HISTORY IN NEWSPAPERS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1717, 25 January 1905, Page 2

HISTORY IN NEWSPAPERS.

WELLINGTON IN THE FORTIES, ' r’T; *. V;- T- • ' /’• ’. THE E!DUGiTIbiN“ CONTROVERSY. THE FIGHT -p0& SECULARISM. .-■v •(Erdm. 'tEe “New . Zealand.: Spectator, ’’ ■ U/. January I3thy 1855.) / ‘'A public- nteeling was* held on Wednesday s', evening, at the ’ Wellington y ■> .Athonaeuin for the purpose of considering the Government Education (Bill. ■ The room was*L’erv much crowded, and ; yi'i& doubt if ;sny ptiblic question has * y <&ver excited so much public attfehtion inf Wellington ns the proceedings con- - .ndcted with --the meeting.:, ; f : v . ’ yy ‘ - "Dr Ralph moved,. and Mr. Robertsseconded, thefo-llowiaig;': resolution : ‘ That. this/mdeting recognises the fne- • bessity of'public provision: for. theVgeiie-n : rpl ihstruction' ■< off Th©;. rising: ’genera-. • :ti ohT ’ (After 1 sola© ’ discussion) E fy -The ;Rev JV’Moir .mdved—( That the • ;. State; should provideonly .for oneAsystem of : education to moot the exjgenNcies pffa colohial population with every ; . peculiarity of faith and thinly scattered :M over a hew country; ' That the contra- -(. . (lictory professions; and sectarian ani- . y ; mositiies of :a. denominational system c ihust be very injurious.. to: the -religious ' . pririciples and training of a rising communityf were it practicable, in a young .colony like New Zealand.’ .It was. ne-. . cess ary, he- said, that a proper system -df education ‘ should be established in the province that should be. sound v in principle and beneficial in its influence, but he did hot hesitate to say that the •denominational system was. not sound f _y in principle,: and that .it was immoral and pernicious in ~ its operation. In . Wellington there Were ten distinct, deiiominations. If tlie .S-tate were to v carry out tlie denominational system ..' they would, have- ten different systems : I\, to begin with. .f- ■ ' > ;' v f ~7 -jV-Nv (After Mr Moir ; had made a long •f «peec*h) ,/•’..' y fy'p’/N;V‘.f;s... f ■■ *‘Mr Allen rose ; tof order; he submitted thatfthe i-ey gentleman, was in- ■ y trodueihg most irrelevant matter, and ought hot to be allowed to) insult members of other religious denominations,- . . and waste time of the meeting.. 7 . “Tlie Chairman (Mr May) said the speaker was in order, that the question Was. a . most important -Oney and that • if it were necessary the. discussion might be continued for a. week. . • y • .“Mr St. Hill rose to order, when a - most extraordinary scene of disorder- ■ took- place. The supporters, of the y Government scheme .were very noisy and violent > Mr Revans being . cph- • soicuous for his violence and excited manner. Under these circumstances Archdeacon Hadfield and other mern- : : hers of the /Church of England pre- • pared to leave the room, when the- . Chairman taunted them with . cowardrice,. and with being afraid to listen to discussion ] they 'immediately resumed, their seats.- - : y " \ •' . A "Throughout his address. Mr Moir' . was much cheered by' the supporters of the Government seheme, with strong marks of dis-sent from its opponents. . (After further-discussion, the meeting adjourned. What happened on its resumption is from later issues of the | ; , - 1 ’Spectator.”) e " i • “Mr - Fox said that v having moved

the adjournment, he was in" possession oh the meeting, hut he would waive his right in favour of . Mr Porter. .(After Mr Porter had -spoken) ..’“-Mr Pox, on- rising; expressed the gratification with, which he had listened to Ml* Porter's address, and hoped when his- hairs were grey, lie might- look hack to having done' some work in the cause of education which might he compared to his. Who would abstain in this nineteenth century, when the electrictelegraph was at- work, from expressing his' surprise at the clergy groping their way back to the darkness of the middle ages? .. • . •, . The system .brought forward by. the Government was not recommended by them as the best, but as the best under existing circumstances. What- was meant by him (Mr F.) as Secular Education was .this : that the publicVmon ; ey should not he given to any schools where -religion was taught. (Hisses and cheers.) He would now propose the following amendment:— “ That this. meeting cordially concurs in the condemnation of the denominational system, and. is of opinion that in any educational ‘ system adopted by the Government care should be taken that no opening he afforded for a return to- that system, or for its adoption in any Way, however modified or partial.” Seconded by the Rev* W. Kirton. Archdeacon Hadfield claimed the intdulgence of the meeting on the ground that it was the first- occasion on which he had ever attended a public meeting in the colony, he must, 1 here lore, tic unpractised in speaking ; and he claimed the indulgence on another ground, namely, that- he was about to speak after one who had just addressed them with so much eloquence, and whose profession it was to make the worse appear the better cause. He meant no offence to Mr Fox personally, but lie considered M|i Fox a very shallow and superficial statesman. He (Archdeacon Hadfield) wished for no interference on the

