ENGLISH EXTRACTS. A PLEA FOR THE COLONIAL-OFFICE. (From the London Examiner.)

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 363, 6 October 1849, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS. A PLEA FOR THE COLONIAL-OFFICE. (From the London Examiner.)

Tbere are forty-three colonies to be governed in different parts of the world, and the department which has to study and direct the management of their affairs is corapoied of one Secretary of State, two Undersecretaries, one Assistant-Secretary, one chief clerk, five ien'ur clerks, and eleven clerks, making sixteen clerks and a staff of five superiors, and in all twentyone penons ; so th«r, setting aiidc the differences of rank, and supposing a perfect division of labour, there is not one- half of an official for every colony, or it would require nn additional half clerk to complete the allowance of a half official to each colony. But dividing the labour between the two classei of fuperiors and clerks, there is one head for every eight colonies and three-fifths, and nearly • clerk, all but a small fraction of a cleik, for every four colonies. So that in round numben, and throwing in ten elevenths of a clerk, four colonies of North America, <he Canadas, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia may, in their share of Colonial administration, boast the service of one clerk, bating ten-elevcnthn of a clerk I If we throw in the five seniors, the account reaches the figure of two clerks and eleven sixteenths of a clerk for a colony. But division of labour with luch large..

remits ia not the system. All the business of all the colonies goei through all the staff department. We must, therefore, take another view of the labours of the office. Each secretary, under-iecretary. assistantlecretary, and chief clerk has to acquaint himself with the affairs of all the forty-three colonies, and to peruse and study every despatch. But even in the Colouialoffice men cannot work for ever, and there muit be pciiods of relaxation. We may then deduct from the time available and applicable to business a week at Easter, another at Whitsuntide, another at Christinas, and six weeks in the autumn recess, making nine weeks, which, subtracted from the 52, leave exactly 43, or a week o( six working days for the affairs of each colony. In six days, then, tin functionaries in the Colonial-office are to make themselves acquainted with the affairs of each colony for the whole year, and to give their counsel on all the intricate questions involved. Now you may go to the pettiest parish in England, and ia six day, you will not be master of ila affairs with personal inspection, and viva voce examinations. But such is the shaie of time that a secretary, under-iecretary, or assistant of the colonial department has to give to each of the co'onies ia different parU of the world. One day he is ia the suows of North America, another he is broiling in the tropics and melting in the lugar distress ; now be is in the Greek Isles, and anon coping w ith Heki in New Zealand. But attention, docs not allow of tuch exact division, and some colonies must have more than their six days' share of attention, some escape it altogether ; and here the interesting question arises whether those that are guided or those that are left to themselves get on the best. We should extremely like to know how a neglected colony fares* if a colony can be neglected ia a department where there are five forty-thirds of a head to look after it, and " do for it," as they phrase it in lodging-home bills.

Colonei. Frkmont's Expedition from the United States to Calitobma.. — To the Editor.—Sir,—As much interest prevails respecting the fate of Colonel Fremont's expedition to the Rocky Mountains, more particularly among the friends of Mr. Cathcart, the Englishman who accompanied it, I have much pleasure in sending you the following extracts from a letter I received from that gentleman this moraing, announcing his safety :— "Taos, New Mexico, Feb. 10, 1849. " After enduring frightful misery ever since the 16th of December, I reached this place to-day, one of the survivors jof Fremont's ill-starred expedition! We lost all our animals (101 mules) in the deep snows among the mountains, 200 miles N.W. of this, and for some time lived on their carcases. No relief (which we had ssnt for) arriving, the last party, twentytwo in number, left the camp, on the Rio del Norte, in. a starting state on ths 16th of January ; ten of our number perished by the 2Hh of the most horrible of all deaths— starvation. What agonies I underwent and witnessed! but God's mercy carried me through, while stronger men died. I wai determine J not to give in till the last, and; thank God, my mental energy never failed. 1 am a perfect skeleton, snow-blind, frostbitten, and hardly able to stand ; but rest will recruit me. I shall, as soon as lam able, return acrois the praries to the States, and thence home. * * To tiic last I carried my rifle and blankets, the only covering I had for two months, living in many feet of snow, with the thermometer below zero. * * Remember me to N. P. and A. What would they say to living on hide and leather for weeks, and then no food for days ? We all scattered when going down the riven, and some of the survivorg fed on' the dead bodies of their com raa "es." I enclose my carJ to attest the authenticity of the above, and remain, Sir, your most obedient servant, C, St. Jamea'i-street, May I. — Times.