The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1877.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 241, 11 October 1877, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1877.

In a batch of Parliamentary papers to hand is a report on the Special Settlement at Jackson's Bay up to the 31st of March last, aud from this, as tending to show the way the public fuuds have been expended, we take the following extracts, merely premising that the Executive officer of Westland has been at some pains to make the statement as favorable as possible. Mr Bonar commences by informing the Minister of Justice that it is a matter for congratulation that the Settlement should have progressed so satisfactorily considering its isolated position, the natural disadvantages arising from its being unsettled bush country, and, above all, the fact that, instead of being peopled by the class of immigrants originally intended when the settlement was projected — namely, agricultural laborers from England and Ireland, and men accustomed to fishing from the north of Scotland — it has been an outlet for Germans and Poles unable to find employment in other parts of tha colony, and Kalians whom the Government had for months in the depot at Wellington all of whom were unable to speak the English language. We could scarcely imagine the Minister, to whom this statement was addressed, received it with feelings of unqualified satisfaction, because it is just possible that the idea might have occurred tb him that the claaa of immigrants mentioned would have been much better left at home. However, having imported these illustrious foreigners, it was necessary to do something with them, so after supporting them for "months in the depot at Wellington," they were forwarded to Jackson's Bay, and the trifling sum of £17,532 2s 8d spent in endeavoring to make them comfortable. In return for this outlay we find that 307 people have been settled at six different points within twenty miles ; that they have erected houses for themselves, and have taken up 4724 acres of land, which they are clearing and improving, and for which they are paying the Government by yearly instalments of 3s pep acre, extending over seven years ; that they are already possessed of eighty -three head of cattle, ten horsea, iifty-six pigs and goats, besides their crops estimated to be worth £20)0. Various other benefits from the settlement such as the establishment of " a centre 150 miles south of Hokitika which will enable miners to prospect without the risk of starvation or drowning," are sat forth to make the balance sheet appear, as fair as possible, but as these are purely imaginary they need not be taken into consideration. The £2000 worth of crops will be mostly required to support the growers, ar.d -possibly to enable the settlers to pay for their land— a further expenditure of £5505 10s will be necessary to enable the settlers to " utilise such resources as they may be able to develop from the materials at their command." To summarise the investment in return for £22,587 12s 8d in cash, and 4724 acres of land, the Government have got rid of 367 immigrants, originally imported at a considerable cost,' who were unfit for the colonial labor market, and unable to find employment in other places. These facts need no comment, aud with many other transactions of a like unprofitable nature could be urged against the retiring Government as justification for a w:mt of confidence motion.