NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR, AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, July 19, 1845.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 41, 19 July 1845, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR, AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, July 19, 1845.

We last week published Captain Fitzroy's despatch to Col. Hulme, congratulating the latter on his victory over John Heki. That this disgraceful affair should have been so termed by

Captein Fitzroy, excites no surprise in our minds — for, unhappily, we are too accustomed to his reckless disregard of truth to wonder at any fresh example of it. We shall therefore make no comment on the false assumption pervading •this document — but shall simply confine ourselves to criticising it as a specimen of his Excellency' 3 style. In doing so, we must apologise to our readers who may think, and with reason, that the colony is suffering too deeply from real calamities to indulge in mere verbal criticisms ; but we really think that this particular despatch deserves a-passing notice — as being undoubtedly a genuine production of Captain Fitzroy's pen, and affording a very fair specimen of his talent in that department. His Excellency has already displayed himself as a statesman and a warrior ! Let us view him in another phase of his character ; like Napoleon, a writer of his own bulletins. • Col. Hulme, in his account of his retreat, writes in a tone of despondency, natural enough in a man placed in circumstances for which nature has unfitted him, and experiencing all the difficulties arising from his false position. His Excellency hastens to reassure him: "Allow me," says he, " to offer my hearty congratulations on the satisfactory results of your exertions." What a bitter sarcasm from any one but Captain Fitzroy ! " From the information hitherto received, I am inclined to believe that the beneficial effects of your expedition are greater, and would be more lasting, than you would now suppose." We hardly know which to admire most in this paragraph — his Excellency's grammar, or his delicate mode of administering consolation. It is quite clear that Col. Hulme did not suppose that the effect would be beneficial to any one but John Heki and his " rebels." "The gallant behaviour of Captain Denny and the light company of the 58th, — the exemplary conduct of the brigade cf seamen and marines under Captain Johnson, — the complete unanimity between the English and the loyal natives have" — what would our readers suppose ? why, " caused sensations not likely to be forgotten." ! ! ! Really, Captains Denny and Johnson ought to protest against being thus embalmed, like flies in amber, in Captain Fitzroy's despatches. " I have no hesitation," proceeds his Excellency, "in asserting, that mutual good feeling between the two races has been much increased by these proceedings." A very likely result, indeed ! By what process of reasoning he arrives at this conclusion we are not informed. If such an excellent mutual feeling has been produced by the slaughter of between two and three hundred men, what might not have been expected had the carnage been trebled ? Surely nothing less than positive affection. After this follows a, sage reflection on the difficulties and risks encountered from the ab ■ sence of almost everything necessary, or rather indispensable to success* There are one or two obvious omissions in the list that our readers no doubt can readily supply. , His Excellency winds up by expressing the thanks of himself, the officers of his Government, and the colonists, for the services rendered by Col. liulme on this occasion. With his own sentiments or those of his officials we have no concern — but as colonists, we must disclaim all feelings but those of disgust towards the contrivers of this ili-managed and wretched business. " Another such a victory, and we are undone." We confess we are disappointed with this production. There is a poverty of idea — a baldness of expression throughout, that singularly contrasts with the .writer's daring originality of conduct. We expected from Captain Fitzroy something in the style of the Ellenborough proclamations. We strongly recommend those immortal productions to his perusal. In the calm retirement of private life, to which he is about to be returned, he will have ample leisure to study them ; in order that, if another British colony should unhappily incur the hatred of the Colonial-office, and Captain Fitzroy be again selected as the instrument of its destruction, he may be qualified to express his ideas in corresponding language, and to the actions of a madman, unite the diction of a fool.

