THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. "Véritè sans peur.” Wangvnui, March 1, 1860.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 180, 1 March 1860, Page 2

THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. "Véritè sans peur.” Wangvnui, March 1, 1860.

The English mail, with news to December 19, arrived per steamer “ Lord Worsley ” at Wellington on Saturday morning. The intelligence is generaifly considered favourable. We extract the principal items of interest. From Taranaki we hear that martial law has been proclaimed,,in consequence of the hostile attitude assumed by Wiremu Kingi and his people at Waitara. It appears that when the Surveyors proceeded to that place to survey the purchased land, they were obstructed in every way by tlie Maories, aud were compelled to return to town without having effected their object. Wiremu Kingi has refused to apologise for the obstruction, and lias intimated his intention of not parting with land. Many of the outlying settlers had removed with their families and chattels to town. Colonel Murray has promised to give timely notice to the settlers iii the event of a collision taking place. The Taranaki News says The step taken by the General Government , seems to coutemplate a question beyond the mere land purchase transaction, upon which for the present it appears to hinge. The obstruction of the sale of land by the natives is a direct violation of the treaty of Wuitangi, and is a demonstration of resisting the sovereignty ceded to the crown of Great Britain by virtue of that treaty. The present is probably the first tangible case that has occurred for trying the broad question upou which the future quiet of this island may be presumed to rest. Yet it is very much to be doubted whether that the Maori, aware of this, will persist in more than a passive resistance; they may possibly relinquish the object in dispute at present, in the face of force and with protest, and the ulcer may for a time be again skimmed over, and the difficulty for the present postponed, to be met auother day under less advantageous circumstances. There might be object in delay, were there any indications that the native desire for a national sovereignty is but an evanescent feeling; but the reverse is understood to be the case, and that the ramifications of a new system are spread among them, with only few exceptions, from the centre of .the island to the coast. The settlers of Taranaki are unfortunate that their locality happens.to be the debateadle ground ; but it is a necassity which they are bound to accept,-es any other district would be bound in like circumstances. The loss and inconvenience, independent of the danger inevitable on internecine struggle, are considerable already, and are sure to be great; but we rely with perfect confidence that the Government, in taking so important a step, have not failed to look forward to and prepare for a result so imminent,upon the action they have assumed as the, present emergency, and that no effort will be spared so to proportion the means employed, that the struggle, if to a struggle it must come, may be'short and decisive.”

The most pressing want felt' by the settlers in this district is an : outlet for -their surplus live stock. There are markets at no very great distance at. which remunerative sales could be made. There is a district in the; southern island to which cattle are now being sent, because it is feared that from the severity of its climate, and the roughness of its ground, it is scarcely fitted for the comparatively tender breed of sheep in these islands. But to these markets there is no means of sending stock, except in the first place by a tedious, expensive, and dangerous journey, and then by a difficult and hazardous shipment Yet there is a highway ready made to our very doors, than which a better can scarcely be desired, but of which we cannot avail ourselves, because there is no means of transport suited to it. It is as if a railway were laid down, between this and Auckland on the .one hand, and Otago on the other, which some superior power had agreed to keen in thorough repair, but of which no use could be made,' we had not provided ourselves with locomotives and trucks. It was lately expected that the Aire*

‘dale would touch at this port, am* so far supply our pressing want; hut sonio delay has meanwhile'occurred, owing we believe to" a doubt entertained by Mr. Coleman as to there being enough of water on our bar for’ such a. vessel. But even though this doubt were dispelled, it is certain: that no decently large seagoing steamer, built in the usual way, such as would be necessary for this trade, can regularly enter our river. • Unfortunately, there are other ports of the country in the same position. Bai harbours arc not a rarity in New Zealand, -and as to remove these bars, or to deepen their channels and keep them open, would be a work like that of Sisyphus, vessels must be obtained of a build adapted to all the circumstances of the trade. An article, taken from the Taranaki Herald of 14th Feb., which will be found in another column, will show our readers that the inhabitants of that province have come to this conclusion. But there are some points in respect of which we think thenproposal might be improved on. The vessel they propose to obtain we look on as too 3mall, and would venture to suggest that it should be at least of 250 tons register. It might be made of that size without drawing more water thau one of 150 tons; and the larger size would be much more useful in the general coasting trade, in which we would suggest the vessel should be employed. It would be well, of course, that she should touch at the ports named as often and as regularly as possible; but in order that she might pay, it would no doubt be necessary to send her occasionally to the south, or indeed to any’ part of the islands at which her services might be required. If this were done, there would be as little doubt of sufficient traffic for her,, as that a lioilow tube connecting an empty cistern with one full of liquid would be always filled till a perfect level was established. The not restricting her to a particular line would also do away with the necessity of dependence on any government for a subsidy, which appears to us quite inconsistent with the proposal to lower freights. Let remunerative rates be charged, and then not only will no subsidy be required, but existing interests will not be injured ; on the contrary, traffic will be developed to a greater extent than at present for the existing means of transport, whether by steam or sailing vessels. The only case in which Government interference would be excusable, would ue the want of sufficient support to the undertaking. If a sufficient number of shares were not taken up in New Zealand, a government guarantee of say 5 per cent, per annum would secure the filling up of the lists in Great Britain. But we have little fear that this will be necessary 7 . At least we are sure that the merchants and stockholders in Wanganui are too much alive to their own interests to allow a proposal of this kind to fail for want of their effective assistance. If a suitable vessel could be had for hire in Australia, it would no doubt be desirable to put her on in the meantime, but when it is considered that such a vessel as is wanted might be steaming down the Mersey or the Clyde within two months from the date of the order being given—it would be a pity to expose' to any risk of failure the commencement of so useful and necessary an undertaking, by chartering a vessel not thoroughly adapted for the trade. W ith these suggestions the proposal has our most cordial wishes for its success.

