6 JUNE 1846, Page 48

PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF PROPRIETORS, • HELD

ON THE 29TH MAY 1846.

[Abridged from the Morning Chronicle of 30th May.]

• The Annual General Court of Proprietors of the New Zealand Company took place yesterday, at their house in New Broad Street, for the election of Directors and the transaction of general business. The room was • densely crowded; and Viscount INGESTRE, M.P., was called to the chair. The Noble Cuantmasi said, that he would not trespass upon the time of the meeting by expressing his own opinions upon the important business which was to come under their consideration ; as that, he thought, would be better said in the Report which was about to be read to them. He -would only say, on his own behalf and on that of the Directors, that they felt an unabated interest in the welfare and prosperity of the magnificent colony of New Zealand, which, if properly supported, was destined to fill a most important place in the future interests of the empire. • The SECRETARY having read the Report (for which see above),

Mr. AGLIONEY said, that under ordinary circumstances he would have refrained from addressing them at all, but the very important and painful suggestions in the Report rendered him anxious to say a few words upon their present position. Upon that day's discussion depended their future action. In the Report presented the Directors had offered the only alter- native that appeared practicable; but as there was still a possibility of bringing Parliament to interfere, to that faint hope they clung, and till that was dissi- pated they would not abandon their post, nor fail honourably to fulfil their en- gagements. He had been in personal communication with Mr. Secretary Gladstone, and was satisfied with his good intentions and wish to do right ; but he was bound to say that that did not relieve them or the distress of the colonists. . What was required in an emergency like the present was energy and action ; for without these qualities they would be ruined.

Mr. CHARIER BULLER expressed the disappointment he had felt, that, after the assurances given by the Head of the Government last session, nothing had yet been done to repair the wrongs the existence of which had been admitted. He described the fatal consequences of delay, as affecting both the actual settlers (many of the best of whom are returning to England by every vessel) and the intending colonists, who, after aban- doning their occupations at a considerable sacrifice, are unable to go out of this country for two reasons : first, they had no guarantee for any land when they should arrive; and secondly, they had no guarantee for any in- stitution under which freemen could live.

This was a grave question, not concerning New Zealand alone but every colony of this empire. 'Was the Englishman who left his home, not to plant himself in a foreign country, but in another portion of the empire, to be regarded as an enemy to his country ; and was he to lose all the privileges of an Englishman ? The people of England had been intrusted with the great pnvilege of having a voice in their own af- fairs; and by having that privilege intrusted to them they had become the most civilized, happy, and powerful people on the face of the earth : and did they, he asked, forfeit any of their rights by extending their country's -empire into the islands of the distant ocean ? Did they ask for any- thing new, or democratic, or republican, or anything that savoured of revolutionary innovation ? No, they merely asked the Government of this day to do for Englishmen in the nineteenth century what James I. and Charles L and Charles II. had done for Englishmen in their day— namely, that when Englishmen quitted their country to go to another portion of the empire, they should carry with them the rights of self- taxation and of self-government. He claimed that right, not for New Zea- land only, but for their other colonies. Their colonies could never go on well, and they never could expect them to be happy and prosperous, until they returned to the sound practice of their ancestors' and enabled every free man, qualified by property and intelligence, to have a vote in those matters which affected all members of the community.

That was the first great object to press upon the Government. The second was a total alteration of their relations with the Natives, and the total abandonment of the foolish course in which the Governor had embarked. Those were the objects they had pressed upon the Government ; and they said that, unless something was done at once, all remedy either for the

White man or the Native was perfectly hopeless. If the laws which were necessary for the restoration of tranquillity and, the prosperity of New Zealand were not passed in the present session—if the pre- sent state of New Zealand and the present despondence must con- tinue for another year—the only course left for them was to say to

the Government—" On such conditions as these we will not continue to carry on the colonization of New Zealand ; we will throw the responsibility

entirely on you, and quit the field of action from which your injustice and

your impolicy have driven us." The answer that had been made to them was, that they had been too eager in pressing for an act of Parliament—that what was necessary might be done without such interference. They were

told that instructions were already sent out to effect the object they had in view. and by which municipal institutions would be established by the au-

thority of the Governor and Council. Why, how was that to satisfy any man who was conversant with what had passed in New Zealand ? Were they, still to leave them dependent upon the wisdom and justice of the Go-

vernor ? When they. talked of free institutions and self-government, one thing was implied in the term, namely, that freedom and self-govern- ment should be independent. But if the authority that was to create their municipal institutions was to continue to exist, and to have the power to revoke them the instant they thwarted the wishes of the Govern- ment, what was to prevent the Colonial Office from withdrawing the

• instructions to the Governor, or the Governor from disregarding the in- structions as he had done before, and the settlers would be left again with- out any protection, under despotic authority. If this change were to be made—a change which he thought every sound-thinking man in Parlia- ment and in the country would say ought to be made—let it be done openly, boldly, permanently, and legally ; let them get the authority of an act of the United Parliament, to establish the institutions by which New Zealand was to be governed.

