420 ADVENTURE IN NEW ZEALAND. Chap. XVI. 
Mr. Fox had at first proposed going to Hobart Town. 
But he had made several trips to fVairarapa and other 
parts of the surrounding country : he very early appre- 
ciated the good qualities of the little society to the con- 
fidence of which his honourable conduct gave him at 
once the highest title ; and he was soon considered 
one of themselves. 
Since Mr. Fox's appointment under the Comj)any, 
Wellington and Nelson have been placed under the 
jurisdiction of a separate Judge, Mr. H. S. Chapman; 
who at once did away with the degrading declaration 
in his Courts. 
During Colonel Wakefield's absence at Nelson, Mr. 
Spain took very active measures to induce the settlers 
to call upon him to re-open the suspended arbitration 
for the compensation of the disputed claims. He gave 
lunches and had meetings in his house, day after day, 
of people who had hardly spoken to him before ; and it 
was plainly observable that a strong feeling was arising 
that Colonel Wakefield had been negligent of his duty 
in the matter. It was said that he had no right to go 
back from his agreement, first proposed by himself, to 
accelerate the settlement of the land question by com- 
pensating the unpaid natives according to a fair award ; 
and that it had nothing to do with the case, that the 
Directors were carrying on a negotiation at home, the 
result of which might be the settlement of that question 
without the necessity of any such course. I remember 
that for a time many persons appeared to be jjersuaded 
that the Government authorities had done all their 
duty in the matter, and that the blame of the delay 
now rested on the Company's Agent. 
A deputation of settlers waited upon him on his 
return, with a memorial urging him to tiike the speediest 
measures for the final adjustment of these everlasting 
