EXTRACTS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 69, 10 August 1844, Page 3

EXTRACTS.

Loxdon papers to the 26th March camo to hand by the Lloyds, but thoy do not contain news of any great importance. Tho New Zealand Company had come to a stand-still, and admitted, that as a colonising body its powers were suspended. A meeting was to be held on tho 29th March, when the cause of the cessation of the Company's operations, and tho naturo of its dispute with the Government was to be made public. The detachment of marines which has been stationed at Port Essington since its ; first establishment, are about to be relieved : sixty marines are to proceed to Van Diemen's Land, as a guard in tho convict ship Cadiz, which will go on to Fort Essington after landing her. convicts, and take the marines now thero to England. Captain Macarthur is to remain as Commandant. Tho King of Sweden (Marshal Bernadotte) died on tho Bth March, aged eighty years. Lord Lonsdale died on tho 24th March, aged eighty-four. In reply to a question p"ut to him in the House of Commons, Sir K. Peel stated he was not aware of any foundation for tho prevalent report that tho Queen was about to visit Berlin. — Sydney Herald. By tho arrival of the Lloyds, Capt. Lowis, from London and Portsmouth, we are in possession of English papers down to the 2Gth March. We havo not, hoAvever, been able to collect much information of importance. It will be remembered that our last English advices contained an account of the statement made in tho House of Commons by Mr. Scott on tho subject of tho Australian squatters, and that tho reply of the Under I Secretary for the Colonies, Mr. llopo, who [ cordially assented to the production of the ■ papers moved for by Mr. Scott, was interI preted as a favourable symptom. It appears, however, that this interpretation was too hastily adopted ; for, on the 14th March, Mr. Hope stated in his place in the House, that, though he had no objection to produce ' tho papers, he must object to the inference which had been drawn, that the Government I admitted tho case of the Squatters to havo been correctly stated. Tho only other circumstance of public | interest which we have observed is, that Ministers havo had a slight majority against them, in a Committee of the whole liouse, on the Factories Bill. The clause regulating | tho periods of labour, originally provided that women and children should not be al- | lowed to work more than twelve hours a-day. Lord Ashley moved as an amendment that the word ten should be substituted for twelve, which was carried by a majority of seven. Tho ultimate course to be adopted by Government, in consequence of this event, had not been made known ; but it was generally supposed that Sir James Graham would withdraw the Bill. There appeared to be every promise of a good season. Trade was brisk, and money plentiful. — Colonial Observer. Cato op Good Hope. — A mercantile correspondent at Cape Town, under date December 9th, 1843, writes per Ellen, arrived here :—": — " The Capo is in a dreadful state — bankruptcies numerous — credit generally shaken, and confidence, indeed, at an end ; discounts at the banks not to be had. This is attributed to various causes ; but, I believe it to arise from a scarcity of money, as the best bills are refused. However, from whatever cause it may arise, tho panic is appalling. ' ' — Launceston Examiner. Flax. — The meoting held at the Literary Institution on Tuesday last, to promote tho export of flax, was well attended. — Mr. Fox, on being called to tho chair, stated that Mr. Ryder had succeeded in preparing flax by machinery, which was generally believed to be very superior to any previously produced at a moderate price. Mr. Ryders machinery was in a complete state for working, but, for want of capital, he was unable to proceed, though there was littlo doubt but a market might be found for a considerable quantity in the neighbouring colonies, if a stock could be kept on hand. An offer had been made by tho master of a vessel then in port, which had brought sheep from Newcastle, to load with it, had a cargo been ready. — Mr. Ryder exhibited samples, and said that ho could, with his present machine, dress two fcons weekly ; but that he had sufficient power to drive machinery that f-hoald turn out eight or ten tons a week. Tho prico at his mill

would bo £10 a ton unpacked. — After some discussion, a resolution to this effect was moved by Mr. Stafford, and seconded by Mr. Otterson, " That a number of persons, not less than eight, agrco to take two tons each, and advance cash at the rate of £1 a ton. Two tons to bo delivered at tho end of each week to ono of tho parties, who should then pay his remaining £18." Tho number of persons required immediately came forward, and the arragement v/ad completed.--Nelson Examiner. From Auckland tho intelligence reaches down to the Ist Juno — a week later than by tho "Si&ters." Tho papers arc full of tho debates in Council on Dr. Martin's motion for reducing the Colonial Expenditure to £20,000, and the appropriation of tho revenue as subsequently voted. "Wo havo extracted from tho Southern Cross the whole of the proceedings on the doctor's proposal (which is all that we are ablo to find room for this week), and can now do littlo more than request the reader's attentive perusal of them. It will bo seen that a very vigorous effort has been made on tho part of the' non-official members of the Council to obtain a diminution of expenditure, bearing some proportion to the ability of those who arc to defray it — but to no purpose. liis Excellency of course succeeded 'in carrying his original estimate of <£3G,000 ; so that, for another long year, the settlors are doomed not only to repeat — if they ean — tho excessive though indirect contributions of former years, but in all probability to submit to direct imposts of a more odious kind, to the extent of not less than £4,000 or £5,000 more, even supposing that His Excellency's anticipation of assistance from the Home Government bo fully realized. We are free to admit the difficulties of the Governor's financial position, and especially those which arise out of the number and isolation of the settlements the government of which has to bo provided for — a circumstance which must be considered in instituting any comparisons between this and other colonies in respect of tho cost of government ; still, in the name of the harrassed tax-payers of New Zealand, we must protest against the abstraction from their pockets of a single additional shilling, so long as one useless officer is retained or Government devotes itself, at our expense, to the eleemosynary protection of -the really self-protected, tax- exempted aborigines of tho north, and, though urged to it by every consideration of manliness and justice, delays to extend to the legitimate objects of its care, its own natural-born British subjects, that degree of security and protection which has always been understood to precede the right or liability to | taxation, and which can alono distinguish it from "Turkish force and Latin fraud." We t shall return to this subject ; but, in the ' meantime, we cannot refrain from expressing our approbation of the gallant endeavours of the economists of the Council to reduce the burdens of the public to something like a reasonable amount. Instead of "gazing at difficulties," as the Governor strangely remarked, they have in this instance manfully grappled with them, in spite of opposj ing inclination and invidious appearances. We do not coincide with them ou all points of their financial policy, but we hail the 'stand of the non-official members on this eccasion as a proof that a packed Legislative Council may yet retain some gorms of independenco and character, and proximate, though at a respectful distance, to the great "bulwark of British liberty — popular representation." — 16. A report reaches us from Wellington that tho Land Tax has boon withdrawn. If true, and additional taxes arc to be imposed, we shall regret the circumstance, as we should as soon see a land tax as any other. It would have one good effect probably, for in common decency the Government must se : [ cure possession to the owner before they tax him. — Ib. It appears we may shortly expect the arrival of a second German expedition in this settlement. By tho last accounts from England, negotiations were on foot for the purchase of fifty allotments from tho Company by Messrs. Chapaurougo and Co., of Hamburg, the originators of tho former German emigration to this place. A letter signed "P. A. D. C." (we presume a member of that house) appears in tho New Zealand Journal of tho 20th of January, wherein the writer observes — "I am happy to inform you that I partially succeeded with a high-spirited nobleman to have my contract system, sub> mittcd to you in July, admitted for the emigration of agricultural labourers. In the early part of next spring some 140' people will leave for New Zealand, under the superintendence of three inspectors, who will settle upon sovcral allotments bought for that pui'poso, under tho engagement, to omploy these labouz*ers at current colonial wages, and to give them, land, for which the labourers will have to pay £3 per acre, and tho cost of their passage, within a given time."— lb.