CHAPTER XIX. PARTICULARS RESPECTING A WHARF AND PATENT SLIP FOR THE CITY OF WELLINGTON...
[Image of page 412]
CHAPTER XIX.
PARTICULARS RESPECTING A WHARF AND PATENT SLIP FOR THE CITY OF WELLINGTON--MY APPOINTMENTS AS EMIGRATION AGENT--DR. FEATHERSTON'S LETTER--I AM APPOINTED INSPECTING ENGINEER--MYSELF AND MY WAIRARAPA CONSTITUENTS--A DAY WITH THE LAST OF THE NEWCASTLE STEPHENSONS--CONCLUDING REMARKS.
I HAVE now reached the last few pages of my Second Volume, and I shall devote them to a few remarks, which for the most part are personal to myself, and without which my Autobiography would be hardly completed up to the present year 1866.
When I left Auckland, at the end of 1863, I was asked by Dr. Featherston, the Superintendent of Wellington, to supply, on my arrival in London, some information respecting a Patent Slip which he desired some English Firm should erect in Evan's Bay, at Wellington. Being anxious to forward the interests of Wellington as far as I could, I consented to do so; but thinking the work would be light and of short duration, I made it a condition that I was not to be paid for these services.
Soon after my arrival in London (in 1864), I unexpectedly received the appointment, from Dr. Featherston
[Image of page 413]
as Emigration Agent (acting in conjunction with Mr. J. Morrison, the London Agent for our Province), to carry out the Wellington part of the Whitaker Government scheme of Military Colonization. Portions of the following Letter relate to this business and other matters mentioned in this Chapter. It also touches upon topics irrelevant to these subjects; but as they relate to public affairs and may prove interesting to some of my friends, I insert certain portions of Dr. Featherston's Letter verbatim.
"Wellington, July 13/64.
"MY DEAR CARTER.
"Nothing particular to tell you--that you must glean from the papers. The Council will be prorogued the day after to-morrow:-- it has chiefly been occupied in voting money for every conceivable object--its votes exceeding the estimated revenue by some £15,000. This liberality is in view of the elections. Bunny is evidently expecting to be elected M.G.A. for the Wairarapa in case you resign-- which I trust you won't * * * * Grey and his Ministers are at loggerheads on every question, and unless he knocks under in the course of a few days they will resign, and Grey will get nobody to take their places. He is playing into the hands of the Auckland Province and thwarting Ministers at every step. If the Assembly should be called together he won't find any to support him. You will see that I have got pretty much a carte-blanche for the expenditure of our portion of the Three Million Loan. I hope you will consent to act as our Special Emigration Agent. I am on the best possible terms with Ministers, and should be sorry for a change. Let no time be lost in getting a contract for the Wharf, according to Stewart's plan. The Natives here are
[Image of page 414]
quieter than ever, and disposed almost implicitly to obey me. I am sending up labourers (diggers from Picton) to make the Waitorara Trunk line, and don't intend, to have anything to say to Military to Settlements, which are already seen to be a failure in the North. Russell says that he is satisfied that not one-fourth of the Military Settlers will ever settle upon their land. I am afraid the Imperial Government will make us pay dearly for its guarantee, unless Wood is firm in resisting their extortionate demands. By the way, don't forget to send out the articles specified in the Report of the House Committee of the Provincial Council [of] last Session. A question was asked and an answer given, that you had been instructed to get them-- which, I don't remember.
"Yours faithfully,
"I. E. FEATHERSTON.
As the Wellington part of the General Government scheme of colonization was not commenced, I was not required to act under it. But I selected a considerable number of emigrants, which were sent out by Mr. Morrison in January, 1865, in the ship "Berar."
Mr. Morrison and myself successfully negociated for the erection of an Iron Wharf and a Patent Slip in Wellington, with the Eirm of the Messrs. Kennards. In justice to myself, I may fairly state that I revised, and added to, the plans and specifications for the Wharf, and by so doing effected a saving of £1500 (on a contract of £31,813) to our Government. I also succeeded in getting the Contractors to lower their Tender for the Slip from the sum £40,000 to £37,000. Had I not happened to be in London, these savings would not have been effected.
