The Taranaki Herald. " Open to All—lnfluenced by None." NEW PLYMOUTH, JUNE 28, 1854.

Taranaki Herald, Volume II, Issue 100, 28 June 1854, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. " Open to All— lnfluenced by None." NEW PLYMOUTH, JUNE 28, 1854.

Tub Auckland Overland Mail did not arrive until the evening of Monday, and brought only some odd numbers of the Auckland papers ; the missing files we presume", have been forwarded by tho Gazelle, ■which sailed on the 7th instant for this port with part of the cargo of the Artemisia. The space the proceedings of the House of Representatives occupies, together with the omission of some of the papers, confine us to a brief notice of the important proceedings that have taken place at the seat of Government. We take up the business where our last report left it. The reply to the Address of his Excellency was moved by Mr. Fitzgerald, and seconded by Dr. Monro. The papers re» ctived do not furnish us with a copy of this document, but from private sources we are informed that it was simply an expression of thanks to his Excellency for having called together the Assembly so early after the Government had fallen into his hands. On the following day, Mr. Wakefield brought forward his motion on Responsible Government, and the. House agreed to suspend all other business until this question was finally disposed of. The debate lasted three days, and was very ably conducted ; , the motion was finally carried by 29 to 1. On the following day, Mr. Wakefield moved, and Mr. Gledlnll seconded the fo llowing Address to his Excellency the Officer Administering the Government •.—. — " We the House of Representatives approach your Excellency for the purpose of fcubmilling to you the accompanying resolution, r which has beeu adopted l>y the

House, respectfully praying that your Ex. cellency may be pleased to take it into your serious and early consideration." The House, after negativing an amendment proposed by Mr. v O'Bnen, agreed to the address which was left in the hands of the Speaker for presentation to his Excellency, and the House adjourned to Wednesday the 7th instant. The resolution of the House to which the address referred was the following — " That amongst the objccU which this House demes to nee accomnlifthrd without delay, both M an essential means whereby tho General Govcrnrai nt may rightly nxerciso a duo control ovor the Provincial Government*, and as a no less indispcnsible means of obtaining for the Gencrnl Go. Tcrnment ihc confidence and attachment of tho people, the most important in the establishment of ministerial responsibility in (he conduct of legislative and executive proceedings by the Governor," On tho following Wednesday a message was received from His Excellency which intimated that he had received the address of the House on the question of Ministerial Responsibility, and that it should receive his early and serious consideration. This announcement was greeted with loud and prolonged cheers. Mr. Fitzgerald then communicated to the House that Dr. Monro and himself had that morning had an interview with his Excellency, and had been requested to ac- j cept seats in the Executive ; and desired an i adjournment to enable them to make ar- I rangements ; and after Mr. Wakefield had moved an address of thanks to his Excellency for his prompt attention to the wishes of the House, which was carried unanimous- j ]y, the House adjourned. The New Ticalander of the 10th instanl states, "that atasubscquent meeting of mem- j hers of the House of Representatives, held last night, it was communicated that Dr. Monro had declined to hold a seat in the forthcoming " Cabinet" and that Messrs. !-Weld and Sewell would probably be Mr. Fitzgerald's colleagues as tho newly appointed Executive Councillors. Intimations were also thrown out, we are told, respecting some prospective changes which would affect the future position of old members of the Executive." Our private communications confirm this statement, and further state that a Ministry had been formed by Mr. Fitzgerald as follows — Mr. Weld to be Colonial Secretary, Mr. Sewell, So-licitor-General, and Dr. Campbell to be Treasurer. Mr. Swainson was to resign the Attorney-Generalship, and be re-ap-pointed to conduct the business of the Executive in the Upper Chamber. Messrs. Sinclair and Shepherd were to retain their offices for a short time for the sake of convenience, and would then have retiring al- i lowances. At the sitting of the Legislative Council on the Cth instant, the principle, business was the consideration of Mr. St. Hill's motion, proposed with a view to rendering the Legislative Council elective. Mr. Bell seconded the motion. Major Lloyd and Mr. Whitaker opposed it, and it was negatived — only the votes of tho mover and seconder b^ing given in its favour. We are unable to give the terms of this resolution or the debate, the files containing them being for the present missing. This brief summary contains all the important beads of the news brought by this arrival. Our private communications, speak of the most perfect unanimity among the Members of the House of Representatives on all important matters ; and an inclination to co-operate in all measures for the public good, independent of Provincial snterfsts, which cannot but auger well for the future. It is considered probable that some change may yet be made in the arrangements stated above, but, as far as the question of Responsible Government is concerned, it may be considered as positively affirmed, and altogether a fact accomplished.

It is now mote than four months since tho Commissioner for pui chasing land, from

the Natives left this settlement. On that occasion we congratulated the Province on the acquisition of some 30,000 acies of land part of which purchase/the Waiwakaiho Block, it was understood, had been settled and paid for by the Commissioner previous to his arrival ; the remainder, the Hua block, was negociated and paid for during j his stay amongst us. Up to this time, however, none of the advantages which those purchases gave promise of have been realised, and a great deal of natural disatis"faction has been expressed at the delay — (some of the communications on this subject, that were forwarded to the Herald, wa have published from time to time) — but without eliciting from those who have the management of this vital interest in the j Province one word in explanation.

