WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 480, 9 February 1861, Page 9

WELLINGTON.

The twenty-first anniversary of this, the oldest settlement in New Zealand, was celebrated on the 22d ult., by a regatta and other '' festivities got up for the occasion ; and, the . day being fine, the settlers were enabled to eujoy their holiday gatherings and excursions with a greater degree of pleasure. With reference to the state of that Province, the Independent takes the opportunity of briefly de- . tailing its progress since its foundation, and ._ concludes with the following remarks : — ', .l The returns to the end of 1860, the twentyF^/ear of Wellington's existence not being published, the progress of the entire seven • years cannot h& shown ; but those to the end -•of J 859, exhibiting a period of six years' pro- ' gre*3 under Free Institutions, will sufficiently . . show how marked the progress under them •' has.been, compared with the slow growth of •' the first fourteen years under Colonial Office *u!e, and the many dispiriting circumstances •with which tbe early settlers had to contend. During the period pf the six years under re>iew, it must not be forgotten that a second earthquake was experienced nnd the district . now forming the Ahuriri Province had heen taken froro vs — despite these drawbacks the ■..record of our progress is rine which we need ; , not be ashamed of. The population of the •. curtailed p7-ovince more than -doubled, that of the original one — 13,044 The exports had .kept pace with the population, and had swelled from the before mentioned legitimate value of £65,000 to £140,879 — land in cultivation,

sheep, cattle, and horses, had wonderfully increased, how much the returns do not enable us to saj r ; but those for 1858 — (a period of only five years under free institutions) give them for that year as land in cultivation and "Fenced, 40,841 acres; sheep, 155,994; cattle, 35,799 ; and horses, 3199. How much the increase really was cannot be gathered from these figures, as within the whole area of the original province, ie., including Hawke'sßay, the number of sheep alone, was 336,314, as against the 80,000 of five years previously. The Customs' Revenue ibr Wellington (exclusive of llawke's Bay) was in 1859, £37,166 16s. 5d

Such is the record, which " hard figures" present of the material progress of Wellington during the first twenty years of its existence. The records of the whole colony are equally, if not more satisfactory ; and though there *is just now much stagnation and want of enterprise, yet when the war at Taranaki is over, and when Wellington becomes represented in the Ministry of the Colony, and is freed from its local dead-lock, we may reasonably Jiope that a stimulus will be given to commerce, to the acquirement and occupation of further blocks of land, to public works, and to every other branch of industry.

Natiowai. Anthem. —In compliance Avith many requests which have been made to us, Aye insert the following anthem, sung by the school children at. the gathering last Tuesday. It is, avc believe, from the pen of Mr. W. HicKson^ Avhohas done so much for the popularising of music in the schools of the old country :—: — God bless our native land, May Heaven's protecting hand Still guard our shore 1 May peace her power extend, Foe be transform'd to friend, And Britain's rights depend On war no more. May just and righteous laws Uphold the public cause, And bless our Isle I Home of the brave and free, The land of liberty, We pray that still on thee Kind Heaven- may smile. And not this land alone, But be thy mercies known From shore to shore I Lord, make the nations see That men should brothers be, And form one family, The wide Avorld o'er.

The Wellington RifUj Corps. —On Wednesday last, the Avhole of this corps deliA'ered up their arms and ammunition, and were disbanded. The period for which they Avere sworn in (a year) does not expire for a feAV months, bxit it Avas deemed advisable to disband the corps, how that the troops have taken up their quarters permanently. ' Opportunity was immediately afterwards given for such as were' desirous to '■ re-form company " to do so, and about half of the original corps took the oath for another year, and received new arms and ammunition. The arm is the short rifle, recently received from Auckland, and appears a much more' handy weapon than the long one.