Sayings and doings in England

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 1, Issue 17, 25 January 1843, Page 3

Sayings and doings in England

RELATIVE TO NEW ZEALAND.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE PROPRIETORS OF THE NEW ZEALAND COMPANY.

(From the Nelson Examiner.)

The annual- meeting of the New Zealand Company was held on Tuesday, May 31, at the New Zealand House. Rroad-sireet-bui'dings. The chair was taken by Joseph Somes, Esq., the Governor of the Company. The following gentlemen were present at the meeting:— Directors -Mr. Mangles, M.P., Mr. Aglionby, M.P., Mr. Marjoribanks, M.P., Mr. J. A. Smith, M.P., Mr. G. F. Young, Mr. W. King, Sir Lsaac Goldsmid, Bart, Mr. C. Buller, M.P.. Mr. R. J. Gowen.

Sharehol»ers—Mr. I. I. Bulkeley, Major Chase, Mr. Curling, Mr. Alexander Currie, Major Curphey, Mr. W. Dorset, Mr. Thomas Frederick Everingham, and Mr. Jeremiah Pilcher, (Auditors of the Company) Mr. W. G. Gover, Mr. John Heath, Mr. Halpen, Mr. Joseph Somes, jun., Mr. Clement Tabor, Mr. G. Trimmer, &c. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, the Secretary read ihe Fifth Report, from which we make the following extracts. Speaking of the spot chosen by Captain Wakefield as the site of Nelson, it observes:—

" Your directors have every reason to feel satisfied that the choice of place has been exercised with judgment'; and if in some respects—particularly as regards an immense tract of plain country—the coast to the northward of Banks' Peninsula appeared to offer a more eligible location, the site actually selected, whilst it possesses the recommendation of open and level country to an extent quite commensurate with the present wants of the settlement, has advantages of position which do not belong to the place which seemed, in the first instance, more inciting. It is nearer to this country and to the Australian colonies, and is easily accessible to vessels from both those quarters at all seasons; but its peculiar superiority consists in its vicinity to Wellington and New Plymouth, and in the facility with which, consequently, the colonists on their first arrival there will draw supplies of provisions and other bulky necessaries from the Company's older settlements. And even after such wants have ceased to be felt, great benefits must result to all the settlements from that constant intercourse which their relative positions will invite. It seems probabV> from the different character of the

country on the two sides of Cook's Straits, that the occupation of the colonists of the northern shore will be chiefly tillage of land, and that advantage will be taken of the open plains tin the vicinity of Nelson for the pasturage of sheep and cattle; that, consequently, flax and corn will be the staples of the former, whi'st the exports of the latter may, perhaps, more nearly resemble those of Australia. Natural circumstances will, therefore, tend to impose upon the settlers on each island that mutual dependence which must conduce most essentially to their common benefit."

Of the progress made in colonizing Nelson the following particulars are given:—

" Since the date of the last annual report, 12 vessels, conveying 161 cabin passengers and 1,942 emigrants, have been despatched to Nelson. Four of these, the Lloyds, Mary Ann, Fifeshire, and Lord Auckland, sailed in September last, after your directors and the principal friends of the enterprise had taken leave of the settlers at a public breakfast at Black wall, in sight of the vessels in which they were about to embark; which his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex and other distinguished guests honoured by their presence, and where the strongest feeling was manifested, both as to the great public value of the objects contemplated by the Company and to the manner in which they were pursued. The present season has been opened by the despatch of two vessels, on the Ist and 25th instant respectively ; a third follows on the 15th of next month, and a fourth has been taken up to sail from the Clyde on the Ist of July. It has been determined to despatch others consecutively on the Ist of each month, beginning with August. This does not, of course, include the emigration to Wellington and New Plymouth, which will be noticed distinctly. Your directors trust you will think that, in this respect, the plans of the Company have been vigorously carried out H You were informed in the third report that less than 400 of the allotments into which the preliminary lands of Nelson had been divided, remained to be disposed of in this country. The following statement shows the present position of your affairs in this particular:— Ne!<on Allotments. Purchased by the Company . 100 Sprit out for sale in the colonies 200 Set aside as Natiye Reserves . 100 Sold to the public in this country 400 Remain for sale . , . . , 300 Total iioo " Your directors are not yet irf possession of any information the disposal of the allotments assigned for sale in the Australian colonies ; and in this respect they apprehend that the Company cannot expect that its interests should be unaffected by those mercantile and monetary calamities under which every other party connected with those settlements is suffering so severely. But, in one of his latest despatches, Colonel Wakefield stated that it was probable several allotments would be disposed of at Wellington, as soon as it was known there that the sice of Nelson had been definitively fixed. In relation to this subject, your directors may add that they are endeavouring to establish a connexion with our eastern empire, in the persuasion that many of the officers who annually retire from Indian services, without those very large means which are necessary to a comfortable settlement with a large family in this country, would, from their character, habits, and resources, become most valuable and successful colonists in New Zealand."

