NELSON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 47, 29 November 1851, Page 7

NELSON.

The " Mary" brings us Nelson papers to the lotli inst. The Examiner of November Ist says:—We are able to assure our readers that such a thing" as good coal really does exist in New Zealand, however sceptical they may be on the subject. Some time ago, it may be remembered, we published a report, with which we were favoured by Captain Stokes, of 11. M. Steamer " Acheron,"'on the combustion of a small sample of coal we hjul senc to that distinguished officer at Wellington, and which had been brought from Massacre Bay, by Mr. Travers. Within the last few days a party of Maories have brought over to Rlr.'Tinline, our Sheriff and Native Interpreter, two or three kits of the same mineral, and we have been favoured by that gentleman wijli a couple of lumps for our own use. We j''.' ordingly, aided by a few sticks, lighted a " "lire in a small stove, and we never saw coal ignite more readily, burn more freely, nor, as far as we could judge, give a stronger heat. Unlike all the other coal we have seen from the , same district, it is wholly free from all disagreable smell, and does not crumble on exposure to the atmosphere. A smith -who has tried it, declares it to be a far superior coal to that obtained from New South Wales, and we concur in this opinion. The same natives brought with them

a quantity of plumbago, which appears to be of excellent quality. The land where the coal is found, belongs to the natives, and is about four miles from the coast, but easy of access. The second Bichmond fair, held on Wednesday, November 5, was well attended both by buyers and sellers, and was in all respects a great improvement on the first fair, held in July last. The transactions were almost wholly confined to cattle and horses, and the prices were good. Cart mares were in chief request, and sold at from 35/. to 45/. each ; good cows brought from 10/. to 12/. each; inferior, and young heifers, 71. to 9/. A remarkably fine bull, bred by Mr. Batey, was present, but we believe was not intended for sale. We have heard that the business done amounted to 400/., which, considering that the fair itself is yet but an experiment, we consider very encouraging. After a little, more confidence will be placed in its stability, and the business done at it will then increase. The Roads. —" We are sorry to find," says the Examiner of November 8, " that the prospect we had of seeing the main road of the settlement put into thorough repair during the ensuing summer, is not likely to be realized, for the tenders received for performing the repairs required far exceed the money in the Superintendent's hands, voted by the Council for the purpose. Nearly the whole of the contractors, as we understand, have demanded such an increase of price, that it is impossible their terms can be complied with, for, in several instances, the increase is from 50 to 100 per cent over the charges of former years. The plan which the Superintendent intends to adopt is, to invite the co-operation of the inhabitants of the various districts, and to give on the part of the Government any sum equivalent to that raised by the people themselves. It is to be hoped, while there is yet time, those most interested in seeing good roads, will bestir themselves." The " Midlothian " has taken the place of the "Columbus," as the first wool-ship from Nelson. " This change," says the Nelson paper, " is favourable to shippers of wool, as the " Midlothian " is ready at once to take in cargo, and will proceed to Port Underwood for that purpose in a few days. From the known sailing qualities of this vessel, she will be likely to be the favourite ship of the season ; and we have no doubt but that the flockmasters in the Wairau will prefer sending their wool home through our own port, rather than to shipping it from Wellington as heretofore." (From the Nelson Examiner.) The proposal to augment the charges on the revenue of our colony by the large sum of 268,000/., pledged to the New Zealand Company by the Home Government, has raised a cry against the proceeding in every settlement where the fact lias been made known. In Wellington, both the Independent and Spectator, rarely as they agree on any subject, concur in protesting against being made chargeable with a debt which the colony never incurred, and we may also be certain that the journals in the north will express themselves in a similar manner. But, on a little reflection, we think there is not much need for alarm on the subject, although it is quite proper that it should be known in what way the proposal is viewed by us. There are matters which rulers, as well as subjects, would sometimes like to see done, but that a stumbling block stands at the threshold which restrains their wishes—the act would be illegal. What a talismanic effect these few words can work—they " strengthen the weak, ay.d trample on the strong." There are many things in the British Constitution which are fictions, but it also contains some realities. It is a fiction that no man can be taxed without his own consent, because from defective representation, not half the nation have a voice in saying who shall represent them in the Councils of their country, but it is a reality that it is unlawful for the Imperial Parliament to tax the colonies of the Empire. The thing was tried once, it is true, but it cost England an inglorious war, and the loss of the colonies of America, and we may be pretty sure that in our own day no British Minister would dare to attempt to violate a great principle which has been long upheld by the most eminent of statesmen. The great Lord. Camden remarked, on the memorable occasion when an infatuated Government strove to impose taxation on America : — " Perhaps, as a domineering Englishman wishing to enjoy the ideal benefit of such a claim, I might urge it with earnestness, and endeavour to carry my point; but if, on the other hand, I resided in America, and I were to feel the effect of such manifest wrong, I should resist the attempt with that degree of ardour so daring a violation of what should be held dearer than life itself ought to enkindle in the breast of every freeman." And the same learned

