€\)i ftjttelfan €i\\m. February.\i, 1852.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 58, 14 February 1852, Page 5

€\)i ftjttelfan €i\\m. February.\i, 1852.

The wish which was expressed a year ago by the Land-Purchasers in this Settlement that the boundaries of the Canterbury block should be extended on the north to the Kaikora range, and on the south to the Waitangi river, was not a mere desire to monopolise territory, and w« hope our neighbours at Wellington and Nelson are now fully satisfied that it was not intended as %t endeavour to encroach upon their just .p&g<i!&. It was, we apprehend, the result of a %reßoding of the evils which might result from the administration of these adjacent districts by different authorities. Those fears have been fully realized. A commissioner has been appointed to manage the waste lands outside the Canterbury block, whose office is considerably the most expensive in this settlement. We do not know the whole cost of his department, but we believe it will be found to amount to 700/. or 8001.

a-year. Colonel Campbell's duties were to be of two kinds. 1. To settfe or report upon claims to land under the Land Claimants' Ordinance of the last session of the

General Legislative Council. 2. To carry into effect the pasturage regulations of the Government. Now the former of these duties were trifling and temporary; they referred almost entirely to the few claims by the settlers at Akaroa. They could not possibly have demanded more than a few weeks' labour from a man of ordinary capacity for business. The second could have been done much more effectually by the land office of the Canterbury Association,

at little or no additional expence to the

settlement. It consisted simply of apportioning out the runs to the squatters ; this was the whole work to be done, for we do believe Sir George Grey ever contemplated or sanctioned the scheme of founding a settlement, at. the Kaikoras or at Timaru which was put forward by Col. Campbell. Now why should not this simple work have been done in the land office at Christchurch ? It would be very humiliating and very shameful that the colonists should suffer from any jealousy existing between the local Government and the Association. There is no such jealousy on the part of the Canterbury colonists. We found our pasturage regulations were bad, and we at once admitted that those of the Government were better. We altered our regulations as far as we could, so as to assimilate them to those published by the Government. As the arrangement stood before the last alteration, there was little practical difference between the terms of the Government and those of the Association. The former was an assessment by head of stock, the latter by amount of acreage ; but the amount of rent to be paid would not have been very different in the two cases. There is no reason why the same department should not have administered the pasturage lands in the whole district of which Christchurch is the place of business, and for the expense of ad-

ministering which this settlement must pay

We believe the stock holders who have taken \yvuns outside the block would much rather J have had the law administered in the Land Office at Christchurch than that the settlement should be put to an absurd expense, and that they should be compelled to go to

Akaroa about every trifling matter of business connected with their licenses. The v creation of a separate department at a great additional expense to this settlement is a great grievance ; one that would not be tolerated for a moment if there were any fraction of a constitutional government at work.

But the late changes have increased the grievance tenfold. All proceedings under the Land Claimants' Ordinance are stopped,

so that upon that share of the business the Commissioner has absolutely nothing to do. Again, the pasturage regulations set forth by Sir George Grey are set aside in favour of the old and ignorant plan of the New Zealand Company. It is quite plain that no land will be taken up under this plan. Instead of a fourteen years' lease and compensation for improvements, the present scheme is—no lease—a yearly tenancy —and no compensation for improvements. Instead of charging so much per head for stock and allotting a run sufficiently large to allow for the increase of the stock, the new plan is to charge so much per head for all the stock which the run is estimated to be capable of holding. It is not likely land will be rented from the Government under these conditions. We do not believe that the Government will attempt to enforce them. They are nominally proclaimed because the Home Government requires it, but the runs will probably be occupied without license, in the hope that Sir George Grey's regulations will be ultimately restored.

Now had matters remained as they were, it might have been argued that the expence of the Commissioner's office would not have been a charge upon our settlement, because it would have been defrayed out of the rental of the pasturage lands. This might certainly have been a reason why the complaint should not come specially from us, but it is no reason why we in common with all New Zealand colonists should not bitterly complain of the establishment of a costly and useless department. If the work could have been done by machinery at present existing with little additional expence, why should it not have been so done ? But now that the source of revenue, whence it is alleged the expences of the Commissioner's office might have been paid, does not exist, this argument falls to the ground. The single fact remains that a charge of many hundreds a-year is saddled upon the revenues of our settlement to keep up an absolutely useless office.

