifest injury and detriment of all Her Majesty’s leige subjects in New Zealand ” and commanding “ all persons connected with such illegal association immediately to withdraw therefrom.’ 1 This proclamation was sent to Port Nicholson by Mr. Willoughby Shortland, who proclaimed the Queen’s authority, and although some of the principal inhabitants assured Mr. Shortland that their only object was to preserve the peace until competent magistrates were appointed by the Queen’s Governor, the repeated and violent attacks which have since been made upon Mr. Shortland by the Company’s newspaper (the editor of which was, we believe, Secretary to the Council), show that the part taken by him has not been either forgiven or forgotten. While upon this subject we may remark that in acknowledging the receipt of a copy of the proclamation above cited, Lord John Russell says, “ as far as it has been possible to form a judgment, your proceedings appear to have entitled you to the entire approbation of Her Majesty’s Government.” To shew that Governor Hobson was not disposed to do anything that would injure the character of the Company’s settlement further than was necessary tor the due assertion of Her Majesty’s authority, we will quote an extract from a despatch in which His Excellency transmitted Mr. Shortland’s report of his visit to Port Nicholson ; he savs, “ I beg to state, that subsequent communications received from that gentleman are of a tenor equally favorable, and that Mr. Shortland speaks highly of the industry and respectability of all the settlers at that place.” A second cause of the dissatisfaction which the Company’s settlers feel towards Governor Hobson is the refusal to make their settlement of Wellington the capital of New Zealand, and instead thereof fixing it at the Waitemata. This is a question which none but those having local knowledge are competent to decide upon, but it must be borne in mind that the Company’s settlers had a direct pecuniary interest in causing that settlement to be made the seat of Government, as it would have doubled the price of land, while Governor Hobson had considerable knowledge of the coast of New

Zealand, and had nothing to study but the general prosperity of the Colony. It is but fair to state in the words of Mr. Somes, the Governor of the New Zealand Company, that Captain Hobson’s opinion on this subjeef, as far as relates to Port Nicholson, was “ formed on the report of others,” and whether during his late visit His Excellency saw reasons for changing the unfavorable opinions expressed in his letter of the 10th November, 1840, we are not in a position to state. The geographical position of Port Nicholson is undoubtedly very good, being similar as regards New Ulster and New Munster (or the north and middle island) to Port Phillip, with respect tn New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land

The great number of influential men in London, who are connected with the New Zealand Company, has given a degree of importance to the uniavorable representations made by the Port Nicholson settlers respecting Governor Hobson, which they would not, by their intrinsic merit, have possessed ; and we regret to see that the English press is beginning to echo some of the charges preferred in the Company’s paper at Port Nicholson, and more especially the Colonial Gazette (a paper generally so well-informed upon colonial matters as to give additional weight to its censures) has some very severe strictures upon Captain Hobson, under the title of “ A Colony ruined by its Governorthe grand error which the writer laboured under being, that he had con founded the interests of the New Zealand Company with the interests of the Colony—whereas they are quite distinct; and the present conduct of the Company would almost lead to a belief that in some instances they are adverse. About the time that this unfavourable impression respecting Captain Hobson was gaining ground, the document now before us was published, and its careful perusal by impartial persons would go far to rebut many of the charges which had*been made against His Excellency, who, as regards tne general interests of New Zealand affairs, appears to us to have aettd with great discretion. Another important question with respect to New Zealand is, what is to be done with the French settlement at Akaroa, on the middle island ? Great Britain can, under no circumstances, give up her claim to sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand—and, on the other hand, the French Government having allowed settlers to go out under the idea that they were to found a French colony, cannot forsake them. We expect that the matter will be compromised by the French settlers receiving liberal grants of land, which it will be evidently the interest of the British Government to give them, —as their can be no doubt that their settlement will be a very important one: the geographical position is so excellent. We give below a copy of the official account of the arrival of the settlers, and the terms under which they were allowed to land : Government House, Russel, Bay of Islands, i 26tli September, 1840. Sir, —I have the honour to inform your Excellency that Her Majesty’s ship Biitomart arrived here from her visit to Binks’ Peninsula and Akaroa on the 23rd instant. I he Brilomart touched at Port Nicholson on her return, and received on board Mr. Shortland, leaving Mr. Murphy fo sup> ly his place, Mr. Robinson having previously taken up his residence at Akaroa. I transmit for your Excellency’s information a copy of Captain Stanley s report of his proceedings while at Akaroa. I he measures he adopted with the French emigrants are, I think, extremely judicious, and the whole of his couduct evinces a degree oi zeal and intelligence, which, I trust, you will consider wortny the notice of Her Majesty’s Government. I have, &c., (Signed) W. Hobson. His Excellency Governor Sir George Gipps, &c., &c., &c. Her Majesty’s Ship Brilomart, 17th September, 1840. Sir, — I have the honour to inform your Excellency that I proceeded in Her Majesty’s sloop under m.y command to the poit of Akaroa in Banks’ Peninsula, where I arrived on the 10th August, after a very stormy passage, during which the stern-boat was washed away and one of the quarter-boats stove.

