NELSON. [From the "Nelson Examiner," March 16.]

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 425, 11 May 1850, Page 3

NELSON. [From the " Nelson Examiner," March 16.]

We print to day a despatch from the directors of the l^ew Zealand Company to their Principal Agent, relative to the Trust Funds of this settlement- This despatch was communicated by the Resident Agent to a meeting of the landowners, held ou Tuesday last pursuant to advertisement; and at an open meeting of landowners and others, which took place on the same day, a resolution wai p&ssed requesting the Resident Agent to allow the document to be published. We gladly give up the necessary space, not only became the subject involved is one of paramount im» portauce to the interests of all classes of settlers, but because it is essential to the proper consideration of it that none but authentic information should be before the public; and because it is only fair to the Company to give their own statement of the case, and not sub* ject it to the possible misrepresentations of mere report. We assume that most of our readers arc aware of what the upshot of the New Zealand Company's comnjinieation really is : and in fact it has been so warmly debated already, that it may seem almost unecccisary for us to do moie than refer briefly to the chief points of the despatch. Still, there is always something wanting in the verbal discussion of any question. Speakers often allow themselves to be carried away from strict logical application to their subject; and hearers yet oftener accept what is said to them, being glad to me themielvei the trouble of thinking upen

it. We purpose therefore, in a spirit of as much impartiality as we are capable of nnder «he circumstances, to examine in this journal the position in which the whole settlement 13 now placed by the Company's con. duct, and if it be possible to discover a means of getting out of the acrapo ; and as we shall endeavour to keep the matter before the public for tome time, we invite all those who take a sincere interest in it, to favour us with their opiniotu and suggestions, and contribute their aid to overcome the difficulty in which we all stand. The Trust Fund mirage has now for nearly three ye&rs, tantalised our imagination and mocked our desires in the desert of expectancy. It was created (in our fancy) by the 18th resolution of July, 1847, when every one declared it to be a real spring, from which the settlement would derive new life. It first visibly appeared to us, in the far horizon, in the shape of the Company's assent to the July scheme, and the hope of reaching it redoubled our efforts to vanquish the obstacles still in our way. Stumbling over the dispute about Town re-selections through the Rural choices ; driving an oft-refused bargain with the redoubtable tribe of Waitohi ; carrying on civil war (or an uncivil) about scarce pasture (getting, by-the-bye, much scarer) ; leaving these things for a while to fight a horde of Nominee ogres hard by • helping Ourselves, and each other, to lots of suburban land, so called ; coming unexpectedly upon the California of compensation, and resting complacently for awhile at its rich " diggings ;" then starting off to lay out a new town for fresh pilgrims, who might wend their way after us ; and finally, appointing a chosen number of trustees and managers for vi. as the last step we had to take, the last wonderful feat we knight errants had to perfoim :— through all these vicissitudes and troubles,

