The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 360, 27 September 1849, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Be just and fear not: Let all the enclfa ihou aims't at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 7, 184 9.

The dates of the intelligence which has reached us by the Pilgrim from the Southern Province, are Wellington to the 12th inst., Nelson to the 4th inst., and Otago to the 25th August. Whatever decision may he ultimately arrived at respecting the merits of Mr. Patersons plan for removing the gummy matter from the Phormium Tenax, so as to render the flax fit for extensive exportation, that gentleman's zeal in prosecuting his experiments and liberality in publishing their results, have given an advantageous stimulus to the efforts of other experimentalists who, we are gratified to observe, are striving in honourable rivalry to supply the desideratum so vastly important to the country. The principal new "discoverers," are Mr. Cameron and Mr. Bannister, both of whom exhibited specimens of flax, cleansed by their respective methods, to select meetings in Wellington. Mr. Cameron showed some beautiful samples, perfectly white and silky, and thoroughly divested of the gummy substance. They were prepared, however, from flax which had been previously dressed by the natives, after their method ;— an obvious drawback from the value of the plan, as native dres«ed flax can already be sold at a remunerating price, and can be brought to a high state of finish by soft soap as employed by the late Mr. Partridge. What is wanted is some cheap and simple process by

which employment can be given to the people generally, in fitting the flax to become a marketable article of export. It was calculated that on Mr. Camefon's plan the prepared flax would cost about £33 per ton, and be valued in the English market at about £50. Mr. Bannister showed a specimen in which the fibre appeared to be thoroughly cleansed and uninjured. According to his account, a person may, by his process, by manual labour prepare 10 lbs. of flax in an hour, the materials of which would not cost more than at the rate of twenty I shillings per ton. It is said that common salt was largely used in the experiments, but neither he nor Mr. Cameron showed much willingness to communicate any of their "secrets," without receiving " a batws." At a masting, (on the lOthult.) of the Settler's Constituffonal Association, (which has been laudably turning attention to the subject) Captain Rhodes laid on the table three specimens of flax ; the first cleansed of the outer covering by means of alum and fresh water boiled ; the second by being placed in cold water, and afterwards boiled ; and the third by first boiling salt wate r and then placing the leaf in the pot and boiling it about thirty minutes. The last two were considered first-rate specimens, and several merchants expressed their readiness to purchase any quantity of the flax so prepared. At a more recent meeting (on the 24th ult.) the subject was resumed, and steps taken whicli are thus described in the Independent :—: — " Flax has not been forgotten, and each meeting night specimens have been laid on the table. The most simple, and for that reason the best, method, of cleansing the Flax, is to boil the leaf in fresh water, in which may be placed a small portion of soap, The boiling occupies from 30 to 60 minutes; the flax should then be taken and rubbed by the hand in fresh water, in a similar manner to washing clothes, or it should be beaten in a running stream. The latter method is the most effectual and expeditious. In the meantime the Association has offered a bonus of £5 to the producer of the first ton of marketable flax, by the above method, and a further bonus of £2 10s. for succeeding tons, as far as the funds collected will admit of. The producers are guaranteed a minimum price of £12 per ton, the flax to be sold by auction in the colony, and any sum realized above that amount to go to the manufacturers. So far the Association has taken up the above question in a manner which we trust will be responded to by the entire colony." Though less important than the " Flax question " yet by no means unimportant, is the " iron-sand question," which is engaging the attention of many at Wellington. Several experiments have been made for extracting ore from the iron sand which is found in such abundance at Taranaki, and with encouraging success. Even in a furnace of common bricks, not capable of maintaining a great degree of heat, the metal was run in a state of fusion in twenty minutes. Competent judges say that the iron is of a superior quality, and likely to command a high price. While we ape referring to industrial operations in the colony, it may he in place to notice that we have seen with gratification an announcement of the publication, in a collected form, of the " Hints on the Management of Bees," by the Rev. W. C. Cotton, M.A., which some time time since appeared in a series of papers in the New Zealand Spectator and in our own columns. The value of the work to a New Zealand bee-keeper cannot be over-rated. Politics ran high in the South, principally through the activity of the Settlers' Constitutional Association, which, although it occasionally relaxed into episodical attentions to flax, iron-sand, and similar matters of homely utility, bent its main strength to the more congenial as well as more stern work of agitation against Sir George Grey's government. Its latest and most elaborate endeavour had been to expose and condemn the alleged " misrepresentations" in his Excellency's despatches to the Home Government on the subject of Representative Institutions for New Zealand. " Oui little self-elected Parliament," — (to quote the pet name given to the Association by its own newspaper organ) — had adopted a series of resolutions so voluminous, as to occupy ten mortal columns of the Wellington Inde- , pendent^ of the 29th of August. They were to be forwarded to Earl Grey, through the Governor in-Chief, by the Pilgrim, and a duplicate copy was to go by the William Alfred, by way of Sydney, " to prevent those little accidents which are apt to happen to distasteful documents in their transit through government offices." Copies were also to be sent to leading members of Parliament and others ; and Mr. Clifford and Dr. Evans were deputed to wait on Lord Grey, with documents in support of the statements. That the resolutions are repudiated by one class of the settlers as strongly as they are approved by another, may appear from the unmitigated severity with which the New Zealand Spectator, castigates them and their reputed author, Dr. Featherston. Our contemporary declares, " no one in his sober senses could reasonably hope that such a farrago of misrepresentations, absurdities, and contradictions would pass current with any intelligent person." For our own part, we think of the resolutions— just as we thought of the petition for the Governor's recall lately <

