was in advocating the peculiar principles of colonization, of which he was the author, and upon which he had recently succeeded in founding the colony of South Australia, that Mr. Wakefield drew the attention of Mr Baring to the subject, we need scarcely add that he proceeded throughout on his own system. That system is too well known to all who are engaged in colonizing operations, to require farther notice here.
Having matured his plan, Mr Wakefield communicated it to some private friends, before the close of the year 1836. Early in the following spring, some additional co-operators having been obtained, the New Zealand Association was founded, of which the first meeting was held on Monday, the 22nd of May, 1837, at No 20 Adam street, Adelphi, where rooms where hired for the use of the association. Mr Wakefield presided as chairman, and resolutions were passed founding an association, consisting of two classes of members— those intending to emigrate, who undertook to pay all the expenses (although they ultimately fell upon Mr Wakefield and Dr Evans[1] alone), and of public men who, without any pecuniary interest or view to profit, and on public grounds alone, as they clearly and. distinctly stated in every publication, gave up their time and labour to the prosecution of a very arduous national undertaking.
The committee consisted exclusively of the latter class, to whom it was proposed to confide the execution of the plan in England, and was at first composed of the following gentlemen:—
The Hon. Francis Baring, M. P., Chairman,
The Right Hon. Lord Petre,
Walter F. Campbell, Esq., M.P.,
Robert Ferguson, Esq., M.P.,
Benjamin Hawes, Esq., M.P.,
Philip Howard, Esq., M.P.,
William Hutt, Esq., M.P.,
Sir Wm. Molesworth, Bart., M.P.,
Sir Geo. Sinclair, Bart, M.P.,
Henry George Ward, Esq., M.P.,
W. Wolryche Whitmore, Esq.
It was during the month of July in this year that two New Zealanders, whose names are familiar. to the public, the Rangatira, Te Naiti, and Te Hiakai, visited France. Mr Wakefield, hearing they were at Havre, employed a person at his expense to bring them to this metropolis, if agreeable to them. The younger one, Hiakai, resided for about eight months in the family of Dr Evans, until he died of consumption, which in this country so often proves fatal to the natives of the mild regions of the Pacific. During his lifetime, he showed a disposition of the most amiable kind; and a capacity of the very first order. It was the opinion of the gentleman with whom he resided, that his abilities would have enabled him to master any of the abstract sciences, and to have distinguished himself. He was the brother of Iwi Kau, the chief of Banks's Peninsula. He was buried in Brompton churchyard; and it was to the credit of his companion Naiti that, three weeks after the funeral, he was found alone, weeping over the grave. Te Naiti, resided during his two years stay in England, under the roof of Mr Wakefield, who always treated him as a friend. He is a young man of high feeling and most gentlemanly deportment. He is nearly related to the most powerful chieftain in New Zealand, the Rangatira Te Raupora, whose dominions happen to include those territories on both sides of Cook's Straits, which it will be most desirable for the company to purchase. Te Naiti, therefore, has accompanied the first expedition, as interpreter, for which office he is pre-eminently qualified, by his knowledge of the English language, his rank among his countrymen, the favourable impressions made upon his mind in England, and his perfect knowledge of the real principles and ultimate designs of the company. In this way there can be no fraud, no sham convention of the natives to set up a government nominally native, really European. He knows, and is to explain to his countrymen, that if they cede their territory for the purposes of the colony, they must submit to the laws of England, but that both races are, to be on a perfect equality. He is confident that the proposal will be embraced with eagerness by his countrymen, and his ambition is "to see a town in his country, where he can live like an Englishman." So large a circle in the metropolis received him on terms of equality, and knew him intimately, that we have not hesitated to speak in the strongest terms of the gentleness of his disposition, and the urbanity, we might say elegance, of his manners. On parting with his English friends at Gravesend, he could not control his emotion, but burst into tears, and went sobbing to the ship, where he remained alone in his cabin for the rest of the day.