We pass by the arguments which might be used arising from the extraordinary incompetency of the individual who has been placed in the enjoyment of this sinecure, and the deep offence which his appointment has given to every individual in the settlement who was acquainted with his career before he sailed for New Zealand. That is not the question at present, —the question is, whether when the Proclamation was issued by which " all proceedings" under the Land Claimants' Ordinance were " stopped,"' the expence of the office of the Commissioner appointed under that Ordinance was not intended to be stopped at the same time— whether the office ought not for the present to be discontinued. If his Excellency should arrive in a few days, we hope that this amongst other questions may not be lost sight of, but that the inhabitants will respectfully request that this unfair drain upon the resources of the settlement may no longer continue.

The publication of Mr. Cholmondeley's pamphlet is too grave a matter to be passed over with the slight notice contained in a former number; not only because it is the first public attack by a colonist upon the Association, but because the author is well known to be strongly attached to the principles upon which the settlement was projected, and, from the estimation in which he is held by his fellow colonists, he cannot but be supposed to speak the opiuions ot others besides himself.

The chief cause of complaint is that to which we alluded in a former article, the clause in the last Canterbury Act, empowering the Association to nominate a Committee of Management in the settlement: but this text is made the occasion of a general attack upon the whole policy of the Association, The following- droll illustration may be taken

as an example of the whole argument. Mr. Cholmondeley offers it as a fair statement of the case as it stands between the Association and the colonists.

" There was once on a time a certain philanthropist, who by making emigration his hobby, thereby became better acquainted with the subject than the majority of his neighbours ; one of whom, John by name, was desirous of emigrating to some foreign land, in order to better his condition. Our philanthropist proceeded to enlighten this man as to the best means of doing so. 'My friend,' said he, ' there is a certain savage island which is sometimes called Barataria, because it is governed from a distance, and in a most unconstitutional manner. I am anxious to see you settled there, and indeed a man of your public spirit will easily be able to resist the inroads of the Governor (who, poor fellow, knows no better). 1 will assist you to repel his marauding interference in your private affairs. You shall be well backed up from the first with a sound title to the farm which I will buy for you; and since it seems advisable to retain our parochial system, etc., etc., in Barataria, I, who know the country, will tell you how to go to work in a manner worthy of yourself. You shall place a certain sum of money in my hands, which I will promise to spend for you in the manner herein described (he gave John a bit of paper) ; but of course as the money is really yours, the management of it shall really be yours also. Thus you will benefit by my experience, which I tender gratis.' And John believed him, and did as he recommended. When he arrived at Barataria, he found something done, and a good deal begun. Setting to work with the money he had left, he struggled with all his heart. It giieved him to receive from his old friend many ignorant letters, and still more to get but very little of his trust money, without any accrunt of how it went. At length the philanthropist, whose tone grew higiier and higher, despatched an overseer to take charge of John altogether. The freaks of the grisly tyrant of Barataria (who laughed at the philanthropist) now seemed light to John, compared with this astounding act of dictation coming from his old friend. What ne did I know not. I only know that the philanthropist goes about to this day, talking of the black ingratitude of John."

Whilst all must admire the wit of this passage, and must will admit that it does contain a truth, we must not conceal from ourselves that it is both exaggerated and unfair.

Fur example, it is very unfair and untrue to say we get but little of our trust money.

We fully admit that the accounts of the Association ought to he published in full. That public faith requires it: but without any accounts at all, there is, up to the present time, a very efficient guarantee that the land fund has not been squandered. The public works in the settlement cost above 24,000/. before a colonist landed : Mr. Bowler's report on the expences of the first eight ships is a complete statement of the expenditure on that head; and we hope a similar statement will be placed before the public in the next annual report. If we consider the expenditure which must have taken place on the twenty ships which have now arrived in the colony, and the sums expended during the past year on various useful work?, we must admit there is no strong prima facie ground for supposing that the trust money has not been properly expended. The results of its expenditure are before us. At the same time we fully agree that public faith requires that the next annual report of the Committee shall contain a full and detailed account of the financial position of the Association.

