FREE TRADE.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume IV, Issue 329, 2 March 1844, Page 3

FREE TRADE.

To tktßdttor cf tit " New Zealand Gattttt and , Wtllington Jfyeeiittor." , Sir,-— lf for the sake of raising a revenue to meet the expenses of .Government in this in' ant colony, the most remote of any- of her M ijesty's dominions, the present duties ooV$ rfous articles of importation are to continue to be levied, notwithstanding all that has been

said and written against the impolicy of such, a measure, and its total inapplicability to a country like this ; in such a case, it is surely incumbent on the Legislature to take care that the burthen be borne fairly and equally by the inhabitants — European and native — at the different settlements, and throughout the Is'ands geuerally. Now, if it can be shown that on such a long line of s«a coast as New Zealand, this is utterly impossible, axcept at an expense far exceeding anything to be gained by it, the sooner, one would suppose, such a system of taxation was altered for some other less objectionable, the better ; for if with the collection of import duties we are to have concurrent with them, wholesale smuggling permitted at all the minor settlements along the coast, not only will our country shipping leave these shores, but our finest harbours, as Port Nicholson, the Bay of Islands, and Auckland, will soon be deserted, as it is not to be supposed that whalers and other vessels wanting supplies of provisions only will resort for them to any of the above named ports, when with much greater advantages they can barter their tobacco, spirits, &c, &c, with the colonista and natives duty ftee for pork, corn, potatoes, and flax in an open roadstead, where they lay off and on without the trouble of dropping an anchor: but perhaps it will be asked if the

custom duties were to be abolished what taxes are to be introduced in their place, so that a sufficiency to pay the expences of a Government be realized ? To this I reply, that there are other sources of taxation which sooner or

later must be adopted ; for smuggling, which comparativly speaking is now in its infancy, will soon increase to such an extent that if will be in vain to expect as much revenue from the duties as will pay for the collection. In proof of which, were it not invidious, I could name several vessels, American and other whalers, which have been supplying the whole line of coast between here and Auckland with contraband goods, in exchange for provisions, to the great detriment, and loss of the Bmall craft laden with goods on which the duties have been paid at the principal settlements, and for which when they arrive off the coast there is no sale except at ruinous prices. It is not to be wondered at

then, that the vessels which before used to resort to the Bay of Islands have nearly all abandoned that fine harbour, and that where hundreds of ships were to be seen annually, scarcely one now enters it ; and this is by no means owing to the whales having changed their ground, on the contrary, the whalers are as numerous off the coast as before, but they prefer trading at those places where there is no Custora-House regulations to interfere with .them.

Such, Sir, is the state of thiugs that has come under ray own knowledge, and if what I have been informed is true, which I have no reason to doubt, there are not less than some dozen of vessels, whalers and others, at the present moment supplying tobacco and spirits to Europeans and natives duty free, all along the whole line of the east and west coast of New Zealand 5 and can it, under the circumstances of the case, be wondered at, on the contrary is there not reason to believe that the mischief will continue increasing, and that the evil causes, the Import duties, which have destroyed the trade of the Bay of Islands, will soon begin to be felt in a similar way at the Company's large settlements, where the fair trader will be completely driven out of the market, or compelled In self defence to turn sumggler. It is not only the duty of the* Government toconsider this state of

things, but the Missionaries are bound to look into the matter, as far as respects the natives on the coast, who are already beginning to e» vince a strong taste for ardent spirits, with which they are plentifully supplied, of the very worst description, by the American ships. I am, Sir, Your obediant servent, Veritas.