The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-16 00:00:00

that, heceuee we were civilised and Christians, it was
justifiable for es to take possession of land we had not
paid for, aed exterminate the people there. Bat who was
to be the judge which parties were the most civilized ?
(lleer, hear.) We might say that certain cottagers in a
rural district were lees civilized and et ucated than, our-
selves, end go and take possession of their village.—
(Hear, hear.) If it were impossible to obtain foreign
possessions by other means it would be better to remain
without them than obtain them at the price of blood.
—(Cases of " Hear, hoar.") Eut it was well known
that those aborigines were ready to SJI their land at a
moderate price—(A laugh)--that they were quite open
to terms of capitulatiea---(A laugh)—and that there were
other means of eivilzation.—(Hear, hear.) There were
principles of honour among savages. But whatever
might be the fact with regard to their disposition, nothing
could justify that bloodthirsty and rapacious spirit which
appeared to be recommended by the Hon. and Learned
Meaiber for Sheffield (Mr. Roebuck).
Mr. S. HERBERT was placed, like some other Mem-
bers, in a situation of difficulty in reference to the pro-
positions before the House. The precedents cited by the
President of the Board of Trade did not appear appli-
cable. He had quoted Mr. Hueleisson's Committee upoa
Canada, but the object of that Committee was quite dis-
tinct from that moved for by the Noble Lord. That
inquire
into a Committee sought for by the colony to
into alleged grievances, the Government being, as it
were, impeached. Then there was the Committee upon
the apprenticeship question—a singularly infelicitous
precedent to quote, for the House reversed the decision
of the Committee, and got rid of apprenticeship.—(Hear,
bear.) A Committee appointed by the Government did
not offer much hope of a solution of our difficulties.
The Hon. Member for Buckinghamshire had said that
the country was governed by speeches. There must
be something intelligible in these. [A MEMBER—Not
always:]—(A. laugh.) Well, motions were sometimes
not so intelligible as they might be, and the Noble Lord's
was not. A Committee was to be appointed on the same
principle as that on official salaries; and the Noble Lord
put the report in the fire.---(Hear, hear.) Was this a
case (without reference to precedents) which would
justify the appointment of a Committee? A war was
going on; it was necessary that the Executive at the
Cape should be unshackled by any doubts as to the in-
tentions of the home Government—(Hear, hear)—and
should have clear instructions or an unfettered discretion.
—(Hear.) Of the two propositions a commission
ap-
peared more rational than a Committee. A commis-
' sioner would be on the spot and could tell what was
going on. With a Committee portions of the evidence
would be filtering out, and the Governor would be doubt-
ful how he was to proceed, as one or another view seemed
to prevail.—(Hear, hear.) The President of the Board
of Trade said a governor was as good as a commissioner;
he might have gone further, and said that a Govern-
ment was as gcod as a Committee.—(Hear, hear) He
(Mr. S. Herbert) should vote against any proposition of
the kind now made to the House.
Mr. BOOKER was for fair play. Ministers deserved
the encouragement of the House in this matter, and
should have his vote.—(Hear, hear.) They had shown
becoming vigour and manliness in attempting to main-
tain our great colonial empire, and he was not going to
refuse a Committee when they asked for it in this emer-
gency.—(Hear, hear.) The state of the Cape was a
question of vast difficulty, and the Government had done
all they could, in sending out an officer of great ability,
who ought to enjoy the confidence of the House.
Mr. lIAWES said he would occupy the House for a
very few moments, while he called their attention to the
observations of the Right Hon. Gentleman (Mr. S. Her-
bert), who seemed to think some great evil would hap-
pen to the colony by the plan his Noble Friend had pro-
posed, and that the policy to bo pursued for terminating
the war would be thereby impaired. But he had note
informed the House how that result was to follow from
the appointment of tile Committee. The Government
desired to inform the gentlemen on the Committee fully
and entirely with respect to their past policy, but that
House was not the best place to communicate it in. He
was not without grounds for saying so, for when the
Noble Lard addressed theta with a full statement of his
policy, there was hardly a House present, and some. of
the snort distinguished speakers were absent. The pohey
pursued had not been en exterminating policy, as the
Hon. and Learned Gentleman said, but one which would
lay the foundations for a great colony hereafter. No
doubt our early colonization was marked by the extinc-
tion of native races, but it did not follow the same result
should take place now; and in New Zealand the temper,
' justice, and ability of the Governor had proved that co-
lonization could progress along with the preservation
and civilization of the natives. He earnestly hoped the
House would do justice to the Government, and give
them an opportunity of laying before a Committee all
the information in their power, to prove what had
been the policy misrepresented by Hon. Gentlemen
opposite.
Mr. ADDERLEY replied, he was surprised the Hon.
Gentleman (Sir. Hawes), after the experience of the last
two years, should be in favour of a Seleet Com-
mittee. As to Sir Harry Smith, he wished to state he
intended no reflection whatever on him, for a more
gallant and experienced officer did not exist, but he re-
garded him and Lord Grey as exponents of a system.
A commissioner could do many things that could not be
done by a Committee. For instance, make treaties with
chiefs and wind up affairs on the spot.
The House then divided on Mr. Adderley's
and the numbers were—