(81)

The Colonial Secretary then rose and said-I
am very glad to find that, in the discussion of the
general principles of the bill, there have arisen so
very few points of difference. The objections of
Mr. Porter and Mr. Clendon are, for the most
part, met by clauses in the bill itself, or may be
obviated by modifications when in Committee.
The other hon. member, (Mr. Earp), has ex-
pressed his opinion, that the best possible plan of
colonizing New Zealand, is by means of scat-
tered settlements. He states, that the plan of
concentration on the Wakefield system has been
tried in South Australia, and has proved to be a
failure. I cannot agree with this assertion. The
embarrassed state of that Colony can be accounted
for, from the settlers having had to struggle against
severe commercial losses, arising from over-spe-
culation. The New Zealand Company have com-
menced the colonization of New Zealand on a
similar principle. The system adopted by them
has been found to answer well, and I hope and
trust will eventually prove to have realized their
most sanguine expectations. I has been asserted
that, by the bill before the Council, the early
claimants will be greatly injured-that an unfair
advantage is given to the recent purchaser over
the old settler-the latter having paid a much
smaller sum per acre than the former. By re-
ferring to the 14th clause you will observe, that
the early settlers are offered a priority of choice
in the districts appointed for selection, by which
they will obtain land of the best quality, and in
the most desirable situations, which, it is hoped, will
fully counterbalance any advantage given to the
recent speculator in regard to quantity. The
propriety of forming a settlement at Port Cooper
might be passed over without observation, as the
question is not now before the Council; but the
honorable member has, in my opinion, furnished
an unanswerable argument against the adoption
of such a course. He tells us that, at Port
Nelson, a settlement is in the actual course of
formation by the New Zealand Company. That
enterprizing body has now a large amount of
capital invested, and it would be manifestly un-
just for Government to take any step which might
injuriously interfere with their operations now in
progress. A Government town at Port Cooper
could only be formed by abstracting capital and
labour from the settlements already formed by
the Company. Mr. Earp has asserted that the
refusal to establish a Government settlement on
the Middle Island will cause dissatisfaction to the
inhabitants of Port Nicholson, but I will hazard
an opinion that a contrary feeling will be enter-
tained;-the settlers there will see clearly that
their interest could not be advanced by the estab-
lishment of a rival town under the auspices of
Government; neither do I think that they will
ascribe to the Government a desire to break up
their coasting-trade, particularly as the lands of
the greater number of the claimants proposed to
be removed, are situated in the neighbourhood of
Cook's Straits, in the midst of the blocks already
granted or guaranteed to the New Zealand Com-
pany by the Government.

The Governor said:-With regard to the Sou-
thern Island there are not many claimants.

Those who occupy whaling and trading stations,
as has been pointed out in a letter which has
been read, stand in a different position to other
settlers. Whaling and trading stations are like
factories, and those establishments shall be se-
cured to the proprietors by lease.

Mr. Earp, with regard to what had fallen from
the Colonial Secretary, begged to explain that he
had not, himself, accused the Government of any
desire to promote the prosperity of Auckland, at the
expense of the other settlements by the provisions
of this bill, but had merely expressed an opinion
that such feelings might be entertained out of
doors: -For himself, he gave the Government
every credit for an anxious desire to settle this
question in the best way possible, but he dis-
approved of the plan they had adopted for effect-
ing that object.

The Colonial Secretary said-The Government
had no intention to raise up any one town to the
disadvantage of another. They could have only
one object in view, and that was to promote the
general good of all. Any attempt of that nature
must meet with the signal failure which it would
so greatly merit.

The bill was then read a second time, without
a dissentient voice; and it was ordered to be
considered in Committee on Wednesday, the se-
cond of February, to which day the Council ad-
journed.

FEBRUARY 2ND, 1842.

Present all the Members.
The minutes of Council were then read and
confirmed.

LICENSING BILL.

The Attorney General moved the order of the
day for the second reading of the Licensing Bill,
which was read accordingly; but in consequence
of several members not having received the Bill
in time to make their amendments, it was on the
motion of Mr. Clendon, ordered, that the time
for giving notice of amendments be extended to
the following day.

The Colonial Secretary then moved that the
Bill be considered in Committee on Friday the 4th
February: carried.

HARBOUR REGULATIONS' BILL.

On the motion of the Colonial Secretary,
seconded by the Colonial Treasurer. that the
first reading of this Bill be postponed til 3rd
February, 1842: carried.

LAND CLAIMS' BILL.

Mr. Earp presented a petition, numerously
signed by the inhabitants of Auckland, and other
Claimants of Land in New Zealand, praying that
this Council would not proceed with the consi-
deration of the "Land Claims' Bill," until the
amendments, which Government were about to