1863.

The Session of 1863, which commenced on the 19th of October, ushered in a new Ministry, of which it is no detraction to say that it was essentially an Auckland Ministry; for, though Mr. Fox of Wellington had been commissioned by his Excellency to reconstitute the Government, he assumed only the leadership of the House of Representatives and the office of Colonial Secretary, leaving the chief place in the new* Executive to Mr. Whitaker of Auckland, the new Attorney-General, who, with Mr. Reader Wood as Treasurer, and Mr. Russell as Defence Minister—both of Auckland—formed a majority of the Ministry, the only other member being Mr. Gillies of Otago, the new Postmaster-General. The Native difficulty continued to assume a prominent feature in the Legislature, and the Session may be characterized as having given birth to three important measures in connection with the Native race—viz., "The New Zealand Loan Act" for £3,000,000; "The Suppression of Rebellion Act;" and "The New Zealand Settlements Act." Of the two latter, I will only say that, amid much anxious debating and much serious misgiving, they became law; for there were elements in them which savoured much of the darkest periods of English legislation; but, there being a very general opinion that large powers should be entrusted to the Government of the day to enable it effectually to grapple with an evil which was sapping the foundations of the prosperity of the Colony, the doubtful supporters of the Ministry gave a hesitating page 10 and timid adhesion to the Bills. These measures were accompanied by a gigantic scheme of clonization, which by the rapidity of its operation and the judicious selection of its self-supporting settlements was intended to prevent the possibility at any future time of the Natives again rising in insurrection against us. It was not to be expected that such vast results were to be obtained without an enormous expenditure; but in the eyes of the Legislature the magnitude of the expense was dwarfed in comparison with the expected solidity of the results. The Colonial Treasurer, in the financial statement on the 9th of November, unfolded to the Committee of the House of Representatives the event of his extraordinary demands. He proposed the raising' of a loan of no less a sum than three millions of money—at four per tent, if the Imperial guarantee could be obtained, or at five per cent., with a one per cent, sinking fund, should it not be obtained. The allocation of this sum was to be as follows :—War Expenditure, £1,000,000; Immigration to the North Island of from 15,000 to 20,000 people, £300,000; Public Works, such as roads, bridges, rendering rivers navigable, surveys, and general expenses of the location of settlers, £900,000; Arms, £100,000; Electric Telegraph in the Southern Island, £150,000; Light-houses, £50,000; and £500,000 for purposes specified in the Loan Act. The system of immigration was to commence when "the war was over, or driven far from our doors." Serious, however, as the prospective burthens on the Colony were, there were gleams of hope visible on the distant horizon; for, though "the interest and sinking fund of this loan will be," says the Colonial Treasurer, in the first instance, of course, charged upon the general revenue of the whole Colony; but when the lands in rebel districts are taken and sold, the loan itself will be a first charge upon the proceede of the sale thereof:" and then, after estimating a clear balance of something closely approaching to two millions of acres of the confiscated lands of rebel Natives "in the Thames and Waikato, at Taranaki and at Wanganui," after the location of the settlers; still, he observed that, "although it will be impossible to realize upon that all at once, yet before very long the proceeds of those sales will repay the whole of this expenditure." In fully estimating the position of the Colony at the time that this proposal was enunciated, it will be necessary to mention that the estimated page 11 revenue for the year was £641,600—leaving after Landing over to the Provinces three-eighths of the Customs' Revenue, a balance of £21,096, divisible among the different Provincial Governments. Alluring as this new solution of the Native difficulty; was, there were those who even then were startled at its magnitude and sceptical as to its results. They were not desirous of interposing any serious objection to the nature of the experiment, but only to restrict the extent of its operation; and with this object Mr. Mantell submitted the following resolution to the House on the 17th November, which was negatived, on a division of 33 to 11, by a majority of 22. My vote went with the minority, in which there was not one Auckland member.

It will not be necessary to dwell at present at any greater length on this colonization scheme, because its development belongs to a future Session, and we are still bleeding at every pore from the liabilities then incurred.

