Chap. II. NATIVE FOUND DEAD. 35 
call was responded to by an immediate muster of a large 
body of the settlers. Their promptness and determined 
appearance had a sedatory effect on the natives, and a 
slight degree of quiet was restored towards night. 
A meeting had been called for this very evening, on 
some question connected with the proposed Corporation 
Bill. Previously to proceeding on its intended business, 
the meeting was addressed by Colonel Wakefield, Dr. 
Evans, Mr. Wicksteed, Mr. Murphy, and several other 
persons, on the subject of immediate importance. Cap- 
tain Hobson was severely censured for having so long 
left the settlement in a defenceless position, and the 
following resolutions were unanimously agreed to : — 
" First, — That the executive authority, vested in the 
" Police Magistrate resident in Port Nicholson, is in- 
" adequate to the wants of the settlement." 
" Second, — That the mischief arising and likely to 
" ensue from this want of sufficient executive power is 
" solely attributable to the neglect of the Government, 
" placed several hundred miles distant from Port Ni- 
" cholson, the principal settlement in these islands." 
" Third, — That unless the Queen's representative 
" speedily adopts measures to remedy this evil, it will 
" become necessary for Her Majesty's faithful subjects 
" to organize the means of protection against disturbers 
" of the public peace and the opponents of British law 
" and authority, which is presumed to be established 
" in New Zealand." 
The meeting then proceeded with its original busi- 
ness. 
The natives still continued to assert that the man 
had been murdered by the white people. They sup- 
ported their assertion by an ingenious piece of ex parte 
evidence. The native had been driving a pig with a 
flax rope ; and it was found, they said, tied up near 
D 2 
