The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]
[introduction]
Wellington's founders had great hopes from the first that their town would be chosen for the Capital. Lieutenant-Governor Hobson had scarcely left the shores of England when Colonel William Wakefield had purchased all the lands surrounding Port Nicholson; and before the Lieutenant-Governor had moved his staff from the Bay of Islands to Auckland, Wellington was laid out, its streets all named, and eleven hundred town acres allotted to as many purchasers of country lands.
Local Government was brought out by the colonists themselves, for they all signed a “Constitution,” vesting the power of government in a Council; and on the 2nd of March, 1840, the first meeting of the Council was held, and steps were taken to secure the co-operation of the Maori chiefs for the ratification of the Constitution. These steps were thoroughly successful, and Local Government was soon in full swing, with assumed powers necessarily far beyond those of the present City Council.
The Constitution, so called, gave the Council power: (1) To muster and drill the colonists; (2) to punish offenders against the laws of England in accordance with English customs; (3) to settle disputes; (4) to appoint Colonel Wakefield president of everything, and Mr. Samuel Revans the first secretary to the Council; (5) to make rules, appoint officers, and hold meetings; (6) to appoint Dr. G. S. Evans, barrister-at-law, the first umpire to proside at all criminal proceedings, and, assisted by seven assesors, decide on the guilt or innocence of the accused; (7) to enforce the punishment awarded, with certain restrictions by the umpire; (8) to compel the attendance of witnesses, etc; (9) to appoint a committee of appeal for final decision; (10) to make rules by the committee and umpire for their government as might be deemed fit; (11) to direct the choice of assessors; (12) to call out the armed inhabitants and make rules for their government; (13) to place Colonel Wakefield in the highest (minority in directing the armed inhabitants; and (14) to make regulations for preserving the peace of the settlement, and to levy such rates and duties as might be necessary to defray all expenses attending the management of the affairs of the Colony and the administration of justice. Opportunity was made when gaining the concurrence of the chiefs for an extension of the powers above mentioned. The Council was to be elected annually, but the president was to hold office for five years. The “Officers of the Colony” were:—“George Samuel Evans, Esq., D.C.L., umpire; Samuel Evans Esq., secretary; Major Richard Baker, magistrate; Mr. Henry Cole and Mr. James Smith, constables.”
Major Baker was not slow to act in his capacity of judge, and he had indiscretion enough to extend beyond his jurisdiction. Under the circumstances surrounding his appointment, he might fairly have been expected to judge all matters connected with those who had signed the so-called Constitution; but when he issued a summons against the captain of a British ship, and committed him to a month's imprisonment for treating that summons with contempt, he was most clearly going beyond all reasonable bounds. This really happened, and Captain Pearson was illegally detained, sent on board the ship “Tory,” and placed in the custody of Captain Chaffers, there being at that time no gaol at all at Port Nicholson. The so-called prisoner dared Captain Chaffers to interfere with his freedom, and Captain Pearson's boat came alongside and took him to his own ship. Lieutenant-Governor Hobson was at the Bay of Islands at this time, so the annoyed captain sailed for that port, and laid the whole matter before the Lieutenant-Governor. Captain Hobson unhesitatingly characterized these whole proceedings as “acts of high treason.”
That Captain Hobson looked upon all this in a much too serious light is exceedingly probable. On his sending Lieutenant Willonghby Shortland, with thirty armed troopers and a few constables, to issue proclamations and call upon the officials “holding authority under the usurped Government” to at once retire, he discovered that the founders of Wellington, instead of being a band of lawless intruders, were in reality British colonists of a high type, whose conduct appeared iniquitous simply because it was not realised that they had initiated their so-called Government before it was known that the Queen's authority was really to be established in New Zealand; and having begun in the above-mentioned manner, they considered themselves quite right in continuing until such times as it might suit the Lieutenant-Governor to take official cognizance of the existence of the Port Nicholson settlement. Lieutenant Shortland was loyally received, and he was able, a few days after he arrived, to report to Captain Hobson that “Her Majesty's Government” was fully established.
