THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT

Wellington Independent, Volume I, Issue 10, 3 May 1845, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT

Saturday, May 3, 1845.

We intend to make it a custom, upon the departure of every vessel for England, to furnish a summary of recent events, and as far as possible, of the general state and prospects of the colony.

Our article, under the scene of the contest between the Natives and the Government Forces at the Bay of Islands, furnishes all that is necessary to state relative to maori matters and the effect of Colonial Olfice policy on the present occasion.

The titles to land still remain the most important question. At the expiration of five years since we landed here, or nearly six years since we left England, we find ourselves apparently nearly in the same position. We feel, however, that recent events have really advanced the question, Rnd at no distant date it will be brought to a satisfactory issue. Progress has been made in the cultivation of. the soil in defiance of the Land Question, and of the extraordinary low rate of grain at the present moment; and feeling that quiet possession of the land will be obtained ere long, and that prices for agricultural produce must advance, we are confident that progress in this respect will be accelerated, and that after another harvest New Zealand will supply itself with the necessaiies of life.

The fisheries have all been fitted out this season, and upon unusually moderate terms. They are also guaranteed in a supply of casks, for our staves have proved satisfactory; and making casks has become a regular business in this settlement. The fisheries are now under the controul of respectable and competent persons, and we anticipate the result will not fail to be satisfactory.

It was expected that the application of the Donlan principle to the preparation of 'flax would have immediately rendered flax a certain article of export, but the samples received from Nelson for shipment to England by the Caledonia, are very inferior, indeed, we may say, wretched, for we have never seen any thing of the kind produced here so useless. However, excellent samples of native prepared flax have lately been exhibited here, and we have been informed that quantities may be had at twelve pounds per ton, at which rate the article must succeed. We have no doubt, disappointed as we have been with the progress of the flax trade, it will yet prove the staple of the colony.

Sheep and cattle are now in demand, and stock farming is a favourite pursuit. Wool, hides, and tallow, and salt beef, in a few years will be exported largely, and with a profitable result. A finer country for stock farming cannot be found in the world. Each day convinces us that pig breeding, and the export of lard and salt pork, will at no distant period become most important trades, and also of stearine candles and pigs skins. Much also is expected from the disposal of our woods, staves, bark and various other articles. Events are proving that ship building will now become an extensive and profitable pursuit in this colony.

However harrassed the settlers may be by the natives and by the Government, confidence in the resources of the colony continues, and justifiably, for the discoveries made from time to time, convince all that ;bey will prove remarkably great. Our ex-

ports will be large in quantity and various in description, at an eariy date in defiance of the difficulties with which the settlers have so long had to contend. In consequence of the discouraging state of trade in this part of the world, all articles for which the settlers have to depend upon home are becoming scarce, and doubtless will be yet more so, and high' pi ices will be the consequence. The discouragement under which shipping has so long laboured in this part of the world, has already produced its effect, and vessels are even, now scarce, and at no distant date both vessels and freighls will attain to unusual rates. The destruction of confidence arising out of the crash in the neighbouring colonies, and of the peculiar state of this colony, has compelled the Banks to be very wary and the consequence has been here, a money pressure. But as the Banks have a large amount of unemployed funds, and are necessarily anxious to have them employed profitably, so soon as confidence is restored, no doubt banking capital will be found to be sufficiently abundant. Still we doubt whether the class of capital needed by the settler will be so. To him loans for three month are valueless. He must either have the assistance of a loan fund, or had better struggle on as best may be without any assistance.

We call attention to the correspondence on our fourth page, which has passed between Mr. Forsaith, Protector of Aborigines, and Major Richmond, developing a plan, which it is hoped if successfully brought to bear would be attended with causing the native intruders residing on the Hutt to retire peaceably. The plan is to proscribe the natives in question. Success is contingent upon the Europeans determining to have no transactions with natives who are not possessed of a token or licence from a recogniz-ed authority. The sacrifice on the part of the settlers would be almost nominal, and should success attend the union sought at their hands, it would be highly beneficial in numerous respects. The article of importance which the native Hutt intruders have for sale, is the potati c ; they have little else for sale worthy of attention, or with which they could purchase the articles they need. We suspect there are a much larger quantity of potatoes in the district than are needed for consumption; and the question is in w hose hands is it well to leave the surplus ; partly with the white settlers, partly with friendly natives, and partly with the intruding Hutt natives, or wholly with the last named community ? The question needs no answer. But supposing there is no excess of potatoes in the districts about the harbour, it is well known that potatoes in abundance can be obtained from the coast and from the Chatham Islands at a very short notice. We are therefore in no manner dependent upon the native intruders in the Hutt for supplies. The dependence consequently is all on one side, and fortunately rests with those with whom it would be wise to terminate all intercourse at least for the moment. It may be supposed that the instant a general determination was made to trade only with natives having tokens or licences, a monopoly would arise among the whites having potatoes for sale, and that an enormous advance in the price would be the consequence. This is an idle fear, for the friendly natives visiting Port Nicholson, provide us with the bulk of the consumption, aud they could not be brooghT into the supposed combination ; further there is the check arising from fear of coast supplies, and of the consumers refusing to take supplies from the white producers, if any such tendency were apparent. It is fair therefore to state that we can do without the supplies furnished by the native intruders on the Huttthat prices would not advance, and that as people would still consume their usual quantity of potatoes, and are not likely to eat more if trade with the native intruders on the Hutt be not proscribed, the same amount of trade will continue as heretofore, and that therefore no sacrifice is demanded on the pa.t oi the storekeepers. So much for the question of commerce, upon which the success of the plan mainly hinges. Now for other considerations. It i s evident that good might arise from endeavouring to test the value of Mr. Forsaith's plan, but we can see no evil if it fail. Wisdom therefore suggests the propriety of acting upon it. All that we can see attending its failure is that the natives will continue to remain in the Hutt until compelled by a superior force t abandon v. But should it succeed, the naives having been once thus forced to leave the Hutt, we may rest assured they will not return , and we shall have discovered a peace able mode of bringing,,// natives having deal ings with the settlements who may behave improperly to a sense of the mischief thly

