WAIRAU.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 539, 2 January 1858, Page 4

WAIRAU.

-^fFrom a Cor. of the"' Nelson Examiner.') ,: Nov. 23, 1857.

After a spell of more than usually tempestuous weather, glorious summer'has *it length.' broken upon -us, or leather, I •would say, that delicious season, pictured by the; author of the " Seasons" in the northern hemisphere, as "atween June and May." This must be as grateful to the lower animals as to man, and particularly to our "woolly friends, so numerous in this "district, who at this period of the year are^ deprived of their warm clothing to clothe and protect "the health oT man. There is something truly painful in witnessing the wretched appearance of sheep shorn almost an the midst of winter-storms, as. ;theyare seen ci'onehing ■ together, seeking in vain for shelter from the^ ■" pitiless storm." It is not yet a fortnight ago -sincfr'a'heavy snow-storm swept acrossthe hills here,-while the "rain, which at the same''time f'fell'in fche'vallflys and on the plains, was cold in "the extreme. 'I supposeiiockmastere who commence their shearing so early asrthe middle of September, have good reasons for taking off -their fleeces so early, or self-interest would surely deter them from incurring the risks they -they run of losses and injury to their flocks by commencing shearing so soon. lam led to'believe that'the wool dip'this*: season will be a very good one both in the' Wairau and the neighbouring districts. There may be-exceptions, but the reports generally are very favourable. The disease of "scab," which was formerly looked upon as such a curse by sheepowners, is now come to be regarded^ with more complacency, and really, when pro- 1 per'treatmenHs -used, the disease ceases to be' a very serious matter. Although there is not now, I believe, a clean ik>ck in "this portion of the province,-I have not seen one this year, where-the loss of wool from the disease is at all seriously appreciable. This arises from the plan now universally adopted at stations ofhaving dipping tanks as a part of the plant, and systematically dipping *the 'sheep aftershearing, again in the autumn, if neces-» sary. By this ;means the^cab is kept under— : cured, in fact,*in the sheep subjected to this treatment; but as it is a physical impossibility to make a clean muster of sheep in such a country as this, the clean sheep are always sure of getting re-infected on being turned back upon the runs. The plan which is now adopted by many of the fioekowners, of growing tobacco for sheep-dipping, reduces the expense of this treatment to a very small consideration, the actual extra cost to the flockmaster being chieftv for labour in mustering and dipping; bat this ■mrcurs only once or twice in the year, and only tor a,few days at a time. When.tobacco has to ho purchased, the case however is different, and the profits of the year may be seriously diminished. There are many who use a solution of- arsenic as a dip for sheep, which has tin-' daubtedly the recommendation, of economy of cost. :i.)id*l believe it, when judiciously applied, to :>e. quite aa efficacious as tobacco, as far as oaring the scab gees. There is, however, a pre;:'lico against the use of arsenic, many believing that it injuriously affects the constitution f t.h(? sheep and the quality of the wool. The ■ :i«n also employed in dipping are liable to sus- ' tin injury, unless they are careful to avoid the s;>bish" from the trough. iU a simple matter of "lioice, tobacco, when it can be cheaply pro-•■.-;■(red, which ie ought to be upon every station, Kno doubt preferable, and particularly so as it iiiuicts no injury upon the sheep, and is beloved to stimulate the growth of the wool '-.'ifcUout injuring the staple.

: Another source of congratulation to the flock ;pastors of- the Wairau this season, is the re-i-uict-d rate of freight on their wool. Previous r-V hisfyeat; the'freight on wool from Port (. uslcrwood had in iio instance, I believe, been Hs> than 2d. a ponnd—about three times the rate of--ruling freight from Sydney or Meli).q(lrn«.i Last season, hoivever, a vessel was Cyunci wlii«h graciously cousented to load in Bort ITnderwood at l-|d. per ft.; but this not ..ratistVing the sheep-owners, who, "althoughready enough- to fleece -.their'sheep,'saw little riV a.lmii-t; in being fleeced in; their turn by ship-o\viit?rs, they entered into a mutual en"-gagem-eiit to pledge the freight of their wool ii\is''(=efis(iu to any first-class vessel which "could bf procured to. load-home-from 'Port.UiKlerwood r.t lil perß». A cargo, of wool-being thus-.en.^ureil, Messrs., ikiities and Co., of Liver-•j)<:>o],J)n.y.e;conseiitejl'tq-J«y on one,of tiheir fine vessels ta'fe the rate rof'. frei«!. t stipnlated; and thus infiny bundreds-tdf .pounds .will bevfiaved l'"> tlie ffis-f-rict-this season.-••• - s--,: -.';■

