Government Gazette, March 15.

Auckland Times, Volume 1, Issue 38, 16 March 1843, Page 3

Government Gazette, March 15.

. We have displaced n ‘grumbling paragraph in order to notice with alacrity and commendation the fact of the Governor having again lowered the upset price of |'snburbau allotments. Section 5, advertised tor sale on Monday the 20th instant, will be upset at the somewhat more ralionai price ot (average) £4 10s.

per acre. These very lots, it offered six mouths ago. would have been subject to a minimum price of twenty pounds ! and we do give much credit to the good sense ot Mr. Shortland in exercising the. discretionary power given by Lord Stanley’s bill so promptly and so wisely as he has done. The high upset price maintained, and the extortion upon which we hope is now gone by, prevented very many useful and desirable citizens from coming among us. We shall urge the point again and again, till we see the general price of 20s. reduced to 55.; till then, New Zealand may creep, and go, but will never go, a-head. We recollect when tiie lamented Mr. Huskisson was chancellor of the exchequer many years ago ; he, to the great honor of his coadjutors in office, broached the doctrine of lov duties and large consumption ; he adhered to his point and tried his experiment upon Coffee: this article was then paying 13|d. per pound duty ; tie boldly reduced it at once [to 3d., and in the very first year of his*judicious experiment derived an increased revenue. The advantage and happiness of the enlarged consumption to the people, an observant reader will not of course overlook ; and so it is here—the bubble] of high prices has burst. If the place is to be colonised—for the benefit of England be it ever remembered —thewavering must be embolden ed by liberality, the industrious encouraged by support: hitherto the Government hasdoue nothing better than tamper with the excitement of the gambler, or avail itself of the gullibility of the spooney. ;