occasion personally to themselves. We should also at once be enabled to arrive at a somewhat important fact; namely—the relative number of the friendly and unfriendly natives living in and about and in the habit of visiting Wellington. It is evident we are in duty bound to await the issue of the contest which must take place tre long at the Bay of Islands. In the meantime the token or licensing system . might be. carried, into effect. We assume that the contest will prove triumphant there to the British The arrival of such news would unquestionably greatly aid in the success of the plan proposed by Mr. Forsailh, and we should say ihen there would be no doubt we should succeed in getting rid of the native Hutt intruders, without a dror> of human blood being spilled in that valley. But supposing British arms were not successful at the Bay of Islands, or only partially so, would any evil have attended our having trie! the token or licensing system ? We cannot see that auy would have. If British arms are not successful, or on!y partially so at the Bay of Islands, will any man here then advocate attempting forcibly ejecting the Hutt natives? • We suspect not, as in such an event the surrounding tribes would probably attack us even if we remained quiet and they certainly would do so if we proceeded to endeavour to eject their countrymen, even though acknowledged intruders upon the Hutt lands. Our position would necessarily then be purely defensive. But let us assume the most favorable case ; and endeavour to trace out the advantages which would attend causing the natives to make an attack. We will imagine that the British arms had been thoroughly triumphant at the Bay of Islands, and that we had obtained a complete victory over the Hutt natives, and that those who were not killed, or not so badly wounded that they could not escape, immediately abandoned the district. How many settlers would remain and cultivate the Hutt ? ilow many persons would occupy or get tenants for the lands from which the natives had been driven ? We believe very few, for a very long period ; and of what value consequently would a victory be ? We do not state the maories would return and stealthily attack the settlers, nor that we believe they would, but the belief would be prevalent, and every trifling accidental noise at night would generate so much fear, as to make the settlers cnxious to abandon that district, and-perhaps many more places. The mind would be in an anxious state, and consecutive trifles, of which many would be sure to arise, and which now produce no effect, would make life valueless on the Hutt, and the relief that would attend release from the harrass would cause the bulk of the population to flock to this spot/ True war is to take phce at the Bay of Islands; but then there is no escape from it there now; it is abandoned by Europeans, and we suspect will not be a favourite place of resort to the settler for many years to come, even though British arms should thoroughly subdue the savage. Now should Mr. Forsaith's plan succeed, and its success rests with (,he settlers, would not the people of England applaud us for our bloodless victory; and would not this become the favourite place of resort kr European immigrants ? It is a sound commercial speculation, for all the probable accidents would be on the favourable side. Much more be stated on the subject, but this article 0 is already too long. ..___— We the consideration and it appears to us it is equally their interest as their duty to adopt it, but having fulfilled our part, we are content to" abide by whatever may be the issue.

H. M. S. North Star had returned to Auckland from the Bay of Islands, with ninety more of the sufferers from the destruction of the town of Kororarika, by the native population. It is Yeported that most of the parties residing in various spots in the neighbourhood of the Bay of Islands, are preparing to leave their homes. It must take years to restore the settlements at the North to the state they were on the I Oth March last

.HE v,oas T Natives. -Another ac-count.-We have been informed by a settler who came down from Manawatu, and arrived in Wellington on Wednesday, that the natives are, to use his expression, "sulky." That they appear much changed in their demeanour reserved, and not communicative. Ran*:' haeara was at his pah at Taupo. This chief has recently given an entertainment to 200 natives midway between Otaki and Waikanai the object 0 which has been kept a prof and secret and s unknown even tithe n «°ve. emselves of Waikanai. One of the v tated to our informant, that he was certain some coalmen was being formed between Rangihaeata and Heki for hostile purposes and when he was laughed at for saying so the native replied, « Have you ever found me de cemngyoujwhatlamtellingyouisthetmh'"