The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 112, 15 May 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1867.

The present age is eminently one of ideas. Some principle that chance has made popular, or the action of which, under a certain complexion of cireumst-mces, has wrought national benefit, is taken, condensed into a pithy axiom, made a dogma of worldly faith, and thenceforward any man who ventures to contradict it, or to doubt the propriety of its universal application, is regarded as altogether unworthy of his generation. Nobody can deny that this is the case in the. political world, and we venture to assert that it is equally true as regards the commercial world. The one great doctrine of our commercial philosophy is that which declares the necessity of freeing trade from all restrictions. Under the free trade legislation, England has unquestionably attained marvellous wealth, and has developed her capabilities in a manner that has surpassed the most sanguine expectations of her sons. Prance, whose commercial importance is completely a creation of the Second Empire, has followed the guidance of England in this, respect, and has thereby attained a position in the mercantile world second only to that of her ally. These signal illustrations of the benefits of unrestrained commercial intercourse have induced very many people to regard free trade as the only sure road to prosperity. Protection, of course, is set down as a thoroughly exploded idea, that lingers only among the disciples of a bye-gone school of politicians. It may be, however, that abstract perfection is not to be found either in- free trade or in protection. Eoth of them, it is certain, may be capable of good and of evil, and probably neither policy should be arbitrarily introduced without deep and anxious consideration as to the results which may accrue to the trade, manufactures, and general status of the country. "We confess we have considerable doubts as to the propriety of universally applying either rule. Free trade may suit some countries, but at the same time protection may do equally well for others. Moreover, it should be remembered that the infancy of trade, even in the countries now ardent ly espousing free trade, was guarded from exterior danger by protective imposts on foreign merchandise. It was only when manufactures were firm ly established, when labor was brought to the highest degree of perfection, when machinery rendered the cost of prodnctiou comparatively trifling, when markets had been found ready to absorb all that could possibly be supplied, that the idea arose of abandoning all defence against competition, "We have as yet had no' instance of a country establishing great branches of industry and rising into commercial importance, which made its progress from the commencement under free trade regulations. As regards ourselves, our present tariff is so nearly protective, that the example of a similar experiment carried out in another colony cannot but be regarded by us with very considerable interest. It would not, perhaps, be advisable for us to change the policy we are now working out, for in spite of several highly vexatious imposts, it has carried us so far safely enough, and the people seem tacitly resigned to their burthens, heavy though they be. Victoria, however, is trying the experiment of pr otectiou, pure et simple, and we have only to watch and note carefully its consequences. She is not engaging in the enterprise timidly, or carrying out only part of the programme. Indeed it would not be easy to devise a more complete system than that which has been

lately inaugurated with the full consent of the majority of the people. The imposts exacted from the foreign manufactured goods might, it is true, have been higher; but it could scarcely T_ave.been.more general. When even corn has been taxed — as some of the wiseacres in Marlborough seem desirous of doing — one can imagine how determined the Victorian legislature must be to give their new policy a fair trial. The experiment of a protective tariff in Victoria will doubtless be eagerly watched by the other colonies, for much in formation of a kind that can be made practically useful to each of tlnm may be derived from its results. It seems to us, however, that so far as we ourselves are concerned, the choice of free trade or protection must be determined by the future which our politicians foresee for the colony. If the object of state policy be to look solely or mainly to the interests of the individual, to procure for him the necessaries and luxuries of life at the lowest possible figure, free trade is tho very code that should be adopted. But if tlie Government regard the community- as a body — if they see the necessity of making it selfsupporting, so that its interests may not be exposed to danger in case the mothercountry is involved in war — if they desire to see trades aud manufactures establish themselves firmly ou the soil, aud spread themselves throughout the country, — we do not know how that can be done otherwise than by protection. There is no doubt that free trade is the simplest and least irksome policy ; neither can there be any doubt that protection implies a sacrifice ou the part of the many to the gain of the few. It is a remarkable fact that while New South Wales, Victoria, and our own colony have introduced a partially protective policy, Tasmania is striving in the opposite direction. A free trade policy would best suit her as her timber, shingles, jams, and cereals form the principal items of export, and any restriction placed on them must act injuriously to her. The legislature of Tasmania has, therefore, introduced an Act to promote intercolonial free trade, which has received the sanction of that body. But such an Act, unless followed by similar ones in the other colonies, would remain a dead letter, and just now we see no indication that the colonies are likely to agree upon this matter. As matters now stand, each colony is partially isolated, and none more so than Tasmania, and in framing their fiscal policy each one looks to its own individual interests. Until some uniform tariff is agreed upon, such wdi be the case, and certainly we cannot blame any colony for following a policy which particularly answers its requirements, though it may somewhat interfere with its neighbors' trade.