From inquiries, we understand that the survey of the Hua purchase is in progress, and will speedily be completed j s> that there appears to be now a probability that some land will shortly be thrown open to the n-quirements of the Province. Of the Waiwakaiho block we have not been able to learn anything satisfactory, and are unwilling to give publicity to the reports in cii culation ; or to do aught else that may be calculated to make more difficult a negociation which appears already sufficiently so. Still, we cannot help remarking that it should be the duty of some Officer to give the public information ; and that official secreay in these matters is altogether misplaced, and that no necessity or useful purpose is answered frj/shroudtng transactions of this nature in all the mystery of a foreign diplomacy. Were tho public permitted to follow the progress of these negociations, in which they are so seriously interested, and made,as regards information, the parties which in truth they actually are to ihem both in pocket and feeling ; if they were brought acquainted with the difficulties as they arise, the Officer performing this duty would divide an irksome load of responsibility, and much cause for dissatisfaction on the part of the public would be avoided. No one desiring the peace and good-order of tho Province will desire to see the light to extinguish nativo title ceded to individuals ; or, indeed, to sec that right pass into any hands, independent of the control of the Crown or the General Government ; but, out of the new order of things, upon which we are now entering, new relations arise which demand modifications confoimable. A purchase now, and a purchase then, will not do much to aid the Province in encountering its mere responsibilities. A large amount of claims — too long delayed — have to he satisfied ; tlio present inhabitants of the settlement retained in it ; and land found for those, who relying on its position may even now be on their way here ; these matters we are bound in honesty to guarantee find provide for, and without t.and none of these responsibilities can be satisfied — and neglecting them, we fail in our duty to ourselves, as welbas others, for grossly culpable as the neglect of these responsibilities would be, the Province could not disregard its duty in these particulars without sacrificing also us fntiue prosperity. Population, increased capital, revenue and trade, all depend upon the position which during the next five years the Proviuce holds in regard to available land. All the impiovements, so necessary to the continuance and increase of our commercial relations with the neighbouring colonies, as well as those which have relation to public convenience and advancement generally, rest almost entirely upon an improved general revenue, and a surplus land fund, and consequently, on the acquirement of land. There is a general distaste here for taxation, which should not be when it can be shown that the pioduco is to be used lo effect improvements necessary to public convenience, and which moieover, increase tho intrinsic value of property generally. The interest of a com-

munity in expending capital for such purposes is identical with the interest of an individual expending a part of what he has to make the remainder more valuable ; and we arc accustomed every day to estimate men's judgment by their success in such enterprises. No taxation, however, that can be instituted will do much unless land is obtained, more people di.iwn to the settlement, and an increase in the general revenue also brought about. The last advices from England state that the " Taranaki" is chartered for New Plymouth .alone, and that she is to bring upwards of sixty emigrants, all of whom will leave England expecting to find a home in Taranaki. The opening of the Hua block will enable the province to meet this emergency. They will get land, n<s doubtbut, will it be cheap land 1 No, nor will the boasted regulations of the 4th of March, 1853, nor will any other regulations make land cheap here, until the Province has plenty of it. To this point, then, should attention be turned, and while the members of the Province are in Auckland, such representations made as shall lead to some beneficial result. It is not for us to point out how this result is to be brought about, but certain it is that the antagonism between the officers of the Provincial Jand those of the General Government, growing out of the present system, seems in this, as in all else, to he working.only obstruction ; and the consequent nutralization of the benefits which the cession of the local management of the internal affairs of (ho Province was not unnaturally presumed to assure. We do not desire to throw blame on either side, but are simply desirous of pointing out wherein the present system fails ; and that, although it is advisable that the supervision of /the General Government should be preserved, it is necessary to the proper carrying on of the business of the Province, that a system of mutual co-opera-tion between the Government and Provincial Officers should be arrived at, and without which it will be [impossible for either Government to satisfy the public, or that the most important business of the Province can be satisfactorily forwarded.

In our recent issues we have published from the New Plymouth Provincial Government Gazelle several papers shewing the condition of the Province during the past year. Two of these Returns are specially important — viz., 1. An Abstract Return of tho Imports and Exports for the Year ending the 31st of December, 1 1853, and published jin the Herald of the 14th inst. ; 2. A Return of Agriculture, Population, and Stock, for the same period, and which will be found in our present issue. This i 3 the first occasion, we believe, that detailed accounts of this description have been furnished for publication in the Piovince ; hitherto, the totals of some of these items obtained from the Government Gazette has been all the information attainable ; and we congratulate our fellow settlers on so important an improvement in the management of public business. The first of the Returns referred to, gives the Imports from Great Britain into the settlement as £18,597 6 0, and from other places £11.313 3 0, making a total of ,£30,010 9 0. A comparison of the account with the previous year, will shew an increase of £8,664. The Exports from New Plymouth to Great Britain amount to. £95 0 0, and the exports to other places to £8618 3 6, making the total Exports £8713 3 0. It should here be observed that the amount of Imports stated in this Return includes only goods that have paid duty in the port of New Plymouth j such goods as come coastwise from the other settlements of the colony, and have paid duty in those poit ate not included, and we understand no return is at piesent made by which the amount might be ascertained,

The same observation applies also to the Exports ; the bnlk of the wool grown in this settlement, where there are now upwards of eleven thousand sheep, is forwarded to other parts of the colony for shipment, and' swells the Exports of those places from which it is finally shipped for England or Australia ; under this head it will be seen that the exports for the year are valued at only £95. Last year we were indebted to a correspondent for a statement of the exports for the year ending Dec. 1852, which gave the direct exports as amounting to £3,903. — We have all confidence in the correctness of that statement, and it will he seen that the last return shows a very large increase, in fact nearly trebling the previous year, after taking into con9ideration the drawbacks before referred to. The arrival of the Auckland Mail, and consequent press of matter, obliges us to postpone remark on the other tables for the present-