The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY. AUGUSTT 20, 1868.

Timaru Herald, Volume IX, Issue 340, 29 August 1868, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. SATURDAY. AUGUSTT 20, 1868.

If there is one public duty more than nnother m Which the Provincial Government of Canterbury ha9 ; signially failed, it is m immigration. We say this advisedly, for abundant proof is every day at. r^t^d; to bear out the assertion thab our iiu migration has heena failure,— r an expensive, gigantic failure, and the evils of which iheYe "is no remedying; l'Vom first to last the system under which immigration has been 'for years "carried; on m Canterbury, has *been" a bad one, wid joue. culcnkted ratherto produce evif, than .good; to the country to "which it has been applied. . The gentlemen who from time to time have represented the interests of the province m England, iilthough perhaps desirous of doing their utmost m forwarding those interests, have undoubtedly be^n most unsuccessful m the matter of inlmigrntion; .and . whether that nonsuccess is owing to personal ignorance as to the best means to' be adopted for carrying on :i ■beneficial immigration, or whether they were the victims of a system which, by long precedent; they were bound to follow, we, will not now enquire. Sufficient for the present purpose 'is it to' say, that for years past the immigration from England to : this Crorince, instead of. being an absolute bon to this country, as it should have been, has m too many instances proved to. be a curse. ' ' ; We hold that m establishing an immigration ! Rgepcy itt England, the locale for an office is npt by any means a first consideration^and that if immi<rrffffiin:W to be of any practical value iW-tsiceese-^honhi -bo 1 " dtro ~ eii tirely 'ti indiviiliial work^on* the part : iof th< iroin : -Sft t5 '«hiftff'«lfeing d aWaiFrfft «ffl «ffi) most -business - or most/fashionable par of a town; But the* provincial 1 autho .rities have -thought otherwise, and U all appearance have imagined that the selection of offices m about the mosi expensive pftrt of London was necessan |to secure tlib object sought for. Offices in-GhflriDg- Cross Tire very expensive tc occupy $ but we maintain that offices ir that quarter of London, putting asidt itheir expensiveness, were wholly unnecessary, arid did not " promote the cause of immigration one iota,, if nol actually damugirig -to ; it. London is not the place to pick up the class oi people required for the J colonies; In London you do not find the true agricultural labourer, or! .-do you, as a rule, find the best class of female domestic servants. These two classes should farnisli the greatest bulk of our immigrants, and, let us ask, have the majority of people sent out m the hist few; years been of 'these* classes? 'We unhesitatingly say they Jiave not* been. And what have they been f In very many instances . immigrants, sent .. to Canterbury ' have been" from a class from, .which soring- the idlers and the good-for-nothings of a town, and on Several occasions single women have been sent Wliose 1 antecedents did not bear investigation, ana- whose scandaldus behaviour, both on. board ship and fqfter beinff landed, pointed them to be ejf a class better out of a country than m it. Still, these wretched women were doubtless. sjupi>f d as domestic . servants, and the province has to pay the same for. them as if they had * been b# ttfal useful *lass,-ofi which a few here are to be found. It seems to that anyone who applies to the agent m London is ~shtppbd* Foi* ; CanterWy without thfc slighfest-fliiquiry ns to^ previous character, and; without the i slightest f investrlfiation,as j ,to the applicant's* adaptability to the requirement of ."the colony. - Jn. proof of this, witness the shipment of nunfherfc; of: abandoned women m the ship Brothers' Pride, which arrived iq 1868. The shipment by this' vessel wte- mention as being the most notorious fend scandalous of any either before or aner that year, but there has hardly ,b*en : a yessel arriving m Lyttelton with sipgle women that has not been largely tainted with those of, jhe worst description. Do not we repeatedly see ip the Ohristchureii 'paper/ sad ' 'proof : of this assertion? ■ In the Press of last Taflgd»y-ia-one'to4>aa<fc--rThe-casg-war one of an "unfert«lnte,¥-viH>-t€bs found dead on the footpath, with a bottle of brandy hy> her side,r*?»latp>. arriraK rby the Gainsborough. Witness also the case of Esther JJoskinj, who created quite a sensation in'Chnstchurch. some few months since by,.,, confessing/, to ha.Ving committed a" murder m Englaad,jjt&t rtreVibtis lo - 'coming to the province.. Inner case, not the least enquiry as to previous .character, could baye'beeri made by the agent, for" we find m an English newspaper of a late date the following paragraph :—^'Esther " joskin, whose circumstantial con- " at New-Zealand^ of murder- " ing her ssfielheart by Btabbing him "and throwing him.over a cliff t near " Helston, has been reported.^ this i ...,,J.: ' ' "

"paper; w* two years indicted at "Bodinin assizes for arson, and ac- « <' quitted; otf the ground of insanity. ° •*Ttie 4n«q'fUe says she murdered, » J *- alive m California." . *] We v thidk there is abundant en- il denc^ .to, prate generally the worfhj ti lessriess of -die immigrants shipiied li from England tq Canterbury, a large number of botb men and women having t been sent who are not only been I, worthless as colonists,^buUtiwSOffe. J sence m the country has, been conducive 'J to positive harm. It is otfljr. fair jhowr i ever, to say that we do not include all r immigrants m pur condemnation, tor v domestic servants of good character i and really proficient jn every respect, have been brought out m ships with i the most worthless of their sex. How ( can we, m the face of this, expect , others of good character to come to , New Zealand, when it is known that , they are liable to he mixed up.-witli those who fn-e not fit company for them ? Spacff does! permit us at preserit to enter further into this question,hut we purpose doing so on a future occasion. ' The local government members of the Assembly have receutly had several meetings m Wellington, and after fully discussing -the matter, have drawn up certain resolutions which are' -to be submitted to the JJouae at an early date. The ; resolutions have been submitted to" the Government, and are approved of by Ministers. The character of the rtesolutions are iibt known, but we believe that some 1 of the suggesJaamunade. before the Timaru Leagt-e have been embodipd iv them. It is proposed that the (general Government shall take over harbours, ( gaqls, and police; hesidV the debts of the colony, and bo close the accounts between^ the General- and Provincial authorities. Of course, the whole of the consolidated, revenue m! that case will be retained by the General Government. The counties and provinces would then have their land fund and other local revenues at their own disposal;.- A telegram to the -O«% Times., states that -60. Friaay/' r Messr9 r !Bunriy and " Haughton.. amidst nifachcheeriugaud, " counter-cheering, announced the in-! " tention of the County party to submit "resolutions at an early date. The " party privately. profess ' their; williug"ness to form ,a Government." .; '