Per varios casus, por tot disci imina rerum, wo never lost sight of that glowing mirage that was, we thought, to be our exceeding great reward,' and was to give us refreshment and repose after our labour of years. Now and then it waxed bright, when the Company's promises to give us ample accounts ihed for a moment anew light upon it: then again it waned in the distance, as these promises remained unfulfilled, and vessel after vessel arrived without any tidings. Thus it appeared uncertain at various times, till on a sadden we felt certain it was no mirage, but a reality : —this was when Company Sahib told us they had actually come to a satisfactory Report upon it :— but like all mirages, 'this last and brightest appearance, which was most full of hopp aud comfort to the sight, was the falsest and mott illusory of all. And so we find at last, there is nothing but u glare of sund, and no present way to be seen out of the wilderness. The Company, after three years of expectation on our part, and promises on theirs, have now written out to say that,upon|good advice, they must declinejbanding over the Trust Funds to the Board of Trustees recently appointed, Simultaneously there comes a report from Wellington, having some appearance of truth that the Company had determined to break up at the end of their term, nnd instructed their A&ents to prepare everything for the transfer to the Government, So we indeed fear, " it is true— without any slips of prolixity, or crossing the plain highway of talk— that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio — O that we had a title good enough to keep his name company !'' will never let us see the money. The Trußt Funds, and the hope we had of posstssing them, will melt inlo thin air, like the baseless fabric of any other vision, unless we both apply onrselves to understand our position exactly, and are resolute and united in the enforcement of our rights. And it must not be forgoltyn that, as we have had to light every battle yet by ourselves, and have only received aid and encouragement from others when we had shown the way to victory in the advantages of which they were to participate, so we shall, in all probability, have to fight thib battle for advantage to ourselves, not merely without any encouragement from, but in resistence to, powerful men aud powerful interests. . The disposal of the Trust Funds by ourselves, for the benefit; of the place in which we live, was the only stipulation of the July scheme which excluded the Company and the absentee proprietors from direct participation. True, it was agreed that they should be represented in the matter, but i epresented by residents in Nelson ;— they were absolutely excluded from any longer disposing of the funds in England. This vusthe condition of unanimity in June 1 847; tbii was the consideration for the resident landpurchassrs waiving, a short time afterwards, the claim they bad for money compentaiion, and accepting land instead ; this was the reason for the coramnity tacitly consenting to cut the settlement dowiijto one-half for the benefit of a single class. We all said, " give u» the Tiust Funds, ar-id we will cry quits ; we bad rather have half a loaf now, than starve any longer with these Funds in our hands." Can it be supposed fur a moment that the scheme of July would have been agreed to, but for this stipulation ? Never. Neither the landowners or the other settlers would have dreamed of even proposing the scheme without it. And not only this, the community generally, who of right had a voice in the matter equal to that of the landowner*, were content to let the appointment ot the Trustees to vrhom the funds were to be handed over, rest entirely with landowners, only because they would not risk any deluy in bringing the scheme into operation by encumbering the question with any claims of their own. They singly wished the Funds to be in the settlement by whatever means, trusting to the justice of the purchasers to recognise their claims at a future moment : and, it may not be out of place to say, that their confidence was justified, as was shown by the proposals of the recenc Committee for the construction of the Trust Board hereafter. And now how is the settlement placed ? After the Company has succeeded in evading money compensation to the colonists, though it has itself received mouey-compensatioH from the Government to the tune of some hundred thousand pounds ; after the Absentee and Resident landowner! have divided every inch of good land amongst themselves, in a perhaps just fulfilment of their original purchases, and have rendered utterly impossible the growth of the settlement on the terms, upon the faith of which the other classes of settlers came out ;— these other classes, who let the Company and the landowncers have their own wag on the sole condition of the wretched balance of the Trust Funds being given to the settlemei t, may, and in all probability will, find it a desperately hard struggle to fight for the only thing that now remains to be had in the way of benefit for themselves ; and, *j we said before, jnay find arrayed against them powerful men in England, who, being already satisfied themselves, may nnitc to prevent the colonists getting any* thing. Indeed, we have a hint of the sort in tuc documents we publish to-day, for the Company'B solicitors take upon themselves to say, that several of the Absentee landowners object to tho Funds being handed over. Did they object to the proviiious of the July scheme, which gave them large advantages at our cost ? Not that we give much crsdit to thin " objection," or cun consider it other than a cunning introduction by lawyers to throw dust in people's eyes, *s if, forsooth, we did not know how " case*" arc got up by attorneys, to obtain counsel's opinion junt tho way

they want it. But still, when such indications of re•istance are alluded (o, we are bound to meet, that we may combat them. In standing', as we at] do, then, " nithin this danger," the only chance of overcoming it lies in the non. landowners as well ai in the landowners in Nelson, making common cause, and finding the money fliat xill be required for a contest, There is to be another open meeting on Thursday next, and we trust a fuller attendance than heretofore will prove both the reality of the intcreit taken in the matter, and the determination of the tetters to go through it.

