Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 672, 4 May 1859, Page 3

Colonial.

NE-LSQN.

(Froih a Correspondent.)

- v : ■■ ' - . \ ; April-21.1859. Thbigvenfe event of the- yenv~tlie! opening of; the PiOsiiuHal .Couricil-rtoOk Iplaeo ion the 12th irist. Tho Speech from; the thromA was'rather, an improvement .on: former, effort*,;; - but it shadowed fprtli no new line of policy.and was in.fact merely a snimniary, of, the information that had been pre\ viously conveyed to tho piiblic throuj>l» the columns of= the* l-Iddtil press.: It cmigi'atulate's the province on ,-thtf" increasing-prosperity" as Evidenced by an impvoved I revenue1; but it-ignores the fact that nwchjOf, this yevenue is derive I from the pennywise policy, of thrusting our lands into tl.e market and; disposing, of ; themfbr but a imitiele of their wofih.' Not that any checkshould be given to thtesale'of land tor settlement^ but in"too miiiy. cases1 it falls into the ba"nd of tlie speculator, who often. Only holds it until it can be re-sold at an advance of 300.f0r 4001 per oenb. As an example of thestyleiiv which-the land is given away, it may be mentioned thatonly yesterday upwards of 8000 acres of land in the Amuri district was purchased "by Kn individual, at the upset price of ss. peracre. N6-. bonder, that our rivers have to be crossed .by fbrrM f;ihstea'd! of bride's ; or that our Provincial Councillors' havei to dribble out the money by acorea! of.pounds f when they ought to be 'able to ■votftii hundreds.

. .Tiie t session..promises to be rather a sli.orfc one; rio.bills of any great importance liayinxyet been fientr'doiyn to'the Council. , But a-rather, warm debate' has beencommenced on tho subject of mineral leases at the gold'fields.^ As this w a ijuestion of some importance, a brief statement of the.facts1: will probably, interest-you. 80011 after the-'close,! of they last session of. the Council, Mr. <G^bbs,(a gentleman of almost European reputation i iri"connection \yitli.inininy; and engineering matters) applied, as the authorised agent of t:K\Metallurgio . CjOinpahy of 'London, lor a lease of land to the exr ;' tent 7 tof two squanv miles, in the' Abrere district, i foi*sthe "'purpose of-workingthe minerals in accor- ; dancenvith'theliuul regulations (hen in force.1 Mr. ; Gibbs also applied; for a -mineral■■ lease of.a similar , extent of, country; for himself. ; He had been .en;- '. gaged. foi\ some* months in experimental operations , on, this (laiid1; (some of whicli, by-lherbye, was lattd''formerly worked by individual' diggers, but then arid 'since, deserted);: he liul. bi\>ujiit to. the . provirice;ai considerable amount of 'expensive machineiy connected with gold; mining;' he promised ; ■thajb'if\the leases; we'"& granted operations would at oncetbe (commencrtd, and a considerable outlay in tHe^ernploymeiitoi". labour would be nuide.., And yet!oh"tKis 'occasion,jwhen. so...much of the^futiu'e* weal'of the province depended on thoir decision, : the Executive, refused''tlie leases on the paltry; ground that they were not warranted in granting > /them thy. the then existing; land -Regulations which; ,werej)passed:at a time when the.finding of gold iin .the; province was not dreamt -of, "'and the clauses of .Wjhiclv,respecting to!mineral leases referred, it; was 'contended, only to copper, coal, and similar/minerals, i Tiiese applications for leases are alluded to in the; speech as "an application" for a leasi of (a;b!oclc of louv square miles.

. The subject, as I have olwrved, has already been>partially discussed in the Provincial Council, 4ind as yefc the.Goveinment Imve hid the worst of it. .Hut,the following motion, which is to bi* moved T>y Curtis on Tiv^d.iy next, will, il'carriel "(as it'moat likely w,lll be), convey a blight \otu of censure* on tHe Executive. The notice of motion is as follows:— '" '•

