The Auckland Chronicle. Thursday, April 25, 1844. COLONIAL POLITICS.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 38, 25 April 1844, Page 2

The Auckland Chronicle. Thursday, April 25, 1844. COLONIAL POLITICS.

The long talked.,o£, Debentures have not yet made their appearance, we are in doubt as to the cause of delay ; it is rumoured that they will not be r ued .until alter the concentrated wisdom iof the Legislative Council have sat, and decided upon the details of this financial scheme; It is well to take counsel of men of business, on a subject that deeply intere ts the mercantie and commercial interests of New Zealand ; but what reason can be assigned for postponing the opening jf the Legislative Council ? We know the delay in issuing the Debentures is ry seriously felt in the Town, and

e think the least that Government sbou d do, would be to eh se the Courts of Law, until their own arrears are paid up. We be ieve his Excellency was compelled from the quantity of - business in arrear, to postpone the Session of the Legislative Council, and there was no choice in the matter. Such was the amount of business left in an unfinished state by Mr. Shortia'nd, that Captain Fitz-Roy has bad scarcely a minute that he could call his own ; and even much of that time necessary for the restoration of wearied nature, has been cheerfully given to public affairs. There are few of us in the Colony who have not directly, or indirectly suffered from that characteristic feature of the Hobson and Shortland Government j ’procrastination, which was permitted to exercise its somniferous influence in every department of public business. There is no habit so deeply rooted, or so difficult to surmount as indolence, when once it is fixed in the character of a man, we may bid adieu to all hopes of him, but when it is the predominant feature in the administration of the Government of a Colony, the evil effects are Incalculable. It is far better for a Governor to decide promptly on such a subject as the Land Claims, even should he err on the side of liberality,, than to allow the doubts and fears of men incompetent to form a correct opinion, to retard for a moment a measure of justice so long overdue, We say this much in reference to the Land Claimants at Munganui, Doubtless Bay, because we have good reason to believe their case is misrepresented to his Excellency, and every effort is made to make it appear a difficult case, in order to justify the hypocrisy, dissimulation, and dishonesty of the late Government and their agents in that abominable affair. When things come to the Worst there are some hopes they will mend ; and “ ‘tis a long lane that has no turning, as poor Richsrd says,’' Our hopes for New Zealand are not vanished yet, we know there are all the elements of prosperity *in the country ; capital and enterprise mus f soon find its way here, and then things will begin to go a head. Peop'e are di-appointed who come out under the h'ea of making rapid for■tu'.'rs in commercial pursuits, Abe p puhition is net sufficiently dense and there are uo market for large specula-

tions in merchandize ; but we have not heard of any who have experienced disappointment that have taken the plough in hand, and gone to work in good earnest tilling the land. One good effect of the depression in trade is that it causes people to leave the towns and beat out more into the country ; let them attempt cu to ation, and we are satisfied the climate and soil of New Zea'and wid yield them a grateful return. We have confidence in our Governor, we believe him to have the good of the country at heart, but he has much yet of the old rubbish bequeathed by Captain Hobson and Mr. Shortland, to clear away before thefprosperfty of the Colony will be based on a solid foundation.