part of the State in elementary edr. r.cation.' He distinctly l-epudiated the charge, as applied either to himself or to any of the members of the Church of England, that they wished to he. a privileged body. He felt-strongly, that the plan proposed by the. Government must be resisted. . It Was a blow aimed at their rights, then? liberties, their consciences. ’ He would appeal: to them as to whether an act for branding sheep would have been,;hurried on like this?. “On. the motion of Mr Fitzherbert, the meeting was adjourned to the following evening, (Oil resuming):

“ After, , some- . consultation between Mr Fox; the Rev J.riyloir, a!nd tli,e Rev ,R. Paul r .the gßev J. Moil* explained that by mutual consent it) was agreed, .that the bfiginal -resolution, and amendment should?bov? withdrawn, and MiFox’s amendment he' "put -to-f he meet-ing-as'a substaiitive motion.-”- ■ '? '(y ' . (After further discussion) “ ri “Mr Fox’s resolution was then put and-carried, y y > * , - T

‘Air Hart 1 moved,’ “That ..this meeting considers the permissive system of education embodied ' in the Government Bill, ; including instruction in the fundamental truths of ; Christian Religion, as embodied exclusively in. the; books of the Irish Board, as one which is likelyto result in answering the general education of the. colonists of this-prpviiice r ” - “Seconded by Mr- Harding. - ; ...-

“Mr Fitzherbert said that in rising on the present occasion he. felt greater embarrassment and pain than he had ever experienced .in addressing a public meeting in Wellington. He was arrayed against - brethren of a church to which he was bound by every association. .. - : .. The fact was, the oppo-

site party wanted their share of the public money; they wanted, to support a denominational system. He admitted they (the Church of. England) had been tenants from time immemorial, and great allowance was to be made for them on that account, but he hoped they would renounce the desire of being the predominant Church. The discussion was again' adjourned several times. Finally, on January 17th, the following resolution, moved Mr King, and seconded by Mr E. J. Wakefield, Was put to the meeting and carried unanimously—--That it is the opinion of this meeting that the Provincial Council shcnld he . memorialised to‘ adjourn to another session the second reading of the bill now before, it, to promote the establishment of common schools. in the 'province of Wellington, in order that due time, might- be given to the" people of this province to consider fully ; a measure of such vital importance.” ’“Great applause followed the announcement, and on tlie motion of Mr King a, committee was appointed todraw up a petition to the Provincial Council, after which the meeting broke up. -’ - (The petition was duly presented, and the bill adjourned. '

HOW THE SETTLERS LIVED. There is a whole; volume of truth/ in the single copy of “The Wellington* independent.'’ published at Port Nicholson, New Zealand, on May 7th, 1845, for it tells in simple language how the •settlers bf the six-year-old town lived, what were their, interests and difficulties, and what progress they had made in building up the humming metropolis that lines the shove of Port Nicholson to-day. The settlement was. quite an infant one.- It had not quite discarded ibA original character of a' whaling station,. for “M. Asher” advertised' • “to whalers and others’’ t-liat be had for sale cedar boat planks, copper, boat and timber nails, lioop-irou, etc. But the settlers' were reaching out over the surrounding country. At .the Hut-t, Bethune and Hunter had land for ' sale • “in five-acre lots or otherwise, having. frontage on . the Eritonga river:” The Wairarapa alsohad been tapped, for “W. M. Smith” advertised, under the heading “Sheep on Thirds,” that he was “prepared to depasture ewes- on his run in the Wairarapa Yalplyj for one-third of the annual increase; the management of the sheep to- be entirely, under the direction of his: own .shepherds.” MONEY WAS TIGHT. There • was another settlement at a plage called Okiwi, famous in the paper under notice for the fact that the bailiff was about to- sell a farm there, witli dwellng-ho-use, ,outbuildings, furnit.me, and wheat- in stack. I’nfortunately, money seems to- have been very tight in the young settlement. “The Gazette’’ advertised in plaintive manner that “of all the. accounts owing to this establishment those which have been due the shortest period were contracted more than six months since,” and the advertiser, one “E. Roe,” threatens to take legal proceedings to improve the financial condition of the settlement. Again, “The Meat Company,’’ of which. W. Fiy-gc-r appears to have been the manager, had given “proem ptory instructions to adopt, legal proceedings” for the same end.