Upon the whole, whilst we do not sympathise with the time of Mr. Cholmondeley's pamphlet, we earnestly hope it will have weight with the authorities lit home, in proving-'how important it is that the jttst work of establishing some local authority responsible to the colonists, to manage their affairs in the settlement, should not he delayed.

No one can read without a feeling of shame of the ignoble squabbles which took place of old between the colonists and the proprietors in the proprietary settlement- of North America. With what shame should we anticipate similar dissensions between tue Association and its colonists at Canterbury.

We cannot but believe that the localization of its administrative powers, if in a ionn aecept;tl)U) to the colmists, will be the first ai-i >'f the Association, now that the first work of the Emigration is over, and that matters are ad-^ justing themselves into the order!)" routine ot business; and we accept the names of those Colonial Reformers who are in the Committee of Management, as a guarantee for the justness of this anticipation,—l/n-d Lyttelton, Mr. Francis Baring, Mr. Adderley.

Continued from page 3. and we understand that Mr. Cobden M.P., Mr. J. B. Smith, M.P., Mr. Wyld, M.P., Mr. Baikes Currie, M.P., Mr Buss, M.P., &c, have also signified their desire to do honour to Kossuth on the occasion. The Mayor of Southampton has received a letter (brought by hand) from Kossuth, of which the following is a copy:—

Marseilles, Sept. 29th, 1851. 'Sir, —The Government of the Ottoman Empire gave me asylum and hospitality, and though afterwards it had to yield to the presumptuous arrogance of its mighty enemies, and to convert the asylum into a prison, still it yielded but with regret; it felt deeply the disgrace, and at the first favourable moment shook off, in the most dignified manner, the most disgraceful bonds. It was Turkey who h;is acted so. The people of England raised their powerful voice to claim the rights of humanity, offended in myself and in my associates. And the Government of Great Britain proved to be a dignified organ of the people of England's generous sentiments. In the United States of America the people, the Congress, and the Government shared with equal generosity in the high-minded resolution to restore me to freedom, and 03' freedom tn activity. They sent over a steam frigate for the purpose, and most generously offered the protection of the glorious flag. Thus acted England and the United States. We stopped at Marseilles. I wished to visit England, the lively sentiment of gratitude pointed out to me as a duty to go there to thank for the high-minded sympathy I and the cause I represent were honoured with, So I requested permission to pass through France to England directly, without asking leave to stop in any place, (because I know the character of the present Republican French Government), and declaring to be ready to follow every loyal and honourable advice the Government would feel convenient to give me for my Tapid passage through France. Monsieur Louis Napoleon Bonaparte refused the requested permission to pass through the French Republic, which did him the honour to elect him to the high station, where his sacred, sworn duty, is to be the chief guardian of the democratic constitution of his own country, which proclaimed to the world to have for principles ' freedom and fraternity.' M. Bonaparte was himself once an exile—and may yet become an exile once more—France was then not a Republic, still it was an asylum to oppressed humanity;"!

