THE NELSON EXAMINER.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue I, 30 April 1842, Page 30

THE NELSON EXAMINER.

Nelson, April 30, 1842.

Lea joumaux deviennent plus ne'eessaires a meiure que lea homines sout plus egaux, et 1' individualisme plus a -eraindre. Cc aerait diminuer leur importance que de croire ?u' iU ne servent qu' k garantir la liberty : Us maintiennent a civilisation. Db TocatnviLLß. De la Democratic en Amerique, tome 4, p. 230.

Journals become more necessary as men become more equal, and individualism more to be feaxed, It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to secure liberty : they maintain civilization/ Dx TocaniyiLLi. Of Democracy in America, vol. 4, p. 920.

In another column our readers will find - a. report of a public meeting called by some of the landowners and agents of this settlement. These gentlemen doubtless discovered, soon after the chair was taken, how great a mistake they had made in calling a public meeting for the purpose of adopting * series of resolutions, the spirit of' which was directly opposed to the interests of those who were certain to attend it. If it was imagined that the interests' of the landowners were really compromised By the practice of settling «n Government reserves, to «n extent to justify their interference to pat a stop to it, a meeting of landowners and landagents alone should have been called. As it is, attention has been drawn to the subject in the worst possible manner, and, we fear, with the worst effect. It will

be seen from, the report that a bad spirit was excited, which was stimulated into a most unhappy energy by- the injustice, real or supposed, which it was the proposed object of the meeting to enforce. We believe that a meeting on the subject, either public or private, was wholly uncalled for. The evil, after all, is but slight. The fact that most of those who have taken up their abode on Government reserves are poor people, who have expended many days' labour and some money in raising their little warries, should have made the slight sacrifice (if it be worthy of the name) a duty rather than a cause of open opposition or secret complaint. Our own printingoffice happens to be on a Government reserve. We are very sorry for it. We had much rather he on a private acre, and paying some one of the gentlemen who are so much in want of tenants a fair rent ; and it is our intention to remove as soon as- possible ; but we should consider it a . much greater hardship than any of which they have to complain, to be obliged immediately, at a moment's notice,' to take the house down, stop the publication of the paper for a fortnight, and subject ourselves to all the

inconvenience which the approach of the least element part of the year would render us liable \o. Judging from the report, the meeting was evidently a scene of confusion ; and we do not therefore wish to render the gentlemen strictly responsible for all the extraordinary views which they gave , expression tv in a moment of excitement. It will be sufficient for them to be reminded of their mistakes by the report. It is rather amusing to see the effects of an unpopular movement. There was not single cause of discontent among the labouring classes (and in either an old or new country there are always some) which was' not, with the most pertinacious inconsequentiality, brought in accusation against the gentlemen who called this meeting. We only hope that nothing like* a permanent feeling of opposite interests between landowners and labourers will be established by this most injudicious proceeding ; and that the good sense of the people will be shown by their gradually settling themselves upon land which they can obtain for something like a permanence, which, they must be aware, cannot be the case on the reserves. The consideration of a low rent — and rents are low here, except in situations peculiarly fitted for trade — is. not to be put into comparison with the pleasure and satisfaction derived from being on land which you improve and cultivate for your own benefit, and not for that of another. -n

"We propose to give copies of the -ordinances passed during the last session of Council. We begin in this number with the Municipal Corporations Ordinance, as being of the most general interest. We shall soon have a sufficient population to entitle us to exercise the rights of selfgovernment given to boroughs by this ordinance. It will not,, therefore, be time thrown away for all to read it with attention. For ourselves, we think that there is every reason .to be well satisfied with the powers which are given by it. The acknowledgment of the broadest principle of representation is in itself sufficient to cover a multitude of sins. - Until reduced to the test of practice, it is impossible to determine what faults of detail there may be : a certain looseness in the wording leads ns to suspect that these will be found sufficiently numerous ; but, having once seen the working, these will be easily remedied-. We prognosticate the best results to the colony of New Zealand from the -independence of character which will necessarily result from the early development of the power of the people, and the consciousness which they must consequently obtain of their own importance. Insolence and servility are as inseparable companions as self-respect and respect for others. Confidence in themselves — certainty that their will, their

wishes, their interests are duly represented and have their rightful influence in the councils of Government — these alone can ensure a manly and law -respecting population. Hailing the essentially liberal spirit in which it is drawn up as evidence of a continuation of the same liberality in the framing of the constitution which we presume we shall, ere long, receive, we again repeat that we find every reason to be satisfied with the Municipal Corporations Ordinance.

On Tuesday, at about three o'clock, the residence (half tent and half house) belonging jointly to Mr. W. C. Young and Mr: Richardson, caught fire, and was wholly consumed in an incredibly short time, The fire originated in the thatch of a small mud building attached, and used as a kitchen ; and had spread so much before assistance arrived, that any attempt to check the flames would have been useless. AH the exertions, therefore, of the crowd that quickly assembled (which were most willingly contributed) were directed to saving the furniture, a good deal of which was preserved ; but almost all the books, .of which there were about 600 volumes, were destroyed. These, together with papers relating to the selection of la'n'3i'M"r. Young being a large land agent, formed the principal part of the loss, neither being very easily replaced. -We are sorry" to say that Mr. Young's character for uniform kindness and consideration in his office of immigration agent did not prevent some from taking advantage of the confusion necessarily attending such an accident; to lay hands upon all they could that was sufficiently portable to ensure impunity. Many of the books are supposed to have disappeared in this way, as some were seen which had been saved from the flames which are not now forthcoming.

Wednesday last being the 27th of April was the first anniversary of the day on which the preliminary expedition of this settlement left Gravesend. The men in the Company's employ had a holiday upon .the occasion.

The Nymph arrived here on Thursday, loaded with coal and limestone, from Massacre Bay. *We trust that the coal tiade between that place and ' Nelson, as well as the other* ports of New Zealand, will be taken up with spirit.

We are sorry to say that we have heard that the barque Martha Ridgway struck on a rock near the entrance to Port Nicholson. We are not acquainted with particulars, but we believe the damage done is not very great, though. sufficient to render it necessary for her to go to some other port to be, repaired.