SOME EARLY HISTORY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17820, 1 July 1932, Page 9

SOME EARLY HISTORY

WELLINGTON, WAKEFIELD, AND HENRY WILLIAMS A NOTABLE MISSIONARY “Wellington, Wakefield and Ilenrv .Williams’’ was the title of an address delivered by the Rev. W. Brain well Scott before the Wellington Rotary flub. The speaker said that with Hie limited time at his disposal one had to specialise, so ho would confine himself as much as possible to Wellington, its founder, arid Henry Williams, mb rsionary. It was well known, said Mr Scott, that the first settlers of the New Zealand Company landed at Wellington on January 22, 1840, and those of Auckland on January 20—a week later, which had always been the cause of a little rivalry. Those were the days of wide distances and long delays, and of strenuous work by the Governors, missionaries ami early settlers. Edward Gibbon Wakefield, with his brother, Colonel William Wakefield, were the real founders of New Zealand, said Mr Scot;. Edward Gibbon Wakefield was a man of subtle brain --a genius. He -was always impatient with anyone who did not agree with him. impatient and unscrupulous, not perhaps in his own personal interest, but in connection with the ideals lie! had in mind. But, after all, perhaps! they could forget his mistakes and. forgive him, too. as lie di 1 save New Zealand from becoming a penal settlement.

PURCHASE OF LANDS Tiie speaker here drew upon Mr W. L. Rees’ “Life of Sir George Grey’’ for u hearty and whole-souled condemnation of the New Zealand Company, which that writer said was rapacious; in antagonism to the British Government brought about the Wairau massacre, and had never put a settler on the land with a good title. On the oilier hand, commented Mr Scott, the company was deserving of some thanks, as it had prevented New Zealand becoming a French colony in the first 'place and later a penal settlement. it was said that the company bought the North Island from const to coast and the South Island from Cheviot to Hokitika, but what they paid for it was not. known, j When he left England, Colonel William Wakefield was informed that there we re to be no negotiations with the natives that were not understood by them and when land was acquired onetenth of it had to lie reserved for the natives. Not only did Colonel Wake-! field not observe the native law of tapu, but he was neither prudent nor, scrupulous in his dealings with thnatives. f Naturally, the Wakefields were opposed by Henry Williams, who was the one man who stood in their track when the company was endeavoring to despoil the natives of their land. It was the missionaries who declined to participate in the shameful trafiick-: ing iu arms, and even when short of food and when offered 100 kits of' potatoes for a musket had declined to trade.

;j A STURDY MISSIONARY I Henry Williams was a naval officer I who, when he heard the call, asked I for the most difficult station. That I was New Zealand. 110 was a mis-1 ij si on ary here for 4-1 years, a mail of i I the sturdy John Bull type, who dream I I oil no dreams and saw no visions. He | saw his duty clearly enough, and was | always willing to sacrifice his own I personal comfort in the performance lof it. He was a man of great, physi-j I cal strength, dauntless spirit, and his 1 I absolute fearlessness made a great imI prossion on the natives. On one oe-j | casion he came upon two Maoris I fighting, went between them, took each I one in an iron grasp, bumped their; I heads together, and set them on their I way. On another occasion there was I war between the Maori parties led ,' Iby Titori and Pomarc. He walked. I calmly between the two forces with I a handkerchief on a stick and boldly I ordered them to cease hostilities, which ! j 1 hey did. lie was a peacemaker and j [constantly stood between the natives I and exploiters.