CO885(1-2) — Page 123

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a complete feeling of security been established with the natural resuit of extending trade and industry, but the confidence of the natives has by the judicious measures adopted by the Government been completely gained and their improvement in civilization rapidly advanced.

Roads opening lines of communication which were required both for the military security and for the trade of the colony, have been constructed mainly by native labour; and what is perhaps of most consequence, nearly the whole of the com- plicated and embarrassing questions as to the right to land which had grown up from previous mis- management, have been satisfactorily adjusted. On the one hand, an ample extent of land for settlement and for the colonizing operations of many years has been purchased on reasonable terms from the natives; on the other, the points in dispute between the New Zealand Company and their settlers have been amicably arranged.

Such is the actual state of things and the pros- pects for the future in the more important of those British Colonies which possess temperate climates, and which are fitted for the residence of a large European population.

It remains to advert to the actual condition of the Colonies situated within the Tropics. These possessions differ materially from those I have hitherto considered, from the fact that in general the residents of European descent constitute only a small part of the population, and are rather tempo- rary sojourners, secking to realize wealth with which they may return to their native country, than men who have cast their lot permanently in the commu- nities to which for the present they belong. It is obvious that these circumstances must greatly affect the fitness of the colonies in question for the exer- cise of the privilege of self-government, and accord- ingly in these colonies little has been attempted in the way of extending that privilege to those amongst them which did not previously possess it.

This circumstance has been taken advantage of to raise the cry that misgovernment is the cause of the distress which these colonies have undoubtedly very severely suffered.

D

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O.

Reference :--

885

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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