To return from this episode, about the same period of which we have been speaking (the summer of 1837), a pamphlet was drawn up and published, explaining the principles and objects of the association; and application was made to the prime minister for an interview. Lord Melbourne apparently inclined to favour the undertaking, and immediately granted an audience to the committee. At this meeting Lord Howick was the only minister present besides the premier, apparently as the organ of the Colonial Office. That noble lord, to whom the plan was referred by Lord Melbourne, and who has taken especial pains to connect his name with the colonization of New Zealand, examined the draught of the bill minutely, professed a warm interest in the project, and returned the papers with a very full commentary, suggesting various alterations. In conversation with various members of the association, he gave further reason to expect that the measure would have the best assistance of the government. Several of them, therefore, abandoned professional engagements, sold property on the faith of the expectation virtually held out to them, and made preparations for emigrating. A new bill was drawn, embodying every one of Lord Howick's suggestions, to some of which the association had objections, but which they waived in consideration of receiving his lordship's powerful influence and support.
The death of his Majesty, William the Fourth, at this juncture, stopped all further proceedings. Parliament was dissolved, and the committee, with Lord Howick's written communication before them, came to the following resolution:—
Resolved— "That this committee are satisfied with the progress that has been made in negociating for the consent of her Majesty's government for the introduction of a bill for giving effect to the views of the association; and that they will use their best endeavours to procure an act for that purpose during the next session of parliament. That it is expedient to strengthen the association by laying their views before the public, and adding to their numbers."
From this period to the assembling of the new parliament, several members of the association never relaxed in their attendance or their labours, for a single day. Information relating to New Zealand was collected from all quarters. A volume was compiled and published, and put into circulation in all parts of the kingdom. Mr Burford was induced to paint a panorama of the Bay of Islands, from drawings procured by the association from Mr Augustus Earle, draughtsman to her Majesty's ship Beagle, and the author of an interesting work on New Zealand. A series of lithographic prints from drawings by the same artist, and executed in a beautiful style, was begun at the instance and under the auspices of the association. Articles appeared also in 'Blackwood's Magazine,' and in other publications; highly favourable to the project. A large accession was made to the emigrating members of the society, and a junction effected with the members of the old company of 1825,— a most opportune event, and owing entirely to the good offices of Lord Durham, who has never abandoned the public object of colonizing New Zealand, though he has ever been ready to forego his private interest in the work, for the sake of agreement in the pursuit of a great national object.
The following committee was agreed upon after the union of the societies:—
The Hon. Francis. Baring, M.P., Chairman.
The Right Hon. the Earl of Durham.
The Right Hon. Lord Petre.
Hon. W.B. Baring, M.P.
Walter F. Campbell, Esq., M.P.
Charles Enderby, Esq.
Robert Ferguson, Esq., M.P.
The Rev. Samuel Hinds, D.D.
Benjamin Hawes, Esq., M.P.
Philip Howard, Esq., M.P.
William Hutt, Esq., M.P.
George Lyall, Esq.
Thomas Mackenzie, Esq., M.P.
Sir William Molesworth, Bart., M.P.
Sir George Sinclair, Bart., M.P.
Captain Sir William Symonds, R.N.
Henry George Ward, Esq., M.P.
W. Wolryche Whitmore, Esq.
When parliament assembled, Lord Melbourne was reminded of what had passed before; and an interview was requested for the purpose of obtaining the final sanction of government to the measure. Lord Melbourne and Lord Glenelg jointly received the deputation, which, however, had scarcely been admitted to the presence of the ministers, when they evinced symptoms of official hostility to the scheme. A powerful opposition to it had evidently grown up during the recess of parliament. Whatever Lord Melbourne might intend, it was plain that the Colonial Office had resolved to crush the undertaking.
In order to discover the origin of this change of feeling in the government, it would be necessary to go back to an earlier period, when a deputation, consisting of the Hon. Captain Wellesley, R.N., Captain Arthur Wakefield, R.N., and Dr Evans, waited upon Mr Dandeson Coates, the secretary of the Church Missionary Society, in the month of June, 1837, to present to that society the first pamphlet of the association, and to request their advice and co-operation. The answer given by Mr Coates to those gentlemen was, that "he had no doubt of the respectability of the gentlemen composing the association, or of the purity of their intentions, but that he was opposed to the colonization of New Zealand upon any plan, and would thwart them by all the means in his power." Shortly after this interview the Rev Dr Hinds, vicar of Yardley, a member of the committee of the association, addressed an official letter to the committee of the Church Missionary Society, expressing the sincere desire of the association to adopt any reasonable suggestions that might be made by the society in London, and to uphold the missionaries in the colony. Of this letter, coming officially from a society of noblemen and gentlemen, and written by a distinguished clergyman, no manner of notice was taken. We have reason to believe that Mr Coates did not even think fit to lay it before his own employers; and that the great bulk of the members of the Church Missionary Society have been kept in the dark with respect not merely to the overtures of the Association, but to the proceedings and condition of the Mission in New Zealand. That, however, is exclusively their own affair. The public are only interested in knowing that every possible attention and respect was paid to the Church Missionary Society, and that every overture was rejected with incivility and disdain. We can state upon authority, that the association were anxious to place among the commissioners for founding the colony some leading members of the Missionary Society, and to revise the bill with them, clause by clause, adopting any suggestions that might be reasonably made, with a view to protect the missionaries and to benefit the aborigines. Instead of the courtesies which the demeanour of the association seemed to invite, Mr Coates replied by pamphlets, in which the members of the association were charged with love of lucre and wilful deception. These were answered by Mr Wakefield and Dr Hinds. To analyse the whole of the controversy would be impossible on this occasion.
