§ Captain Rousrose for the purpose of moving, agreeably to the Notice he had given, that the Treaty of Waitangi, confirmed and approved by Her Majesty, ought to be maintained with the strictest integrity, when
§ Sir R. Peelrose and said, he hoped his hon. and gallant Friend would wave the precedence to which he was entitled, and allow the adjourned debate to proceed. The hon. Member for Wolverhampton, who had a Motion second on the Paper, resigned his claim, on the understanding that the adjourned debate was to be pro- 600 ceded with; and he certainly left the House last night under that impression. He hoped, therefore, that his hon. and gallant Friend would follow the example of others, and permit the Order of the Day for the adjourned debate to be proceeded with, by waving his right.
§ Captain Roussaid he should be sorry to interfere with the adjourned debate, but he hoped he might be permitted to state in a few words how he was situated. The last time he addressed the House on the subject of New Zealand he stated that the New Zealand Company got money under false pretences—that they decoyed labourers to the Colony, and then left them in a state of destitution. He was afraid, therefore, that if he did not take the earliest opportunity to bring forward his Motion, it might be said that he calumniated the Company; and he thought it right also to give the Company an opportunity of answering or explaining the charges he made; if they did which, he was ready to make an ample apology. There was a stigma cast upon the Company, and it was for their sake that he wished to bring forward the Motion; but, at the same time, he was the last person who would wish to stand in the way of the public business.
§ Sir R. Peelsaid, he thought an additional reason for not bringing on the Motion that night was, that he believed the House was not prepared for the discussion on the Motion of his hon. Friend. The general impression was that the Maynooth Bill would be proceeded with; and he doubted if those who were likely to take a part in the discussion on the New Zealand question were prepared for it.
§ Mr. C. Bullersaid that the hon. and gallant Member placed the postponement of his Motion on such grounds that it be came necessary for him to say, on the part of the New Zealand Company, that they were most anxious to hear his statement, and to have the question he meant to bring forward fully discussed; but, at the same time, he begged to tell the hon. and gallant Captain that he did not come down to the House prepared to discuss that night the question of the observance of the Treaty of Waitangi. He declared that till he came to the House he had not the slightest impression that the hon. and gallant Member would even take an opportunity of substantiating his charges. He never told them that he would bring it 601 on, nor had he given them the slightest idea of what his charges were. When they were brought forward, the Company would give a satisfactory answer to them; and he was therefore glad that the hon. and gallant Officer had pledged himself to support his sweeping accusation against the Company.
§ Captain Roussaid, he brought forward two distinct charges, and he did not know how they could be misinterpreted by any living man; and if he was a director of the Company he would not sleep in his bed till the charges were entered into. He would be happy when the hon. Gentleman brought forward the question of New Zealand, to give an explanation of the whole principle on which the Company was based. But as the hon. Gentleman said that he was not prepared, God forbid that he should attack any man in that situation—that he should attack any man who was not prepared to defend himself in every way. He wished to bring the question forward for the sake of the Company themselves. He was ready at all times and seasons to do so, but if it were postponed to-night, he found he could not bring it forward before July; but if he were a director of the Company he would not sit still for six weeks under the imputation which was cast upon them.
§ Subject postponed.