MEETING AT BATH.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 65, 3 June 1843, Page 259

MEETING AT BATH.

[From the New Zealand Journal.] REPORT OF A MEETING HELD AT THE CASTLE AND BALL INN, BATH, NOVEMBER 9, 1842. The chair was taken shortly after two o'clock, by Captain Blundell, late of the 11th Dragoons. Proposed by W. T. Blair, Esq., seconded by Mr. COTTERELL. The Chairman stated that he was quite unprepared for the honour that had been conferred upon him ; that, like the majority of those present, he had himself come for information respecting the colony ; he would, however, willingly discharge th« duties imposed on him. He called upon Mr. James Rundall to explain the advantages of the colony, which he did in a most lucid and impartial statement, the reading of which occupied nearly an hour; and he supported his own opinions by those of practical individuals of the most undoubted veracity, parties who have from time to time visited, or are now settled in, the colony. He mentioned as his authorities, among others, Captain Cook, J. L. Nicholas, Esq., C. P. Darwin, Esq. (naturalist), the Rev. W. Yate (missionary), Dr. Dieffenbach (naturalist), Honourable Mr. Petre, Colonel Wakefield, and many others, both public and private. The whole was listened to with much attention and interest. He particularly dwelt on the subjects of climate, and soil, tbe natives, the productions of whale oil, and bone, fißh, timber, flax, and many other vegetable and mineral productions, drawing attention to tbe enormous increase of the size of vegetables obtained by the colonists since their arrival in the country. He finished his address by pointing, out generally to those who contemplated emigrating the mode of procedure they ought to adopt, according to tbe means at their, disposal.

At the request of the Chairman, Mr. Bennett read a letter from Mr. George Earp, the late member of Council at Auckland, from the district of Wellington. JNIr. Kennett explained that this letter was received by him only the previous day, without any intention on either his part, or that of the writer, that it was to be made public ; as, however, it bore so strong a testimony to the superiority of the colony, he had much pleasure in reading it. We have only room for the following short extract : — " In most colonies there is a probability, or rather a possibility, of success; in New Zealand, with common care and application, there is almost a certainty of success." Mr. Palmer was then introduced to the meeting : he stated that he had been out in the colony, to which he intended returning in the course of a few days ; that he was going out to Nelson as an agricultural settler, having already visited that settlement, and those of Wellington and New Plymouth, and having passed the greater part of the time he was in the country at the last-named settlements. The remarks he had to offer applied principally to them: he fully corroborated the favourable accounts that had already been furnished to the meeting. Several questions were then put to him by different gentlemen present, as to the conduct of the natives, the expense of clearing, and the productiveness of the soil, as well as the healthfulness of the climate, to all of which the most satisfactory answers were elicited, that the natives were on the most friendly terms with the settlers, raised large supplies of potatoes, &c, for them, that the expense of clearing thertimber land was valued at £8 an acre, the fern land at about £2. He had scattered wheat on the ground, which, without having any care bestowed on it, had flourished surprisingly. - A gentleman remarked that he had recently returned from New South Wales j that he had been for a considerable period in Van Diemeh's Land; that the expense of clearing the timber land there was, owing to the extreme hardness of the wood, reckoned at £20 an acre ; and that, in New South Wales, there was already a steady demand for the sawn timber of New Zealand.

Mr. Saunders stated that his brother had gone out to the colony with a strong feeling of hostility to the natives, whom he considered it would be necessary to exterminate, in order to insure the prosperity of the settlers ; he was, however, happy to say, this feeling had been quite done away with, by the good conduct of the natives, the friendly manner in which they received the Europeans, and the valuable services they had rendered them. It was his brother's opinion that the natives set an example worthy of imitation by the whites, some of whom, he regretted to say, had completely lost themselves by their want of adherence to temperate habits. This charge could not be maintained against the former, whose sobriety was combined with industry, leading to the most happy and encouraging results. The Chairman observed that he had satisfied himself as to the dependence which could be placed in the natives, as well as to the earnest attention that had been paid to their interest and welfare ; and were he not fully satisfied on this point, he never would have become a purchaser of land in the colony, which he had recently secured, with the intention of shortly removing to the settlement of Nelson with his family. Captain Stuart then rose to address the meeting. He wished to state as his opinion, from all he had seen and heard (and he had been in most parts of the world), that New Zealand was the only colony in which the rights of the natives were respected, and their interests fairly and honourably considered. He had great pleasure in giving his testimony to this encouraging fact, and he at the same time wished every prosperity might attend the benevolent exertions of those now engaged in so praiseworthy an object.

The following resolution was moved by Mr. Keene, seconded by Mr. Saunders, and carried unanimously : " That, in the opinion of meeting, from the documents read, and statements made in point of health, agriculture, and commerce, the colony of New Zealand is in the highest hegree eligible as a place for emigration." Aftsr unanimously passing a vote of thanks to Mr. James Rundall for the highly valuable and interesting information connected with the colony, ftfrnished by him, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman, for his able conduct in the chair, the meeting separated.

Wheel Cotjltkr fob. Ploughs and Scarifiers. — At the end of a common coulter, instead of its being pointed, is attached a circular wheel, from four to six inches in diameter. It is made of iron, but the circular edge is tipped for half an inch with steel, and made perfectly sharp as a knife. Its circular form, first of all, depresses the vegetable which is meant to be turned in by the breast of the plough, and the edge cuts it as a knife would. Of course it cannot be used in stony land, or very hard clays, but in mixed soils it is an excellent implement. The Company should send out a couple of them to each of their settlements : the cost of them can hardly exceed 10s. each. One of the Directors, Lord Petre, can procure them without difficulty. The tines of scarifiers should be sent to every settlement, but as the second angle depends upon the handle, a complete scarifier should be sent to Wellington as a model to the rest But let the settlers remember that they ate not obliged to continue the form of the frame, but adopt that most convenient to work between the stumps of the trees ; bearing always in mind, that the principle of the scarifier is the two angles, that of the tine, and-that of the handle combined. — New Zealand Journal.

Moral Effects of thk Stags. — It is remarkable how virtuous and generdfato-disposed every one is at a play. We uniformß^applaud what is right, and condemn what is wrong, when it-coiU nothing but a sentiment. — Hazlitt'.- "