Education \l.— The Rev. Charles John Abraham, B. D., Fellow of King's College, and one of the ancient mastersof Eton College, ia about to give himself to the service of the Chnrch in New Zealand. The post that he is to assume is that of Vice -principal of Saint John's College under the Bishop of the diocese. The pupils of the reverend gentloman are now engaged in raising a sum for the foundation of a scholarship in St. John's College, about j£2oo of which has been contributed by the under-graduates of Christ-Church, Oxford. — Cambridge Chronicle. Club -House for the Working Classes. — A most important movement is now being made amongst the working classes of the Metropolis for the erection and establishment of houses which shall combine the advantages of a lodging-house and club-house, and shall also be adapted by individuals for the purpose of, their reipective trades, when practicable. A very numerous meeting of matters and journeymen bakers vt»s held on the first instant at the Argyle Rooms, Liverpool - street, King's - cross, for the purpose of' promoting this object, when it was proposed to establish, in the neighbourhood of King's-crosi, a distinct club-house for the trade. The plan being unanimously approv«d of, a committee was appointed to carry it into effect. The proposal was, to have a building of sufficient dimensions to contain fifty or sixty bed rooms, for each of which a charge was to be made of 2s. per week. There were to be warm and cold baths, the charge for the former to be one penny, and for the latter one halfpenny. All the daily newspapers and a select library was to be provided, and there was to be a reading and coffeeiroom. The expenses were estimated at about £300, and the income at i? 365 per annum — leaving a balance in favour of the speculation of £65. It was stated that there was no doubt that the Association for Improving the Dwelling Houses of the Industrious Classes would advance the money to complete the undertaking. Dr. Guy, who has taken an active part in the establishment of model lodginghouses, ia zealous in promoting the present plan ; he attended at the meeting, and speaking in support of it, referred to the great benefits that had been derived in a sanitary point of view from model lodging-houses, he instanced that in KingWoad, St. Pancras— there, were 300 sets of bed-rooms, occupied by 1,530 persons, who scarcely ever required medical assistance ; and stated that there bad not been a single case of cholera there during' the visitations of the epidemic. The amount of deaths, especially among infants, had also been much below the average. — Swiday limes. A Nkw Vegetable. —As a specimen of the stories afloat regarding the peregrinations of the Royal 1 party in the vicinity of their Highland residence, we give the following from a vernacular correspondent of the SJontrose Standard, We copy it word for woid :—: — " HerMai jestie sometime s gangs into ither folk's houses. Wheel, her an' the Prince gaeii iato an auld ' omans's hause last week wha bides about a mile frae the Castle. The wifie kent them brawly, aa' bade them sit down. They accepted the invatuihon, un kindly i|»eired for her welfare. After lookm' roun' the house, an' particularly on the fireplace on the fl^or (naegraic, ye ken, but just a wee bid holie, aa' a sod or twa roun' tke bodoin o' a little kail pottie), the Prince said , 1{ Gif if it be uae ill manners to speir, fat are ye to dine upon the day ? Fat are ye boilin' in yer pot?' The auld wifie said, 'In me pat ? Ou, there's neeps intil't, an' carrotts intil't, an' — 'Stop, stop 1' said Her Maijestie, 'What kind of a vegetable is intii't ?' 'Intil't,' replied the ould 'oman, • stonUhed at the question ; ' Intil't ? Ou, pUise ydur Maijestie, nane ava, but jist that theses neeps intil't, and carrots intil't.' ' Beg your pardon, my good wo» man/ said Her Majesty : ' tell me what vegetables you mean by intil't.' ' Intil't ! intil't I' replied the woman, holding up her hands in surprise, and begining to lecture in her loof with her finger; • inlil't, intil't, Lord keep your Maijestie, just intil't ; there* carrots intil't, an neeps intil't, an' leeks intil't, an, a gie cum barley iniil't, a' tha9 things are intil't, an' ye see brawlv | that the patties on the fire, hinging on the crook.' 1 1 see the pot,' said the Prince, 'but we are fairly at a loss to know what you mean by one vegetable in it, which you call intil'c' 'Bless your heart 1' replied the wife * intil't's nae 'i the pat; tier's intil't's an' carrots intii't, an' leeks, au'— — — , Here the woman was interrupted by her Majesty, who could contain herself no longer, but rose to her feet and ran to the door, being ready to burst with laughter, and she wa* followed by the Prince, who left the woman standing on the floor with her finger in her loof. and the words ' Carrots intil't' slicking between her teeth."—Edinburgh, Advertiser.

Understanding Him too Literally.— An aged minuter was officiating for the first time at a public ■ervice of a congregation who had been accustomed to have the " hy ami lined," as it is termed. The venerable old man could not tea distinctly, and deiigned to dispense with reading. To announce his purpose, he arose and said—

" My eyes are dim, I cannot tee." and immediately the chorntirs commenced singing the line to the tune of "Old Hundred." Surprise and mortification rendered the minister almost speechless, but he maiwged to stammer out— " I meant but an apology" This line was immediately sung by the congregation ; and the minister, now quite excited, exclaimed — | " Forbear, I pray—my sight is dim !" but the singing proceeded, and the couplet was finished by his troubled and beseeching explanation. " I do not mean to read a hymn." Strange as it may seem, this was also sung with uiuoli energy, and the worthy old gentleman sat down in despair. — Southern Litei art/ Gazette (U.S.) I