The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-24

once produced collision between the company and
emgrants on the one side; Capt Fiizroy, then roy
| al governor, on another; and the sPecuaung ms
sionaries on their own part, who argued tnat thc
settlement Of the islands by Europeans sadly nm
dered their plans for the salvation OF the haves py
setting them bad examples, and in many other ways
interfering with their efforts to spiritualize them
first, and govern them afterwards, as they avowed
wish 10 do.
| AS il is always a part of the English colonia
system to make the proceeds OF the sale of unoccu-
pied and Incorporated colonial lands 60 far
| possible towards supporting the expenses Of the
colonial government, II was attempted, of course, in
New Zealand, where the administrations Of Captain
Hobson, and his successor, Captain Fitzroy, had
been most disgracefuy extravagant; so much so,
indeed as to force the home government, from very
shame, to keep the affairs of the colony much
from public observation as possible. This circum-
stance, therefore, made il even more important that
the colonial revenues should supply a round share
| of the necessary funds. On reassuming the SOW
eregnty Of the islands, under the sham treaty of
Waithangi, they found that the missionaries, other
spectators, and individual natives, had acquired
titles to all but 900 of the 900 acres of
available land in New Zealand; and they (the home
government had imprudently decided away $780, 600
of their small portion, which left them barely
200 600 acres, the proceeds of the sale of which
| were to be appropriated towards cloaking the ex-
| travagance and peculating abuses with which the
colonial government had been conducted. II was
thus found necessary to secure much larger slice
of the islands for the crown-honestly, If possible;
but at any rate itand the colonial Office hit
upon two or three ingenious but dsingenuous tricks
TO effect that object. The first was, TO establish the
| seat Of government and public settlements away
from the English emgrants, and in the heart Of the
small portion of the territory actually occupied by
the savages-making purchases of these last, of
small tracts of land which being advertised with
Tremendously ufs with all the Importance that govern
ment influence could give throughout the kingdom,
of course sold rapidly and at enormous prices
In one instance, they realized l,OO0 for twenty
six acres Of a town site; and in another, EGO 600
for 100 acres But these profitable specuatons did
not furnish sufficient funds for the support ofthe colo
NAL government, it was determined to take advan-
tage ofthe clause in the treaty of Waithang grant
ing to the crown the preemption right to all unoccu-
pied lands, nominaly the property of the natives
To effect this, a commission sent out TO deter
mine who were the bona fde owners OF such por-
tons Of the islands-the natives, claiming for the
government; or the missionaries, spectators, and
the British New Zealand Company, all Of whom
based their title upon purchases, in instance, at
the rate of forty-wo square miles for thirty eight
| axes.
This commission, under the immediate superv-
sion ofthe royal governor, Capt Ftzroy, went brave
ly to work, and evidently stuck at nothing to eff
feet the end in view. The question to be decided
was whether not the particular purchasers OF the
axes, blankets, rum, and tobacco, were the original
proprietors of the particular tracts and Mr. Butler
clearly proves that, in receiving testimony upon
this fact, the evidence of brutal and unenlight
ened savage went further than that of ten English
settlers. In speaking of the testimony received, he
says:
The evidence Of the natives with the exception Of
chief or two simply served complcate very plain
mined rendered amy satisfactory result mposbie
the best evidence One tribe was on the land and occupa
ed the and only permitted them to reside on is
land which gave right to go on the land when chose
would then start up and say that il had in former times
migrated from the spot in question had right to return
those but proving he utter absence Of III
definite notions OF right to the land and Of the utter
Sarism Yet they had called those right. and spun out
New Zealand law Of real property ont Of savage customs
morality native should have made wholly
repudiate For instance: the claim of Rauparaha TO- the
an unprovoked aggression on the poor New Zsaandes,
who were peacefuy occupying their hereditary lands
pacity that could seek strip the unoendng native of
his little possession Warau valley in the northern
chief oil the interior the northern island who
down to Cooks straits and found footing in the south Of
day the valley Of wairau and Of
ter fighting, massacred and exteinated the whole
tribe lcar From that hour Rauparaha had never resi-
ded in Wairau had he any of his tribe resided in
the island Such had been the occupation Of the whole
eSar been cultivated there This was the sole right this
chief had in that dtr and then they talked Of the natives
feeling esns the monstrous rapacy Of the Europeans
nearhose , who we seeking an hons
but who were prevented doing so till the commissioners
had received sufficient sum of money for killing and
ering the ancient occupants Of the land Was not hor.
Who hSs rs truly IF az
ever existed hear hear shoud have been lost because
for the sake Of the themselves they ought to have
repndiatedf'
Having, by means of such commission with
such testimony before it, succeeded in wrestling a
large portion of the lands from the colonsts and
| others-a part Of which became the property of
the government, in virtue of the presumption clause
in the treaty Of Waithang by which the crown
| became possessed of the uncultvated lands award
ed by the commission the property Of such of
the chiefs as had been prevailed to sign 1.-THE
next step was to take measures to get the lands ad-
| Indicated to those chiefs who had refused to put
their marks to the treaty, and under the awards held
eesimple titles to much of the best lands originally
bartered for rum, tobacco, &c. To do this, the
clause in the treaty of Wathangi, guarantyng the
rights Of British subjects to all the natives, was
called into requsition; and, under it, the govern
ment assumed the power to tax all unoccupied lands
in the islands, at the rate of Cd. per annum.
| In default of payment of this tax, the incidental
right Of eonfscation-or, in other Words OF sale to
| pay the land tax-was called into requisition In
the instructions from the colonial Office to Capt.
Fitzroy upon this subject, Lord Stanley says:
at is ofcourse intended that the should apply to all
lands claimed the property OF native tribes and not in
actual cultvation and presume II is contemplated that
non.pay of the shall be followed by conscaton
portion Of the lands equivalent to the amount of the tax
unpaid"
| This certainly beginning early to instruct the
| New Zealanders practically in the rights of British
subjects, viz: in the right to be taxed roundy
which, as yet has scarcely been forgotten by an Eng
sh minister, from the days Of Henry VIII to those
of Victoria. But the palpabe trickery of applying
such law to savages, who hardly knew the differ.
ence in the value Of the pound sterling and the pen
ny--a set of bcnighted cannibals, who stand on d
parallel with the tribes on the western coast OF
Africa as to civilization-presents the injustice Of
British policy in no stronger light than its hypocr
~ is shown by the subterfuge under which it is per-
f petrated. We shall make no quotations to show
how the tax sales operated to restore the lands to
the crown, for man with half an idea can see il
must have worked charmngly. On the other hand
( in speaking Of the action Of the British New Yea
land Company, who were originally so deeply inter
ested in the prosperity Of the colony, Mr.. Bulle