prepared in this town, — that they will make but little impression on the Home Government. In both cases, the accusations are so sweeping and unqualified, the tone is so violent, and the spirit is so undisguisedly one of personal aversion to Sir George Grey, that the authorities of the Colonial Office will not improbably suspect that the representations are not altogether the offspring of pure and disinterested patriotism, but have in some degree been prompted by less elevated motives. Considering that there is a strong belief in Downing-street, — whether well or ill-founded we do not now stop to inquire — that Sir George Grey is one of the ablest and most statesmanlike Governors on the colonial list, and that here he has endured and is enduring not only factious hostility towards his administration, but personal persecution directed against himself individually, we really wonder that the clear headed business men (as some of the leaders of our New Zealand opposition undoubtedly are) do not perceive how palpably and certainly many of their sayings and doings tend to the frustration of their ov n most cherished ends. The Directors of the New Zealand Company have sent out by the Cornwall, a new code of " Pastoral Regulations" which have given little satisfaction to those most immediately interested; indeed they are summarily condemned as vexatious and impracticable. The Nelson Examiner anticipates that they will be " quietly shelved by the agents, until the Directors can be advised of their mischievous cha^racter." The Directors, our contemporary adds, '• are very good men of business, we have no doubt — they are deeply read" in their own ledgers, can buy and sell, underwrite on ships, and do many clever things besides, but we entreat of them to be careful not to meddle with things which it is certain they do not understand." Good advice this ; but like many other pieces of good advice, there is little chance of its being taken. The magnates of Broad Street Buildings are by far too great men to be influenced by remonstrances which have nothing but common sense, local knowledge, and equity to recommend them. A public dinner and -a silver medal had been given to Mr. McDonald, the Manager of the Union Bank, on his removal to Adelaide. His successor, Mr. Raymond, may find it his wisdom to confine himself to the duties of his office, indentifying himself as little as may be with any political party. To be sure, how-r ever, if he should keqp aloof from the arena of party, it may be his lot to leave Wellington un-feted, and medal-less ! The intelligence from Otago represents the immigrants as struggling through the difficulties attendant on their position, with a brave spirit though not without murmuring. Such of them as arrived in the winter months found the pri- , vations necessarily connected with that season in a new settlement greater than they had calculated on. They complain, moreover, of bad roads or no roads at all ; of injustice in the appropriation of reserves ; of the want of a market-place in Dunedin ; and, generally, of disappointment of various hopes they had at home been led to entertain. The Oia^o News which, undaunted by Captain Cargill's paltry and despotic attempt to put it down, continues to speak out manfully, observes, (alluding to the comparison sentimentally, but [inappropriately — almost absurdly — instituted between the honoured "Pilgrim Fathers" and these Otago colonizers), "'The Pilgrim grim Fathers' never sacrificed at the shrine of Mammon so far as to lower themselves to a level with the petty tricks of mere worldly traders. "We are afraid that all the talk we have heard about ' Pilgrim Fathers' — their bright example — their zeal and Christian spirit — is just so much fine glittering dust held out to attract the eye ; but still dust after all — blinding dust." We suspect that the Otago emigrants, like many others, put too much confidence in all they were told at home ; and are now reaping, though in a very mitigated measure as compared with many who preceded them, the fruits of implicit reliance on the rosecoloured representations of the New Zealand Company. We anticipate, however, good days and prosperity for Otago, when— the first difficulties overcome — the national prudence and energy of its shrewd and worthy settlers shall come into fak and full operation.