claimed no asylum, I desired only to pass, and the once exile, now the Preident of a glorious nation's great Republic, refused !It is not I—l hop?—to •whom, before the tribunal of public opinion through - .out the world, this refusal will prove to be a disgrace. I wish that no one should remember it at the time when, perhaps, M. Bonaparte will once more be an exile himself. In no case will the refusal of the French Government impede me to fulfil the highfelt duty to thank the people of England for its generous sympathy—l am still resolved to land at Southampton, sir!—l will intreat Captain Long, of the Mississippi, to hasten me down to Gibralter, I wish and hope to find there some means of conveyance to your free and glorious shoves, were it but for one hour's stay. I felt bound :o address to you, honoured sir, this communication, as a proofof my respect and esteem, having the honour to sign, with the most particular consideration, myself to be Sir, your most obsequious servant, Kossuth. — Andrews, Esq., Mayor of the City of Southampton. Miscellanea.—The Enxine, Captain Evans, arrived at Southampton on Saturday. Amongst the passengers was his Excellency Skefiah Khan, an ambassador from Persia to the Court of St. James. As an accredited ambassador from the Court of Teheran is but rarely sesn in this country, considerable interest is attached to the arrival of his Excellency, He is a fine handsome man, about forty years of age. He was dressed in tiie costly and picturesque costume worn by the highest ranks in Persia. The sleeves and collar of his coat were ornamented with gold embroidery ; the clasp of his girdle was studded with diamonds, and a brilliant star was suspended on his breast. He wore the high conical cap of his country. He was accompanied by a dragoman and a servant. An extensive suite accompanied him from Persia to Turkey, nearly the whole of which he took leave of at Constantinople. On arriving at Southampton, the ambassador claimed the courtesies from the Government authorities invariably accorded to the accredited representatives of foreign countries. Unfortunately, however, the custom-house authorities had received no notice of his anticipated arrival, nor any Treasury order to pass his ba<-ga<*e, consisting of about 30 packages, without examination. His Excellency stated that Sir Stratford Canning, our ambassador at Constantinople, was aware of his mission to England, and had engaged to acquaint the English Government with it. Of course, all the courtesy which the authorities at Southampton fsould" sliuw the ambassador consistent with their imperative duties was shown him and telegraphic

announcements to the Government departments in London were sent by them, stating the arrival of the ambassador, and soliciting immediate instructions how to act. His Excellency, however, left Southampton for London by an early train, apparently displeased with his reception in Southampton, and leaving all his baggage in possession of the Custom-house authorities. At the Southampton railway station, the railway authorities paid him every respect, and the superintendant of the station gave him a coupe for himself and the secretary. After their departure, orders were received from the Government to allow him all the rights and privileges accorded to ambassadors of the highest rank.

In a recent number of the Literary Gazette, it was stated that M. Simonides, a Greek savant, had discovered in the old papers of a Greek convent an indication that the original MS. of the "Acts of the Apostles," was buried in an island in the Sea of Marmora. We now learn that a search has been made in the spot pointed out, and that it has led to the discovery, not of the " Acts," but of a copy of one of Aristotle's treatises, and a map of the islands. They appear to have been interred by a monk about the year 1204.

The Victoria Regia water-lily continues flowering beautifully in the open pond at Messrs, Week's nursery, King's Road, Chelsea. The whole plant has a gigantic appearance, having twenty leaves, each leaf twenty feet in circumference, and the foot stalks thirteen feet in length. Several distinguished persons, amongst them Sir William Jackson Hooker, are of opinion that the plant grows equally as well in the open air as under a glass structure.

Death of Mr. James Richardson, the Afkican Traveller.—The Malta Times gives the particulars of his death : —"At the village of Uugurutua, lie became so weak as to be unable to proceed In the evening he took a little food, and tried to sleep, but became very restless, and left his tent supported by his servant. He then took some tea, and threw himself again on his bed, but did not sleep. His attendants having made some coffee, he asked for a cup, but had not strength to hold it. He repeated several times "I have no strength;" and, after having pronounced the name of his wife, sighed deeply, and died without a struggle, about two hours after midnight. Early in the morning, the body, wrapped in linen and covered with a carpet, was borne to a grave, which was duofour feet deep under the shade of a large tree close to the village, followed by all the principal sheiks and people of the district. The Sultan of Bornou has given orders that all respect and honour shall be paid to the grave of the ill-fated traveller."

The gold news had been abundantly confirmed. The Thomas Arhuthnot, which took the first cargo, arrived on the 2Sth of September, and lumps of The metal were exhibited the next morning in various parts of the metropolis. It is said that "with the full confirmation of the gold news, Australian gold mining Associations will, probably start up in England, as the repugnance felt to embarking capital In societies wl.ose agents and workmen are de facto beyond the control of the shareholders, in a country where the restraints of law are little felt, as in the case of California, will no longer be experienced."