COLONIAL OFFICE FENCING WITH NEW ZF. ALAND RESPONSIBILITIES.
Company to make another Proposal.
"Dowaing Street, 231 May 1845. " My Lord—I have had the honour to receive your Lordship's letter of the 5th in- stant, written on behalf of the New Zealand Company, enclosing the heads of a plan for the adjustment of the difficulties under which the colony of New Zealand is at pre- sent labouring. That plan is formed on the basis of constituting a new Company for the government of the whole of the Middle Island, and of so much of the Northern Island as it might be deemed advisable to Include within its limits. It fUrther proposes, that the existing Company shall be merged in the Company so to be established ; and that the new establishments should be formed on the model of the old proprietary governments on the North American continent. I regret to be muter the necessity of informing your Lordship, that her Slajesty's Govennnent, having maturely ex- amined this project, find that the difficulties of proceeding on the basis thus suggested are Insuperable. If, however, the New Zealand Company should have any other pro- position to offer, founded upon a wholly different principle, for relieving themselves, the colony, and the Government, from the embarrassment consequent upon the present state of their affairs, her Majesty's Governuient are ready to give their best attention to such proposition, and to enter upon a discussion with an earnest desire to find a satisfactory solution of the existing difficulties, by an amicable arrangement with the New Zealand Company. "I have the honour to be, Ste. STANLEY."
" The Lord Ingestre, Soc. &c."
Lord Ingestre to Lord Stanley; calling on him not to shuffle, Sul igeak out likea man. "New Zealand House, 26th May 1845. " My Lord—On behalf of the Committee of the Directors of the New Zealand Com- pany, I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's letter of the 234 histturt. " It is with deep regret and disappointment that we have received the intimation, that her Majesty's Government find that the difficulties of proceeding on the basis sug- gested in my letter of the 5th May are, in their opinion, insuperable. " With reference to the suggestion made by your Lordship, of fresh proposals on our part, it does not appear to us that any advantage could result from onr originating any fresh proposals on either of the two bases on which you stated to as, through Mr. Buller, that it remained open to continue the negotiation ; but we ahould be happy to give the most cordial consideration to any plan which your Lordship may do us the honour to suggest with a view of carrying your intentions into effect. With respect, however, to the alternative of buying up this Company's interests, end putting an end to its existence, we must take the earliest opportunity of observing, that it would be impossible for us to entertain the suggestion for a moment, unless your Lordship would specifically atate the guarantees which you have in view, for securing the good govern- ment of the colonists whom we have established, acid the welfare of the Native race. We feel that time is of such importance to us, that unless assured that we renewed the negotiation with this fundamental requisite of such a plan clearly and satisfactorily before us, we could net consent teeny further delay Of the motion which Mr. Buller halt undertaken to bring before the Rouse of Commons. " I have the honour to be, &c. " Immerse' ,'The Right Hon. Lord Stanley, Chairman of the Secret cenuntttee." Secretary of State for the Colonic*, 8Ge."
Loud Stanley to Lord Ingestre ; saying that he new' said anything.
" Colonial Office, 29th May 1845. lify Lord—I have had the honour of receiving a letter from your Lordship, signed on behalf of the Secret Committee ' of the New Zealand Company. " As your Lordship's letter intimates to me that the New Zealand Cotnpany have no other propositions to offer to the consideration of her Majesty's Government than those contained in your letter of the 5th Instant, and which my letter of the 234 instant stated to be in our opinion inadmissible I might limit myself to a mere acknowledgment of your Lordship's communication:if some of the expressions used Wit were not such as to produce an erroneous impression as to some not unimportant matters of fact.
"I must take leave to remind you, that the original proposition for a fresh arrange- ment, on a new basis, of the Company's affairs in New Zealand, proceeded not from her Majesty's Government, but from Mr. C. Boiler; that the first official communication on the subject was contained in your letter of the 5th instant, submitting a scheme previously proposed by that gentleman, to which the Government had engaged to give a deliberate and candid consideration ; though at the same time I declined, as abso- lutely inadmissible, a suggestion that any proposal of the kind should emanate from the Governmeat. " After the fullest consideration, it appeared to my colleagues and myself that the basis suggested was open to insuperable objections; and while I limited my official communication to this announcement, Sir James Graham and I explained to Mr. C. Buller, in private, as an act of courtesy, the nature of the objections which we felt. I am very unwilling to introduce any portion of private conversation into art official paper, but I am bound in justice to myself to say, that while we unreservedly discussed every possible basis of a fresh arrangement, it was distinctly understood that the Com- pany were perfectly free to take their own course, to make any or no new propositions; and that Mr. Buller had no authority to make any statement as from me in the nature of a new proposal; that there was no question of 'continuing the negotiation ' ; and that it rested with the Company whether they would seek to open a new one. There were therefore no ' suggestione ' for the Company to entertain,' or decline to enter- tain; still less, as it appears to me, any plea on which the Company could stipulate for ' guarantees ' for the good government of the colonists,' or 'the welfare of the Native race.' These are objects which in our estimation are of primary importance, and of which we do not require to be reminded by the New Zealand Company. Our dealre to promote them has indeed been our main inducement to enter upon Um negotiations to which we were invited by the Company. " Lastly, in reference to your Lordship's observation that ' time is of such importance that, without such guarantees, the Company could not consent to any further delay of the motion which Mr. Buller has undertaken to bring before the House of Commons:— I have to remind your Lordship, that the postponement of that motion has been the spontaneous act of Mr. Buller himself; that her Majesty's Government never have de- precated, nor do they now deprecate, the fullest discussion; nor have they asked for, nor desired, the delay of a single day in bringing it forward : and if Mr. Buller hats re- ported to your Lordship the substance of the conversation which has passed between us, lie could hardly have omitted to soy, that the distinct understanding on which we parted was, that the negotiation being at an end, the Company was of course at Mil liberty to adopt any Parliamentary proceeding which they might deem expedient, and
Secretary of State for the Colonies, &c."
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