406 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XVI 
On the 6th of August, Major Richmond returned. 
The local Magistrates not in the pay of Government 
then at Wellington, immediately requested him to call 
a meeting of the Bench ; and met among themselves to 
concert their measures. We were six, namely — Mr. 
Charles Clifford, Mr. Henry Petre, ]\Ir. William Fitz- 
herbert, Dr. Evans, Captain Daniell, and myself. The 
Government officers in the Magistracy were four — Mr. 
Hanson, Mr. Spain, Mr. Macdonogh, and Major 
Richmond. 
The Mayor, Mr. Hunter, had died a day or two 
before the arrival of the Government brig. Mr. 
Guyton was ill in bed ; Mr. Swainson was busy enough 
protecting the abode of his family against the encroach- 
ments and annoyances of ** Dog's Ear" and the other 
natives on the Hutt ; and Colonel Wakefield and Mr. 
St. Hill, who made up the number of Magistrates, had 
remained at Nelson for a time. 
At the first meeting, we only established the right 
of the Justices of the Peace to meet as a body, to elect 
a Chairman at each meeting, to pass resolutions, and 
to have minutes of their proceedings taken by the Clerk 
of the Bench. 
When we first entered the Police Court (one of the 
Company's emigrants-houses, lent to ^the houseless 
Government), Major Richmond tried to treat us in the 
same way as we always had been treated till then, as 
mere puppets. He began making a soft speech, con- 
gratulating us on the quiet state of the natives, and the 
promptitude of the Government in sending down the 
troops as protection. He was going on in this strain, 
when it was moved and seconded that he should take 
the Chair. Only through courtesy we placed him there, 
though we did not acknowledge the right of the Chief 
Police Magistarte. till then assumed, to be permanent 
Chairman of the Bench. 