** Mr; Curtis to move, That this Council regret* thit the application of the Metallui\ric Company of .London for a mineral leisj of lan ! in the M.issaore' Bay,tUs,trict should' have been refuseJ by the Su■perintendent; the Council being of opinion that his 'Honor would have baeu .fully justified in acting ..upon, the then existing Lini'Re'gulation-i, by ac- • cedingI'll to •»m - applicat'on which promise'!, if granted, to be of p-s?n";ial service in developing the resources of -the 'gold -fbld, find in further advanc'ng the material interests of the province by the exten- : give-employment ot labour and by. direct contribution to'its; revenue.. The .Council cannot recognize the validity of the; expla'iation eontainel in. the tenth paragraph of tha Superintendent's ■Opening1 address, in the facie of the facts that,; while ciavrpossessioh of no*further powers, his Honor <:aus.ed; to-be, surveyed .and submittedi for absolute ;sala(liy« public auction portions- 6t the auriferous lands of 'the iA.orere district;; and that"-' still more vfiecsntly his; Honor!has proclaimed for sale, and total alienation from the control of the 'provincei'afethe insignificant price o? ten shillings vper t acre,! considerable iblocks of auriferous lands, ; including, a large portion of'the very land which the cMetallurgic Company'applied in vain to lease only, con terms promising to'be prod^tive of cousiderable -.direct-revenuetolthe'provincei as well as of other »i€aTiinbre] important'advantages. The Council also bfeelsatitoibaits duty•toremark/that the statement vConifcairiediinithß ienth'paragra'plvofthe Superinten--dent'siaddress, that " an application was made : to lane>toleas,eft>r twenty-one years a block of four of "the: auriferous land of the Co.llin^- • Twoodt^'district,'' is not borne -out by the documents ■ laidfbefi>re;it, those: documents showing that no - applicationl was seni in for a -block of larger .size 1 tthantwo square-miles. -'H ad an application been .made for a block of the size stated- by the Superinttendent; his Honor's -assertion that "the existing Land: Regulations did not warrant me in acceding - to=the - request ofi the applicant-would have been unquestionably correct; The Coundl cannot'but consider;it, a subject for regret that- an inaccuracy ' of so material anature upon amatttr of fact should have been permitted to appear in his Honor's address."?'-- ■•■ '-i:i '■ •■■■■ - •■■■■ ''■■'■''' -.■■■'

:W.e,areat lastto have amarket in -Nel»-on, where such an establishment has Yen long required. We r.tausfc'Kowev:ei' begin in a^small way, for it will no ..doubt be a long while before we'catt expect to rea-Jize-ioiit here our- recollections of- the busy hum of (.'crowded streets—of'stalls well-filled1-with' all kinds , : of-produce, and:market-house floors covered with v bags of grain,—of the sociable -market dinner—or -:o£ith& comfortable spectacle of ;tbe;top-booted or •filtered jolly-faced!..' farmer 'as he- rides steadily / homewards at-the'elose ofthe^day well pleased with * the satisfactory sales he has effected; -? i~; : The;appointment of District; Judge has been con- >• ferred on'Mr. W; L.! Travers • bufcne will not con)i merice the duties df the 6lfice: until after the arrival <■> of> the next mail from Auckland. ' r The vacancy which the promotion of Mr. Travers jrrvwllJßave in theranks :of the-Nelsimsblicitnrs'will, [litistufrentlyrepoi-ted(and oti iindbubtedauthority), iibe^ably;fille» bynplessra personage than Mr. H. •} Sewell;; who intends : tjo design the offices he holds iiiin^der: thje. freneral Govemrneni' and" to^cdme and !^^ pra^ticeiin-fNelson. ■:::. .a'his.'facfe isbut one of many oahadow'a-which'ihave;been-taken by\oi(riknowiiig kmeic to; prognosticate: a coming 'event—and- that [jfivenfc is removal' of'the seat rof government to jJfelsoh." •'■. This movement has been so often ur^ed /by- the Canferbury.i -press that/its accomplishment _^ill no.:doubfc.be-haifcd with satisfaction by the |publio ofyoui; province •"' while our friends in tho jftsisfcer •pL<ovince"io£' Wellington will probably also awJequally.ready with their ft"ilgi'atulations. ff:'.The r.Wair«au hairrf-soked % '80 to 11 that Lff : aeparation is desirable.:'-r acco-iint (if tlv^. |peeche£at the separatio"n>mesting; and'- published to the. ■': Examiner;' is rather amusing', •' but; it shows piatisome -of- the movers are;in earndsfc in ihe mat|er. t.jindefedrit isrs:tidiaat 'a newspaper is to'be parted forthwith, aa4 with the powerful aid oi' the

