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fort should be made, and whether through means of agents in England or not, and whether by endeavouring to obtain an alteration in the Constitution Act ? There are two or three questions in one. With regard to the first, I answer, by the simultaneous action of the General and Provincial Governments. After the General Legislature or the Executive alone had drawn up the case from the evidence which is nearly all before the present Committee in the form of Parliamentary Blue Books, though they want a book which was published by the Company, (and of which there are several copies in the colony), containing the digested opinions of the first men in the House of Commons, on the subject of the wrongs done by the Government to the Company. Such case having been carefully made, I imagine that the proper course would be for all the the Legislatures and Executives in New Zealand to petition the Crown and Parliament for the desired That would be the first step. It might be taken without employing an agent at home. An agent would only be necessary if agitation at home became necessary. In that case, I have no doubt that some able member of the House of Commons, capable of the highest order of the public business, but still only aspiring to a high position in his party, would be found to undertake the case of the Colony in the House of Commons, not for a salary, but for the practice, and also because the case is one to obtain the sympathy of English statesmen. In making such an appeal, would you omit all reference to the Company's Compensation transactions subsequent to 1847 ? On the contrary, I should expose and denounce them as having been incalculably mischievous to the Colony, by corrupting the people into a love of gambling speculations as to Waste Lands, and by causing a very injurious amount of monopoly as to the same. May I asti, whether, in your opinion, it would be desirable to apply to Parliament to confirm some plan of relief for the Province of Auckland ? I think it would ; and the more, because I am persuaded that the decision of the House of Representatives on that matter might prove, a valuable aid in pursuit of the whole colony's claim upon the Biitish Government for justice, on a principle analogous to that which guided the House to the proposal for entirely exempting Auckland. The Committee adjourned at noon.
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