Chap. XVI. VOLUNTEER DRILLING PROCLAIMED ILLEGAL. 405 
want of courtesy not to take any notice of the Com- 
mittee of Public Safety, consisting of the tirst men in 
the settlement, who had organized all the arrange- 
ments. But when the loyal manner in which the set- 
tlers of all classes had responded to the call of the 
authorities, working from daylight till dark at the bat- 
teries, drilling in the rain, and sacrificing a great part 
of their day's work both in the morning and evening, 
was described as a seditious riot, something more than 
want of courtesy was perceived. 
Two days afterwards, the following amendment, for 
it could not be called a retractation, of the offensive 
term, appeared in the newspaper : — 
" Sir, — In the proclamation issued by the Chief 
" Police IMagistrate, giving notice that any future as- 
" semblies for the purpose of drilling will be put a stop 
" to, the former assemblies for that purpose are charac- 
" terised as unlawful. As my attention has been 
" called to this expression, I feel bound, in justice to 
" Major Richmond, to state that its use is solely attri- 
" butable to myself, and that it was used inadvertently. 
" I am. Sir, your obedient servant, 
" R. Davies Hanson, Crown Prosecutor." 
A whole community stigmatised as rebels by inad- 
vertence on the part of one of the Government officers ! 
Meetings were again held, and resolutions passed, 
expressive of the disgust of the settlers at these tyran- 
nical proceedings. But a brief account of the treat- 
ment of the local Magistrates by the new Stipendiary 
will best explain what allowance was made for the 
feelings of the settlers. 
Major Richmond went away to Nelson, after leaving 
his decree and the troops at Wellington ; and Colonel 
Wakefield also took a passage in the brig to set the 
Company's affairs straight at that crippled settlement. 