Another step was taken by the Assembly of paramount influence on the future of New Zealand. In his memorable despatch of the 26th February, 1863, the Duke of Newcastle intimates to the Governor "that Her Majesty has not commanded me to recall the decision communicated to you in my despatch of the 26th May, page 12 with respect to the administration of Native affairs." It would be idle to recall the various arguments adduced by His Grace, and the substantial refutations with which they were met. The Colonial Government were made responsible for every act, while a power was reserved to the Governor to negative "any steps which invaded Imperial rights, or was at variance with the pledges on the faith of which Her Majesty's Government acquired the sovereignty of New Zealand, or in any other way marked by evident injustice towards Her Majesty's subjects of the Native race." With the Governor it rested to decide as to the justice and propriety of employing, and the best mode of employing Her Majesty's forces and a kind of suggestion is thrown out that "the willingness of Great Britain to continue assisting" would be materially affected by the disposition of the Colonists to adopt such measures as, in the Governors opinion, would be "calculated to remove immediate difficulties, and to place the future relations of the races on a sound basis." In other words, the responsibility was to rest with the Colony, but the real power with the Imperial authorities, But what could be done ? The assertion by force of arms of the Queen's sovereignty had plunged us into a war, from the responsibility of which Great Britain retires—and leaves the Colony fettered in the hands of the Governor. This was the time, if ever, when the Parliament of Great Britain should have been respectfully but firmly informed that the Colony declined to act under such an autocratic form of Government; but, believing that, it was useless to contest the point any further—anticipating that liberality and justice would characterise the future action of the British Government,—the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Fox, moved, and the House affirmed, the following resolution :—

The Honorable Mr, Fox moved, and the question was proposed, That this House having had under consideration the despatch of Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated the 26th February, 1863, conveying the fixed determination of Her Majesty's Imperial Government to revoke the arrangement of 1856, and for the future to require the Colonists to undertake the responsibility of the management of Native Affairs, recognises with the deepest gratitude the great, interest which Her Most "Gracious Majesty has always taken in the welfare of all races of page 13 her Colonial subjects and the thoroughly efficient and which Her Majesty's Imperial Government is now affording for the suppression of the rebellion unhappily existing, and the establishment of law and order in the Colony. And relying on the cordial co-operation of the Imperial Government for the future, cheerfully accepts the responsibility thus placed upon the Colonists, and at the same time records its firm determination to use its best endeavours to secure a sound and lasting peace; to do justice impartially to both races of Her Majesty's subjects, and to promote the civilisation and welfare of all classes of the inhabitants of these Islands."

The sad sequel to this acquiescence is to be found in the Blue Book of the following Session.

During this session there was another important measure adopted by a majority of 13, viz., the proposal to remove the Seat of Government from Auckland, its temporary residence, to a permanent position at some place on the shores of Cook's Straits, leaving the selection of the site to an impartial tribunal, constituted by certain of the Governors of the Australian Colonies, This proposal was adopted by the House, Messrs Reynolds, Paterson, Wayne, and myself voting with the majority of seven; subsequently the sum of £50,000 was granted for effectuating this resolution.

An attempt was made to increase the representation of the Province of Otago by the addition of six-members, but owing to the lateness of the period in the Session in which it was moved and other circumstances connected with a readjustment of the representation of other Provinces, it was not successful. The Bill had been referred to a Select Committee, and I brought up the report on the 18th of September, which embodied, for the first time, a partial recognition of the right of the Native race to be represented by apportioning two members to Native districts. In closing the record of this Session I may mention that the House resolved, on my motion, that "the provisions of the Militia Act should be strictly carried out in the Middle Island until such time as the whole male population, between the ages of 16 and 55, with the exception of that portion which is exempted by law, are sufficiently organized and drilled to take an effectual part in the defence of page 14 the Colony," and also that the chief ports of the Colony should be prepared for defence against external aggression.