But as the machinery of Government left behind by Lieutenant Shortland seemed very poor and inefficient, the people of Wellington, after vain'y trying to secure for their town the location of the Government, agitated for some better means of governing themselves; and the efforts of Captain Hobson to satisfy this appeal culminated on the 4th of August, 1842, when he made a proclamation declaring Wellington a borough, and that the first Council would be elected by those who, before the 31st of August, 1842, should register valid claims to vote at such elections. Thus Wellington became the first municipality in the Colony; and on the 3rd of October, 1842, the first election took place. Mr. George Hunter, probably by virtue of heading the poll, was chosen Mayor, 273 votes being recorded in his favour, and the other eleven aldermen were:—W. Lyon, 237 votes; W. Fitzherbert, 220; John Wade, 212; George Scott, 196; Francis A. Molesworth, 182; Dr. Dorset, 176; R. Waite, 164; W. Guyton, page 272 155; A. Hort, 155; E. Johnson, 151; and R. Jenkins, 149. The records of this Council are imperfect. The first roll of which any copy can be found is dated 1843; and, as it contains only 152 names it is not clear how so high a number as 273 votes could have been recorded in favour of any one man. Had the electors been allowed to give their twelves votes all to one candidate, which is hardly probable, it would have needed 249 electors, for some 740 votes appear to have been given to unsuccessful candidates. However this may have been, it is quite certain that the roll of 1843 contains only 152 names as it is still extant, and the following is a true copy of it:—
Burgess Roll For The Borough Of Wellington For The Year 1843.
Name | Residence | Occupation |
Allen, William | Manners Street | Butcher. |
Allsdorf, Von Charles | Lambton Quay | Merchant |
Anderson, Archibald | Thorndon Quay | Storekeeper |
Annear, James | Sydney Street | Carpenter |
Baird, James | Cuba Street | Carpenter |
Baird, John | Cuba Street | Carpenter |
Baker, Richard | Lambton Quay | Wine Merchant |
Barr, John | Lambton Quay | Clerk |
Bell, James | Te Aro | Farmer |
Bethune, Kenneth | Lambton Quay | Merchant |
Bevan, Thomas | Lambton Quay | Rope Maker |
Bewick, William | Te Aro | Carpenter |
Bould, Robert | Tinakori Road | Shoemaker |
Boulcott, Joseph | Te Aro | Merchant |
Bolton, Frederick | Thorndon Quay | Bricklayer |
Brees, Samuel Charles | Hawkstone Street | Civil Engineer |
Brice, John | Wellington Terrace | Carpenter |
Brooke, Stephen | Pipitea Pah | Labourer |
Brown, Richard | Lambton Quay | Hotelkeeper |
Brown, William Henry | Lambton Quay | Currier |
Buck, Henry | Thorndon Flat | Smith |
Buck, George | Thorndon Flat | Smith |
Bull, James | Pipitea Pah | Shingler |
Butler, William Stephen | Willis Street | M.D. |
Catchpool, Edward | Dixon Street | Merchant |
Cemino, Salvator | Lambton Quay | Master Boatman |
Clifford, Charles | Thorndon Flat | Agriculturalist |
Collier, Robert | Thorndon Quay | Bricklayer |
Collins, James | Thorndon Quay | Dairyman |
Cooper, Wm. Anthony | Te Aro | Carpenter |
Curtis, George | Tinakori Road | Engineer |
Davis, Rowland | Lambton Quay | Publican |
Davis, Edward | Hawkstone Street | Publican |
Dimond, John | Tinakori Road | Labourer |
Dorset, John | Lambton Quay | Surgeon |
Duck, John | Ghuznee Street | Carpenter |
Duffield, George | Burhampore | Labourer |
Durie, David | Lambton Quay | Storekeeper |
Edwards, George | Hawkstone Street | Schoolmaster |
Evans, John | Thorndon Flat | Harnessmaker |
Evans, Morgan | Te Aro | Bookkeeper |
Featherston, Isaac Earl | Wellington Terrace | M.D. |
Fellingham, George | Woolcombe Street | Printer |
Ferguson, John | Te Aro | Carpenter |
Fisher, William | Willis Street | Painter |
Fitchett, John | Bolton Street | Painter |
Fitzherbert, William | Farish Street | Merchant |
Ford, James | Te Aro | Labourer |
Forster, James Rumsey | Willis Street | Clerk |
Fox, Edward Thomas | Hill Street | Plumber |
Fuller, John | Manners Street | Hotelkeeper |
Gower, John | Wright Street | Labourer |
Guyton, William | Te Aro | Merchant |
Guthrie, Thomas | Willis Street | Stockkeeper |
Hansard, James Thomas | Manners Street | M.D. |
Hanson, Richard Davies | Wellington Terrace | Solicitor |
Hay, William | Te Aro | Carpenter |
