Sydney Extracts.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 21, 27 December 1843, Page 3

Sydney Extracts.

(From the Sydn-'y papers to D j. 1?.) Public Meeting.—A moetiii- of landholder, clahnanls to land, ami other* interested in the prosperiiy ot' New Zealand, was held at j|, e Royal Hotel on Thursday last, Major Christie in the chair. An address was agreed to h?presented to Captain Fitzroy, congratulating him 01 Ins ; ppointment as Governer of New Zfralsrtid, and on his safe anival here. The following deputation ( onsisting of Major Christie, Major "Smith, Cowaliu* Prout, Esq., Ro.llo OM?arrell, Esq,, an 1 Cljarles Abercrombie, E ; q. were appointed to p eseol tl.e' ame to his Excellency.

The Penny Postage.—The evidence taken before the Committee on the Poslaga Resolutions has been published, and is unanimous M favour of a reduction of the present rates o£ postage. The witnesses examined were James Raymond, Esq., Postmaster Genera]; J. Phelps Robinson, Esq., William Duraaresq, Esq., M.. C. ; S. A. Bryant, Esq. ; John Panton. Esq., M. C. ; William Bradley, Esq., M. C. ; Charles Hotson Ebdefl, Esq., M. C ; and Robert Owen, Esq- ; and the report founded on their evidence recommends the reduction ol the rate of postage chargeable on. letters for town delivery from 2d. to Id., t,he adoption of penny skimps Ike those in use in the soother conuiry, and the adoption of an uniform two-penny postage for inland correspondence. This last recommendation is made with some hesitation, on tha ground that a defalcation in the revenue might be expected for the first y> ar or two, but the Committee propose that, following the example of the House of Commons, any deficiency' should b© made up from the general revenue, in the event of the Council's adopting their recommendation. Our opinion is that the experiment may be, made with great safety, and certainly with advantages far outweighing any loss that may be incurred ia the first instance. J Dr. Lang,—We learn, by a letter from Dr. Lang, to the constituency of New South: Wales, published in the shape of a pamphlet, that in consequence of the Governor having refused to sanction the grant of £ISOO in aid of the Scots Church; as recommended by the Legislative Council, the Doctor will be under the necessity of diss posing of his remaining property at whatever sacrifice ; and as that property, although considerably encumbered already, still constitutes a sufficient qualification for a member of Council, he will ba under the necessity of resigning his seat in Council from the loss of that qualification* PHORMIUM TENAX. [To the Editors of the Sydney Morning Herald.' Gentlemen—Nothing is more common than fatf every man to think that all others are alike, interested in the matter he is most concerned in. It is then to be imputed to weakness ; but if I can show on rational grounds that my object is of the utmost national importance, and while I disavow any sin** ister purpose for selfish gain, it will prompt confi* dence in me to claim your aid in urging tha attention of this community to the culture of tha Phormium Tenax. In my last to you in the Herald of the 10th inst.J I think I clearly stated a good deal of what know:* ledge 1 possess on the subject, and I am still ready to give that further information I then proffered ; but my present object is to call the attention of the public to Mr. Eagland's letter in the Australian of this day, as I know him to be a man of ta/ent and exnericnee, whose judgment may be relied on, and whose views accord entirely with my own. Thirty years for thereabouts) I have devoted to scientific pursuits, but none of these with so.much pain, pdvation, and persecution, as the three last, thai I have been engaged with the New Zealand Flax, In France, on tne continent of Europe, all over Great Britain, and in America, many thousands of tbe scientific have made various attempts to effert that wh'ch I have achieved. Here is Mr. Eagland, who Was chosen as the best mechanist that could be found by Sir George Farmer, in England, to l'o to New Zealand, when about £lO 000 were expended „in operations, but ail of which were unfortunately washed away. Mr, Eagland is well acquainted with the plan of Sic George Fanner and every other that has been tried, and has said, and has allowed roe to assert, that he is ready to say to any person interested, that so far as I have shown him of my method if is the most simple, the best, and that of its efficacy there can* not he a doubt. When I arrived here f r om New Zealand, I expected soon to teturn, hut my friends there proved unfortunate or faithless,,and I was induced to' accept the furtherance of three Sydney who, to prove the ulii'ty of my invention, had mo furthered into gaol, so that they in a gentle** manly manner b'reaft into myiprivate room,and rob me of nil that I alo'Ae had a reasonable claim to 1 expect for the lottg" occupation of my time, my expense, and e\e. tions. Many, ffaVe run too fast in this colony, and left their h>aitis Bp'hind'flienr: so. when these doughty gentlemen go! ti'mong my machinery they discovered with amazement, they had no such commodity ; and that the only indication was, the bump of base cunning ■ for they could not finish that'which I had begun. As 1 am in statu quo as regards progression, £ may, however, have one gratification : that is, to urge on every settler lo apply to rlis Excellency the Governor, so that the roots and the seed of this plant be brought in quantities by every vessel coming from Norfo'k Island, where it abounds. I Aeem this of national importance, being convinced, from that which I see, it can be grown as well is this colony as in any other part of the world; and as Mr. Marshall, of Leeds, in Yorkshire, has said he would gladly take the cargoes of all the ships connected with ;hese polojiiflj ,yUla\ of this kind, what is there, in a commercial view,, ran more demand the attention of the Lepslattilte "J To some, Mr. Marshall's offer may seem at once as pteposlerous, till I say that I know, he lias about thousand persons employed in the mariufaca lure of linen goods aione. Mr. Tobin says he wiii be most happy in giving all io.formajion relative to its culture, winiSit reward ; and he is the onlv man that I know who is capable, fiom his e-.per.enr, , to (to so. If I attain this end %ft4r all mytoil.l may have some claim to philanihiony at i< a»>, aud though I may not live to enjoy the just reward of my endeavours, it may be the j >y of ray children to boast (hey had a siie who spent his energies under the hardest circumstances to provide for one of the few demands of our nature —even if it be wrjltea on my tomb, " lie died by the Phormium Tenx.''

I crii.se my correspondence wijhyqq ott^Uj*subject with oll.wi gto you my s ; i re >.; thinks for your uroani'v, kirirti.'ejs, and atfenti- ii ro a subject, and in a matter \ni:h which' T have been so much interested, and b-. g t.i sobVribe mvss'f with a'l possible refrteCt, y ur-'veiy h'anVWe sn ! '>be lient servant, "j ohn woo;:cock gr vves.