THE ROADS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 3, Issue 141, 4 March 1848, Page 4

THE ROADS.

(From the Government Gazette, February 2.) Wellington, New Zealand, January 1, 1848. Sir,— ln compliance with your Excellency's request to be furnished with a Report shewing the progress of the line of road under my superintendence, during the last three months, and embracing an explicit account of the stages of advancement in which each part now is, I have the honor to report that the Porirua portion to Jackson's Ferry has within that period been completed, the working parties withdrawn, and the road placed under the care of two European labourers. As the traffic with the Porirua district increases (and which has alieady been transferred from coasting vessels to this road) it will be necessary to increase this number of labourers, but the tolls when established, will more than keep it in repair. The expense of its construction has exceeded seven hundred pounds per mile, nor do I think it safe to estimate any future road making in this di- j vision below that sum. I have no means of ascertaining with certainty the comparative cost of road making in other countries, but am informed an ordinary parish road in England costs about eighteen lundred pounds per mile. The Holyhead road appears to have cost from three to four thousand pounds per mile. The roads in Van Diemen's Land appear to have been still more expensive. Those lately constructed at Hong Kong to have cost about a thousand pounds per mile, the rate of wages for labourers being about ten pence a day. If these sums be correct, and it be considered that the rete of wages paid to the natives has been 2s. 6d. and 2s. a day, and that the roads have been carried through a country unequalled in difficulty by anything which I have seen but the Cockpits of the West India Islands, it will appear that the labour of the natives must have borne a fair proportion to their wages. A comparison of the cost of this road with such portions of the Hutt Road as have been formed exclusively by Europeans, would furnish some further ground for an estimate of native labor, due allowance being made for difference of locality. From Jackson's Ferry a beach road by either shore of Porirua Harbmr communicates by means of a bush bridle path with the Horokiwi Road, which was commenced where the bush track terminated at the foot of Rangihaeata's Hill, the scene of the skiimish of the 6th August, 1846. The bridle road is completed from this point through to the beach near Wainui, and notwithstanding the difficulties of the bush track between Rangibaeata's Hill and Porirua Harbour, the still greater difficulties of the Para Para Rocks, the Pukerua Bush, and Parramatta Ferry have already diverted the communication to this line, horses, cattle, pigs and sheep paßSing to the interruption of the woikmennow employed in widening the bridle into a carriage road, at each end of the line, and which Mr. Compton's party has effected to the extent of a mile and a quarter, and Mr. Yule's party two miles. There remain between those two parties about three miles of the bridle road impracticable for a wheel carriage, which 150 men might open in three months, and it would then be possible to take a vehicle through to Wainui, ac tho b«oh tx ° l ' k J^f" tween Purirua Harbour and Rangihaeata s Hill could be widened in a few days for that purpose, but it would almost immediately fall into as bad a state as the old Porirua Road, the constant rain ol

this climate speedily rendering a road impassable, unleas constructed with ihe greatest regard to durability ; such a road might, however, serve a temporary purpose but the line by which 1 propose reaching Pauhatahanui is fallen and burnt off, and may with 130 men be completed in six months ; while, therefore, it would require but three months to allow a wheel carriage to pass from Pauhatahanui to "Wainui, it would require nioe months to form a road for thit purpose. Pauhatahanui is already accessible by the eastern and southern shores of the harbour, b it a good inland road might be made by 150 men in six months or less. I proceed, in obedience to your Excellency's wish, to furnish such information respecting the labouiers as I have been able to obtain from personal observation, or that of the superintendents of parties. They have been chiefly furnished by the Ngatiawa, Ngatiraukawa, and Ngatitoa tribes. The former are preferred for industry and tractability. The parties have consisted of minor chiefs, freemen, and slaves. The influence of the former appears to have declined, — it was never exercised for good, but frequently to produce dissa'i;faction, and cause a strike, in which they formerly succeded, but latterly have always been unsuccessful. They are now treated in all respects like the other workmen, and are equally under control. The number of ireemen have exceeded