The Taranaki Herald. NEW PLYMOUTH, MARCH 16, 1853.

Taranaki Herald, Volume 1, Issue 33, 16 March 1853, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. NEW PLYMOUTH, MARCH 16, 1853.

On the 7th of October last, a general meeting of the Shareholders of the New Zealand Company was held for the purpose of receiving and considering a statement setting forth the present position of the undertaking in reference to the Colonial Government at home and the Canteibury Association, and also to consider the best means of meeting the liabilities) duo by the Company.

Our contemporary the Independent observing on the charge upon the land sales of the colony as settled by the recent statute says —

" The claim of the New Zealand Company, which has by an arbitrary act of the Imperial Parliament, been converted into a debt, and saddled upon this colony, has become so trite a subject, that scarcely a new feature can be adduced to it. We are, however, desirous of once more recording our repudiation of its justice, and so convinced are/we, the more we reflect on the subject, of the great injustice of its infliction, that we would ask, under what circumstances the debt has been saddled upon the colonists of these islands."

Although setting out with these observations which amount to an utter repudiation of the entire debt, our contemporary sug-

gests that on an examination of the accounts of the Company when they shall he before the public properly authenticated some adjustment of the question might bo possible ; and concludes with the following— " The £268,000 is to be paid, by appropriating for that purpose one-fourth of the proceeds of the land sales of the Colony — this is certainly all very well, but we wish to know whether one-fourth of the £230000 lent was ever appropriated by the Company for the use of the Colony. At the time that the Loan and Grant were made, the New Zealand Company had ceased to be an efficient colonizing body, and the money advanced was consequently to the Colony, and the Colony ought not therefore to be taxed with its repayment. The matter, indeed, is all throughout, a monstrous and a/flagrant piece of injustice and iniquity, to/which the Colonists of New Zealand never have been, and to which we trust, they never will be, a consenting party." I

The following documents relating to the provisions of the New Zealand Company's Land Oidinance appeared in the Government Gazette of the 15th February. The substance of the despatch from the Secretary of Stale to Sir George Grey will be given in our next.

[From the Government Gazette, Feb. 15.] Civil Secretary's Office, Wellington, Feb. 11, 1853.

His Excellency the Guvernor«in-Chief has been pleaded to direct that the folluwing despatches and papers should be published for general information. Alfhed Domrtt, Civil Secretary!

Civil Secretary's Office, Wellington, Jan. 28, 1853. Sir,— You are mott probably already an arc that the Government has now tho power of carrying Into execution nil the most important provisions of the New Zealand Company's Land Claimants Ordinance, 2. The mode In which this power arises Is so fully explained in a despatch from the Secretary of State to Sir George Grey, and which bus been published among the papers ordered by tho Legislative Council at its last session to be printed, a copy of which is herewith enclosed, that no remarks on this point are necesiary. 3. In exercise, therefore, of the power to given, his Excellency the Governor-ln-Chief has directed me to inform you that Government has decided that the provisions of the Ordinance relating to the iituc of scrip shall bo carried out without further delay. 4. The enolosed extract from the proceeding a of the Executive Cooncil on the 18lh of January, 1853, explains tho character of tho Strip it is intended to issue. 6. You will be good enough to proceed with tho investigation, and report upon claims of land owners in your district who may be desirous of receiving Government Scrip in satisfaction of their claims to land;. I have, &c Alfred Domrtt, Civil Stcretary. To Win. Halse, E»q. Extracts from tho \li-utes of the Executive Cnunviil. Council Chamber, Jan. 14, 1853. Resolved,— It hcinir probable that, under t.io recent New Zealand Constitution Act, n rnnsiiler'iblc reduction in the price of land w\nj shortly be made, the Council are of opinion thnt tho scrip to be istued should be io worded that, In the cvont of such re. duction in the price of land taking place, such ■crip should only be taken in payment of country land at such a value, that one pound in scrip shail represent the upset price, or fixed price, of one acre of country land at the dntc when the scrip | may be tendered a t the Treasury ; and, for the protection af the scripholders, this rule shall equally prevail it the price of land should at any time be raised.

Were personalities arguments, the controversy on the recent land meeting which has lately occupied so much of our space would be an onerous matter to enter upon, but happily such is not the case, and the difficulty of bringing the question back to the starting point is lessened.

But one construction could be placed on Major Lloyd's first letter, it was a gratui tous attack generally on the public meetings of New Plymouth j and particularly on the meeting in question and the speakers at that meeting. Mr. Wicksteed's reply might well have terminated the discussions, but fairness required that those whom Major

