THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, November 25, 1843.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 90, 25 November 1843, Page 358

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, November 25, 1843.

Les journaux deviennent plus ne'eessaires a meaure que les hommes sont plus dgaux, et 1' individualisme plus a craindre. Cc serait diminuer leur importance que de croire qu' Us ne servent qu' a garantir la liberty : ils maintiennent la civilisation.

De Toco.uevii.le.

De la Democratic en Amerique, tomt 4, p. 220*.

Journals become more necessary as men become more equal, and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importtnee to suppose that they serve only to stcure liberty : they maintain civilization. De TocaosyiLLC. Of Democracy in America, vol . 4, p. 203.

Our readers are aware that a change has recently been made in the rates of postage in this colony. A few weeks since we published the new scale, furnished by the authorities at home, but, up to the present moment, we have met with no one who can say he understands it. We have been the more earnest in our inquiry, as the prepayment of a penny on every copy of our paper sent to England, and the payment of a penny on every Australian and New Zea-land-paper we receive, is a serious addition to the expenses of our small establishment. It is somewhat singular, after the postage reform which has been effected in England, and the desire which has been professed of giving every facility to the circulation of information, that the home authorities should be behind our Local Government in liberality in this matter, and impose a tax which the latter deemed impolitic. In South Australia a penny is levied on all newspapers -brought into that colony, excepting such as are addressed to the proprietors of newspapers, which pass free. Our late Postage Ordinance was decidedly preferable to the present regulation, which (so far as it is at present understood) is as vexatious in its application as it is unjust in its principle.

On Tuesday last the County Court was opened in due form by the Judge, C. B. Brewer, Esq. Solicitors were in attendance, but no business was done, for not a single writ had been issued. The would-be suitors are numerous, but they are frightened at the enormous expenses ; consequently, the institution, as a court of justice, is a positive failure, and serves no other purpose than to increase the patronage and expenditure of the thing called a Government.

A Powder Magazine has been erected ■ on the Boulder Bank which forms the harbour. As a place of safety against accident by fire, a better situation could not have been chosen. It stands on an island, and has no' building of any description near it. Whether the situation is as safe in other respects we will not undertake to say.

A party of gentlemen, including the Company's Chief Surveyor,- will start for the Wairoo early in the ensuing week, by the newly-discovered route. If a road bY practicable, we presume it will be commenced without loss of time ; for certainly no similar extent of such valuable land lies within the same distance, which, if a road be made, will be but a moderate day's journey on horseback.