[Image of page 415]
When these two contracts were duly signed, I was, by Mr. Morrison, appointed as the Engineer in London, to inspect and see that the work was done, and the material supplied and shipped in accordance with the contract. This office I undertook, and the duties which it involved occupied me during a great portion of eighteen months, and detained me in England much longer than I had intended to stay. My expenses (cash out of pocket) were paid, and I desired that the question of remuneration for my eighteen months' service might be left to the consideration of the Wellington Government and the Provincial Council. The matter stands for consideration; but what the result may eventually be, I know not. But having done my duty, served the Province, and not having accepted one farthing in the shape of commission or otherwise, from any one, I have entire faith in the sense of justice of the parties to whom the matter is referred. Some dispute has arisen with the contractors respecting representations made by Mr. Morrison connected with the Slip, and also with reference to statements made by myself regarding the nature of the ground which forms the site of the Slip. However, as the contractors have offered to meet the difficulty in a way which I hope will lead to a settlement of the dispute, it is unnecessary for me here to make any further allusion to the matter.
In addition to the above appointment, I was (by letter, dated March 14th, 1866) officially appointed by the Superintendent, jointly with Mr. G. R. Stephenson, to arrange for receiving and accepting
[Image of page 416]
Tenders for the erection of an Iron Bridge over the River Wanganui. The Tender of Messrs. Kennard, for the whole of this bridge-work, amounted to £18,127, and was accepted.
I must now touch upon another personal topic. Previous to my leaving Auckland I had resigned my seat in the Provincial Council; but, believing I should be able to return to Wellington before another Session of the General Assembly would take place, I retained my seat in the House of Representatives. When, as above stated, I found I was detained in England, on Provincial business, I thought my old constituents (who had hitherto placed unbounded confidence in me) would in consideration of this, and on account of my past services in their interests, grant me further leave of absence. I wrote to a friend (Mr. Renall) in the Wairarapa to consult the electors there, and to ask them to acquiesce in leave of absence being requested for me when the House next met in session; but lest their acquiescence should not be obtained, and the interests of my constituents and of the Province should suffer by my absence, I, at the same time (Jan. 1865), forwarded my resignation to Dr. Featherston, whom I informed that I thought, if one individual then waiting for my resignation in order to offer himself as a candidate, was elected for the Wairarapa, it would be a disadvantage to the Province, and bring discredit on the constituency, and I hoped that such an event would not occur--the more so, as I confidently expected to be in Wellington before the New Parliament could be elected:
[Image of page 417]
however, I finally gave him a discretionary power to do what he thought best for my political interests and those of the Province. It turned out that I could not get back as I anticipated. Had I gone back, the arrangements for the public works about which I had taken so much trouble, and which were of such paramount advantage to Wellington, would have been delayed for an indefinite period. So I remained at my post, and did my duty regardless of political consequences.
To add to these complications, Mr. Renall, who was to act in concert with Dr. Featherston, was now Mr. Bunny's friend, and he did not, I think, fully exert himself on my behalf, and do what I expected from him. Very likely I asked too much from him; besides, I was absent, and as the French say, "The absent are always in the wrong." After some unpleasant discussion, part of it unfriendly to myself, Dr. Featherston felt it his duty to forward my resignation to its destination, and I approve heartily of what he did. In my place, Mr. Bunny, a plausible, active and clever, but unscrupulous man was elected to succeed me. My late constituents were of course acquainted with his character and antecedents; but as there was no one, with sufficient influence, on the spot to oppose him, he was elected after a sharp contest: his opponent being a Wellington merchant, which was all in favour of Mr. B., as, by some, the contest was made to appear as Wairarapa against a Wellington nominee.
One of the pleasantest days I spent in England was in May, 1866, when I dined with Mr. G. R. Stephenson, at Albemarle Lodge, Putney, near London.
This Stephenson is the last of the three great and original Stephensons. His father was brother to Mr. George Stephenson. The latter, from being a cow-boy, and a fireman at a Colliery, rose to be one of the greatest railway engineers in the world.
