THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, January 5, 1850.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 409, 5 January 1850, Page 176

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, January 5, 1850.

Journals become more necessary as men become more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they lerve only to - secure liberty : they maintain civilization. B ToCaUKVILLB, Of Democracy in America, vol. iv., p. 200. The report of the speeches delivered at the Colonial Reform Banquet held at Greenwich on the 18th of July last, printed by vm last week, was, as we expected at that time, only a miserable version of the proceedings at that really important meeting. Not only did that report, taken we believe from the Morning Herald, omit to give the names of several distinguished gentlemen present, but it failed to notice wholly some important speeches delivered, and made a horrid hash of those which it did report. We regret much that the Pekin's mail did not reach us a week earlier, so that we might have given a correct instead of an incorrect account of the proceedings, but the subject having been taken up by nearly all the leading metropolitan journals, we shall be able to enrich our columns with extracts from the Morning Chronicle, Daily News, Spectator, Examiner, and others, which will show the effect this meeting has already had at home in ripening the public mind on colonial rights, and promises this very year to overwhelm all such Dame Partingtons as Sir George Grey, who, with their miserable besoms, are striving so hard to stem the tide rising against them, and to keep the colonies of Great Britain in vassalage.

The ship Pekin arrived at Otago in the 'first week in December, bringing news to the beginning of August, but this had been forstalled by our news by way of Sydney. Several vessels were laid on for this colony : the Cornelia was to sail for Wellington and Auckland, on the 15th of August; the St. Michael, for the same ports, on the Ist of September ; the Mooltan, from the Clyde, for Otago, and the Company's other settlements, on the 15th ; the Monarch, from Southampton, for Otago, Akaroa, Wellington, and Auckland, on the 37th ; and in addition to these, the Company were advertising for a vessel to sail for all their settlements on the Ist of October. The Pekin, we believe, has passengers and emigrants for this place, and may be expected on here in a few days.

Exports. — The exports of our produce, -during the last month of the year, were very satisfactory. The Torringtbn, a large brig, loaded for Sydney with -3 tons of bale lashing, 1 ton of flax, 10,000 feet of timber, 60 sheep-skins, 2,000 bushels of barley, and '74 bales of wool ; the Return took to Fort Victoria (the intended Canterbury settlement), 35,000 feet of timber, 21 sides of bacon, 4 boxes of lard, 16 hams, 10 casks of pork, and 2 hhds.of beer ; and the Maria Josephine, to Wellington, 4 tons of flour, 6 casks of ale, 40 bags of barley, 10 bags of .oats, 10 bales of wool, and 2 cases of furniture ; besides other shipments in small vessels to the coast. The barley taken by the Torrington wa3 the last shipment for the -season made to the order of Tooth and Company, of Sydney, and which will make the quantity obtained by them in this settlement about 19,000 bushels; for this 3s. 6d. a bushel has been paid. The sample has, we understand, given great satisfaction, and we have the testimony of our Taranaki friends, that finer grain is not produced in England. The wool grown in the Wairau will, we suppose, be chiefly sent to Wellington this season, but there will nevertheless be a quantity shipped in Nelson. The Comet is now taking some on board, and on her next trip down, in about six weeks time, will probably again load back with wool. This, double freight is a heavy loss to the growers* and it will be a great benefit to them when arrangements are made by which the wool can be stored, pressed, and shipped on this side of the Straits. We hope that we shall soon see the export of timber greatly increased from Nelson. A powerful «aw-mill has for some time been erecting by Mr. Martin, and when it is completed — and it is expected to be at work within a fortnight — such a stock will soon he got up as to induce vessels to come here to load, depending, as they will then be able, that a cargo may always- be obtained. In the article of flax, too, we hope something will soon be done, as there is a gentleman here making preparations to dxess flax on a large scale. Thx Wbatheb. — Although the month of December is a critical one for the farmers an New .Zealand, during the past one the! weather has been such as to afford general

satisfaction. A few showers of rain early in the month served to freshen the corn; and give turnips a start, and now that harvesting has commenced, we suppose that but little rain will be desired until the crops are got in. - Still a good shower, we think, would not be amiss, if it was only to lay tbe dust. A good quantity of barley and oats have been already cut, as reaping was commenced at Ranzau, by the Messrs. Kelling, a fortnight since, but the wheat will scarcely be ripe for the better part of another month. The crops of wheat are ad- 1 mitted to be on the whole the finest the settlement has ever produced, and though some of the barley will be light, from having been late sown, there is some again which has done remarkably well. If the crops are saved well, there will nowhere be any grounds of complaint, but on the contrary, much to be grateful for.