The Stress of ■ this; eombinat'on to gp't" tho rat*; of freight t»u wobl fedticed- to' a tair 'eliarug, fffMilH-Wturml;ite:tlid 'peopte -here*!to uiute"'f()r1 bi>,.»r' p'vifpifeps/ fnd general int-ke^t^^siriisi:i.for wantrdf sbjne.;wi«li: combina•.;ot!. Xr» -a wldely-scatteretl and thiuiy-popu: |n,|i:.d i|istrii;t like.this^VMyaal -action is .paft-iwi-I^rlv lipgiiid aud .weak, ; and heed to'be well r.--iiSEtT.bi.;fove people'will begin |o look .further aVtci'-tlieiriiiterestS'than \Vhat lie immediately

before them." There^are sighs abroad', however, which show "that the leaven is. at work here. Parents are beginning to talk of education for their children, settlers of roads to their homehtoads, and -there seems a general willingness to undertake-some, of the more important functions of real -local self-government.

Dec. 7,1857.

, I stated, I'think, in my former letter, that public affairs were engaging the attention of persons here morethan formerly. Your readers will remember'the draft of a petition for separating tho Wairau aud adjoining districts from Nelson, and forming them* into a separate^ province, which was publislKKJLin the 'Examiner,* in July or August last. At the recent provincial elections, an attempt was made by some of the most zealous of the separationists to defeat the re-election of Mr. C. Elliott, because that gentleman refused to sign the memorial m quesquestion; but the.explanation of his reasons for this refusal, which Mr. Elliott gave to his electors at a meeting held at the town of Beaver on the day preceding that of the election, and by a letter which he addressed to the electors, and which was read at the polling-place in the Wairau valley, the opposition to his return was" frustrated; and it was only at Waitohi, where from the distance he was prevented from attending, or otherwise furnishing an explanation of his conduct, that the cry set up against him had any eflect, and there not a single vote was recorded' in his favour. After the meeting above-named, Mr. Elliott was requested "by the" separation party to call a general meeting of the electors on an early day, in order that a measure which should do substantial justice to the Wairau might be discussed, and which should enlist, if possible, the support of the entire body of inhabitants, and a meeting for this purpose was held at the Wairau Hotel, on Saturday, the 28th ult. This meeting was very numerously and respectably attended, S. L. Muller, Esq., the Resident Magistrate for the district, being in the chair. Mr. Elliott, after apologising for his non-attendance at a meeting called a month previously (having been unable to return from Nelsou in-time to keep his appointment), produced a sketch of a memorial to the General Assembly, which he had hastily drawn, and which he thought embodied a scheme better calculated to serve the interestsof the Wairau than separation, as it would, if obtained, give the district real local self-govern-ment unincumbered by the expensive machinery of a Superintendent and a Provincial Council. This draft memorial was then read to the meeting. Jt set out by showing that the Constitution Act, which professed to give local selfgovernment to the inhabitants of New Zealand, had proved a failure in this most important particular, save to the inhabitants of a. few; towns j that provincial governments were very costly, and that to multiply their number was to mnltiply an evil, since the entire revenue of a small district would be absorbed in maintaining the requisite establishments; that real local self-government could onty be obtained by dividing the whole colony into counties and hundreds, giving to each county or hundred the control of its own land fund after a simple deduction towards the expenses of the land-office and the charges upon the land fund; and that such local government could be carried on by a county board. After the draft memorial had been read, a lengthened discussion ensued, which was brought to a close by the unanimous passing of the following resolution, proposed by Mr. J. Sinclair, and seconded by Mr. Eyes: —" That a committee be appointed, to be composed of Messrs. Elliott, Wemyss, Tinline, J. Ward, and Goulter, to mature as fast as they can Mr. Elliott's suggested plan of local selfgovernment by local boards, and forming that district into counties; and that the same be submitted to a meeting of the electors to be called for the purpose, of which due notice will be given." A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the meeting. As it is not an easy matter to bring persons together whose residences are very widely scattered, Mr. Elliott took advantage of the presence of so many settlers of the Wairau and neighbouring districts, to suggest the formation of a Settlers' Association, which by meeting and dining together occasionally would afford opportunities for discussing public measures and the requirements of the districts. , Supposing that it should be determined to meet four. times in the year, the yearly subscription,; be thought, should be sufficient to cover the cost of a dinner on each of these occasions, as persons riding distances varying from five to five-aml-tbirty miles would necessarily need refreshment, and such meetings, if properly conducted, could not fail to promote a social good feeling, as well as unison of action to secure public objects. The idea •of such an iissociation was very favourably received, and the following resolutions were unanimously adopted:—• " 1. That it is desirable that an Association should be formed, composed of, settlers, or pers?l}* av'mS interests in the Wairau aud adjoinin«j districts. ' X : , _ :"2. That after the first formation of the Acsoici.ition,^ all fahne members shall be elected by | the majority of voters present at any gener.il meeting. '" 3 That the members, shall meet at lea»t once in every thice months for ttie discussion of subjects affecting the interests of the Wairau ami artioi'iins? districts ' > "4. That thesubwiptionshall not exceed £3 ; per annum , . k "5. That .a-commiUee con.sih.t.ing of Meg^is, \ Eyes, Elliott, Wemy'ss,.Mul]er, and J. Ward, be ' appointed, to draw up ,a coda oflaws^ for the Assooiiition, and make, the necessary arran"emeuts. forJuoldihg its first meeting." ° The' following persons Expressed their wish

