"THE OLD IDENTITIES."

Western Star, Issue 346, 24 April 1880, Page 6

"THE OLD IDENTITIES."

“ The Old Identities ; Being Sketches aqd Rend: niscences during the First Ijecado qf the Province of Otago.” By an Old Identity, fDunedin : Miljs, Dick and Co. j Riveilou: J. W. Chapman.] The history of Jdie settlement of the Broyince of Otago does not present “ moving incidents by flood and field,”'but'it is nevertheless fall of interest, not only to the “old idqnts,” but to that subsequent addition to its population, the “ young iniquity.” The author has placed before us a concise account of the circumstances that led to the remarkably tpoyeqpflt, ending i» tire sqcceesfuj set llement of Otago, by a class of men deeply imbued with the characteristics necessary to render sucl}. a scheme a success; and though they have been' the butt of many a joke, and been credited' •yptlt tjeihg bigot ted antj. seqlqsiye qnci very suspicious of all who aid not belong to “ the Kirk,’ 1 a feeling of admiration aiises at a recital of the difficulties they had to overcome, nff iq fli" whining, complaining tone as |f the author were desirous of attracting sympathy, but in a sturdy contented-vein, allowing (he author to be possessed in n) minor degree of the sterling independent qualities and indomitable pluck that characterised the first settlers. Aprojpo of that spiiqt, l;e writes : “ I am by no means envious of the lu?uyy and comforls which new chums of the present day llnd awaiting them. I deem it of no benefit that the slipshod social habits of a civilisation that proves but too truly, its effete and effeminate tendencies, should be imported into a country that is beginning anew ; and that should exhibit in its hardy youih none of the senile luxuriousness of age If a man really has good stuff in him— if he owns to something real—however he may have dwaumed through the n am by r pa m by isu] of city fife—l|e will (qko lieart and develop into an actuality by nothing sooner than by roughing it in a young colony.” The introductory chapter contains an explanation of the Otago scheme, its development and inauguration as the JfVee lark seltlement of Otago, jvlr Edward Gibbon Wakefield is accorded the honor of proposing and subsequently carrying into practical effect the Otago scheme. Mr Wakefjeld was the life and soul of the New Zealand* Company. lies look advantage of the excitement in Scotland' consequent upon the disruption of the Established Oiiurch to further the scheme, “ Looking at the movement with the eye of' a statesman, Wakefield peiceived the very thing which he wanted —an enthusjastn such as that which’, in the eloquent words of Chalmers, ‘flourishes in adversity, is fearless in the hour of danger, and awakens to deeds of renown.’” it was this enthusiasm that Wakefield squght and enlisted in the great movement to which he had devoted his life. Mr Wakefield fixed upon Mr George Rennie, subsequent Governor ‘of the Falkland Islands, to negotiate oq behalf of the New Zealand Company with the leaders of tip disruption movement, with a view to organising the sqheme, and on whom would devolve the part of prqcpeiing to the colony in charge qf the first party, and acting as agent of the Company there. From some misunderstanding with the Company, Mr Rennie retired from the scheme, and was succeeded by Capt. Cargill—a descendant of the Covenanter-martyr Donald Cargill. ’ This circumstance, and elso the fact that the iirst minister appointed was the Rev. Thomas Burns, a nephew of the poet, gave the movement an impulse and a popularity which is doubtful if it would otherwise have attained. An Associatian of influential laymen connected with the Free , Church was formed, a prospectus of the scheme issued, and a public meeting held in Glasgow, j The scheme, however, hung fire, but after, two years of agitation, during which the Rey. Mr Burns travelled through Scotland endeavoring to enlist interest in the project, he succeeded in in? ducing a sufficient number to become purchasers of land to the extent required by the Company, and arrangements were made for the dispatch of the*first ship. The Otago scheme was designed to bring into'operation the following principles : ‘ First: Administration by two distinct bodies, —the New Zealand Company, and the Lay Association of the Free Church of Scotland. Second : Capital and labor in due proportions. Third: Selection, regard being had to age and sex ; the theory adopted being that selection abstracts ‘ the greatest possible amount of population at the smallest possible cost of removal,’ and that it ‘ affords the greatest amount of labor in the least number of persons.’ The ’requirement under this head was,’ in regard to character Both purchasers of land and assisted emigrants must be approved by the Association, who must be satisfied of their being persons of moral and religious character.’ ‘ Fourth : Concentration. The end sought to be obtained was co-operation, instead

of isolation. Fifth : Sale, instead of gratuitous grant pf jiyaste lands. Sixth : Facility or jnternal communication. Seventh; 1 Instruction and civilisation, instead of ignorance and barbarism.’ .“The sphere of operations, as already noticed, was confined, in the 4''st instance, to an area of 1M.60Q acres, divided into 2100 distinct properties, each property i.p comprise town, suburban, and rural land —fjO£ acres in all; the priority of choice bi-pig decide I by ballot. Of these, 2000 properties tyere to be assigned to private purchasers ; 100 as a Municipal Estate; IQO as a Kpligious and Educational Endowment; 200 to tile New Zealand Company. For each property, JBI2O 10s, or at the rate of £2 per acre, was the price fixed ; the money to be pjjfd tp the New pqiepiju v, ju llje character pf trustees for ike. settlers, and applied jn the proportion of—- — 3-Bths towards emigration; 2-B.hs, surveys, roads, sc. ; 1-Sth, leligjous and educational uses ; 2-Blhs, to the New Zealand Company.” We have so far given an outline of the Otago settlement scheme. The work then goes on to chronicle the arrival of the first two vessels, the <jolm Wickliffe” and the “ Philip Laing,” the former on the 22nd March apd the latter pn 15th April, 1848, containing 90 and 236 passengers respectively. The immigrants arrived at the settjng in of iposst inplemept season, but they manfully encountered pie difljculties jnpident to landing in an all but uninhabited epuntry. The author vividly depicts the history pf successive stages of development. Ills description of the mode in whjch the announcement was received tfot $ Constitution bad been granted to New Zealand by tbe Imperial js amusing. The jyogress of the settlement after this became rapid under the influence of the Provincial Council, which was then opened. We have not space to touch upon all the incidents pf the first decade of the settlement; for these we refer the reader tp the work under notice itself, which will be found well worthy of perusal by all who claim this as the land of their adoption. The work is printed at the establishment pf Messrs Mills, Rick and Co., Dunedin, and the lettecrpress q.nd binding are both a credit to that firm.