New Zealand Gazette.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume I, Issue 16, 25 July 1840, Page 2

New Zealand Gazette.

Saturday, July 25, 1840.

'The plan of the town, as announced on Saturday, was exhibited on Monday last, and has been open to inspection during the week. We believe it gives very general satisfaction. To us it appears the site has been made the most it is capable of, and that the advantages are as generally distributed as possible. Some of our fellow Colonists have thought that the survey has proceeded slowly ; but we cannot agree in this opinion, when we bear in mind, that the survey was commenced at the approach of and has been carried on through wet and cold weather, — that the Surveyor-General has only three assistants, — that the site to be surveyed is decidedly difficult to deal with, — and that yet this survey has been completed in three months. We fully sympathise with our fellow Colonists in their anxiety to be placed in possession of their property ; but we feel convinced if they enquire into the, state of things in neighbouring colonies they will not be discontented with our progress. All are acquainted with the delays in South Australia, We are. told that the- surveys in Van Dieman's Land are not in a satisfactory state ; and we have before us an able letter in a Sydney paper, from the pen of an emigrant, complaining of having to wait, in an old colony with a large and enormously expensive surveying department, three years for laud. Nor does the Editor of the paper in which the charge appears deny the statement or attempt to explain it away.

On Monday the work of appropriation will commence, and we hope with the close of the week will be completed. In another week the work of erecting permanent dwellings will begin, and before next winter we are sure not only will all who are here now be well housed, but ample shelter will he provided for those whom we may expect from the sister Colonies and from England. We know several gentlemen who. will commenoe immediately to build on speculation, and that several agents representing proprietors in England are authorised to expend large amounts in build.

ing, if they consider it is for their interest to do bo. , • The Surveyor-General will .immediately occupy himself in ascertaining the quantity of land in this district, in order that he may determine the best .mode of its being appropriated. And we are safe in asserting that the Colonists will be in possession of sufficient land within three months to raise more produce than will be required for local consumption, for many years to come.

The authority of the British Government being at length established at Port Nicholson, it becomes us as Colonists to consider the position in which we are placed, and the political necessities arising out of that position.

We have no intention at the present moment to enter into any question as to the form of Government which ought to be awarded to the British subjects in this Colony. That by emigrating from Great Britain to these Islands we have done nothing to forfeit or impair our prescriptive and hereditary rights to free institutions and a responsible government, appears to us incontrovertible. But the present is not the fitting period for urging those rights. Occasions may arise demanding their assertion, and we trust that we shall not then be found wanting. Now, however, we stand in need of a Government ; and this is our first and most pressing want. Its constitution is a matter of after arrangement. Whatever may be the disposition of Captain Hobson towards us, however sincere may be his desire to promote the prosperity of the settlements nominally entrusted to his care, he has no power to take a single step calculated to advance our interests, or remove impediments to our progress. We want roads, bridges, wharfs, schools, arrangements for lighting and paving our town, and in short, all those elements of civilization which demand the combined application of the whole power of the community for the accomplishment of a common object. For all these wants the Colonists could provide either from resources within the Colony, or by means which they might command from England. But no power exists to call forth and apply these resources, for New Zealand does not as yet possess a local legislature.

Of this w_ant both the viovernor and " the Colonists have a right to complain. The former, because his powers of usefulness are limited ; the latter, because their most important interests are exposed inevitably to neglect. All Colonists know, and none better than our friends in Sydney, how difficult it is to awaken

the attention of a distant Legislature to Colouial matters. But for us who are the Colony of a Colony — who must first apply to the Sydney Legislature, and from thence appeal to the Colonial Office in England, this difficulty is increased in an incalculable proportion. If our affairs are ever attended to, it will be by chance; if wise regulations are framed for our government, it will be but the exception. Neglect ami error will be the rule; and for this our remedy must be a petition to the office in Downing-street, to be forwarded through the Sydney Government ! Our readers may judge for themselves of the probability of obtaining redress under these circumstances.

We can imagine no motive for the conduct of the English Government in adopting such a procedure, or at least one which does not impeach their capacity as statesmen, or their integrity as men. But whatever the motive, no measure could be more preposterous or more unjust. It is surely no uncharitable surmise on our part to suppose that the Legislative Council of Sydney, occupied as it must be of necessity by the affairs of that Colony, and regarding with some distrust this new scion engrafted upon their stook, will pay but little attention to our local arrangements. Nor is it any impeachment of the integrity or wisdom of that body to assume that these local arrangements might be more adequately provided for by a local legislature. The task of

legislating for such a Colony as New South Wales is not so light and easy a matter as to allow the legislature of that Colony much leisure, nor are we of sufficient importance t:> be sure of commanding the attention even of their leisure moments. If the settlers at Port Philip, who it is stated pay £50,000 per annum into the Colonial treasury, have to complain that their interests are habitually disregarded, we, from whom that treasury has nothing to hope, can indulge no anticipations of any very watchful care of our interests. With Sydney we have no natural connexion. Our circumstances are essentially dissimilar. The frame work of society is constituted of different materials, and our economical position demands different institutions. Upon every ground, therefore, of justice and policy, we have a right to demand separation and independence.

In whose hands the legislative power is to be placed is a matter, not indeed unimportant, but still a secondary consideration. We call, therefore, upou Captain Hobson, to whom the prosperity of the settlements entrusted to his management cannot fail to be dear, to exert himself to attain a legislative independence for the Colony. We feel assured that we may promise him the cordial support of all the inhabitants of this district in his endeavours.

To enable the Colonists to support their Governor with effect, it is necessary that they should have an agent in England publicly authorized to express their sentiments, and. instructed to watch over their interests. For such an office no one is better qualified than Mr. Edward Gibbon Wakefield. His know-, ledge of the subject is unquestioned. No one can take a warmer interest in the Colony, and no one has a greater claim upon the Colonists. We would therefore suggest that as soon as

the business of selecting the town acres is concluded, arrangements should be made for calling a public meeting of the Colonists, for the purpose of expressing their opinions upon the subject of their present position, and of appointing an agent to urge their clairas'upon the attention "of the English Government.

** Colonel Wakefield sailed on Sunday last in the '* Brougham," for the Bay of Islands, with the address to His Excellency Captain Hobson, R.N., voted by the Colonists of Port Nicholson. When at the Bay, Col. Wakefield will obtain His Excellency's wishes respecting the Government House, which has arrived here in the " Platina" from London. -"The publication ofa New Zealand vocabulary hasbeen announced in our paper for some weeks. On proceeding to put the work in type, we find the language requires so many accents and so many of particular capital letters that we are unable to bring out this work : indeed we doubt if it could be printed by any ordinary English printing establishment. We regret thisinabilty, as the work could not fail to have been exceedingly useful both to the native and European.

The Storekeeper General has issued a notice stating that the^New Zealand Company will supply individuals with moderate quantities, for private use, of beef and pork at 6d. per lb., flour at sd. per lb. and biscuit at 3d. per lb. The bakers are to be supplied with flour at the same price, arid we have a right therefore to require them to sell a two pound loaf at lOd. We find flour quoted at £45 to £48 per ton at Van Dieman's Land, and bread at 7d. for the two pound loaf; while with flour at £50 the people here have been paying Is. Id. for the two pound loaf. If bread is not sold at a price in proportion to the rate of flour, the Colonists ought to bake for themselves, which would soon cure the evil. '■" Birth. — On loth July, of a son, Mrs. Spackman, wife of Mr. George Spackman, late of Essex. '