New Zealand History.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6704, 18 November 1889, Page 3

New Zealand History.

The qaestion of the- correct date of the foundation of tbiß Colony (says the Auckland Star) has always been a very soreBubject with the Wellingtonians. They persistently refuse to recognise any other date than Jan. •23 1840, when the Bhip irrrfec? at Port Nicholson with the first instalment of emigrants brought out under the auspices of the New Zealand Company. The approaching jubilee is likely to benefit the citizens of Wellington in a very practical form. The Mayor has received a letter from one of Wellington's leading citizens intimating 1 that, with a view to commemorate the jubilee of the foundation of the Colony by theatrical of the first settlers at Port Nicholson, he is prepared to give the sum of .£IOOO towards the formation of a free public library in the city. It will be observed that this munificent donor emphasises the arrival of the firEt settlers at Port Nicholson as the foundation of the Colony. It the mere fact of effecting a settlement in a new country implies the foundation of a colony, then the North may still claim the honour, as the Rev Samuel Marsden, the senior chaplain of the colony of NewSouth Wales, accompanied by Messrs Kendall, Hall, and King, together with their wives and families and several mechanics, and a number of sheep and cattle, arrived at the Bay of Islands in 1814. Ostensibly they came as missionaries to convert the Natives, but they also distinctly came to settle. They commenced the; cultivation of the soil on European methods, introduced cows and horses, European grains and fruit trees, and became settlers in every sense of the term. In 1535 a settlement existed at the Bay of Islands which had its hotels, theatres, churches, and several other adjuncts of modern civilisation. At tho same date European settlement was permanently established at Hokiauga. Then again, seven years before the arrival of Governor Hobson and the formal annexation of New Zealand to the British Empire, the Governor of New South Wales suggested to the Secretary of State in England that a British Resident should be appointed to live at the Bay of Islands, acting for the Government, and for the purpose of protecting both Europeans and Natives. This was authorised by the Home authorities, and Mr James Busby, & wellknown Australian settler, was appointed by His Majesty's Ministers to proceed to New Zealand as British Resident. His duties were intended to be similar to thoße officers appointed by the East Indian Government, to reside at the different Native Courts. Mr Busby arrived at the Bay of Islands in May 1833. He occupied a very anomalous position, the European settlers characterising him as "a man of war without guns," a description which came very near the truth. His real duty, as explained in his instructions, was to promote peace, watch the proceedings of other European Powers in tho country, furnish returns of New Zealand's progress, and support the missionaries with his countenance. In 1835, with Mr Busby's sanction, the Northern Maori chiefs established a purely Native Government for New Zealand under the designation of the " United tribes of New Zealand." They proclaimed that they would meet annually in Congress to pass laws for the dispensation of justice and the preservation of peace. Thia aboriginal parliament begged the King of England to be their patron and protector. It al&o drew up a constitution, in which all sovereign power and authority within NewZealand was to reside in the hereditary chiefs and heads of tribes. A flag was formally adopted as a national emblem. A provisional government was to be established, which was to be presided over by the British Resident, and one-half o£ the Council were to be aboriginal natives; there were to be both native and European judges, and English and native lawa were to be amalgamated. This provisional government was to continue in force for twenty years, and was still in force when the first Bettlers arrived at Port Nicholson. It is of importance as bearing upon this question that when in May 1830 the New Zealand Company sent tho ship Tory from England to New Zealand to prepare the way for a settlement, they based their right to aut independently of the British Government upon the recognition which had been given to tho rule of the Native chiefs. They professed to .administer tbe affairs of the Boctlement under the auepi'va of the sovereign rights coui'eired uyon New Zealand chiefs j and even after the arrival of Captain Hobson and tho proclamation of hi3 commission, the New ZeaI land Company's settlers attempted to enforce the decrees of the courts to appointed, when Lieutenant-governor Hobson summarily put an end to such illegal proceedings. The Company at that period, therefore, instead of professing to found a colony under the British flag, expressly repudiated that idea. In order to fix the date of New Zealand's birth as a British colony, it is necessary to note the sequence of events in tho Bteps adopted by the Crown to annex the islands. On June 15, 1839, letters patent were issued under the great 6eal of the United Kinprdom, extending the boundaries of New South Wales, to include any part of New Zealand that might be acquired in sovereignty by Her Majesty, and Captain Hobson was immediately ordered out in the Druid for the purpose of erectiDg the country into a British colony. The Treasury minutes of July 19 1839, direct him to proceed to New Zealand as Consul, to endeavour to obtain the sovereignty of tho country, and then to act as Lieutenant-governor. Captain Hobson, after conferring with Governor Gipps at Sydney, left that port in H.M. Herald on Jan. 19, 1840, and arrived at the Bay of Islands on Jan 29— juBt seven days after the arrival of the Aurora afc Port Nicholson. He at once proceeded to perform his difficult and delicate task with great tact and judgment. This landing of Her Majesty's consul to take possession of New Zealand evidently constitutes the true date from which we must reckon its foundation as a British colony. The treaty of Waitangi under which the New Zealand chiefs accepted the sovereignty of the Queen, was signed by twenty-six Bay of Islands chiefs on Feb. 6 1840, and Captain Hobson accepting this as " a full and clear recognition of the sovereign rights of Her Majesty over the northern part o£ the Island," proclaimed the fact on Feb. 7 with a salute of twenty-one guns. The proclamation of the Queen's sovereignty over the whole of New Zealand was not made until the 21st of the following May, the interval having been occupied in getting the signatures of chiefs to the treaty in all parts of New Zealand. In point of fact, if the foundation of the New Zealand Company's first settlement were to be accepted as the Colony's birthday, Sept. 30 1839, and not Jan. 22 1840, when the Aurora arrived, is manifestly the proper starting point, for on Sept. 30 1889 Colonel Wakefield having arrived in tho Tory, and purchased the site of Port Nicholson, ordered the New Zealand flag to be hoisted on shore, and saluted it with: twenty-one guns. The origin of the observance of Jan. 22 was Bimply this, that the. Aurora' 8 immigrants naturally celebrated . the anniversary of their own arrival; the* pioneer settlers at Taranaki, Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago subsequently did, the same thing, and hence arose the various provincial anniversaries. None of the settlers, however, except those of Wellington, were obtuse enough to confuse an incident in the settlement of the country with that action of the Crown which, alone constituted New Zealand a Britiah- colony.