The Tuapeka Times. " Open to All—Influenced by None." NEW PLYMOUTH, AUGUST 16, 1854.

Taranaki Herald, Volume III, Issue 107, 16 August 1854, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald.. " Open to All—lnfluenced by None." NEW PLYMOUTH, AUGUST 16, 1854.

Nearly three months since, we congratulated the settlement on the attainment of a Steam communication between the Provinces of the Colony ; and stated upon which we deemed good authority that the arrangements determined on would insure the steamer Nelson calling at New Plymouth on her way to and from Auckland, weather permitting. Up to this time, however, no such arrangement appears to have l>een acted on ; and, as far as we are at present able to judge, the services of the vessel are engrossed entirely by other settlements. The capabilities of the Nelson have Wn sufficiently eulogised, and the advantage of her presence on the coast much dilated upon ; and time enough has elapsed, not only to ascertain her qualifications for the service, but, also, to perfect such peimanent arrangements fa should give to each poit a fair share of the conveniences and advantages to be derived from her. An early arrangement for securing the Nelson was proffered by the settlement of Nelson, and other settlements subsequently joined ; but, as far as we were able to gather from the published accounts of the negociation, the owners of the steamer, while they determined on running her between the settlements temporarily on that arrangement, held themselves unbound for the future, and relied on a grant from the General Assembly. In a business point of view, no objection can bo taken to the course they adopted. The General Treasury and a single contract, was, if obtainable, to be preferred before several contracts and Provincial security. However, since the meeting of the General Assembly, the views of the owners appear to have been adopted; his

Excellency in his Address suggestod that a sum of money should he set aside from the General Revenue for steam communication between the. settlements ; the House of Representatives subsequently appointed a committee to report on the subject ; and we find in the last Auckland papers received, Mr. Wakefield moving a resolution declaring tho high impoitance attached by the House to the establishment of Steam communication, which was unanimously agreed to — and although we are as yet in ignorance of the substance of the report of the committee, it may naturally be infeired from the resolution founded on it, that the amount required would be granted and made a charge on the Geneial Revenue, and be paid out of the Treasury of the General Government ; and consequently, that the whole arrangement has lapsed from tho Provincial Governments to the General Government and the Assembly. Now, so far as New Plymouth is concerned, the arrangements of the Nelson, and the advertisements of her trips, found in several papers of the colony, are, for all useful purposes to the settlement, a mere deception. We will not undeitake to say where the blame of mismanagement,or neglect attaches, but blame rests somewhere, and measures should be taken to remedy it without delay ; since that the delusive expectations held out, lead to more loss and inconvenience than would result from the vessel avoiding the place altogether. • It will be seen from our Shipping Intelligence, that the Nelson was off New Plymouth on Thursday last, for half-an-hour, full six miles from shore. At the time of her arrival the boat was on its way to tho Cashmere with the remaining portion of the Auckland mail, that vessel being about to leave, and it being feared from the previous erratic character of the Nelson's visits that her calling hero was not to be relied on. Fortunately, however, Mr. Watson was in the boat, and it was pulled to the steamer directly she was observed, and so much of the mail put on board, and the Nelson proceeded on her course, no opportunity being given for the transfer of the other portion of the mail from the Cashmere, or for passengers for Auckland to put on board. If a grant for the purpose of retaining the services of the steamer on the coast is to be made from the public revenues of the colony, New Plymouth has a right to some portion of the advantages derivable from the arrangements ; and it is to be expected that our representatives, now in Auckland, will take especial care that the interests of this settlement shall be attended to equally with others. The present want of all arrangement as regards this place is the source of serious inconvenience and disappointment.