to become members, of-the Association :-— Messrs. J. „ Ward, Eyes, M'Rue, Weuiyss, Hcvet-fc, Cutor, Sopei;, H. Williams, Goulter, Muller, Empson, Pritfcison, J. Watts, Johnson,' Allison, Tinline, C. Elliott, junior, Attwood, Puslev, Canning, A, Seymour, Vickerman, Whitohead. ! • • STEAM. By the mail vrhich arrived yesterday*,1 we have i-eceived full confirmation of the news respecting the proposed Inter Colonial and. Inter-Provincial Steam Communication. Wo give the Treasury letter, accepting the proposed arrangement on the part of the Imperial Government,. subject to the consent of the colonial authorities; also, the proposed lines of route for the two Provincial steamers. We owe much to the exertions of Mr. Sewell^ who -, ■in this, as' in the • questiou of the: loan of £500,000, has exerted" .himself most effectively, and done most excellent service. . Treasury. Chambers, 19th August, 1857. Sis,—l am directed by the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to inform you that the mbde.of proceedingfor the puis pose of completing1 the Postal Service between New Zealand and Australia, proposed in your letter of the 15th instant, appears to my, lords ; well adapted for the purpose-in view, and one to which, on the part of the Home, Government, they would be prepared to assent, sub-, ject to two clear reservations. ' ; Ist. As to the apportionment of the sum to be paid under any contract that may 'be entered into for general service of New Zealand to that part of it which would consist only of' filling up the necessary, link [ in. the ; general Australian scheme, as laid down in the plan for that service, between some point in Australia I (Melbourne or Sydney) and New Zealand, and which portion would merge in the general cost of the service, to be decided as laid down in the Treasury minute. And 2nd. That the • plan should meet the approval of the. Australian colonies. . ; . ; , : ' „.- lam, Sir, your obedient servant, ,-..... (Signed) James Wilson. The proposed line of route for the interprovincial steamers 'is as! follows, viz., ' -'■*'■' Ist line-—Manuk"au> New Plymouth,^Nelsohi ' Wellington, Nelson, New 'Plymouth,.Manukau. 2nd line.—Wellington, Port jCoGpen Otago, Port Cooper, Wellingtou.— 'Exam s«ar,-J)ec; 16.