authority, in his maiden speech in the House of Lords, on the question of the right of the British Parliament to tax the colonies, thus spoke on the Declaratory Bill:—" I shall not criticise the strange language in which your proposed declaration is framed; for to what purpose, but loss of time, to consider the particulars of a bill, the very 'existence of which is illegal,—absolutely illegal, contrary to the fundamental laws of nature, contrary to the fundamental laws of this constitution—a constitution gronnded on the eternal and immutable laws of nature, —a constitution whose centre is liberty, which sends liberty to every individual who may happen to be within any part of its ample circumference 2 Nor, my Lords, is the doctrine new; it is as old as the constitution; it'grew up with it; indeed, it is its supjiort; taxaiion and representation are inseparably united. God hath joined them, no British Parliament can put them asunder; to endeavour to do so, is to stab our very vitals. My position is this—l repeat it, I will maintain it to my last hour—taxation and representation are inseparable; this position is founded on the laws of nature; it is itself a law of nature, for whatever is a man's own, is absolutely his own; no man has a right to take it from him without his consent, either expressed by himself or representative ; whosoever attempts to do it, attempts an injury; whosoever does it commits a robbery ; he throws down and destroys the distinction between liberty and slavery. Taxation and representation are coeval with, and essential to, the constitution." No; our colonial revenue is safe on that side, for all the Acts of Parliament of a Session could not appropriate a penny of it, which can. only be done by local Ordinances. In times past, perhaps, a Council might have been found supple enough to do that for the minister which the minister was unable to do of himself, but even that day has gone by, and therefore if ever the New Zealand Company is to get principal or interest of its 268,000£. out of the revenue of this colony, it can only be by the consent of those who will have to contribute the money. But although we may, on the grounds we have stated, set Earl Grey and the recent friends of the Colonial Office, the New Zealand Directors, at defiance, should they attempt to enforce the measure attributed to them, we are too much at their mercy in another respect. The waste lands of colonies have hitherto been viewed as an estate of the Crown, to be used it is true for the benefit of the colonies alone, but yet the manner of their administration has never been conceded to the colonists, except recently in the case of the Canadas. To make the debt of 268,000?., admitted by the Government as due to the New Zealand Company, a charge on the land fund of the colony, is we fear quite within the power of the ministers of the crown, however ruinous the measure may be to ourselves. This enormous sum saddled upon the land fund ma}' escape the charge of being a public robbery, which it would have encountered had it been fixed upon the general revenue, but we question greatly whether in its effects upon the welfare and progress of the colony, though a legal fraud, it will not be quite as mischievous. With our land fund free, as sales progressed, so should we have been able to carry on public works, and make the country valuable; but how, with our land fund mortgaged to the tune of 268,000 Z. to the New Zealand Company, and Heaven knows how many acres of laud given away to absentee purchasers, is the colony possibly to get on ? "Without roads, without labour, of what service is land 1 Take from us the only means by which these essentials can be su2Jplied us, and we are strangled.

We are not here going into the consideration whether or not the New Zealand Company is entitled to any compensation from the British Government, nor, if so, what may be the jnst amount. We declare that we do not sufficiently understand all the questions at issue between the parties to qualify us to sit in judgment upon them. We know well that the Company was subjected to a long and harrassing warfare with the Government, that many of its plans were in consequence frustrated and that the Company was probably a severe pecuniary loser; —but admitting all this to be true, why visit the sins of Government upon an unoffending people ? The Independent, in an able article we have extracted from its columns, asks the same question ; and it is the question which will be asked again and again by the press of the colony, as well as by thousands of industrious hard-working men, who will never see the justice of the imposition, and will never cease to struggle for its removal.