THE NELSON EXAMINER. Saturday, April 26, 1856.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XV, Issue 8, 26 April 1856, Page 2

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Saturday, April 26, 1856.

Journal! become more necessary as men become nmre equa and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to secure liberty: they maintain civilization. Ds Tocquevillb. Of Democracy in America, vol. t., p. 230,

Small settlements, like small communities all over the world, are apt to become too nice and over-wise in their own opinions, in the estimate they place upon their own individual knowledge and foresight, and in the opinion they form of the resources, beauties, and advantages of their own locality over all others. This narrow-mindedness is more especially visible in those localities whose communications with the great marts of commerce and centres of civilization, and even with their own immediate neighbours, are limited or of a very uncertain character. These little feelings of self-conceit and vanity are, as most of us know, particularly noticeable in those pretty, retired old places, half towns and half villages, of which there are so many in England. These towns, generally speaking, are peopled by the lord of the manor, or esquire, two or three retired captains of both services, widows and their marriageable daughters, with an innumerable array of old maids, who, with the vicar, or rector, as the case may be, compose the Mite or the representatives of these flourishing old hamlets. These very useful (?) members of society can discuss and settle the affairs of the nation with great earnestness and vigour, and to the entire satisfaction of themselves : to such a pitch do they work themselves up, that they almost imagine themselves to be some great politicians ; some have even the vanity to offer themselves as candidates to represent their neighbourhood in Parliament ;

their chief talent, however, lies in discussing the merits of the last dinner-party, the whisttable, or in praising or scandalizing any luckless stranger who happens to come into the neighbourhood, either to settle or as a visitor.

Comparisons, we are told, are odious ; but, however disagreeable they may be, we feel compelled to liken our town and neighbourhood in a great degree — we will not say completely or entirely — to one of those retired old English hamlets.

We have a class of individuals in this settlement who have grown up with the province ; men who commenced with nothing, and who have, very creditably to themselves, worked themselves into a position. These men, with few exceptions, are now our legislators, many of whom have the same feelings and failings as the retired old townsfolk at home ; whose interests are wrapped up in self; whose minds are contracted ; and whose views, if not decidedly illiberal, are not staunch in support of liberal measures. To confirm this assertion, we would mention particularly the vote that was come to during the sitting of the Council on the subject of Steam Communication. The large majorities against the Superintendent's recommendation, and the various amendments proposed on that particular subject, showed clearly enough the composition of our Council — worthy men in a private capacity, in every sense of the word, but men who have been too long in the settlement to make good legislators ; men whose minds have become contracted by too long confinement within a narrow compass. We think that if the members, or the greater part of them, were to go to England for two or three years, and then return, it would not only be a great advantage to themselves, but an immense benefit to the settlement generally. In recommending a remedy such as this to some of our members who do not feel their deficiencies, and who are also somewhat lethargic, it might be almost necessary, so as thoroughly to convince them of their state, to apply a somewhat similar remedy to the one used by the celebrated Dr. Briggs. That practitioner employed two medical students to beat " Washington's March " on Chinese gongs, and established a communication to the ears of his patient with copper-wires heliacally coiled with silk ; the feet were put in boiling hot water ; a shower bath of iced water descended on the head ; both shoulder-bones were galvanized; mustard-plasters were put on the back and the chest ; a strong decoction of sarsaparilla and brandy was poured down the thoracic duct ; — and the subject awoke to consciousness !

We are led more particularly to make the foregoing remarks, in consequence of what we learn our neighbours in Tasmania are doing: we allude to a letter printed below, which we find in a Launceston Examiner of a late date. The letter is written by a Mr. Joseph Wilson, F.R.S.E., addressed to R. W. Nutt, Esq , the Tasmanian Commissioner at the Industrial Exhibition at Paris. The purport of the letter will be seen at once. On reading it, we were led to question ourselves as to what steps we were taking to have our colony and settlement represented in London. We have not heard that Mr. J. Wilson has addressed any of our representatives, requesting specimens of the productions of this island to be sent to him : and why ? Are we all asleep ? or do none of us see or feel the immense advantage it would be to the settlement ? Or are we all too sordid, selfish, and unpatriotic to stir one finger in behalf of the colon}' ? Though the majority have neither the means nor the inclination, and in fact too much resemble the retired old women at home, whose labours we have attempted to describe, still we trust that there are one or two who will come forward and help this important matter on. Though there may not be many to assist, we think that no one will attempt to deny the advisability of putting ourselves immediately in communication with Mr. Wilson, and of forming a society, in connexion with other provinces, for the purpose of collecting specimens, plans, models, data, &c, to forward to him.

Mr. Wilson asks for productions of all the raw materials, the mineral, vegetable, and animal produce : nothing could be easier than collecting these specimens. What, we ask, would more effectually assist our immigration agent than these pictures, plans, models, &c, in the Sydenham Crystal Palace, to refer intending emigrants to? Is it, on the other hand, too presumptuous in us to suppose that if our grains of all sorts, also our gold, silver, platina, copper, coal, and all our vast mineral resources, our slate, stone, woods, wools, flax, &c, &c, were well represented in England, that we might do without an immigration agent ? Such a thing is just possible. And now that we have brought the matter before the public, we hope that our representatives will bestir themselves, and not be quite so apathetic for the future. Much has to be done to bring us on an equality with the neighbouring colonies. It is continually thrown in our teeth that we are twenty years behind anybody else ; and, if that is the caee, we shall undoubtedly remain so unless more active measures are taken to remedy the evil.

The Crystal Palace Company, Crystal Palace, Sydenham, September 24, 1855.

My dear Sir — From the conversations I had with you in Paris in reference to a representation of the raw produce of Tasmania in the Crystal Palace, I am now induced to address you on the subject, in the hope that you will kindly charge yourself with making it known in the proper quarters, on your return to the colony. In the department of Agriculture and Raw Produce, which is under my direction, I am desirous of representing especially the productions of our colonies, with the view not move of enriching the collection by the valuable and interesting specimens they can so largely and so readily supply, than of making the colonies themselves more generally known and their productions more correctly appreciated. Trusting that my plans may meet with the same favour from your brother colonists as from yourself, I would state generally that I should like to have a full representation of the mineral, vegetable, and animal produce of Tasmania, with any manufactured goods you may consider it desirable to send, as illustrations of the uses to which the raw materials may be applied. In the minerals, you may comprise Ores of all sorts, Coal, Marbles, Cement-stones, Sands, or Clays for glass or pottery purposes, &c. In the Vegetables — Grain of all sorts ; small Seeds ; "Woods (with their seeds when practicable), used for construction and ornamental purposes ; fibres ; collections of dried plants, &c. In the Animal — Skins ; "Wools ; Silks ; Hair ; Feathers ; Horns, &c. Any pictures, maps, diagrams, or indeed anything that could give information to the public in respect to the colony and its capabilities would be desirable. And I would particularly ask to be furnished with the prices of every sample that could be the subject of commercial inquiry, as it ii 1 * our wish to render the collection as far as possible advantageous to the contributors. I remain, Dear Sir, Yours sincerely, (Signed) JonK Wilson, F.E.S.E. Professor of Agriculture in the University of Edinburgh, and Director of the Eaw Produce Department at tho Crystal Palace.

Sale of Stock. — At the Sale at Stoke, on Thursday last, by Mr. Alexander Aitken, a bull was sold for a£l3; steers from £A to a£lo 10s. the pair; a pair of working bullocks fetched 5626 ; heifers sold at from £A upupwards; and other descriptions of stock in proportion.