The altered tone of Lord Melbourne was, however, apparent at the interview just mentioned, when he and Lord Glenelg, but especially the latter, objected not merely to the details of the plan but to every principle of the bill, and even to all further colonization by England. "This country had colonies enough, more than we could protect in case of war." — "There were diplomatic reasons against colonizing New Zealand in particular: the Russians, the Americans, the French would object to it; and, as to the appointment of a special authority for the purpose, such a thing was without precedent— an innovation quite uncalled for." The noble secretary for the colonies was reminded, or rather informed, of what he seemed previously to have known nothing, that all the great colonies of America were founded upon that plan, and that the innovation was the other way; that, in fact, the Swan River was the only colony, excepting the Penitentiaries of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, which had been established without the intervention of a commission or a chartered corporation. Of course this vacillation, on the part of the government gave rise on the occasion to earnest remonstrances from the deputation. It led also to a correspondence between Lord Melbourne and some influential members of the association, which ended in another interview with Lord Glenelg only, on that day week. Lord Durham again headed the deputation, and it appeared that "a change had come o'er the spirit of" the noble secretary's "dream," for he now spoke as a friend and patron of the scheme. He stated that, in consequence of despatches which he had received from New South Wales since the last interview, her Majesty's government, had come to the resolution of adopting the principle of the plan, although they held themselves "unfettered as to details." The plain English of which was, that the prime minister had been reminded of, and had honourably considered, the encouragement which he at first gave to the project; that the hostility of the Colonial Office had been overcome by superior authority; and lastly, that the despatches from New South Wales most fortunately furnished a pretext to Lord Glenelg for expressing his approval of a measure which, but a week before, he had earnestly condemned.
Thereupon followed a letter, in which his lordship expressed the assent of the government upon certain conditions, the spirit and intent of which are accurately described in Mr Baring's speech, on the second reading of the bill, which we have printed in another page.
The principal condition insisted upon, as thereby appears, was, that the society should resolve itself into a joint-stock company, which was directly at variance with one of its leading principles, over and over again declared. This could not have been intended to produce any other effect than that which ensued. It could only end in the dissolution of the society, or in exposing it, with an appearance of justice, to those church missionary attacks which had been levelled against it as "a joint-stock company," &c.
The association then determined to proceed without the aid of government. In order to obtain the independent opinion of parliament, and to procure an inquiry into the subject, which the state of business in the House of Commons rendered impossible at that period, the Earl of Devon moved for, and obtained, a committee in the House of Lords. Every influence was used to disincline the committee to the scheme; and they ultimately evaded a decision on the substance of the question, by resolving to the effect, "that the extension of our colonies was a question belonging exclusively to the crown."
Notwithstanding this unfavourable event, the utility of the inquiry was great. It brought out a mass of authentic information relating to the country, and, by exciting and satisfying curiosity, most usefully seconded the various publications of the association.
Nevertheless, under these adverse circumstances, the bill was brought into the House of Commons by Mr. Baring. The most conclusive reasoning, and the support of powerful and independent members on both sides of the house, were of no avail. The bill was thrown out upon the second reading, by a large majority, and with an air of scorn, bordering, in some quarters, on malignity. The most surprising circumstance in the opposition to the measure in the House of Commons, was the course taken by Lord Howick, who was relied upon as a sure friend, bound in honour to support a measure which had been modified to suit his views, and pursued with great toil and trouble in
- ↑ The gentleman to whom Mr Wakefield first communicated his plan, after maturing it with Mr Baring and his brother, Capt. Arthur Wakefield, R. N.