If they would allow him, he would impress upon them once again, that this was not merely a New Zealand question. The struggle they were making for New Zealand was a Colonial struggle. It ought to be regarded by the public as a struggle for the benefit of all the colonies. One thing was necessary, and that they should have—a reform of the system by which their colonies were governed. It was for that object, as much as for the interests of New Zealand, that he thought it necessary that the Company should take its stand on the present occasion. If one colony was injured or neglected, its case might be brought forward by one or two per- sons in a newspaper, if they could get any newspaper to attend to them. It might be brought forward in Parliament, if they could get any person to condescend to take notice of them ; but when one colonial case was brought forward, no other colony took part in it, and that happened which had happened the other day when Mr. Ewart brought forward in the House of Commons the case of mismanagement in Van Diemen's Land, which was one of the grossest cases that ever was exhibited. Mr. Ewart was not ten minutes on his legs when a patriotic member moved the House should be counted; there were only twenty-seven persons in it ; the House was counted out, and they thus disposed of a question affecting the welfare of that colony. Why, he asked, did the colonies allow that state of things to continue ? Why did they not unite together to have their voice heard ? The New Zealand Company had set them the example, and it would be easy for them to follow it up with very great effect, if they only united together. After all, they had one common bond of union, though there were different matters of detail which might specially interest dif- ferent colonies. What one colony might think to be wrong another might think to be right, and they might disagree on matters of detail ; but there was one point on which all the colonial interests would unite together, and must unite together, and that was in vindicating for the colonies the right of self-government in their own internal affairs. The West Indians, the Canadians, the persons interested in the Cape, or the persons interested in Australia, all suffered under the present colonial mismanagement of this country. They all suffered from it ; but when the colonies had grievances to complain of they had no effective means of redress. They could not appeal to the people of the colonies themselves, but they had to go cap-in- hand to the Secretary in Downing-street, where they would be subject to the caprice of every official in his office; and, if they were driven to appeal, they appealed to Parliament, in which there were but a very few persons who felt the slightest interest in the matter. It was their want of union and determination that caused that state of things ; and it never would be rectified until all those who had an interest in the colonies of this country should determine to unite for one great common object—to relieve the colonies from the despotic government to which they were subject. He cared not what mode they adopted for this purpose, or what species of organization they adopted ; but he would say, that the colonies and their friends in the country should be organized for this one common object— to put an end to the common misgovernment which affected every portion of the colonies of the empire, and which every year was the subject of loud and general complaint ; and what was more, if such an organization were established—if the voice of the colonies were heard, and the influence of the colonies brought to bear on this great and legitimate object -- its success would be certain; and he would say that never in ,e

abetter cause did man appeal to the sympathies of all just and wise think' nmen. Mr. CLanxii, a proprietor, put four queries to the Chairman, the princi- pal one having reference to the position in which a dissentient to the propositions before the meeting would be placed. Dr. BOWB.ING said, that unless they were endowed with the spirit of prophecy they could not answer these questions. The Report itself was the best evidence of the great attention the Directors had paid to the concerns of the Company. He had long been impressed that more power should be delegated to the Directors, if the colony was to be saved. He despaired. of Parliamentary interference as that which was remote and distant obtained little attention from the imperial Legislature. The wrongs of thousands and tens of thousands were unattended to from that cause. He cordially concurred in the propriety of throwing the whole weight of responsibility upon the Board ; and rejoiced at its resolution, that unless something was done, and that promptly, the whole responsibility would be thrown upon the Government. He moved the adoption of the Report. The CstAntsterr (Mr. Aglionby, in the absence of Lord Ingestre, who had retired) replied briefly to the inquiries of Mr. Clarke.

Mr. WATSON and other proprietors expressed great confidence in the Directors, and an earnest hope that the Report should be unanimously adopted.

General Bitroos deprecated the carrying on a war with the Natives. He thought that we should never be able to conquer the island without exter- minating the Natives. He described the benefit which India received from local and municipal institutions, and strongly urged that the settlers should enjoy the benefit of similar institutions. The Report was then adopted unanimously. Some routine business was gone through; after which due acknowledgment was paid to the Chairman, and the Court was dissolved.