Amongst the long-winded discussions de omnibus rebus et quibusdam aliis in the Legislative Council of New South Wales, (which seem almost destined to know no end,) two of consideraole interest took place during the first week of the present month ; — one, with respect to a proposition for the foundation of an University in Sydney ; the other, on the propriety of abolishing the Sydney City Corporation. The former subject was brought forward by Mr. Wentworth in an elaborate speech, in which, in addition to general and obvious arguments on the advantages of education of the best kind that could be obtained, he dwelt strongly on the importance of fitting the youth of the colony for those political positions and duties which " the achievement of a responsible government" would devolve upon them. He insisted also on the necessity of a State Endowment, to guard the proposed University against the contingencies connected with proprietary schools and colleges ; and urged that such endowment should be (though partly in money from the revenue,) chiefly by

a government grant of land. In the discussion which ensued, the religious or n on -religious character of the contemplated Institution was the grand point of difference ; — some, with Mr. Wentworth, desiring to confine it merely to secular teaching ; others, insisting so strongly on the introduction of religious instruction, that one memher (Mr. Cowper) declared that he would rather send his son to a Roman Catholic school, than to one from which that was excluded. Ultimately it was agreed to appoint a select committee "to report upon the best means of instituting a University for the promotion of literature and science, to he endowed at the public expense.*' As this committee included the gentlemen who most decidedly opposed each othei in the debate, it is not likely that — however they may all agiee on the abstract desirableness of an University — they will be able to harmonize their views so as to produce any immediately practical result. We may note here the statistics of education in the colony, as given in the course of his speech, by the Colonial Secretary. It appeared from theJßlue Book of 1848, that there were then established 178 government schools, attended by 7,960 boys, and 6,469 girls, making a total of 14,1 59; and that for the maintenance of these schools, the grant from the revenue was £13,840. Besides these, there were 281 private schools, in which there were 4,401 boys, and 4,761 girls ; making a grand total of 23,674 cjhildren in the country receiving in-struction,-'—the population, according to the last census, being 235,000. Mr. Lowe, in bringing forward his motion for the abolition of the Corporation, preferred st long catalogue of charges against that body, of which, only some were — non -collection of the city -rates (a crime of which few corporations are guilty) , and want of care in looking after the collectors; abuse of the day labour system, the men being tenants of the Councillors ; — gross corruption and partiality in the impjovement of the city, the public interest havhg been disregarded, while the interests of individuals of the Council were alone consulted ; — and iniquitous, partial, and illegal imposition of the Lighting and Water rates. Regarding the present system as so bad that it was necessary to " tear it up suddenly, radically, and effectually, and to fill its place with something as totally opposite to it as was possible," he proposed to establish, instead of the City Council, Commissioners — who might be blended with some Board of Works- for the whole colony, so that the city might only be called upon to bear part of the expense. After a warm discussion, the resolution was negatived, and an amendment proposed by Mr. Nichols, asserting the mere truism that the Corporation Act ought to be amended not repealed, was carried by a majority of 15 to 6. This decision was not likely to be generally acceptable out of doors ; as the voice of a large portion of the public, (supposing it to be faithfully echoed by the local press) , either distinctly