NEW PLYMOUTH

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XVI, Issue XVI, 3 June 1857, Page 3

NEW PLYMOUTH

[FEOII OUR OW.\ COBRESrOJTDEN'T.] May 22, 1857-

Since my last the elections for the Provincial Council, which were considered necessary, because of inattention to some point of form in the previous elections, have all taken place, and without any excitement, or contest, the same gentlemen are re-elected in every district. In some cases so little interest was shown by the constituency that, as I am told, there were not a sufficiency of proposers and seconders present on the days of nomination ; and the candidates mostly performed the friendly office each for the other, — " I propose you, and you propose me." The Superintendent called the Council together immediately on their re-elec-tion, and they have at length proceeded to business. The same gentleman, Dr. Humphreys, was again elected Speaker. Mr. Watt is appointed Provincial Secretary, aud is leader of the Council ; Mr. Parris is Provincial Treasurer ; and "SV. liaise, Esq., Crown Land Commissioner, not in the Council, is Provincial Attorney, and the third member of the Executive. According to the Estimates which were last week laid before the Council, there is a probable revenue of some .£3,000; but such is the number of officials in this petty hamlet that more than four-fifths of the above sum is on the estimatesintheshape of salaries and expenditure on public offices. Were it not that all this necessitates heavy taxation for Roads and Bridges, which people in these hard times find themselves hardly able to pay, this cumbersome, expensive machinery to manage a population of 2,000, would be simply ridiculous. But having to pay largely, the people cannot enjoy the fun. They are apt to consider that all this apparatus is perhaps unnecessary, that we are paying too dear for our whistle, and that the amusement is not worth the money. The last | Government was ousted by the people mainly because it was considered too extravagant in expenditure, and as being disposed to conduct provincial affairs with too high a haud, and with rather more of hauteur than was agreeable, particularly to the members of the Provincial Council. Some people are beginning to think we have exchanged King Log for King Stork ; not in the person of our highest officer, but in his Executive. Already independent members of Council find themselves very cavalierly treated when ;.hey ask for information ; and attempts are made to envelop the doings of Government with a good deal of unnecessary { mystery and secrecy. In their treatment of ' the native question, the Executive have laid

themselvesopento greatblameaud obloquy. The public sentiment throughout the province towards the cold-blooded murderer of his kinsman and chief, is well known. If there is any one native who is not respectedby the community, it is that wanton, reckless, sanguinary homicido, Katatorc. lie has succeeded in obtaining peace with the relatives of tho murdered assessor, Rawiri, and not by the cession of any one of his rights, or by agreeing and consenting to the bale of the disputed land. In fact he has had it his own way, because the Government connived at his guilt. Well, this same Katatore came at the head of his triumphal party into town two or three weeks agi;, and not only did the town natives turn out to do him honour, but, shame to say, the provincial authorities actually gave this murderer a hospitable welcome, and gifts in the shape of bags of flour, bags of sugar, &c, &c. It you do not think this disgraceful enough, there is more behind. The great man — for he is now great enough not only in his own estimation, but in that of his fellow-countrymen, as havinc established himself by bloodshed and murder at the head of the land league — this great man sent his flag-staff, the one that was erected at his own pa, into town, and it is set up in front of the Government House here, and on the day of his state-visit to New Plymouth, his own blood-red flag, with the initials of his name in black upon it, was hoisted on this flag-staff in front of the Government House ! This is not a flight of romance and fiction, but a sad, sober, stern, reality. The.excuse of the authorities, I am told, is, that they understood this flagstaff and colour as a sign of Katatore's submission. llow could they so understand it, when he is as violent as ever in his denunciations against all who offer land for sale^? the prospect cf getting land for the absolute necessities of the settlement is therefore now more distant than ever. Surely the Government ought to protect those who are willing to sell. If he will be the dog in the manger, let him carry out his churlishness over his own property, but let not the Government connive at his violent, overbearing conduct towards friendly, peaceablydisposed natives, who may be anxious to alienate those of their lands which they cannot use, and therefore do not want. He has succeeded with a large number of his native foes ; they have made peace with him on his own terms. But Ihaia Nikoiima and others still hold out against him. How long is not known* But as the party friendly to us has been considerably weakened by this jpzece-making, Ihaia may be expected to succumb next, and iv that case all that can will leave this province in disgust. There was some smart discussion upon this point in the Council at one of its latest sittings. A petition to the Council came from Ihaia and his party, wanting to know why Government would not buy their land when they offered it. Mr. Hulke proposed that the subject in lhaia's petition should be trken into consideration by a committee of the whole Council. The Government opposed this, the Provincial Secretary deprecating publicity, &c> and threw out some not very respectful hints that the reason for this secrecy was the presence of fire-brands in the Council. A very spirited debate ensued, which resulted in the appointment of a Select Commit' ee ; but with the determined opposition of the Provincial Executive it is questionable whether any good will come out of the committee's labours. It is singular that the Provincial Secretary should have warmly, earnestly taken up the ground in former [sessions, which heis now determinedly opposing. So the world turns round ! There may be arguments both for and against secrecy in all native land questions. But many think that more mischief is done, greater excitement produced by this secrecy, than there would be if the I public were kept informed. Our Executive have not all the wisdom of the settlement in their Councils ; in the opinion of many they have committed very grave mistakes already in these native questions, and possibly it' they would condescend to enlighten the legislative occasionally, they might save a good deal of the public time which is wasted in angry discussion, and save themselves from mistakes now and then.

Our producers are not quite so downcast as they were. Markets are beginning to improve. The hope is generally entertained that the crisis is past, and that we may again hope to see the bright sun of prosperity lifting his head above the horizon. There has been a brisk trade in potatoes of late — a good many tons have changed hands at something like £3 per ton. This is a low price certainly, but it is better than absolute loss, which was the case with most of the potato crop last year.

Our Provincial Executive, however, seems disposed to prevent this trade in potatoes as much as possible, at least their conduct of the Boating Department here looks that way. Now that there is a demand for that perishable article of food, they have raised the charges for shipping them from os. to 1 5s. per ton. The consequence is, vessels after coming iv to enter betake themselves to the Waitara river, twelve miles north, where the natives will not only sell the potatoes, but put them on board the vessel for something less than one-third the charge for shipping them in. the Roadstead. This proceeding of the Executive not only takes the trade away from the town, and puts the shippers in the way of doing a little private business among the the natives, by disposing of some of their extra stores of spirits, but it will have the effect of still further indisposing the natives of that fine district to alienate their land. Why should they ? They have a trade of theii own, independent of the shopkeepers of New Plymouth. Vessels buy I their produce from their own river-beach. So, in the opinion of most people, our authorities, in trying to get an extra 10s. per ton on all potatoes shipped from here, have overshot the mark.

This mail will, I presume, bring you the first numbers of our new paper, the faranaki News. It is on a larger scale than our oldestablished Herald, aud it bids fair to obtain popular support. The heading of it is somewhat large and clumsy, but it was " Hobson's choice" with the printer — he had no proper type for heading. We are promised a neater affair when the necessary material is to hancL All success attend every attempt to spread knowledge amongst men £