Lloyd's had distinguished as his opponents should also ho heard. I To all the points made in Mr. Wickstecd's letter, save only one, Major Lloyd pleads I and avoids, the single exception relates to the general tone of the speajcing at our pubmeetings upon which he/admits and justifies ; but there is now another combatant in the field — our correspondent " Colon" — who tl improves the opportunity" to considerablo effect. I It must be admitted that there has been a sufficient bandying of provocation, and " Colon" is not behind his opponents in\i» tupetation. His pen is powerful to wound but is it equally powerful to convince? {He is clearly an adept in the " pleasing art of tormenting" but can he satisfy our judgment 1 It is insisted, by both Major Liovn and "Colon," that "a system of bullying and insulting the higher authorities does prevail^ in this settlement" and this sentence would seem to point out New Plymouth as an exception to some general rule which obtains ' everywhere else ; but a reference to the reports of public meetings in the sister settlements, in other colonies and in the Mothercountry will on the contrary show the people of New Plymouth as comparatively tame and pusilanimous in these matters. This objection at best wears but a frivolous air. The principe that men may meet to discuss public grievances so that no treason is concocted, or the peace of the community jeopardised, needs not to be asserted now ; indeed such ebullitions have come to be considered as the safety valves of the state, and both Major Lloyd and " Colon" will, we think, find no difficulty in admitting, that authority is not accu-tomed to pay v<ry much attention to them, or to display much suffering under the castigations they inflict. " Colon" says " a settler of a day's standJ ng may be able to decide whether or not the proper course has been adopted to obtain more land" : this is rational enough, men of average intelligence do not require years to ascertain whether the proper course has been adopted to satisfy their wants. — Major Lloyd says — and the people of New Plymouth reiterate — " the proper course has not been adopted," and this is the cause of complaint. It cannot be, however, that the impropriuty of the course adopted can be charged upon those who by the operation of a strict law are prevented taking any course except memorialising the authorities, who are clearly the parties with whom the impropriety complained of must rest, if anywhere. " Colon" is of opinion that the Ist and 2nd resolutions proposed at the meeting justify the/ use of the term " schoolboys;" he is undoubtedly entitled to his opinion, but it must be allowed that the terra used is an uncourteous way of putting the difference. As regards the 2nd resolution, although many considered it might have been well dropped, few could be found to quarrel with the fact it dealt with. " Colon" says it is one which cannot be substantiated. At the meeting it was distinctly stated by one gentleman that the fault did not rest with the agent appointed tojpurchase land in this settlement, " he would do him the justice to say that he was anxious to purchase land, for he (the agent) had applied to a private individual for the loan of a sum of money for that purpose, but was refused not having the necessary security to offer ;" from this it would seem that the difficulty rested with the higher authorities ; and presuming the statement to be correct, it sufficiently sub*

stantiates the fact stated in the 2nd resolution.

The tone which this controversy is taking renders it advisable to bring it to a close without delay. Our correspondents will be good enough to accept this intimation of our intention.

Our readers will have observed an advertisement in our columns last week fcom the Crown Lands Commissioner's Office on the investigation of titles with reference to Crown Grants. The subject is doubtless very important. Is it to be presumed from the particulars therein staUd that no Crown Grant can be obtained for an encumbered estate ?

•Surely this cannot be the case, and if not, where is the necessity for the information which that advertisement calls for and with what object is it sought ? We cannot help saying that a singularly eligible time has been chosen tor putting forth a document, which in its operation is calculated to furnish so much useful evidence on the eve as it were of a new registration and general election. — What the Crown has to do with the private transactions of any parties holding land in the settlement, that, renders the information sought for by this advertisement necessary to the safety of their property we cannot understand ; and if not necessary to the safety of private titles, we should be glad to learn how the attempt to obtain it can be justified on other grounds.

To the Editor of the Taranaki Herald. Tupapatane, March 8, 1853. Sir, — I beg to forward for the information of my fellow settlers the enclosed copy of a communication I have this day received from the Resident Magistrate, as a reply to a Memorial addressed by me " and some other persons" <o His Excellency the Governor- iu-l hief on Nov. 27th, 1852. I am, Sir, yours &c, Thomas Kino.

Resident Magistrate's Office,

New Plymouth, March 7, 1853.

Sir,— l have the honor to inform you, that I have received a letter from the Civil Secretary, lespecting a Memorial addressed by you and some other persons to His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief, praying for an enquiry into certain proceedings connected with an alleged act of Robbery committed by the natives of Moturoa j in which letter I am requested to inform the Memo • rialists that His Excellency, after a careful consideration of the circumstances of this case, is of opinion that the Magistrates have acted judiciously and properly in reference to it, and in such a manner, as was best calculated to promote the Public Interest ; — and that His Excellency further considers that the Memorialists will themselves, upon a careful reconsideration of the subject, arrive at the same conclusion regarding it.

I shall feel obliged by your communicating the contents of this letter to the other Memorialists.

I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Josiah Flight, Thos. King, Esq., Resident Magistrate. Mangorei,

An Irish piper, and who now and than indulged Id a glais too much, was accosted by a gentleman with, " Fat, what mikes your face so red I" " Plue your honour," avid Pat, •' I always blush when I spakes to a gintlerann.' 1 Nothing was io dreadful In our icholboy days, at to be punished by littiog between two glrlt. Ab t the force of education. In after feart we learn to submit to such thing* without shedding a tear. Whilst the King of Prussia and the Bmprett of Russia were «t Coblentz, a butcher pretexted ihem with a sausage thirteen feet long, containing alt sorts of sauiage meat, and terminating with a plg't bead. Their Majesties Uughed heartily at too slrargeneu of the gift, but kiudly accepted it,