The Taranaki Herald. NEW PLYMOUTH, MAY 25, 1853.

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 43, 25 May 1853, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. NEW PLYMOUTH, MAY 25, 1853.

In our last numbei we copied from the Auckland .paper's a statement of the imports into, and the expoits from, the various ports of the Pravirice of New Ulster for the year 1852. The statement referred to gave ths im. ports into New Plymouth at £21,346 by 5 vessels of 940 ton» capacity, and put the exports at nil. Regarding the impotts, a greater number of vessels were known to have come in and discharged cargo ; and the statement, though occasioning, no little surprise, might be the error of a figure, and admit of easy explanation. On the latter point, regarding the exports, we found it still more difficult to come to any satisfactory conclusion, seeing that we had in mind, a numler of coasters visiting this place, and carrying away with them a large amount of /produce. That some accounts had been furnished to head-quarters by the proper officer was apparent, but/ however that might be, it was clear that a« presented to us the published statements furnished anything but true or satisfactory information of what it purported as far a, thU settlement was copcerned ; and after some unavailing attempts to get at the

l ruth in detail, had determined to throw the onui in the right — a. «., the official quarter. We have, however, been furnished by a gentleman who bas much to do with the commercial and shipping business of the settlement, with the following statement, as correct :•— "In the tabular statement of ships and goods taken ftom the Auckland Government Gazette, and published in last week's Herald, New Plymouth is stated to have been visited by 5 vessels of the burthen of 940 lons/with goods.amounting in value to £21,346. The exports during th.it period are described to have been nil. The official document is substantially correct as a iqiort of the tonnage of the vessels entered at the respective ports comprised, in the return. ", Vessels calling at New Plymouth, after entering at the custom-houses of any other port in New Zealand, of course do/fiot appear a secoud time in the tabu'ar/statement of tonnage ; nor does our produce shipped coastwise to Auckland or Wellington, come under the official denomination of an export. , During the year 1852, 58 vessels of the aggregaie burthen of 6961 tons entered and; cleared at the Custom House of New Plymouth. The produce dhipped coastwise duting that period amounted in value to £3603 6» Bd, and consisted of—

Total £3603 6 8 The wheat crop of 1852 was unusually bad, or the item of flour would have reached £3000. I have purposuly omitted the Kawhia produce entered in the manifests of vessels cleared at our Custom House. The large accession received to our population in 1852, by causing an increased home consumption, materia ly diminished our shipments of edible produce, which produce being paid for in .cash brought from England, may be deemed equivalent to an export. This, and sundry items not included in the return, such as merchandise shipped coastwise to Whanganui. Kawhia, and Manukau, would bring the value of goods exported from New Plymouth to about £5000, which sum is rather uuder than over the real amount." I There can be no better illustration of the progress of the settlement than something like properly authenticated details of this character; and in other settlements they are furnished,, so that the press has an opportunity of disseminating them., Examining the ales of our Nelson contemporary, we find the most perfect details of this kind furnished for publication, and it is submitted that here also they should be put forwatd, that the real position of the settlement may be known. "~ It is of the last importance to the place that the true state of all "these 'matters ' should be made public. We presume,,'from 1 what,we have heard, that the materials .are furnished to the Authorities at the* se«t of Government, and are, doubtless, Used with