The French frigate L’Aube had not arrived when I anchored, nor had any French emigrants been landed. August 11 I landed,accompanied by Messrs. Murphy and Robinson, poltce magistrates, and visited the only two parts ol the Bay where there were houses. At both places the flag was hoisted, and a court, of which notice had been given the day before, was held by the magistrates. Having received informati >n that there were three whaling stations on the southern side of the peninsula, the exposed positions of which afforded no anchorage for the Britomart, I sent Messis. Murphy and Robinson to visit them in a whaleboat,

At each station the flag was hoisted, and a court held. On the 15th August the French frigate L’Aube arrived, having been four days off the port. On the 16th August the French whaler Compte de Paris, having on board 67 French emigrants, arrived.

With tire excep ion of Mr. Bellegni, from the Jardm des Plantes, who is sent out to look after ihe emigrants, and who is a good botanist and mineralogist, the emigrants are all of the lower o der, and include carpenters, .gardeners, stonemasons, labourers, a baker, and a miner ; in all 30 men, 11 women, and ihe rest children. Captain Lavand, on the arrival of the French emigrants, assured me on his word of honour, that lie would maintain the most sirict neutrality between the British residents and the emigrants j and that, should any difference arise between them, he would settle matters impaitially. Captain Lavaud also informed me, that as the Compte de Paris had to proceed to sea, whaling, that he vrould cause the emigrants to be landed in some unoccupied part of the

Bay, where he pledged Himself they Would do nothing which would be considered as hostile to our Government, and that until fresh instructions should be received from our respective Governments, that the emigrants should merely build themselves houses for shelter, and clear away what little land they might require for gardens, Upon visiting the Compte de Paris I found that she had on board, besides agricultural tools for the settlers, six long 24 pounders, mounted on field carriages. I immediately called upon Captain Lavaud to protest against the guns being landed, Captain Lavaud assured me that he had been much surprised at finding that guns had been sent out in the Compte de Paris, but that he had already given the most positive orders that they should not be landed. On the 19th August the French emigrants having landed in a sheltered well-chosen part of the Bay, where they could not interfere with any one, I handed over to Messrs. Murphy and Robinson the instructions intrusted to me by your Excellency, to meet such a contingency. Mr, Robinson finding that he could engage three or four Englishmen as constables, and having been enabled, through the kindness of Captain Lavaud, to purchase a boat from the French whaler, decided upon remaining. Captain Lavaud expressed much satisfaction when I in formed him that Mr. Robinson was to remain, and immediately offered him the use of his cabin and table as long as L’Aube remained at Akaroa. Mr. Robinson accepted Captain Lavaud’s offer until he could establish himself on shore. On the 27th August I sailed from Akaroa for Pigeon Bay, when, finding no inhibiiants, I merely remained long enough to survey the harbour, which, though narrow and exposed to the northward, is well sheltered from every other wind, and is much frequented by whalers, who procure great numbers of pigeons. From Pigeon Bay I went to Port Cooper, where Mr. Murphy held a court, several chiefs were present,and seemed to understand and appreciate Mr Murphv’s proceedings in one or twu cases that came before him. Between Port Cooper and Cloudy Bay I could hear of no anchorage wdiatever Irom the whalers wno frequent the coast. I arrived at Port Nicholson on the 2nd September, Embarked Messrs. Shortland and Smart, and sailed for the Bay of Islands on the 16th September. 1 have the honour to enclose herewith such information as I was enabled to procure during my stay at Banks Peninsula, and also plans of the harbours. 1 have, &c. (Signed) Owen Stanley, To His Excellency Lieut.-Governor Hobson, Commander, R.N., Bay of Islands, With the Parliamentary document there is a map of tlie three Islands of New Zealand, which shews how little is known of the harbours and rivers, especially in the Southern Islands, and considering; the number of ships that are now employed on the New Zealand trade, it is extremely desirable that a complete and perfect survey should be made forthwith. Towards the close of the last session of Parliament Lord Viscount Ingestre (who is, we believe, a Captain in the Navy ) gave notice of his intention to move an address to the Queen to order the coast of New Zealand to be surveyed; and as his Lordship was to be one of the Lords of the Admiralty under the Peel Ministry, there is no doubt, that ere this, preparations are being made for carrying this desirable object into effect.