COLONIAL EXTRACTS.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 36, 12 November 1842, Page 143

COLONIAL EXTRACTS.

The Blow struck. — Lord Stanley's Land Bill, as received from the Commons by the House of Lords, confirms all our worst fears. The upset price of land is never to be less than one pound per acre! It may be raised beyond that, but even her Majesty in her Privy Council is deprived of all power to reduce it. There is, to be sure, a sort of discretionary reduction reserved to her Majesty ; but it is a very curious sort. If the Governor shall have raised the upset price higher than twenty shillings an acre, and such advance shall subsequently be disallowed by her Majesty in Council, her Majesty may then order the price to be reduced, either to the original twenty shilling standard, or to any intermediate sum; and the Governor is thereupon to make compensation to all persons who may have purchased at the disallowed price, such compensation being either a refunding of the amount paid in excess, or an allowance of its equivalent in land. But below the mark of one pound per acre, neither Governor, nor Secretary of State, nor even Majesty itself, — nothing, in fact, short of an act of Parliament, — can ever reduce the upset price of Crown lands. So much the better ! •• When things come to the worst, they must mend." Had the aot only confirmed find perpetuated the existing minimum of 125., the evil might still have remained of a questionable character, and it might have taken an indefinite number of years to convince the Downing-street oracles that the price was too high ; but now, the error is so extreme, so superlatively monstrous, that it will soon cure itself. It will rapidly solve the ministerial problem, and demonstrate, with the incontestable accuracy of a Euclid, the impracticable folly of the whole scheme. At twenty shillings an acre (a few choice spots excepted), there will be no land sales at all — no land fund — no immigration — no revival of our affairs — no hope, save the hope we have referred to as springing out of the very intensity of this legislative blunder. Thus will the Governor be taught a lesson which no arguaeuts, however cogent, no opinions, however much entitled to his respect, have hitherto sufficed to impress upon him. The colonists must of course lament that their rulers should have erred on so momentous a question ; but they have nevertheless reason to rejoice that the error is so gross as to insure its own speedy exposure and redress. — Sydney Herald.

Moreton Bay. — The Sydney Herald states that many persons who purchased land at the government sale have been greatly disappointed on inspecting it. — " Mr. Joiliffe had returned from his exploring expedition in the interior; the river emptying in Wyde Bay extends, he states, to a great distance ; the water averaging from six to seven fathoms in depth, being navigable for vessels of very large burden."

Thk Discovert Ships Terror and Erebus. — These vessels arrived at the Falkland Islands on the Gth Apcil, after a very boisterous season, during which they had again reached the ice barrier, which, they traced for some distance, penetrating as far south as 70 deg. 8 mm., being four miles further to the southward lhan the preceding year. They had suffered considerably in the ice, the Erebus having stove in her larboard iow, and lost her bowsprit anJ two topmasts. The Terror had lost her bowsprit and rudder. Upon reaching the Falkland Islands, the Arion, a vessel of war, was despatched to Rio for fresh spars. She also conveyed despatches for England, and a letter for Sir John Franklin, but these have probably been sent via England. It was Captain Ross's intention to proceed to the southward immediately the summer commences. It is a 1 curious coincidence, that their arrival at the Falki land Islands was exactly a year after their arrival at Van Diemen's Land, having reached on the Gth of April, 1841 and 1842 respectively. The magnetical observations are to be continued three years longer, the results obtained from them being of I the most satisfactory and important nature. — Hobart Town Advertiser. A Useful Hint. — In a late number of the Colonial Gazette, we perceive an article from the pen of Lieutenant Cunningham, R.N., recommending to the Australian colonists the introduction of machinery for spinning wool and manufacturing cloth. The writer observes, that the Chinese are obliged to use the skins of animals for clothing, but would be glad at the opportunity of providing 1 themselves with more comfortable garments made of wool. This suggestion we_deem highly .important and well worthy the serious consideration of the enterprising colonists of Australia Felix. It would afford us all the benefits of a home manufactory of our own staple commodity, such as the employment of a great number of our population who would be of little use in other occupations; it would save the great tronble and expense of ex- j porting raw material, and afterwards importing what cloth we require for our own consumption at a high rate ; and, besides, would be a means of keeping within ourselves specie for the transaction of our mercantile affairs, instead of having to send it to China and other countries in exchange forthei r teas, sugars, and other articles. — Port Phillij) Gaz.

Unemployed Shipping in New York. — The New York Weekly Herald, of the 16th May, contains the following : — " We have been at some ( trouble to obtain a correct list of vessels now in the port. We give below the names of the square riggers, leaving the two hundred and fifty schooners and other small craft to take care of themselves. We find the number of vessels to be uuprecedentedly large. It appears that there are seventy ships, thirty-four .barques, ninety-five brigs, and two hundred and fifty schooners in this city, and sixty-one of all classes lying at Brooklyn ; making, in round numbers, an aggregate of five hundred vessels in the waters of the southern district of New York. One-third of these, or upwards of one hundred and seventy vessels, are lying idle, with no captains, no crew, no freights, and no prospect of getting for some time to come. Most of this number are for ta)e, and no buyers in the market. This is truly a sad sight, and leads yis to reflection the cause of so much stagnation in trade. $t cannot be denied but that this country was never in a more healthy condition- internally than now, with large and increasing crops every year ; yet here we see hundreds of vessels lying idle and rotting at our docks for the want of some business to send them to sea."