The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-14 00:00:00

Initiation, and the reasons which induced Governor
Gre_y not to promulgate the charter, as well as those
of Earl Grey in proposing this course. It was in-
tended to prom/agate the charter in New Ulster,
but the Government thought it better to suspend al-
together for the present the introduction of these in-
stitutions rather than to carry them out in part of the
country. The Hon. Gentleman concluded by eulo-
hsing the wise government of Governor Grey, which
ad caused great improvement in the colony, and ex-
pressed his hope that New Zealand would become a
'saleable addition to the possessions of this country.
Mr. GLADSTONE agreed, almost without excep•
Zion, to everything that bad fallen from the Right
lion. Gentleman. With regard to what had been
said of Governor Grey, he would only re-echo the
expressions of the Right Hon. Gentleman ; and he
adopted the language of the Right lion. Gentleman
with regard to the natives ; and he rejoiced the more
at what had been said by the Right Hon. Gentleman,
because there had not always been a disposition in
that House to recognise the qualities of the New
Zealanders. If that House could show towards them
that paternal care and tenderness which it was their
duty to show towards them, he could not but think,
even after all that had happened, from the intelligence
which had been lately received, that there was every
'lope that they would yet witness a satisfactory ter-
atination to the enlightened labours which had been
bestowed on New Zealand. The Right llon. Gen-
tleman said that the late Government intended to give
a free constitution to New Zealand. It was true that
they did so intend ; but there was a difference of
opinion between the late and the present Government
as to the speediest mode of effecting it. It was their
opinion that any step which should be taken to bind
the hands of Governor Grey would be a measure not
only ill advised, but would lead to a loss of the time
It was intended to save. He (Mr. Gladstone) thought
it would have been better if Earl Grey had deferred
more to the opinion of Governor Grey, and not sent
out instructions which were not suited to the circum-
stances of the colony. With regard to the Bill in-
troduced by the Right Hon. Gentleman, he (Mr.
Gladstone) thought that a case had been made out
for it. The reasons which induced it were of a pe-
culiar nature, and he thought the House should re-
frain from a detailed discussion upon it till the mea-
sure had been some time in their hands, and had
been well considered. As he (Mr. Gladstone) under-
stood it, it put the whole power of establishing the
representative government in the hands of the go-
vernor. These were extraordinary powers; but he
would grant that there never was a man into whose
hands they could he better entrusted, and there
never was a case of greater d',.fficulty of governing
at a distance, and which more required local
knowledge. Everything which would allow local
knowledge to prevail over distant and speculative
plans ought to be done. 13. e wished to say a word
With regard to a dispatch if Earl Grey, relating to the
disposal of public lands in New Zealand. In the be-
ginning of the session he asked if the Government
Would lay on the table the dispatch of Earl Grey in
December, 1846, especially that part of it which re-
lated to the disposal of lands. Ile found in the papers
which had been delivered that morning an acknow-
]edgment by Governor Grey of the receipt of that
dispatch, but no -reference to that portion of it relating
to the disposal of land. He concluded that, if it had
arrived, it would soon be laid on the table, and, if not,
it would not be long before it did. He (Mr. Glad-
stone) thought that portion of the dispatch was of
great importance, and he read with great misgivings
with respect to the mode of applying the doctrines
laid down in it. The dispatch of Earl Grey, which
closed the papers on the table, referred to the protest
of the Bishop of New Zealand, in which he assumed
that the dispatch of the Noble Lord in relation to the
disposal was at variance with the treaty of Waitangai,
and he protested r.gainst it. A protest of this descrip-
tion, in its first ,aspect, seemed to be a gratuitous and
wanton interference of a spiritual person in civil affairs.
But on examination it would prove not to be so,
and the character of the Bishop of New Zealand
was such, that he was not so disposed to interfere,
but was more ir.clined to attend solely to his spiritual
functions, and to shrink from political affairs; that in
this instance the clergy were chosen as the instru-
ments by which the treaty of Waitangai was carried
out. It was only by their means that the governor
could bold real and extensive intercourse with the
aborigines, and the governor did commit the conduct
IA the treaty to them. It therefore became the duty
of the bishop, as their head, to see that the ;public
faith conveyed through them was strictly kept. In
his dispatch, Earl Grey expressed no doubt of the
sincerity of the bishop, but he also expressed his fear
that the language of his protest was such as ought
not to have been addressed to a people so lately
emerged ftom barbarism. This was evidently not a
Protest made public in the colony, but addressed by
the bishop to the governor, as a person for whom he
had every respect, and whose authority he was most
anxious to support. That being so, the bishop was
net open to the charge, made by Lord Grey, of ad-
dressing exciting language to a people easily excited.
lie hoped the lion, Gentleman opposite would state
whether this protest had not been made in the way he
had stated. Into the merits of the question he would
now decline to enter, After the recess he hoped
a day would be fixed for giving to the measure the
full consideration which its importance demanded.