[Image of page 418]
He died in 1848. His son, Mr. Robert Stephenson, also became eminent as an Engineer, and died in London, in the year 1859. Mr. George Robert Stephenson, at whose elegant suburban residence I was a visitor, had succeeded to most of the wealth, rare pictures, other choice works of art, articles of vertu, and testimonials, here congregated and formerly belonging to his Uncle and Cousin. He is a tall, well-made man, frank and homely in look and manners, and was born in the year 1819. He told me that when a boy he had, at three o'clock in the morning, to descend a coal pit, and look after the lamps and ventilation till twelve at noon. After this period he worked as a Mechanical Engineer, and to use his own expression-- "I wore a fustian jacket for seven years." He drove the "Rocket," which had previously carried off the prize for the best locomotive, in 1829. Strange to say, the Engineer--a white-haired, gentlemanly man, Mr. Phipps, who made the drawings for the "Rocket," constructed by Mr. G. Stephenson, was at this dinner party, and I had the pleasure of being introduced to him.
Mr. Stephenson informed me that he had been, more or less, engaged in designing and superintending the great Engineering works of his uncle and cousin; and that his income from the Newcastle locomotive works was about £8,000 a year; from Coal Mines, &c., £30,000; and from his profession of Engineer, £7,000; making a total of £45,000 per annum. He is Consulting Engineer to several Railway Companies, and also to the Canterbury Government of New Zealand. He is an Engineer of great attainments, though I should think not equal to his late uncle or his late cousin. He intimated to me, that he considered the English Government behaved badly to Mr. George Stephenson, when they only offered him a Knighthood, instead of a Baronetcy. The former was declined,
[Image of page 419]
the latter, he said, if offered, would have been accepted. Mr. Stephenson strove successfully to make his guests feel at home and enjoy themselves in his splendidly furnished and picture-decorated mansion. The dinner was given on a Sunday, and the conversation mostly turned on Engineering topics. His four sons are being educated and trained to manage the business now carried on by their father. Adjoining the house is an Engineer's work-shop, in which they work at practical engine-making; so that they may more thoroughly understand the business which they are expected to manage in the future. Even his two accomplished daughters take a delight in the business of a practical Engineer, for he pointed out to me a piece of bright iron, filed up by one of them, and a piece of wood in the lathe, in process of being neatly turned in a difficult geometrical pattern by the other. Mrs. Stephenson is a stout, healthy-looking woman about the same age, and equally as affable as her husband. I stayed till late in the evening, and then left.
At last I am writing the final paragraph of the, last chapter of the second volume of the "Life and Recollections of a New Zealand Colonist," and it may be that my readers have become weary with reading the two volumes. The long journeys I have taken them, the persons and the incidents to which I have introduced them--have not, I would fain hope, altogether disappointed them. Unused to book-making as I am, these volumes have been a work of considerable labour to me. I first wrote the original notes; then made a rough copy of the most interesting portions of them; I next made a copy of the latter for the printer: so that the greater part of this work may be said to have been written amidst my ordinary avocations--three times. Added to this, I have put every sheet of which it is composed through the press, so that my self-appointed
[Image of page 420]
task, commenced in 1864, and completed in 1866, has not been a light one. I am now forty-four years of age. The best part of my life is gone, and I am grateful for having, as a rule, enjoyed good health for that long period. What may be in store for me in my future career in this world, Providence only knows.
In conclusion, I may remark, that no one can write a book, and speak candidly of his friends and those with whom he has been associated with in business and in public affairs, without running the risk of giving offence to some one or other; but if his opinions are expressed in moderate language --if they are based on truth, and neither influenced by spite nor malice, they should not have that effect. At all events, in my remarks on friends or opponents in this work, I never contemplated such a result. We are all far from perfect; and in alluding to the faults of others, let us hope that it is done in order that a repetition of such faults or failings may, to some extent, be avoided by those who come after us, rather than with the intention of giving pain to friends or relatives of those to whom such remarks have been applied, and who may be no longer able to defend themselves.
END OF VOLUME SECOND.