just discrimination in maki ng up the statistics of the whole colony ; hut when so used the result does not appear to furnish such minute and necessary detail of each separate settlement, as can nlone lead toa v correct appreciation ofits situation and progress; and, if there is no way of securing the publication of these details through an o facial channel, yet the question must be considered so nearly affecting the interests of the place as to suggest the propriety of putting them forward, that the press may have an opportunity of making them known. There is also another view, which makes this as necessary as desirable. Ihiderthe New Constitution Act, the surplus revenue is to " be divided among the separate provinces in tl'je like proportion as the gross proceeds of the said revenue shall have arisen therein respectively." Now this point has never been thoroughly ascertained; and it is submitted that it is impossible to get at the correct division here intended without taking into' account the amount of the impoits into this4ttleraentfrom Auckland aud Wellington which have paid duty," and ostensibly belong to those places, but which of right appertain to the district in which they are consumed. , The statement of our correspondent, to whom we tn.tkeour best acknowledgments, shows but' too apparent that all the infotmatiou requirtd does not come out. f Ova Correspondent, •' J. B." has, we are willing to believe, overstated the matter he dealt within his letter inserted in another' column. It cannot be that any one here w insane enough to suppose that the settlement could be saddled with profligato expenditure like that stated : but the qucstioh is one of paramount importance, and cannot be too closely looked to. It will be in the recollection of most of the electors of Taranaki that the principle involved in this question was strongly asserted more than two years ago, when a numerous'y signed memorial from; this settlement was sent to his Excellency, praying him not to impose a Municipal Corporation on ,us, and will be best explained by the following paragraphs :— i "-The levenue derived directly and indirectly from this settlement would, if economically expended defray/ all the necessary expenses of the government thereof, and leave a large surplus for the consttuction and repair of roads, bridges, Sic." " Nearly the whole of the lands reserved by the New Zealand Company for pnblic purposes, and from which a corporation might have derived a considerable revenue, were alienated by Governor Fitzroy, consequently all funds tequired for municipal purposes must be raised by an assessment on our: property." And in continuation the memorial stated that, as official salaries of sufficient amount were paid out of the general revenue • for the government of the settlement, it could not afford to pay twice over for the superintendence of its affairs. It, cannot be denied that the Government still continue to dip with a strong hand. into our pockets as much as they did then. We have, therefore, the same reason for endeavouring to keep the hand_of Government, or.^ny other hand, out of the other pocket now at then. .•> , ■,\ ■, » >■. 1 It is not denied* that " the labourer is worthy of his hire ;" but before we can set a price on him, we . must know a little of what is his worth/and be that, worth little or great, it is not out of local taxation that

it should be rewarded. It was not for the mere purpose of raising taxes for the payment of salaries that Representatire Institutions were given to us. Whatever amount of local taxation it may be necessary to impose should be spent ' on local improvements. If salaries are to' be paid — and as regards the members of the House of Representatives and the Superin* tendent they will be necessary — the payments should be effected by a more economical arrangement of the present expenditure. The subject is well mooted, if there ar« any such intentions afloat as our correspondent avers ; because the people have the whole matter at present in their h mds, and can easily check it in the bud. It is un.wise to shackle with a system of minute pledges the man in whom you repose your confidence ( but there are vital points— and surely this is one of them— upon which prudence requires, on the one side, and propriety prompts, on the other. - Philosophers have written that of all the lysUras of government known, the Republican^requires the largest amount of individual virtue, the most entire abnegation of self j and, regarding the republics of old, they may be right. But the modern republic is an animal of another colour, and hence probably the ephemeral character of rmost of the recent efforts in that direction. ' Civilisation has increased the world's selfishne»s, but it cannot be that we have attained here to the amount indicatid by our correspondent, j If such is to bo the spirit in which our New Institutions are to be received—such the tirkt effort of self-government we ar c capable of — well may the contemplation of the future be turned from with faintness and despair, for truly all will be rottenness and corruption. "■

In adtition to our ordinary correspondence, we have received several communications respecting the difficulty of obtaining a boat's crew. The " Sea Belle" and the " Shepherdess" were both driven away byvthe late bad weather far many days. The first an* chored again on the morning of Thursday, . but it was not until the next day. that a boat was got off to ker, although the length of time she had been absent made it every way probable that those on board were in want of necessaries. The secoud is now in the roadstead, and great difficulty is found in obtaining boats to get cargo to her. This want of proper arrangement is much to be ' lamented, seeing that the visits of these small crafts ate the only opportunities open to the settlement of exporting prodnce. It is, therefore, the first duty of the authorities, to put an end to a difficulty so ca'culated to circumscribe these facilities. ,-' , We had occasion, many months since, to - notice/this subject, and, it was then understood^ that some arrangements had been made to remedy tlie ; evil. It appears to be the policy of the higher authorities to strain a point' in popular matters now a day', and it is impossible to point 'the attention of the minor authorities in our very modest settlement to an improvement than which would be better received.

The Fiend of Discord seems to have taken possession of our correspondents this week. > Fortunately our matter was far advanced when the political patt of our correspondence came to hand, and absolves us from any hasty decision. To "X; X. t " " A Voter," aud to " A Householder," we say— This week there is no admission. To " M."~ who takes an opposite . side, we say the same. There, is something of the gladiatorial about all these productions, which promise v if published, to give rise to a fldod of rancorous correspondence' we have not •vet resolved to "encounter.

£ s. d. Bacon & hami.... 286 0 0 Bran & pollard 27 0 0 Butter 403 6 8 Carrots 2 10 0 Cheeie 71 10 0 Flour 1550 0 0 Lard 14 0 0 Maize 164 0 0 Oats •••• 508 5' 0 Onion's 46 0 0 Fotatoci 78 15 0 Wheat (seed) .... 4 0 0 Wool 445 O 0