THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT Wednesday, January 21, 1846.

Wellington Independent, Volume I, Issue 47, 21 January 1846, Page 2

THE WELLINGTON INDEPENDENT Wednesday, January 21, 1846.

We are still without recent news from Auckland. The protracted stay of the Governor in the north, after his declaration lhaf.no general legislation would be attempted until he bad visited the different settlements, would, however, appear to warrant the conclusion that unexpected difficulties had arisen in quelling the revolt at the Bay of Islands. In tho meantime we have abundant leisure to diges t our claims, so as to be enabled to pface them before Captain Grey, upon his arrival, in the most convincing form. The question of compensation is one which must interest, directly, or indirectly, every member of the community. All have suffered in their degree from the obstacles which have been allowed to impede the settlement of the land question— and all consequently may claim to derive advantages from any scheme of compensation wilich may be adopted. It is not merely the holders of land orders which were unavailable as a means of acquiring possession of land, who have suffered • it is also those who have been induced by the representations of the New Zealand Company, backed since 1840 by the sanction of the Government, to emigrate to this place, either as labourers or capitalists, in lhe belief that they mio-ht fi ncl this a profitable fluid for the enjoyment «f labour and of capital, and Whose expectati. ns have been falsified. These latter though their loss cannot b. so directly

connected with the unsettled s.atc of the land qucs ion, and cannot perhaps, bo put inio any form which could show a legal i-jirhi to compensation, aro os deserving of iho consideration of the Government, and even of tho Company, as aro tho former, And assuredly they aro far more entitled to compensation than the absentees, who have merely lost interest upon the monoy which they invested. Wo should consequently regard it as an essential part of any general scheme of compensation, that it should rather bo of such a nature as to aid the progress of the settlement, than merely a payment to individual landholders for the losses which they have sustained by being unable to obtain possession of iluir land.

There is, moreover, another reason for putting the claims of the settlers to compensation in this shape. It may be considered as ascertained that tlie Company will not recognize any individual claims, unless these claims come before them in the undeniable shapo of a verdict j in an action of damages. That a case might be established against tho Company in a Court of Law, we have little doubt, but there are few persons sufficiently bold, or persevering, or wealthy, to make the attempt. And an individual case could hardly create the impression which would be produced by an accurate picture of the sufferings and looses of the community—. especially when it could be shewn that these evils hadbeen in no respect produced, or aggravated, by any rashness or imprudence on our part. That we may have said many unwiso things, is sufficiently probable, but not our worst enemies can charge us with having done any thing rash ot precipitate. We -have never embarrassed either tho Company or the Government. When laud could be obtained peaceah'y, we have, so Air as the absentees would permit, occupied and improved it; and when peaceable possession could not be obtained, we have retired rather thau risk a collision which might involvo us in a war of races. Whoever thereforo is to blame, and few now would exonerate either the Company or the Government, no blame attaches to us. We have been sufferers merely. And in putting forward our claims as a community, we shall come before the public in a position which both the Company and the Government mu_t respect. We may fail in obtaining any immediate practical good, but at least the justiceaf our claims must beacknowledged, and a ground thus established for future favourable treatment.

In order, however, to the attainment of this result, we must no longer shrink from declaring the truth. This U important under two aspects, since if we attempt aa has b en hithertodone, to throw the whole blame on the Government, the Company will with justice deny that we have any claim on them ; and the Government will refuse to recognise a claim, founded as ours then would be, upon what they must consider a partial and one tided view. We should free that body upon whom we have a direct claim, since they received money, and encouraged emigration, upon the faith of their assertions that they were able to f-ive possession of land which they were bound to have known they could not peaceably procure—and weshou d be urging a claim against the Government of°a nature which they never have recognized, and never can.be expected to recognize, since it would make them liable for the losst's. which any !i„ e 0 f national policy might occasion to individuals. Ihit our chvms might be so shaped, as to win thillattention of the Government, and perhaps,} to be embodied as part of a final ;.rrangc« merit between the two parties. It is not easy to say the precise shapo in which our claims could b'i ma !c avail. able; but we might perhaps, take a lesson trom the Company, and request from the Government an advance of money, for tl>otwopurp ses of rendering the land ao-

eessi le by means of road*, and available by purchasing, imt at its actual va'nc, the inlerot of the ahs ntoes. The two hun died thousand aires of land, which the Company have acquired through our expenditure, and hold in trust for us, would form a security for its repayment, or might be at once resumed by the Government. Whether such a claim if put forward would be recognized, is more than we can affirm; but it is jus], and there is sufficient probability of success to justify us in bringing tho suggestion before the public, in order to its receiving further consideration.

There is another reason still for not

urging a claim to compensation in money upon the Company. The shareholders are not individually liable, and as a body they ore insolvent. If we could believe that any resumption of their operations would improve their financial condition we might indulge the expectation of being at length compensated, since we attribute the piesent tone of the Company rather to their poverty than their will. Up to this period, however, thanks to the exertions of their manager in England, ably seconded by those of their agents in the colony, every euccessivo attempt at colonization has proved to the Company a greater source of loss than its predecessors. The same causes may be reasonably expected to produce similar results, so that we fear the settlement of Otago will bo mote costly and tas productive than th»t of Nelson ; and that of Wairarapa than that of Otago. We imagine, consequently, that excepting by the exj ensive and unprecedented process of putting their hands in their own pocket?, the Directors never will have any funds at their disposal to be employed in compensation j and a claim upon them for money will be of mecssity unproductive. Excepting through the medium and by the aid of tho Government, we therefore imagine that all hopes of compensation will be idle; but we believe, that both the Government and the Legislature will at once admit the justice of such a claim on our part, if strongly but temperately urgrd.