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Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 111, 19 February 1853, Page 8

To the Editor of the Lyttelton Times. Ship "Minerva," Port LyxtbltoXj, Feb. 12th, 1853. Sik, —The subject of a letter from Messrs. Money Wig-ram and Sons, of Blackwall, London, to His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief of New Zealand, a copy of which is enclosed, excited a lively interest in those circles at home which concern themselves about this colony. As the original was transmitted in duplicate to Wellington by a mail steamer via Sydney and otherwise, I trust that its contents may be already known to the colonists there; and as/*" Messrs. Wigram's letter is of equal importance to the people of this Settlement, who might remain fora long while in ignorance of it, if they waited to receive the intelligence from Wellington, I request that you will do me the favour to print the enclosed copy, with which I was furnished by Messrs. Wigram just before my departure from England. It may be as well that I should inform the public here, that the -Minerva was really despatched by Messrs. Wigram and Sons, though in the name and on behalf of the Canterbury As- : sociation, whose functions were at the time coming to a close ; and that all supplies to the passengers were rather on the liberal scale, and of the superior kind, usual in the India trade, in which Messrs. Wigram are so largely engaged, than on that of ordinary emigrant ships. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, E. G. Wakefiei/d. [Copy.] Blackwall-yard, London, , Sept. 30, 1852. Sir, —We have the honour of addressing your Excellency, as head of the Government of New Zealand, for the purpose of submitting' to you a mutter in which we are pevsonaUy.intere.sted, but which appears to us to be of gi eater importance to the Colony. It may be convenient if we begin by stating the nature of our personal interest in the subject.

Circumstances have induced us to resolve, after due consideration, to enter fully and systematically into the business of the passenger '■trade to New Zealand. These are :— . Ist. The surrender by the New Zealand Company to the Crown of the charter under which they were the instrument for the greater part of the emigration from the Mother-coun-try to the colony: 2nd. The more recent transfer of the functions and powers of the Canterbury Association, whereby the proceedings of that body, as an important and highly valuable instrument of emigration, are brought to an end: 3rd. The Parliamentary Legislation of last Session, which, by bestowing very large powers <>f local self-government upon the colony of New .Zealand in general, and upon the six Provinces into which it is divided by the New Constitution, holds put a prospect that the attractiveness of New Zealand to emigrants of all classes, and more especially of the higher classes, will be much increased, and the demand for passenger-ships be proportionately augmented. It thus appeared that tbe shipping arrangements, which heretofore facilitated New Zealand emigration and made it so respectable, were coming to an end at the moment when the colony had acquired an increased interest in them, and their continuance and extension had become of greater importance to the colony. It seemed that the supply was likely to cease at the very time when the demand promised to be greater than ever. Prompted by these considerations, we have determined to take up and carry on the shipping operations for emigration to New Zealand. Arrangements have consequently been made by which Mr. Aylmer (who succeeded Mr. Bowler as Superintendent of Emigration and Shipping to the Canterbury Association) will establish at the late office of that body, a general Emigration office for New Zealand in exclusive connection with our firm as ship-owners. At this office, and precisely as heretofore, intending colonists of all classes will be able to obtain information, advice, and assistance: and in due proportion to the demand for passage, first-class ships will be despatched by us with the same strict regard to the safety and comfort of passengers during the voyage, and punctuality as to the time fixed for sailing, as was bestowed by the Canterbury , shipping arrangements. ! Your Excellency will understand, that we j can have no object in ministering to the emigration wants of any one of the New Zealand Settlements in particular. Differing in this respect from the Canterbury Association, we shall direct our attention to all the six Provinces which the new Constitutional Act calls into existence. It will be Mr. Aylmer's and our own endeavour and wish, that each Province shall share equally with all the rest, in the benefits which these arrangements may afford. Just at present probably, it may not be in our power to send ships to a single port only, so as to secure for each Province the advantage of direct communication from England ; but as as ever the demand for passage to each port shall justify that course, we shall not fail to pursue it. In the meantime, and so long only as the demand for Shipping shall be insufficient to justify our sending them to a single port, but sufficient to require a ship for two or more, we shall send ships to more than one port, taking care that each Province shall in its turn, as far as possible, be made the first place of destination. We assume that the Government of each Province and the Geueval Legislature, including your Excellency, will perceive that it is in their own power, by raising funds for the promotion of Emigration from the mother-coun-try, to make it the interest of British shipowners to send their vessels always to a single port, and therefore to each port direct from England. Either each Province, if all the six should obtain the management of their own Waste land, or the General Legislature on behalf of each Province, if the Law should remain as it is, might provide funds for direct i emigration to each of the six ports. On this * point we are induced to add, that if the Authorities of New Zealand whether in the General or Provincial Governments, should be disposed to raise funds in this country for the purpose of r __enjigration, we should be glad, and hereby beg to offer to your Excellency our services, to af- . ford' any assistance in ouv power towards the introduction of New Zealand Government Securities into the British money market, or other

means by which we could be useful in promoting the interests of the colony. The foregoing statement of our intentions and views with regard to New Zealand emigration will sufficiently introduce a suggestion which we venture to make through your Excellency to the Legislatures of the Colony. In carrying on the passenger trade to the Australian Colonies and in some measure also to New Zealand, ship-owners are exposed to damage, and often to the most serious losses, all of which virtually in the long run enhance the cost of passage, and operate as an impediment to emigration, by the difficulty which the commanders of their. vessels experience with regard to the enforcement of contracts with seamen. Upon the arrival in the colony of British ships destined, after the discharge of their passengers and cargo, to some distant port in India or elsewhere, the crews either partially or wholly desert, and though they have entered into the clearest engagements for the whole voyage, the colonial law does not at present afford adequate means either to prevent or remedy such breaches of contract. It would be presumptuous in us to offer, or even to form positively, an opinion on the most suitable remedy ; but we are informed, that when Lord Durham was Governor General in Canada, his Legislative Council devised, and the Officers of his Government carried into effect during the short time their authority lasted, a sufficient method of dealing with and correcting this grievance at Quebec ; and on general grounds which apply to all countries, we suppose that the Legislature of New Zealand would be equally successful in a similar attempt. We assure your Excellency that with our present intention of engaging largely and systematically in the New Zealand passenger trade, this subject is of the deepest importance to us, and one to which we beg your Excellency's early attention. Having this assurance from us, your Excellency will see at once, how necessarily and how deeply the Colony is interested in the question. We have the honor to be, Sir, Your Excellency's most obedient humble servants, (Signed) Honest Wigram and Sons. We beg your Excellency will understand that we shall willingly entertain, with every wish to carry into effect, any other monetary arrangement you and the Legislative Assembly may think it desirable to propose to us for the benefit of the Colony. (Signed) Monet Wigram and Sons. To His Excellency Sib Geobge Gbey, &c. <tc, Governor-ia-Chief of New Zealand.