Hendry, Thomas | Cuba Street | Carter |
Hewitt, Alfred | Lambton Quay | Fishmonger |
Hill, Henry St. | Hawkstone Street | Architect |
Hort, Abraham, sen. | Abel Smith Street | Merchant |
Hort, Abraham, jun. | Te Aro | Merchant |
Hort, Alfred | Te Aro | Merchant |
Houghton, Robert | Willis Street | Master Mariner |
Hume, Peter | Manners Street | Carter |
Hunter, George | Willis Street | Merchant |
Isaac, David | Lambton Quay | Shoemaker |
Jenkins, Robert | Manners Street | Publican |
Johnson, Edward | Lambton Quay | Merchant |
Johnson, John | Lambton Quay | Tin Plate Worker |
Johnson, William | Manners Street | Joiner |
Johnson, David | Te Aro | Clerk |
Kelham, James | Mount Albyn | Gentleman |
Kemble, Robert | Murphy Street | Baker |
Kennedy, Thomas | Te Aro | Labourer |
Knox, Frederick John | Willis Street | M.D. |
Langdon, Robert | Herbert Street | Storekeeper |
Levin, Nathaniel | Lambton Quay | Storekeeper |
Levy, Solomon | Mount Cook | Carpenter |
Lewis, David | Tinakori Road | Clerk |
London, Henry | Wellington Terrace | Sawyer |
Loyd, John | Lambton Quay | Baker |
Lyall, Alexander | Lambton Quay | Butcher |
Lyon, William | Lambton Quay | Storekeeper |
Mitchell, Frederick | Lambton Quay | Storekeeper |
M'Carthy, John | Te Aro | Landing Waiter |
McKenzie, Thomas | Ghuznee Street | Printer |
M'Laggan, John | Wellington Terrace | Carpenter |
M'Nally, James | Lambton Quay | Butcher |
Monsheer, Charles | Lambton Quay | Tailor |
Moore, George | Lambton Quay | Merchant |
Muir, James William | Manners Street | Printer |
Nichol, William | Pipitea Pah | Labourer |
Norgrove, William | Lambton Quay | Painter |
Omeara, Timothy | Park Street | Architect |
Park, Robert | Wellington Terrace | Town Surveyor |
Partridge, Thos. Mitchell | Te Aro | Merchant |
Penny, C. M. | Te Aro | Merchant |
Pharazyn, Charles | Pipitea Pah | Storekeeper |
Pike, William | Thorndon Flat | Labourer |
Pilcher, Stephen | Wright Street | Labourer |
Pratt, T. D. | Te Aro | Ropemaker |
Prince, Edward | Tinakori Road | Carpenter |
Rae, Thomas | Lambton Quay | Merchant |
Reading, John Brown | Wellington Terrace | Carpenter |
Reid, Alexander | Te Aro | Farmer |
Reid, Henry | Lambton Quay | Tinman |
Rhodes, William B. | Te Aro | Merchant |
Richardson, Thomas | Willis Street | Bricklayer |
Roberts, James | Thorndon Flat | Storekeeper |
Robertson, A. | Willis Street | Bootmaker |
Roe, Edward, sen. | Manners Street | Printer |
Roe, Edward, jun. | Manners Street | Printer |
page 273 | ||
Roots, John | Thorndon Flat | Gingerbeer Merchant |
Ross, Hugh | Lambton Quay | Solicitor |
Saint, Thomas | Manners Street | Tinsmith |
Sayers, Burgess | Lambton Quay | Chief Constable |
Scott, George | Willis Street | Carpenter |
Sharp, Charles | Wellington Terrace | Gentleman |
Shelton, William | Lambton Quay | Tailor |
Sheppard, William | Lambton Terrace | Slater |
Squib, Charles Henry | Herbert Street | Crier |
Stacey, James | Thorndon Flat | Labourer |
Stafford, Edward | Lambton Quay | Tailor |
Stevens, Charles | Thorndon Flat | Labourer |
Stokes, J. M. | Woolcombe Street | M.D. |
Strang, Robert Roger | Woolcombe Street | Solicitor |
Strafford, Geo. A. | Lambton Quay | Tapster at Barrett's Hotel |
Suisted, Charles | Lambton Quay | Hotelkeeper |
Sutton, Robert | Lambton Quay | Chemist |
Tain, James | Lambton Quay | Storekeeper |
Tomlin, John | Hobson Street | Emigration Agent |
Vavasour, William | Thorndon Flat | Agriculturalist |
Villiers, William | Ghuznee Street | Carpenter |
Vincent, Wm. Edward | Ghuznee Street | Printer |
Wade, John | Te Aro | Auctioneer |
Waitt, Robert | Te Aro | Merchant |
Wallace, John | Lambton Quay | Storekeeper |
Wallace, John Howard | Lambton Quay | Storekeeper |
Wallace, Wm. Ellersley | Lambton Quay | Storekeeper |
Ward, James | Te Aro | Labourer |
Waters, George | Te Aro | Painter |
Waterson, John | Thorndon Flat | Carpenter |
Watt, James | Tinakori Road | Farmer |
Watson, Thos. Henry | Thorndon Flat | Carpenter |
Welsh, Henry | Lambton Quay | Butcher |
Whabby, Thomas | Tinakori Road | Milkman |
White, George | Te Aro | Town Clerk |
Wilson, James | Willis Street | Builder |
Woodward, Jonas | Hawkstone Street | Clerk |
Yule, John | Te Aro | Agriculturalist |
Yule, Moses | Te Aro | Clerk |