Thi meeting at iWirua Is over. The assembly of natives was by no means so great as was expected. Among other business, the H utt question was fully debated, and we are informed that Rangihaieta advised the intruding natives to stick to the land, and remain where they are. Eventually it was agreed to submit a proposal to Major Richmond, through ihe native protectors, that the Porirna natives should be removed to two native reserves in the Upper Hutt, and it is reported that he is seriously disposed to entertain the idea of a compromise. If his Honor had ever made up his mind on any question, if he could ever be said to have an idea, it was that no compromise could be entered into with these natives. The land had been fairly bought, even to the satisfaction of Captain Fitzroy, and had been paid for several times over ; these natives were confessedly intruders, whom, on every account, it was necessary to remove ; even Captain Fitzroy was prepared to read them " a sanguinary lesson," — while his Honor would not stand on the order of their going, but would make them go at all hazards. And now, when they are hesitating, — when the next arrival from Auckland may bring the intelligence of Col. Despard's decisive success over Heki, and resolve their doubts and rid us of their presence ; when a little firmness on his part might settle the question, the Superintendent appears determined to ditto his Excellency (as Sam Slick would say) in his vacilliation and inconsistency. Was it for this he approved of Mr. Forsaith's tickets ? Was it for this, oh lame and impotent conclusion ! that the worthy Major opened a potatoe store at Thorndon ? We can not doubt the fact of his entertaining the proposal ; and yet we would fain hope he will consider the consequences of this step before he irretrievably commits himself, and violates the pledges he has so often given to the settlers. It is said that the Sub-Protector advocates the notion of their remaining where they are, under the plea that according to the Colonial Minister's instructions, the natives, in the settlement of the land claims, are to retain their pas and cultivated grounds. But if the natives are allowed, by the connivance of the local authorities, to possess themselves of the settlers' lands, and are then permitted to retain by fraud what they have got by force, a direct encouragement is held out to lawless aggression. It is the misfortune of the settlers of this district to be inflicted with the plague of protectors. First the boy Clarke was sent to work out his father's and his own mischievous crotchets, to him succeeded Air. Forsaith, of whom we have often had occasion to speak, and now Mr. Kemp is indulging his maovi fancies. If these persons will not do good, at least let them, abstain from throwing fresh difficulties in the way of the settlement of this question. We desire equally with these protectors to see the reserves devoted to their legitimate use, and therefore we say, remove these intruders to the sections set apart for them in their respective districts, at Wanganui, Porirua, and Kai Wara, but do not reward the contumacious wrong doers by conceding all they have been contending for. We learn from the Hutt that some of the natives who have sent their potatoes to Major Richmond for sale, did so, not because they had any intention of going away, but because they could find no market for them ; and are now sowing wheat. We may, in conclusion, shortly advert to a letter in this day's Spectator from Messrs. Watkins and Ironside. Their statement that this meeting was " of a purely religious character" is at variance with the facts above mentioned : That Heki had sent a communication to be submitted to the meeting was stated to several settlers here by respectable missionary natives. In our brief allusion to the meeting we did not indulge in groundless suspicions, but merely stated such facts as we had learned on authority on which we could implicitly rely. If the southern natives have only heard of Heki's name through the medium of the newspapers, this is a sin of the Chief Dragoman's, as our correspondents must of course mean the Maori Gazette, and not an English newspaper. And yet when we all know how well informed the maories are of gassing events, and how rapidly intelligence of any importance circulates among them, we do not think they are likely to learn much native news from a newspaper.

On Monday last, pursuant to notice, the wreck of the barque Tyne, with the portion of the cargo that was saved, was sold by public auction, by Messrs. Bethune & Hunter, at the Riina Ripa rocks, about ten miles from Wellington. The sale was very numerously attended, and it waa calculated there were not less than 400 persons present. The prices realized were considered to be very high. The wreck, including cables, anchors, and all belonging to the vessel as she lay below high- water mark, was sold to Mr. D. Scott for £35 ; the portions of rigging, &c, saved, belonging to the vessel, on which salvage was claimed, was sold for £26. The longboat was also knocked down to the same purchaser for £12. A bale of unbleached calico was sold for £22, and many other lots obtained equally high prices. The day's sale produced £512, and on this sum salvage was claimed. The remainder of the cargo, brought in by the Uncle Sam, was sold at the Exchange on Wednesday, and realized £142. - ■

As the amount of salvage exceeded the fctnount of duty, according to Act of Parliament tio duty could be levied. The amount of duties lost to the Government is estimated at £1,000, enough to have built a lighthouse ; which, had it existed, would have prevented the possibility of such a misfortune. Captain Fitzroy's attention was directed to this very subject, in the memorial presented to him on his first arrival at Port Nicholson, and be promised to attend to it ; but, like all his other promises, it has not been since thought of. As Captain Robertson is very anxious to recover the specie, he has had the mates of the vessel sworn in as special constables, and sent them to i he wreck with instructions to use every exertiun for its recovery.

We are sorry to report the loss of the Pickwick cutter, belonging to Captain J. Guard, on Sunday June 29th, in a heavy south-west gale, off Cape Palliser. The lives of two of the crew, Daniel Abbott and John Delaney, were unfortunately lost, and Captain Guard and a boy were with great difficulty saved. These shipwrecked mariners, having barely escaped with their lives from the fury of the elements, were exposed to the rapacity of the natives, who, headed by a white man, plundered the wreck, and possessed themselves of whatever they could conveniently cany away. We submit that this is a case of inquiry for his Honor the Superintendent. We are concerned to add, that another small coasting vessel has been wrecked in Palliser Bay, supposed to be a schooner from Otaki laden with flax. We have great reason to fear that all on board have perished.