Mr. V. SMITH regretted that the necessity should
have arisen for another direct interference with the
'colony of New Zealand. This colony was the one
most congenial to Englishmen, and therefore possessed
peculiar interest for the Legislature. however much
praise might be due to the governor, Parliament
Could take none to itself ; for this Bill was an admis-
sion of their past neglect. A Bill had passed the Le-
gislature in 1846, almost without discussion. In
-December last the Colonial-office had begun to act on
this constitution—which now turned out to be wholly
inapplicable to the circumstances of the colony—
although it had been promised that it should not be
enforced until it had received the approbation of Go-
vernor Grey. Almost as soon as the Bill had passed
there arrived from New Zealand a protest against the
kleasure by the inhabitants of Nelson, denouncing the
'measure as one based in utter ignorance of the colony.
As it was now proposed to suspend the political con-
stitution, he would suggest that it would he as well
to suspend also the territorial constitution, as placed
in the hands of the New Zealand Company. It
seemed that certificates were to be granted to the abo-
'rigines, entitling them to vote; and it was highly pro-
bable that their pride might be thereby offended. Ac-
cording to Governor Grey's account of these men, their
moral and religious character stood very high—more
so, he feared, than the character of many of the emi-
grants from this country. He thought that matters
of this kind might be safely left to the discretion of
Governer Grey, whose conduct afforded an ample
guarantee for his efficient management; probably to
no man who had ever been sent out as governor
might a wide discretion be more safely entrusted.—
(Hear, hear.) With every respect for the character
of the bishop, he certainly thought him an agitating
bishop.—(Laughter.) He had made his protest
against Governor Grey's proceedings, as the " head
of the missionary body ;1 and everybody knew how
frequently missioaars, zeal overstepped discretion. It
could not be contended that he did not mean the pro-
test to be made public, for he declared his intention
" God being his helper," to inform the natives of
New Zealand of their rights and privileges.—(Hear,
hear.) Such a man as bishop must impede very
seriously the steps taken by Governor Gray.
Mr. It. PALMER defended the character of the
bishop, and said that he had done more genuine ser-
vice, not only to the cause of religion, but to the poli-
tical and social interests of the colony, than could
possibly be done by any company here or elsewhere.
The colonisation of New Zealand had presented a
favourable contrast to the colonising efforts of other
countries ; by the aid of the missionaries, civilization
and religion had been introduced, amidst much per-
secution from the natives; and upon the foundation
they laid the Government had been enabled to build
its political system. The advantages thus derived
were owing to the missionaries.—(Hear, hear.) It
was true there might be instances amongst them, as
amongst other men, in which zeal had outrun discre-
tion. The high character of the aborigines had been
Manifested even by the humane way in which they
bad conducted their wars. The bishop had clearly
understood Lord Grey's dispatch, as he (Mr. Palmer)
understood it, to deny all further terri-
torial rights to the natives ; and with this
View the bishop and the missionaries could
not do other than protest against the principle.
Mr. HUME regretted when he first saw it an-
nounced that Government intended to repeal that
Portion of the Act of last year which extended self-
government to the colony, hut, on looking at the
Papers which had been laid on the table, he must
adinit they fully warranted them in the course they
had taken. The reasons assigned by Governor Grey
for such a step were amply sufficient.—(Hear.) The
conduct of the bishop, he was sorry to say, had thrown
a new element of difficulty in the government of the
colony. He believed no document had ever been laid
before Parliament in which a bishop or clergyman
had stood up and publicly bearded the governor of a
Colony, and declared that he would dispute the orders
not of the governor only, but of the Secretary of
tate for the Colonial Department.—(Hear.) It had
been laid down that the natives had no right of pro-
perty except in the land they actually occupied. This
Principle the bishop opposed, and preached to the
savages that they were entitled to all the land in the
Colony- The people of England were, in fact, paying
!I salary of 6001, a year to this bishop to be a firebrand
In the colony. Ile did not dispute the high qualities
the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. Gladstone) had as-
cribed to Bishop Selwyn, but to him (Mr. Hume) it
aPPeared the Rev. Gentleman had every sense but
nrcnion sense.—(Hear and a laugh.) He would
advise the Government to remove him as soon as
Possible to a better climate, or, at all events, stop hia
sairirY. The Hon. Gentleman who last spoke had