THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, November 16, 1844.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 141, 16 November 1844, Page 2

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, November 16, 1844.

•fouinaU become more neceawry v men become more et}n»l, and indiridualiam more to be feared. Ie would be to underrate their unportanre to auppdie thai they terre only to aecure liberty c. they maintain cmWatJon. , -■ Dc TocQUkviLM. Of Democracy in America, toI. 4, p. 203.

In the recent Auckland papers we observe strong expressions of gratitude for the late Government measures, namely, the abolition of Customs and free trade in land. These expressions are^however (as we think), without any very solid foundation, and we

greatly fear that the expectations which call them forth are doomed to disappointment.

Whether gratitude is really due to Government for the abolition of the Customs must depend, in some degree, upon the motives which may be supposed to have dictated it. On his Excellency's arrival in New Zealand, he expressed himself favourable to free trade in a new country ; and while all eyes were turned towards him in hopeful expectation, he astonished the expectants by laying on a duty of 5 per cent, on all imports, whether British or foreign. Thus the tariff stood till the announcement of the Company's suspension and the abolition of the prospect of the Company's ships bringing large cargoes of taxable articles to Otago and elsewhere. At this crisis, too, John Heke and his confreres at the Bay lifted up their voices and tomahawks against the duties and the British flag ; and under these circumstances his Excellency carries out his partiality " to -free trade in a new country." Believing as we do that free trade is the soul of commerce, and that commerce will be the soul of New Zealand, we hail the measure with satisfaction; but as for gratitude, that, as we said, must depend upon the motives by which we believe the measure to have been dictated.

That the abolition of Customs will ultimately be beneficial we believe ; but we think that disappointment awaits those who expect any sudden revival from the measure. Before commerce can arise to any extent, exports must be produced within the" country ; and this is a slow progress particularly where, as with us, capital has been so completely drained out. That vessels will seek our ports to refit and refresh is also probable *, but not at onee — they will not leave their accustomed haunts elsewhere hut by degrees ; and one thing which will deter them and tend to deter commerce from our shores, is the unsteadiness which has hitherto marked all the fiscal arrangements of the colony. A shipmaster may leave the grounds in the anticipation of entering our ports without charges, and he may find when he arrives here a cordon sanitaire of pilots and custom-house officers. Like all reformed rakes, a steady probation of some length will be required before our irregularities will be forgotten.

As regards the Land Sales, the same objections apply. Government will not give a Crown grant till twelve months after application. When the Crown grant is given, Government will not guarantee possession. With all the chances of those twelve months, and all the chances of subsequent disturbance, will many purchasers be found even at a penny an acre ? Twelve months ago all Government lands in this colony were disposed of by auction at an upset of price of twenty shillings an acre. Six months ago the price was ibur shillings down, six shillings on credit, and as much more as the natives might bargain for. Now it is at the native option and — a penny an acre to Government. Who shall say what it will be when the moon next fills her horn ?

That any capital will be drawn into the colony by this bait, we suppose no reasonable man for one moment conceives. Will any already in the colony be so invested ? "Where ? In the Company's settlements ?—? — We suspect not. At Auckland I—lt1 — It will be to a very limited amount, because capital there is very limited. The measure will in fact, for the present, have probably no other effect than that of unsettling men's minds, depreciating the value of property in the established settlements, and perhaps driving away a few settlers who are weary of the perpetual changes in which their fortunes and prospects are involved.

To those who are familiar with the investigations made by the Home Government into the disposal of waste lands in the colonies, the disallowance of the present measure will probably appear a matter of certainty. Some doubt may exist in the mind of the Colonial Office as to what the upset price of lands should be in this or that colony or

district, but the determination to adopt some restrictive price seems fixed and well settled. The present measure retrogrades into the old and condemned system which has been abolished in every colony.

We do not observe any provision in the present proclamation authorizing leases or squatting licenses by the natives. Whether any such authority exists among the repealed and re-repealed, enacted and reenacted measures which may be fished up among the colonial ordinances and proclamations, we cannot recollect. In this island, and in the southern parts of the Northern Island, such arrangements might be beneficial : liberty to purchase will be of no value.

A writer in one of the Auckland papers appears to think that native reserves under the new arrangements will be a source of annoyance ; and if he is correct in thinking that they are not to be merely so much land purchased beyond the wants of the purchaser, outside his ring fence, but that they are to be picked bits among his other fields, they certainly will be a nuisance of the first order. However, as we said before, we do not think that many people will be troubled with them.

On the prospects of the Nelson settlement these measures are not calculated to have ary considerahle effect at present. We are out of the beat of the whalers, even if any should, by the abolition of the Customs, be induced to resort to our shores ; and for the general advantages of free trade we repeat we must wait the creation of an export. That an export will be ours, and before very long, there is little doubt. We have already between 4,000 and 5,000 full-grown sheep and half that number of lambs in this settlement, and nearly 1,000 head of cattle. As these increase (and rapidly indeed they do increase here, where feed, climate, and everything is first-rate for stock), we shall have wool, tallow, and other animal exports. A sawn-timber export is already on foot. Several cargoes have gone, 60,000 feet are now being shipped on board the Sisters for Hobart Town, and more is demanded for other vessels. Next year why should not we send the produce of our capital Brewery to Sydney and elsewhere ? Let those who have already tested the excellence of our ale reply. In short, Nelson has nothing to fear. Her settlers are securely located on their lands — the Commissioner has awarded it as well purchased by the Company — there are no natives to annoy vs — we are growing rich in stock. In another twelve months we venture to predict that we shall be a very prosperous community, perhaps the most so in all New Zealand.