And in those, hard times we fear the settlers were- .not over sernplous in making a. living, for the " 1 ndependent” indignantly writes: -

“Complaints liave reached us of weights in this town being very, unjust.. One and", a half pound of bread has been eold as a two-pound loaf. If any law of inspection exists applicable to Kew Zealand it- ought to be - put- in force in justice to the fair trader and to, vlie public.” - . THE SHIPPING.

The most Utopian dreams of the early settlers conjured up no lonics and Suffolks b’ing alongside the wharves of Wellington. The arrivals in Port Nicliolsom for two days were the “cutter Katherine Johnston, ten tons, Taylor, from Wanganui, with sundries,"’ and thev “whaling barque Caernarvon, of Sydney, Captain-Irving, from the South- Sea Islands, two months out, with 150 barrels sperm oil; W. S. Loxley; - agent.” The only .departufe-wa-s the ‘‘schooner Lady of -the Lake, twenty-five tons,"Axt,on, foi* the Coast, with sundries.” There > were in the stream', besides the two new arrivals, the cutters Leven, twenty-four tons. Captain Popperwell, . and Ann and Sarah, twe-nty-eight tons, Captain Sinclair".

‘ “The barque Caledonia, Captain Case, sails this day foi* London, with a- full cargo, the produce of this part of, New Zealand.” Let us see what- tills part produced before dairy factories and freezing works -were thought, of. “Account of cargo - shipped on hoard the Caledonia; R, J. Case, for London; James Smith and Co., agents: 204 logs mairi timber, 26 tons; 3 slabs totara timbea*; 303 knots hinau, totara, gowai gowai, etc: ; 12 casks con--taining rimu, rewa rewa, matepo, etc., etc.; 4 tuns and 70 .gallons sperm oil: 3 casks containing 220 gallons humpback oil; 5 tons black bark; 12 tons hinau bark.—Johnson and Moore.

162 logs mairi timber. R-obert Kemble.

24 pieces hinau, mairi, aki-aki,' etc., etc. ; 6 slabs hinau ; 2 planks'rimu; 300 knots aki-aki, hinau, rewa rewa, rimu, matepo, totara, gowai, etc. ; 6 cases curiosities; 4£ tons hinau bark.—l. W. Jer n i n gh am. 1 case birdskins; 10 cases arrowroot; Bcwt whalebone; 14 bales of wool; and so forth. There were twenty-eight passengers. Rate of freight paid for cargo per Caledonia for London: Oil, £-6 per tun of 252 gallons, Imp. measure; whalebone, £6 per ton, 22401 b: wool, Ifd p-er lb; timber, 755. to 80s per ton measurement; flax, about £6 measurement; knots, the same as the timber; packages of curiosities, etc., £5 per ton. . > As an afterthought, the Editor .-.u,serfs the following correction to the shipping news:—“ln our Shipping List We -report the Caernarvon, from the South Sea Islands; it should have been from the Bay, in seventeen days. ’ DEFENCE OF THE SETTLEMENT. In the forties the- Maori menace was close at the doors of Wellington, and Jhe re was continued vigilance on the /part of volunteers a-ncl regulars, “ai. Richmond,” Commandant of the Volunteer Forces. advertised.in the “Independent” of May 7th,. 1845, that the weekly inspection of volunteers by the Commandant would lie discontinued until further notice, ‘‘as they, will he drilled every 'Wednesday with the regular troops by Captain Russell, alternately •on Thorn don and T-e Aro Fiats/ The. following items show what tlie regular troops were doing:.—'

“Last week the detachment- of the 58th, stationed at 4ka: Warra, were practised with ball cartridge. We are informed that some of the officers and men are capital shots. We are glad, to hoar it. fo-ii if ever we are compelled to attack the natives in the bush, milkary evolutions will be of little avail, com.pared to a steady, baud, quicic sight and a good shot.” “On Saturday the detachment of the 58th regiment were turned out in heavy marching order by Captain Russell, who took them as far as the chapel, on* the Ivarori road. We admire the system of drilling the military in the bush, and making them acquainted with a few of the difficulties since, it hostilities do commence in this distinct; bush fighting will he one of the principal features, for natives will not risk themselves often, on open ground.”