About a month ago, we were led to believe that Crown grants for Port Nicholson and Nelson would be forwarded by the next vessel from Auckland ; but we are ever doomed to be disappointed on this subject, as the Crown grants were not forwarded by the Palmyra.

An account of the number and tonnage of vessels that have entered inwards and cleared outwards at this port for the quarter ended sth July 1845 :— Vessels. Tons. Entered inwards 47 2,196 Cleared outwards 44 1,971 John Macartht, Harbour Master. Wellington, July 16, 1845.

State of the Beach. — The beach road between Kumutoto and the Clay Point, is in a vile state, -and 'has been^almost-impassible since the last rains. It is astonishing that the storekeepers, whose custom bad roads must always lessen, do not expend the trifling sum necessary to put the road in good order : the materials are close at hand, and nothing but a little spirit is wantiug.

From Wanganui we learn that the settlers of that district have forwarded a memorial to the Governor, in which, after describing in glowing terms the fertility of the soil, and beauty of the climate, and stating the friendly relations on which they have been living with the natives, which were only interrupted by the inroad of the Taupos, they complain, in strong but respectful terms, of the non-settlement of the Land Claims, " of the unaccountable delay of j months for the fulfilment of your Excellency's promise both to us and the native proprietors," and of the withdrawal of the Police Establishment — " or, according to the unfeeling and far worse than inconsiderate expression of a member of your Excellency's Council, Mr. Heale, we are to be abandoned by the Government, that none of our countiymen may have an inducement to join us, and by thi% abandonment be coerced ourselves," and eventually be compelled to break up the settlement, and be concentrated on Auckland. They say, that after a residence of some years at Wanganui, their means being nearly exhausted, they cannot now, in duty to their families, consent to such an " unjustifiable immolation of their means, their toils, their past time, and their .inclinations ;" and that they are determined to remain where they are, whether the Governor performs bis promise by putting them in possession of their lands, and affords them the protection of British subjects, or " withholds the confirmation of their rights, and dooms them, from penurious considerations, to neglect, and the dominion of society's outcasts." They deprecate the policy of purchasing a portion only of the block, as the surest means of keeping the settlement in a dependent state, and assert, that if the Land Question were once fairly settled, their numbers would rapidly increase in defiance of all calumnist, or other kind of opposition, that may be, as hitherto, arrayed against them. In conclusion, they satisfactorily refute his Excellency's statement, that Wanganui is inaccessible by land or sea. Our correspondent, in illustration of the way in which the law is administered at Wanganui, informs us, " that a short time since a white inhabitant of this place was thrown down, handscuffed, and conveyed to prison, because a dog which was following him tore a Maori's blanket, 'whibt'the s^ime week a native went unpunished, .after having robbed* one house by entering

through the chimney, and another by walking into a store and removingthe cash from the till." The natives at Wanganui were very quiet.

The settlement at Akaroa has lately been thrown into a state of great alarm and excitement from the following circumstance. Aca noe arrived at Port Levi from Kapiti full of natives, and an exaggerated report of their arrival having reached the pa, all the chiefs and warriors armed went to ascertain the object of this unexpected visit, leaving only the old men, the women, and children in the pa. In this interval an alarm was spread that the natives from the Southward were coming to attack the pa, and the whole place was a scene of the greatest excitement. Mr. Robinson immediately despatched a messenger for the return of the Akaroa natives, who were accompanied by those of Port Levi; but on examining into the affair, the alarm proved to be without any foundation.

The Auckland Times states that Captain Fitzroy has pardoned the two soldiers of the 96th Regt. who were sentenced by Judge Martin to IS months' imprisonment for felonious rioting. His Excellency has' also pardoned Green and Connor, the two men tried six months ago, at Nelson, for wilfully killing a cow belonging to a poor man of the name of Segley, and sentenced by Judge Chapman to 1 0 years' transportation. This sentence was considered lenient, as the case was an aggravated one, and the offenders were notoriously bad characters ; distress could not be pleaded in extenuation of the crime, as the cow was left to rot in the bush. Captain Fitzroy is said to have alleged the same reason for pardoning these men that he assigns for drawing bills on the Treasury, namely, the stoppage of the New Zealand Company. Perhaps he may hereafter plead the same excuse for the war in the North.