that of the slaves, which latter class appears to belong to individuals, not to tribes , in most cases there appears no difference between the clothing, food and manner of living of the slave and his master ; I have even heard of their being joint owners of property, but however slightly the authority of the master may be exercised it appears to be indisputable, nor has there been an instance of appeal against it to that of the superintendent of the party, even when deprived of their money and clothing, as is sometimes the case by masters who do not themselves work on the road, but visic their slaves occasionally to deprive them of the fruits of their industry, nor am I able to prevent this otherwise than by the discharge of the slave, which would probab'y be neither kindness to him nor punishment to his master. I believe the effect of our making no distinction beyond that of the good or bad workman, is to gradually do away with those clastes amongst the natives whom we employ. They rapidly improve as workmen, and it is extraordinary that men whose previous Jives have been passed in uncontrolled idleness should now work tor months together so incessantly as to rest but one hour out ot ten, and under such restriction as not to be allowed to smoke or even to talk to the interruption of their work ; yet this result has been OJtained by means so slight as to appear quite insullcient. An idle workman is occasionally fined sixpence, or if bo talkative as to interrupt work, he is placed alone without listeners ; if he has given aaii faction he perhaps receives his week's wagss, in crowns, or if otherwise in sixpences. If a troublesome character, he is discharged ; and though the superintendents of parties have been detached many miles from any Europeans beside their overseers, in the wildest and most inaccessible places, there has never been an instance of violence towards them or the overseers. The greatest crime has been that of stealing an axe by a discharged native, when another of the tribe after working all day, travelled all night to recover it, and returned with it in time for work the next morning. The means by which this control is maintained, are the exercise of strict justice in keeping our engagements with them, and firmness in insisting on their doing the same by us. I have been for-tun-te in having the assistance of gentlemen as supetintendents of parties who have carried out my views most fully, and without whom the effect which has been produced upon the character of the labourers could not have been obtained. They assure me that the bearing of those natives where they have known them u^ the coast, was so different to that which they now exhibit with the parties, as to make them appear a different race. In disposition they appeur cheerful, not quarrelsome amongst themselves nor vindictive. So j singularly free from the vice of drunkenness as to enable me to repeat the assurance which I gave your Excellency some months since, that not a case has ever yet come under the observation of either myself or the superintendents of parties. Those who profess Christianity, as is the case with the msjoiity, are strict in their religious observances, nothing being allowed to interfere with their morning and evening worship ; those who do not, however, are not to be unfavourably distinguished from those who do. Tney do not object to the mixture of tribes in working parties, though at first they were much opposed to it. Their capacity as workmen is best shown by the works which they have executed, the only European labour which has been used in the construction of bridges, &c. f on the greater part of the line, beiDg that cf the foreman who instructed them. From such material and without additional expense beyond clothing and arms, I conceive an Artificer Corps might be formed peculiarly valuable in this country, and scarcely less so in peace than war, affording in the former case a command of labour in any desired locality, and in the latter outposts admirably adapted to the country. 1 have the honor to be, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, A. Hamilton Russell, Captain 58th Regt., Superintendent Military Roads. His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand. Strange events are of daily occurrence in this land of the antipodes. It may be remembered that some months back the settlement of Wanganui was invaded by bands of Maories, life sacrificed, property and houses destroyed, and cattle, belonging to the settlers, driven into the interior. All this is matter of history, but other acts of commission and omisaion seldom now come under our observation. The why and the wherefore the settlers themselves must answer, for if they on the spot will not stand up for their own interests, we at a distance, ignorant of details and circumstances, cannot be supposed to be capable of doing so. We know the rebels were pardoned, and we believe unor."^,---"", .1"'". 1 "'" hf 7since heard that the cows and bullocks driven ott in the late raid, have been sent in to the stockadesby the "victims of inhumanity," "the unfortunate, illtreated, and worse-used natives," and that the com-

