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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4238, 20 October 1874, Page 2

There can be little question that the Government has acted with sound discretion in electing to publish, during the recess, an official history of the land purchases in the North Island. So many persons are interested in these purchases, and they were so frequently referred to in Parliament last session—not always in the most complimentary terms, or in the best taste—that it is well an authentic account should be issued. Perhaps, theu, some of our Northern contemporaries, who do occasionally allow their zeal to get the better of their discretion, will refrain from publishing reports that are based on information of an inaccurate description. The Southern Cross, for instance, had a leader in its issue of May 30th that has been printed, with explanations from the proper sources, in a Parliamentary paper. In that leader it was stated that Captain Mair, District Officer trader the Native Lands Act for the Bay of Plenty District, had been negotiating for land, on his own account, that Messrs. Davis and Mitchell had been commissioned to obtain on behalf of the Government. Of course, if he did so, the inference would have been a fair one that he, with the gentlemen named, were “ outbidding each other for the same lauds, and thus creating further difficulties, and performing the unpleasant operation of checkmating each other’s efforts.” Captain Mair at once wrote to Messrs. Mitchell and Davis, to know if they supplied tho Cross with such information, and their reply, which has been published, was—“ No information supplied by us; no unfriendliness to you on our part; no antagonism whatever between us and yourself; nor have we any complaint to make against you ; we appreciate your proffered help, and told the Government we should avail ourselves of it.” There appears to be reason for supposing that the officers employed, in a task that often requires a good deal of delicate diplomacy, have been, on the whole, fairly successful; and whilst this is the case, their hands should rather be strengthened by their efforts being fairly described, than weakened by misrepresentations being made public.

A return published in the Provincial Gazette of yesterday affords very satisfactory evidence of the growth of the commerce of the city and port of Wellington. It is under the hand pf the harbor-master, and shows that in the quarter ending on the 30th ultimo, 211 vessels entered the port, as compared with 179 in the same period of last year; while the tonnage they represented was 51,171, as compared with 40,539. There were two more ships from England (tonnage 7596, as compared with 4168), three more from New South Wales, two from Tasmania—none having arrived from that colony in the corresponding period of last year; seven more from “ other ports,” and an increase of eighteen coastwise.