pi-ess who shall say' that they■ will' riot accomplish' their end.: Whether such an accomplishment will be beneficial to them at present is, another matter. Our merchants are not asleep as regards their private interests, for they now deduct 2s. (3d. an ounce from all tbc gold they buy, in anticipation of. the act of the General Assembly receiving the Queen's assent,, mid coming into operation; by which an export > duty of 2s 6d. per ounce is imposed. ;- ■'■■.'"*■ April 23rd. The Prince Alfred has.arrived again'without the mail, which had Hot reached, Sydney. Some;*old Nelson colonists,' Air. W. (). Cawtly and Mr. J. Tinline have returned to the province by this opportunity. .■■;■■ .■■'.'. TII3 Mariner from Kngland came into port this moimng,and the Alfred the (Jreat has reach 3d Wellington, both of these vessels have brought a number of passengers for Nelson, and may tend to give a-slight relief to the period of dulness lately experienced. ('From the 'Nelson Examiner.') An article which we have l>esn compelled to keep back I'oi- spine time is on the DIVISrON' QF THE PBOVIMCR. '. When the six provinces of New Zealand,were first constituted, and thjise wln<m , popular favour had placed^at their head assumed to themselves as much power and -independent authority as it was possible for them to gra-=p, it did mrt^eem to occur .to them-that the suiidivision and partition then made, being, confessedly -artificial," stud only very partially,connech d with tlie geographical peculiarities of. the/country, should lie looked upon, as a mere.teii)parai'y expedient; to be rnnd'iied from time to time to suit the varying circumstances of the case, and even, if,need were, thoroughly, remodelled or abrogated; entirely.; And yet, unless the early settlers had seized upon all tlie available outlets of the country, and, with rare jjood fortune or* uriexariipled sagacity, inonopoliscd them for themselves, it was evident that those who followed iri their steps,"and located themselves in other and nut less favoure.J districts, would not be less apt t<> follow the example set tlietn in po'ilical matters also; and finding.how much power, how great an influence-, and how 'large an expenditure came to the share of the first malcontents, insist-upon a division'of the spoil: or, failing to obtain ihat, set up for themselves in tin? tradeof agitation. The first result of this very natural, if not .very disinterested, feeling, • was made evident in the New Provinces Act of the last session of the General Assembly ; an . act which. : inevitable sooner or later, was called into being much sooner than would have been requisite, if'the new authorities had exercised 'their powers with more forbearance, julgment,' and impartiality. ' That such an act should have; been passed- so early, whilst the. old 'centres of .population still exercised a preponderating influence, although partly due to a concurrence of fortunate circumstances,, is creditable to the good sense of the majority which passed it, and to their clear. r appre.ciation of the evils ( which it is devised to obviate ; but it may stillbe doubted whether it meets all the-exigencies of the case, or an- ' swers those it do>s meet in the most appropriate manner. ; ; If. Wellington, drawing so large : a 'revenue -for the saleol'land in the district of Ahuriri, had .worked at bothemls ofthegivat trunk liiieof road which wa* to enneefc tlie'n,instead of taking' the lion's share of the" expenditure for herself, we; should probably haveheardnnthingmorefromNapier; than an occasional grumble from some disappointed editractor or' aspirant alter; provincial distinction';! ■if our iNelson Colons had- made themselves person- ; ally, acquainted with the,out-districts of their province, their wants; and wishes,-and taken the initia-| tive in bringing them before the Council, instead '-of lavishing their grants upon the:bay districts, or even with greater lvgdjness arid energy applied the funds placed at their disposal for, the others, we . -should not hays' had .tha" question of separation mooted by the Wairau for some considerable tinie to come.; It; does not indeed necessarily follow that in thus re-disti'ibiiting, the funds at their disptis tl, they would hayv applied them in the b.^-st possible. way, although they riiighf have excited 'less d:ssatisfaction; and this brings us to what seems the weak'point in all provincial arrangements: and/differences; they.have all far too much the appearance of squabbles (fqi* a fair diyision< of the . plunder, of interested complaints that, the weaker party- goes to; the .wall,, of appeals to individuals on, the score of personal advantage, rather than broad and genera] vit-ws (if the general good a* contrasted with petty'selfishness or weak subserviency to the clamour of the moment./1 It has not. been'a question so much wht'ther the public money has been laid out most judiciously for. the public' advantage,' but whether it has bean equally divided among the claimants, for a share in it; and the subdivision of the provinces, whilst it checks the old career of mismanagement and favouritism, offers no guarantee that the same evils will not be repeated iri other localities. ' -Unless we could see some hope of effectually guarding; against this danger, we should feel much like the fox, in the.f vble, who; though much annoyed by the.flies, would not have those driven off who had filled themselves. at his expense and got fat and lazy, lest they should be succeeded by a fresh batch, riidre lean, hungry, and vehornous. In other words, do not tiio.se'who claim to manage their own affairs, want to manage what is no affair of theirs at all, as well as what is? If the revenue : which is I'aised for the public .service is larger than is required, and this seems to be the case in New Zealand, and the ; people by .their l'epresentatives,.instead of reducing the duties^' like to be taxed arid have the surplus, back again to play at politics with in their provinces, a la bonne hetire, they must have their whistle and1 pay for it too; but why- should each little, new-born provinciality be allowed^ to play at ducks and drakes with the land revenue also ? Ought that not rather to be looked upon as a sacred trust fund, to be applied to no mere temporary purposes, but carefully, nay, religiously set apart and dedicated to certain great and specific public objects ; to peopling the country and opening it out for settlement; to immigration and roads. . CantHrbury>has acted upon this principle, for she proclaims an addition of 2000 to her population within the last yeai", direct from the mother country, and an expenditure of £70,000 for roads'. Otago having spent £10,000 on irnmigra* - tion last year, proposes to double it in this, and make it a permanent charge ; wh'ilbt her civil engineer gives in a connected'plan' for more than 300 miles of road, .and ■reports that he has working parties out in various directions. Wellington has pushed forth in two main directions, towards Taranaki and the East Coast. These have all more or less recognised the paramount importance of these objects, and their mutual relations to and dep"nder)ceoneachother; and practically appliedtiieir land fund, in great patt at least, to its legitimate uses ; if Nelson had ('one this to anything like the same extent, she might have safely disregarded the Wairau agitation,!.wh'ch at present has the appearance of a struggle for,the custody of the cash, and put-, fo th no great public obje ts to bo .secured, by success. What has any community a right to ask from its Governmrnt beyond protection, a cheap, speedy, and irnpirtial administration of justice brought to ifc.- doois (not 100 inih's oil), and power to make lulcs ior itself i.i what cnnc-enis it.-cii' exclusively ; piiucip.dlv in what, rega'd^ its own wads 'tpublic buiidinsrs, and (he education of its chillren ? AH biMond this .Omul 1 bo the duty of the (General . Crowrument, espo/ially when,' as under our I'iee, constitution, that Oovt'rnmeut i.s tho more expres--- - eioii of the geuerul will.