manding officer has ordered the original proprietors to pay over to the drivers the sum of Is. 6d. for ejch head of cattle so delivered up. Now we do not grumble at the charge — far from it — the charge is most reasonable ; but we do think that paying men who plundered, and perhaps committed worse crime's, is rather too much of u good thing, something like what is vu'garly termed 'going the whole hog.' Only , fancy the check the rebels have received : — first a pardon ; secondly, presents in the shape of tobacco; and, thirdly, paying them for the trouble talfen of stealing one's cattle, and then returning them. When the Romans bought off the barbarians in days long since passed, the said 'cute savages were in the habit of maliint; annual visits in order to obtain annual payments of the good things of Rome. If the Maories do not follow this worthy practice, we shall give them credit for being trore 'soft; than what we have hitherto accounted them to be. — Wellington Independent, February 9. Van Diumkn's L\.nd. — It is said that His Excellency, although illegally acting as Governor, has made up his mind to dismiss Sir John Fedder, our. Chief Justice : fortunately he has not the power. It is said that he intends to place the present Attor-ney-General, Mr. Horne, in the situation, and the present Solicitor-General, Mr. Fleming, as Puisne Judge. Mr. Smith is to be appointed AttorneyGeneral, and Mr, Gregson, son of the Member of Council, is to be Solicitor-General. All this farce is perfectly ridiculous 1 Sir William can do nothing — nothing ! Sir William Denison has openly intimated that he will prevent the colonists from meeting on Saturday. They meet for the purpose of Petitioning their Queen to relieve them from the dreadful difficulties in which Sir William Denison has placed them. Will b.p ( illegally appointed as he is, dare interrupt British subjects from legally and constitutionally seeking protection from their Queen? Will Colonel Hulme dare march the troops to prevent the colonists assembling in a cause so just and righteous ? We say, no such interference will be made. But should the obstinacy of certain ndividuals maKe them forget themselves, let the people seek refuge from those whom they know are acting legally and constitutionally — the Judges. — Colonial Times, January 11. . . Q The Emperor of Russia. — The latest accounts from England state, beyond the shadow of a contradiction, that Nicholas of Russia is not only in a precarious, but in a really dangerous state of health, so much so, that his abdication is speculated on with much certainty. It is scarcely necessary to remark upon the important poliiical and social consequences which are wound up with the Autocrat's existence— and what changes msy not result in the event of anything happening to such an eminent man. The existence of Nicholas of Rustia, and Louis Philippe of France, might be truly said to be fraught with the deepest consequences to all the relations of Europe. Louis Philippe. — One of the saddest circumstances which exist in this country is the extraordinary precaution which is considered necessary to take for the safety of the king. 1 here are, for example, five large barracks, each occupied by regiments of elite in the immediate vicinity of the Tuilleries, and eighteen guard houses, each of which is continually occupied, day and night, by a troop of ready armed men, surround the palace. The place j itself is occupied by 250 nationil guards of the in« tantry battallions, and by 25 men of the regiment of horse. There are, besides, 350 soldiers of the 1 ne, and a troop of 50 men of acr.va.lry regiment. At 9 o'clock, a night detachment, composed of four companies, takes its station in the centre of the palace, and remains all night with loaded arms ; eighty sentinels, with loaded arms, keep watch in and around the palace during the night ; besides which patrols and detachments visit every part of the palace and gardens every half hour ; 55 of the attendants in the gardens, and of the domestics of the roy.il household, mount guard in the royal apartments during every night, armed with double-bar-relled guns. In addition to all this multitude, there is a number of police agents, aides-de-camp, adjutants, &c, continual'y on duty. A secret passage leads from the palace to one of the nearest barracks, and some of the guard-houses are provided with ladders to enable the soldiers to enter tl c palace and gardens at any moment. — French eorresjiondent of th° 'Edinburgh Register. 1 The Limerick and \\ aterford railway line, as far as Tiperary, was to be opened for traffic on the Is 1 of September.