William Guyton was evidently the second Mayor of Wellington as it is recorded that in the exercise of his authority in that office he called a meeting of Aldermen for the final settlement of the Corporation affairs on the 4th of December, 1843, exactly sixteen months from the publication of the proclamation forming the borough, which had been an illegal body all the time; but it took the Home Government sixteen months to disallow the ordinance creating the borough, and to get that very considerate decision conveyed to its destination. Thus ended the first era in Wellington municipal history. Probably some reason was given by the Home authorities for the disallowance, but the act has survived the reason, and it seems now that it was an arbitrary course, justified neither by the necessities of the time nor the succeeding results. If ever there could be any need for the protecting care of the “City Fathers,” surely it existed in the infancy of the borough; and yet this check had such an effect that for twenty years no attempt was made to place the town in charge of a distinctly municipal body. And the other principal towns of the Colony seem to have been similarly kept back.
In the history of the Wellington Corporation a blank of twenty years appears, during which time the affairs of the town were looked after or neglected by the Provincial Government. In 1863, however, when the population had slowly increased to about six thousand, the town was divided into three Wards, and a Town Board was elected, the Commissioners of which were appointed presumably by the Provincial Council. The following are the names of the Commissioners and the Wards in whose interests they were appointed to act:—Thorndon Ward, Messrs. W. Allen, C. B. Borlase, and George Hart; Lambton Ward, Messrs. J. Plimmer, George Moore, and L. Levy; Te Aro Ward, Messrs. John Martin, W. Hickson and J. H. Horner. Mr. W. Allen was appointed Chairman; Mr. W. Bannister, Clerk; and Mr. R. M. Street, Surveyor.
The rateable value of the property in the town in 1863 was about £28,225, of which more than half was located in Te Aro Ward. To-day the rateable value of Lambton Ward alone is five times as much as the whole town a little over thirty years ago; and that of the whole city is more than twelve times as much now as then. The Town Board existed for seven years, and did useful work. Several of those who were members, and interested themselves in its work, afterwards took a more prominent part in public concerns, but many of them have now gone to “the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveller returns.” Besides those mentioned above, the following gentlemen were members of the Town Board:—Messrs. Edward Pearce, W. Allen, J. Dransfield, W. Bragg, Joseph Burne, S. S. Jacka, C. J. Pharazyn, J. Plimmer, J. H. Wallace, R. Collins, W. Bishop, E. W. Mills, M. Quinn, R. Pharazyn, G. Aicken, R. H. Carpenter, George Hunter, J. B. Wallace, and Captain Sharp, the four first-named composing the list of chairmen.
Though the Act of Parliament making provision for the institution of Municipal Corporations in the Colony was passed in 1867, it was not until three years later that Wellington had a Council elected under its authority. On the last Wednesday of September, 1870, this Council met, with Mr. Joe Dransfield as Mayor, and Messrs. C. B. Borlase, R. H. Carpenter, W. Miller, E. W. Mills, Lewis Moss, J. Plimmer, M. Quin, and D. Rainie as Councillors. The population at this time was about 8000. The Corporation revenue for the first year was £4716, and the expenditure some £24 greater. Ten years later the revenue was nearly ten times as much and the expenditure over twenty times as much, there being some fat loans for street improvements allocated and spent about this time (1881). In 1891 the revenue had increased to £57,270, and last year it amounted to £69,655 9s. 1d, while the annual value of rateable property was £340,785, and increasing at the rate of about five per cent. per annum. Next year the increase will probably be greater, as building operations are being actively carried out in the most valuable parts of the City, and upon land which, until quite recently, was not rateable, being still in the hands of the Corporation. From 200 to 250 houses are being annually added within the City boundaries.