THE ALBERTLAM GAZETTE. DEC. 2, 1863. ALBERTLAND.

Albertland Gazette, Issue 7, 2 December 1863, Page 2

THE ALBERTLAM GAZETTE. DEC. 2, 1863. ALBERTLAND.

A Spectator of events, hearing various .rumours concerning us, might well feel inclined to ask what and where Albertland may be. The fair vision of a thousand godly people settling down in a brotherhood for purposes of social and religious progress, and thus rearing a new home and city in this land has certainly not been realized as yet. On the other hand our divisions have had about as m uch influence in procuring us whatever notoriety we may have reached. Our history from May 29, 1862, at the East India Docks, would like the history of this wide world at least have its epochs marked by " fifteen " ( or any other number of) "battles," yet by discords wounds, either healed, or left to rankle. The first sale of Town Lands, which ought to have been a grand and solemn laying of the foundations of our city, was a scene of absurd misunderstanding, and as yet not a single clod of the soil is turned within the limits of that accurately defined paper town. It is true that subsequent, more quiet saleshave raised up some score of actual wooden hous3S, with living men .and women moving about within them ; but this has been effected only through, and in spite of a ceaseless storm of opposition. Now, our brothers of the Paparoa renounce the very title of Albertland, and doubt whether they can get any good ( might they possibly do some,) by cherishing association with their friends of the •Oruuwharo. One settler declares in public meeting assembled, that the Association formed ia London is gone to shreds! and that not'amaaof us need recognize any of the mutual obligations under whose sacred banner we came out, to be rather helpers -oi' each other, than jealous rivals. . j

An tl to come down to small p racfcical .fitters;'we bear of this doctrine finding

its illustration. One brother had been pleasantly anticipating1 making a little purchase in stock ; another brother hearing a whisper of the same, slyly slips in and secures the purchase before him. All this doubtless looks ugly enough, and may well make onlookers wonder what may be the doom of Alhertland. Nor are we much surprised that distant friends should shake their heads in sadness and murmur " total failure." But after all, we who are1* on the spat, kuow better; simply because the experience we have been passing through has given us a fresh insight into human nature and human life. We are urged to one conclusion, that amidst the complications of society in England, could not be anticipated, viz. that Association is an art of great difficulty, to be attained only hy earnest study and practice. In an old established country men are so accustomed to fall into masses, and torun only in the narrow guage provided by the great social machinery, that societies can start up like mushrooms, live as luxuriantly, and per> haps pass away as easily. Were they cannot get into being at all. Men are placedin such entirely new circumstances, freed from t all the restraints of the old life, each having his own path to shape and his very conceptfons of life to create, as well as his fortunes to build up, that it becomes really a hard task when he wishes to put himself into unity with another man who is placed under the same strong necessity. No doubt this will largely account for the sad, but certain fact of the want of unity iu all these young settlements. Next month we hope to have both time and space to point out some evidences lying beneath the surface, justifying the conviction we hold to, in spite of all—and which for the present we merely affirm.

Albertland "n.on deletus est."