A serious error inadvertently crept into the notice of the Waterworks that api peared iv our issue of yesterday, which Iwe lose no time in correcting. It was f stated that the reservoir would contain 7035 gallons, whereas it covers about a j quarter of an acre in superficial feet, and I will contain 756,000 gallons. Allowing that the city contains 400 houses, each inhabited on an average by five persons, (as was the case, at all eveuts when the computations were made for these works), and giving 20 gallons per head per day, thus making a total consumption of water per diem of 40 000 gallons, the contents of the reservoir — 756,000 gallons — would supply the city for 19 days, say three weeks, as we have already stated. It should be remembered that the scheme only applies to the supply of water on the western side of the Maitai, the other being well supplied already, but it is, of course, capablo of extension,, if required, at any time. A We understand that tenders have been /accepted by the Government for the con-

struction of an important addition to' the / present gaol, which, as our readers are *| probably aware, has been found utterly j inadequate for the reception of the in-/ creased number of prisoners brought down'v to Nelson, especially from the West Coast.' It is proposed to make an addition of 24 feet to the maiu building, the upper floor \ of which will conta ; n seveu cells, three of / these being iutended for female prisoners, I a requirement which has been very much felt in the gaol, and on the lower floor will ;' be a day-room for female prisoners, a ; kitchen, a turnkey's room, aud two dark j cells. The addition will, we understand J be carried out immediately, it being found' i impossible to carry out the requisite dis-i cipliue within the present confined build-' ings of the gaol. It may indeed be rei gretted that the Government did not determine on building a gaol more suited to our present requirements and on a different site, but it must be remembered that the necessity for this addition is imperative and immediate, and the erectioh of a gaol ou another site could not be carried out under less than ten or twelve months, and would cost several thousands whilst the cost of the present addition, will be only £400. Perhaps we shall find the best solution of this difficulty ih the formation by the General Government of a central peual establishment for the whole colony, where prisoners condemned to more than two or three years' imprison-, ment, may be confined und properly; classified. This necessity has been re- 1 peatedly urged upon the attention of thej General Government by the public press \ of the colony, but hitherto without effect, j Such an establishment would, at all j events, relieve us of the odious spectacle; which daily meets our eyes, of criminals ) of the deepest dye associated with juve- \ niie and other comparatively innocent 1 offenders, on the public works in our/ streets. Iv the Eesident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, the following case, — Thomas Muncaster v. the P.-nama Company — was heard. Mr. H. Pitt appeared for the plaintiff, Mr. ingdoo for the defendant. This was a case for the recovery of £10, the value of a bag of wearing apparel aud tools, lost on the passage of the Otago steamer between Dunedin and Port Chalmers, at which latter place she had been laid up to repair damage clone to her screw. The bag in question had been moved from tlie after-hold to the fore part of the ship, during the repairs, and had thus been misled and lost. The defendants denied their liability, ou the plea that a printed notice appeared on their shipping notes to the effect that the company would not be resnousible for passenfrc'sJuo-o-an-e unless booked. This objection was, however, overruled by -the Resideufc Magistrate, and a verdict was given for the plaintiff for £o. Mr. Kingdon applied for leave to appeal, which was refused. The following debt cases were heard this morning : — II . S. Martin v. G. W. Schroder. This was uomiually an action to recover £12 55., of which £7 os., — wages due to the plaintiff for attendance on the horse " St. Aubyu," from October Ist, 1866 to Ist January, 1867, — had beeu paid by the defendant into the hands of Mr. Benfield, of Richmond, for the plaintiff, -who had refused to receive it. Subsequently to the Ist January, 1867, the plaintiff had agreed to look after the horse, and iv return for his services, was allowed to retain possession of premises belonging to the defendant, who, however, alleged that the plaintiff neglected his horse. He therefore brought a counter claim of £5 against the plaintiff for 20 weeks' rent of the premises at os. per week. Mr. Pitt appeared for the plaintiff, for whom a verdict was given for £9 10s. with costs, or, iv other words, for £2 ss. beyond the sum originally offered by the defendant. Jos. Scarlett v. George

Dickens. This was au action to recover the sum of <£l ss. the balance of the price of a pair of drawers, made for the defendant, who had paid £3 ss. on account. Judgment for plaintiff for £ I ss. Od. and costs, payable half in three weeks, the remainder in six weeks' time. A rumour was current in town last night to the effect that, the Wallaby had arrived from Wanganui, bringing intelligence of a fearful massacre committed by the natives amongst the European population at Taranaki. On enquiry, the story turns out to he a complete canard, the Wallaby not having arrived, and information having reached her owners that, being heavily laden with cattle, and having experienced very heavy weather, she had put back into Wangauui. We are authorised to state that, by the order of the Government, a line is now being cut up the course of the Graham River, across the Loadstone, (a part of the Mount Arthur Ranges, on the northern side) and so on to the bend of the Karamea, the Government being fully sensible of the importance of opening up this goldfield. This, if it be found practicable, will be eventually turned iuto a packtrack. We may also state that the further investigation of the track, alleged by Mr. Hough to exist from the Baton to the Karamea, will depend on the report of Mr. Rochfort, who is now in town, and who has thoroughly investigated these regions. It Avould appear that there is every reason to believe that the outrage presumed to have been committed at the the Beach early yesterday morning on the man Schmidt, was without foundation. It has beeu ascertained that the man retired to his tent ou the preceding night very much the worse for drii*k,and it is presumed his tent caught fire, and that in scrambling out, he iell head-foremost down a cutting ten feet deep, close to the spot where the tent was pitched, and where he was afterwards found, moaning and in an insensible state. Sergeant Nash, who has minutely inspected the locality, discovered blood and hair on a heap of stones at the bottom of this cutting, and Mr. Woolcock, of Motueka, with the boatmau who conveyed him to the shore, and who discovered Schmidt in the state we have described, boih deny having seen any persons near the tent, as stated to us.