The departure of the “ Emily Afaou,” with a cargo of fat cattle for the Auckland market, demands notice, as the commencement of a new direct trade in this place, particularly as the low price of stock renders any fresh opening unusually important at the present, time. Owing to the large population in the city of Auckland, and the limited extent of good grazing land in its vicinity, prices of fat stock have for years ruled far higher there than in this part of New Zealand. Hence there has been a regular shipment of such, stock from New Plymouth, and a few have even of late been gent from here via that port. These last, however, have doubtless been regarded in Aucklanqas Taranaki produce, and the expense and risk attendant on driviug them up the coast, have prevented JFanganui stockowners from deriving much benefit from northern prices. We hope the beasts now shipped may reach their destination in such condition as to do credit to our district, and realise sufficient profit to induce the exporters or others to continue the trade. Steam communication is, however, more essential to a successful traffic in fat stock than in almost any other commodity ; and we must therefore hope that the shipment of a few cargoes, by showing that a regular supply could bo depended on, would lead the owners of the steamer now running between New Plymouth and Manakau to extend her trips tothis port. Once get them to face the dangers of that all-engrossing bugbear the “ Wanganui bar,” and we feel sure that the ease and safety with which cattle could be shipped here, as compared with Taranaki, would moi’e than counterbalance the slight extra time occupied on the voyage, and ensure repetition of the trip. A regular trade would do molts than years of legislation to remove the feeling of jealousy at present existing between Auckland and this part of New Zealand.

Local Intelligence.

The EtficTOßAi, RoLL.---Qnalified persons desirous of having their names placed on the Electoral 8011, or of having any addition or alteration made, must intimate the same to tho Begistration officer dnring the month of March. The Declaration as well as the Claim must be signed, and ift describing the qualification' which entitles to a vote, the number of the Section or s Block and quantity land must be mentioned, and where number of Section or Block is not stated, the number of the application at tho Land Office should be given,

A paragraph - from a local correspondent, respecting some damage done to the mill head at the head of the town, found its way into our columns without our knowledge. It is scarcely necessary, though we think it proper, to mention, that no personal allusion was intended to be made in the statement of the occurrence, and that we sincerely regret that it should have been so worded as to give rise to the slightest suspicion of such a thing.

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Wanqanui Chronicle Feb. 28, 1860.

Sib, —I must say that I felt very much surprised on seeing in your last: issue a letter sigued Francis Williamson, asking me questions which I had already answered at the meeting of Rate-payers held at the house of 11. Churton, Esq., oil the 13th iiut. For the public satisfaction I wiT again repeat the answers which I gave Mr. F. Williamson at that meeting. In answer to the question, If the road which was the subject for the calling of that meeting was the most direct and practicable to Wanganui—l said, that the river bank road, a 3 now proposed to be constructed, was not the mo3t direct road to Wanganui, mentioning the distance which I thought it would be more than the direct road, namely, about a quarter of a mile ; but that it would be the least expensive road to make, and it was agreeable to the wishes of all the resident landowners adjoining it.

In answer to the question, If the road is to be confined to the chain frontage reserved by Government for public purposes—-I said, that as Mr. Porter was expected to lay it off, it entirely depended upon the instructions he would receive from Wellington in regard to it, but that in the plan of a Crown Grant for a section on the bank of the river, which I had seen, it was there marked as a road, and laid off a chain wide from the top of the bank. In answer to the question, Who are the parties to be rated, all, or part of the ratepayers ?—I said, that it would depend entirely on the deterrainrtion the wardens came to a 3 to whose lands were likely to benefit by the intended road, and they had not had a.meeting for that purpose yet. But now I can refer Mr. F. Williamson to the list of persons rated, posted on Mr. Nixon’s gate-post, Bell’s Flat, and he will see that his name is not in it. There is a plan of the proposed road at my house, where the rate-payers can inspect it if they wish, and where Mr. F. Williamson was shown it in the presence of four rate-payers on the 13th inst., a few minutes after the meeting broke up. Petee L. Sim.