Out1 objections, then, as we, trust the 'Lyttelton Times ' will perceive, are no mere selfish attempts to retain the pui>e for our own benefit, but are dictated by our, desire to obtain some guarantee that, in whatever hands, it sifall be used for public uses alone. Then we should hjive no objection to* the separation of the Wairau, ami feel no jealousy that Aniuri went to swell the territory of our next neighbour Canterbury; nay, \ V « should like to see the litter done to-morrow,if we could have the assurance that its land fund should be devoted to make a bib.id highway between us, and bringing out the labour necessary to do it quickly and well. We say this, iuvspactively of any considerations connected with the seat of fcho General Government. We honestly believe that our position pi events greater advantages for fixing it in NeNon than anywhere ehe; we have reason to think tlifit, our belief is shared by very many who take a broad view of the qiio.-tion, unhias-ed l>y consicWations of personal advantage, and uninflu'need by local pai tialities or politics; we are perfectly ready to accept the position marked out for us; to give ourselves up to the General Government, to make over our dependencies, and present as a free yil'fc the whole of our provincial stuff, corps et time, to whoever will take them ; but this docs' not depend upon our own goodwill only; such a change must be the result of the free concunvnee and h'ine&t convictions of our neighbours aNo; and we are well pleased to receive such a deliberate and favourable expiession of opinion on this subject from so influential a member of our confederation as Canterbury.