The progress made at Port Nicholson is next dwelt on, which is highly favourable:—*•

" The directors are happy to have it in their power to assure you that that settlement has advanced* with extraordinary rapidityS; that every anticipation entertained of the excellence o*f

the harbour, of the salubrit, 0 f the climate, and of the fertility of he soil has been fully realized ; and i Ht £ o '_ lonel Wakefield's last con _ tained his assurance that the cor mu _ nity was in a more prosperous UK j healthy condition than at any previa period of its brief existence."

Road-making next receives atten tion; and the Company h congratulated on what has been effected under the difficulties that had to be encountered.

Of the excellence of Wellington harbour, Mr. Heaphy, who had lately returned to England, furnishes the following testimony:— " As the accessibility of Port Nicholson during the heavy contary gales which sometimes prevai', has been questioned, I may here mention, that the number of vessels that have beatin against strong gales is 14, and 53 with slight winds. Out of this number 47 were strangers, and 18 entered by night. Each time that I have entered Port Nicholson has been against contrary winds, and three out of the five times have been by night. It is fortunate to be able to add that, since the formation of the colony, no vessel has met with any serious accident, either while in the harbour or when entering. * The anchorage is not only perfectly land-locked, but in the direction of the prevalent winds, its distance from the beach is so small as to prevent any swell arising in a gale which would affect the shipping." Our next extract relates to the efforts made by the directors to establish a Loan Company : "The success of the great experimen* which it has been your honorable f tune to try, and theUrigh merit p r colonists to carry outjon the pV but till now unreclaimed £1 able shores of New Zeah£ —the settlement has, beyono tion, taken permanent root. Ne less, the quickness and extent o* further growth of the community whi you ha«e founded is dependent, in great measure upon aid from ithoi The colonists and your directors equ ♦. ly feel that it would conduce m. styessentially to the enhanced prosperity of the settlement, if means could be devised by which parties possessed of land—to the improvement of hi«h, i a proportion to its extent, they havs already devoted considerable capital—might be able to obtain loans upon he. security of such property, at reasonable interest and for longer periods than consist with the rules and practice ot ordinary banks. Land in a new colony, rapidly increasing in value, must aff rd the best security for such advances, if made in the first instance with a prudent regard to the fair market va'ue of the property charged. And where, as in such communities, profits are extremely high, and capable, for u>?-onsi-derable time at least, of being acquired, without diminution of rate, from an extended capital, it must manifestly be the interest of the land-owner to increase his means of production. Your directors were assured of this, and of the great anxiety of the colonists that loans of the nature in question should be available to parties of undoubted substance and character, disposed to engage bona fide in agricultural or other useful operations ; but yet they were unwilling that the Company should at once take upon itse f the direct instrumentality of a s\stem of advances for considerable periods upon landed security. They preferred that the actual management of such a system should be in the hands of pamaking it their primary busiues f they have, therefore, endea o red to arrange the matter through the instrumentality of a company, whose general objects are well calculated to advance the prosperity of the eo]aj ies in which they are brought intoTtotion | negociation with the compan uaer eg opened; and your director fre object in view as one of gfs much portance as to demand that the m

of effecting it should be anxiously a 1 unceaeinglv sought for.' 1