“Ivarori. —Captain Russell, of the 53th Regiment, has quartered one of his corporals at the residence of Air Justice Chapman, for the purpose of drilling and training the- settlers in the Ivarori district to the use of arms. This is as it ought to he, for every man in the settlement should he prepared lor the worst- We again ask are the author - ties determined to neglect the import, ant district of Porirua P It must- he remembered that the whole Porirua district, from its easiness of approach, is open to native attacks, and we do think that some efforts should he made- to defend this locality. As the settlers are numerous., they should be drilled and trained to the- use of arms, and they would then form n formidable- body.” “The detachment of the 90th were turned out. on Saturday, and drilled moit- effectively by Captain 'Ey ton. The men went through their evolutions with quickness and regularity, and we have never seen a body of men perform their

exercises better. Captain Eyton seemto be highly esteemed by- the men under his commimd, a sure sign that he is a good officer. During *the time the .soldiers were employed digging the trencheand erecting the. fortifications round the barracks and other buildings,-,etc., Captain Eyton worked with his soldiers, and was as busy as any ..of them. Captain Eyton has been stationed now about two years in Wellington; during which time lie lias gained the goodwill of the inhabitants', generally.” THE MAORI WAR. News from other parts of the colony was of a disquieting nature. "Wo did hope by this time,” complained the “Independent,” “we should be able to report that the Government had been unable to redeem the disgrace which its miserable policy had brought Upon the British arms; hut in this we are disappointed.” The state of affairs is briefly described in news from 'the other centres. Under the heading of “Postscript,” was published fhe latest from the North. .

“The English whaling barque Caernarvon, Captain living, arrived on Monday night from Bay or Islands, which she left on tlie 17th April, Ho-ni Heki and Nene, with tlieii* tribes, - were" still at war. The cause was the death, or murder of a grandchild of Nene. Honi Hefei’s people • have destroyed more household property since our last accounts. It is stated that they anxiously await the arrival of the troops there, to whom they are determined to give battle, and will do- so- with the fullest confidence of being successful. The report of the natives having slaughtered nine unoffending Europeans, after taking KorOrarika, is further confirmed by this opportunity.' “H.M.S. Hazard was at the Bay of Islands under the command of-Lieuten-ant Johnson, lately first lieutenant of H.M.S. North Star, now at Auckland. The Catholic Bishop and all the other Europeans had left, or were preparing to quit, without delay. Rev Williams is stated to /possess t much power, and will be all alone in his glory. Some inquiry, we hope, will he made into this man’s proceedings.

“It is stated that Messrs Smith and Whatford are implicated m the destruction of Kororarika, and that the former has left New Zealand.” As the rekult of inquiries made of shipmasters and others from Auckland the “Independent” wrote: —“It is currently reported that since the destruction of Kororarika tlie- natives have erected three pahs in the immediate neighbourhood of. Auckland. This has the appearance of preparation for more hostile encounters.” The ‘-Southern Cross” (Auckland) of April 12th contained the following paragripn:—"lt was rumoured that his Excellency. intended to resign the reins of Government into- other hands, and many persons attended the Council •Chamber on? Tuesday, fully expecting the consummation of so desirable -an event : hut it . would appear that his Excellency is still backward in believing that the colony is i*uined, and is determined to remain- until Government House is actually pulled down about his ears. Concentration is now his Excellency’s watchword, and after ruining the Bay cf Islands, and causing upwards of 600 soul' to be conveyed to the capital, lie is expecting that these poor starving people are to. pay duties on everything that they consume.”.

“On the 10th April a meeting of both faces of the inhabitants of the district of Taranaki was held, Mr W ieksteed (the company’s agent) in the chair. Resolutions were passed relative to the propriety of arranging for the defence of the district against the threatened attacks of th-e northern tribes, with which object it was agreed, to form a volunteer corps, and to erect a stockade for general protection. A committee was formed to prepare a memorial to Captain Fitzroy, to- provide the district with military protection.” AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY; “A public meeting was held at New Plymouth on the 3Lst March, with the object of submitting to the public the result of experiments made by MiFlight, in the growth of European flax at. New Plymouth. It is impossible to doubt the suitability of tlie New Zealand soil and climate for the growth of the very finest descriptions of European flax, some of which, we believe, sells at £l3O per ton.” “Samples of wheat have already been received from New -Plymouth; in this market, and we have no doubt henceforward we shall regularly receive supplies of wheat and barley, and salt pork and lard for export from that beautiful district. Several parcels of Maorigrown wheat from the same neighbourhood have also been on sale in Wellington during the week.” In those days the luxuries of Liter years —rabbits and gorse—were not so keenly appreciated as they are to-day. Air J. Hales, who.se place of business was “Ingestrie street, Te Aro,” advertised for sale “a quantity of Scotch furze 6s per lb, warranted.” “We are happy to be able to state that two whales have been taken at Mr Fitzherbert’s stations, at the Ivaikoras. They are the first wo have heard of having been captured this season.”