WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 503, 29 August 1857, Page 4

WELLINGTON.

By the Phoebe we have Wellington papers to the 19th. inst. > The schooner Jane Peata, Geo. Mortimer, I master, from Colling wood, arrived in. this harbour on Monday afternoon, having sailed from thence on Wednesday last. The schoouer Maria Elizabeth hence, arrived at Collingwood on the 9th inst. Whilst at Aorere, Capt. Mortimer paid a visit to the diggings. He gives . glowing accounts of them, and states that the j majority of people there were doing remarkably i well. He saw a party of four, who, upon \ breaking up, shared 190 ounces of gold amongst them; that being the result of six weeks work on the Slate Kiver. The diggers had to encounter very severe weather, it raining in torrents and blowing fearfully, which had much impeded their operations; and many were standing by shepherding their claims until the fine weather set in. The road to the diggings was in a bad state, and £10 per ton was being charged for the carriage of goods to Appoo's gully. Flour was selling at £23 per ton, and potatoes at £7 per ton. The paddle-steamer Tasmanian Maid was busily occupied in plying between Nelson and the diggings, conveying passengers and goods. Parties who are employed by others in digging were receiving £1 per day wages, and men employed in stores and hotels were getting £2 per week and their rations. There were about 60 Maories from Porirua digging at the Slate River, and it was supposed they were doing- exceedingly well. They have sent over specimens by the Jane Peata of the gold they have found, to their friends and relatives at Porirua.— lndependent, Aug. 19. We are informed that a grant of land is to be given for the erection of a Savings Bank, and another for an Odd Fellows Hall, on the Beach between the Scotch Kirk and the premises of the Building Society. The buildings, it seems, are to be put up forthwith,—so that we will soon have a whole range of public buildings extending along this part of Lambton Quay.— Spectator, Aug. 15. News had been received in Wellington from AUCKLAND to the end of July. We find the following in the "Spectator:"— ■ _ . From the Auckland papers it would appear that the General Government and the Provincial authorities of Auckland are at complete daggers-drawing,—the one 'resolved' that the Provincial Council shall not be dissolved until the Electoral Roll be thoroughly purged, the other 'determined' on resistance by issuing writs in opposition to the General Government. What the result of such, antagonistic proceedings may be it is difficult to conjecture. The Cobomandel Gold Fields.— From time to time, we are called to chronicle the individual-acquisitions from this.-long and much neglected gold field. We have frequently spoken of the splendid samples of rich auriferous quartz that have been exhibited in Auckland. On Tuesday, another lot was brought to our office for inspection; the gross weight was 21 ounces, one nugget weighing 4^ ounces; freed from dross, the lot was estimated to contain between 14 and 15 ounces of pure gold. This last sample was obtained within a stone's throw of Messrs. Roe, Street and Co.'s saw mill, on the Waiau creek, by John Adams, James Baker, and another. It is the proceeds of five weeks' work, and, assuming the find to be worth £50, is surely more than sufficiently encouraging to incite the authorities to redoubled exertion in removing every obstacle to the working of so evidently rich a field. To those who are best acquainted with Coromandel, the existence of a profitable gold field has never for a moment been a matter of question.— New Zealander, July 22.

[.From acorres. of the Southern Cross, July 11.]

It is said to be the intention of the,.British Government to withdraw the troops stationed in New Zealand, unless they are paid by the colony; to pay them is a literal impossibility on the part of the colony; so that, should the intention be persisted in, a system of giving away the public lands to actual settlers will be the only resource left to the people of this colony to secure their own defence; and the sooner it is adopted the better. „ The arrival of the Spray with a. cargo of Nova Scotian emigrants will afford the Government a fair chance to test the advantages of the system here proposed. Justice to these hardy and industrious people demands that some such plan be adopted in their case. They started from Nova Scotia under the impression that they would participate in the Whitaker Land Eegulations, but they find themselves sadlydisappointed ; the fault is not theirs, and they should not suffer in consequence. It is a point of paramount importance with communities, as with individuals, that good faith should be kept in all such transactions; if it is not, the evil will carry its own punishment along with it; and emigration to this beautiful country will be at an extreme discount.

The party of Nova Scotians who came to NewZealand last summer touched at the Cape of Good Hope, where they received the most pressing invitation to remain from the Governor, Sir George Grey. A grant of land (200 acres) was offered to each, — a promise was made to build each family a house, to give each person ten pounds to carry him to his destination, and a year's provision to maintain his family, until he could get a return from his farm; but they preferred continuing their journey, in hopes of joining their friends at Wangarei. Many of them have repented that they did not stop at the Cape of Good Hope. The same liberal offer was made to the passen-

gers by the Spray, but was also rejected by them for similar reasons; and now, to find themselves deceived and disappointed in N ew . Zealand, is too bad. We trust, however, it j a not yet too late to do them justice, and that as soon as the Provincial Council again .gets to work, proper provision will be made for these people; whilst we sincerely hope that a free farm will be provided .for every poor man that shall seek a home in New Zealand. An increasing population is the only sure basis of rapid* progress and national prosperity; it cannot with impunity, be dispensed with by the most favoured communities; and the legislator who does not encourage it, by all possible means is far behind the age we live in. '