declared the inefficiency — if not woise — of the City Council, or expressed indifference as to its fate ; although many were far from approving of Mr. Lowes scheme for the appointment of Commissioners to be handsomely paid, and withal to be wholly ip» responsible to the people. The Select Committee on the introduction of Railways into the colony, had reported, andt the Legislative Council had adopted their report and recommendations. The conclusions were substantially as follows : — that the introduction of railways can best be effected by the energy and enterprise of 'private individuals ; but that every facility for their establishment should be afforded by the Legislature and Executive Government, and that it is indispensa.ble to the success of the undertaking, that a guarantee of dividend should be given by the government. That guarantee is to be, not the six per cent per annum, recommended by the resolutions passed last year, nor the five per cent, acquiesced in by the Governor and the Legislative Council, but four per cent. This reduction in the rate of dividend is, however, to be compensated to the subscribers, by an engagement that the guarantee shall be, not for twenty five years, or for any other limited period, but in perpetuity. This rate, permanently secured upon the Crown Land revenue of the colony, with the contingent advantages of the legitimate profits of the undertaking, will probably, — at least by British capitalists — be deemed suffici-i ently attractive. A Bill for incorporating " The Sydney Railway Company," — being the first instance of Australian legislation on this subject — was, on the 4th inst., adopted nem. con> by the Council. The young crops of grain presented every where a healthy and promising appearance. Shearing had commenced in some parts of the colony, and a portion of the new clip was expected to arrive in Sydney in the course of another month. The export trade, especially to California and New Zealand, was brisk. Mr. Hutchinson H. Browne had been gazetted as Government Emigration agent at Sydney.

Mr. Hume, M.P. — At the latest dates this hon. gentleman was unable to attend his parliamentary duties, owing to the serious malady of water in the chest. We should uriaffectedly regret the removal of sturdy and painstaking " Joseph" from active life, for, although many of his movements were erratic, and some of his

principles, — especially on moral and religious subjects — in our humble judgment, fundamentally wrong, yet, on what he would himself call "thetottle ol the whole," he has rendered more real public service than some scores of nambypamby or self-seeking " parliament men " whom it Would be easy to name. Father Mathew.— The " Apostle of Temperance" sailed for his long-promised visit to America on the 1 lth of May. Before his departure he delivered an address in which he stated, amongst his reasons for going, that thexe was little remaining for him to accomplish in Ireland, as the greater part of the people had taken the Total Abstinence Pledge. He proceeded to dwell with feeling on the ravages of famine and disease* and declared that he could not bear to witness the har' rowing scenes of destitution -which the country presented. "I am anxious," he said, "to visit the land where I will behold no Irishman or Irishwoman deprived of the necessaries of life ?jut where I will see all enjoying peace and prosperity under the wings of the American eagle "

California. — We aie informed by Captain Gedge, on the authority of letters brought to 11^ port by the Osprey, and forwarded hence to Hobart Town,- that, at the date of her departure from San Francisco, Van Dieman's Land timber sold at 250 dollars per 1000 feet, (New Zealand timber being more easily wrought would no doubt fetch a higher price*) ; and Van Dieman's shingles at 25 dollars per 1000. The price of potatoes was 320 dollars per ton. It may also interest those ■who are engaged in the construction of portable houses to be told that the most marketable size is 30 feet by 20. Small boats for watermen (ferry-boats) sold at £100 each.