STEAM COMMUNICATION IN NEW ZEALAND. [From the " Wellington Spectator." Jan. 18.]

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 512, 12 March 1851, Page 3

STEAM COMMUNICATION IN NEW ZEALAND. [From the " Wellington Spectator." Jan. 18.]

We understand thaf, in consequence of the representations made by Sir George Grey to f,Uc Home Government, tliere is every piobability of the speedy introduction of local steam communication between the different ssttlemeats of New Zealand, and that, possi'ily, the next post from England in«y bring: the welcome intelligence that the steamer which is to be at the disposal of the Local Government, and which will replace the Government Brig, is on her wiy out to the colony. It is impossible to overrate the advantages which the introduction of steam, as the regular and esublished means of communication between the diffeient New Zualand settlements, wi'l confer on the colony, in the stimulus it will give to colonization, in the additional facilities to commerce and business of all kinds, from the certainty, hs well as speed and regularity of communication, a-id in iis agency in promoting civilization among the aboiiginal inhabitants of the country. A recent entertaining writer describes iteam to be the great civilizer of the ni?e. " The paddlewheel," sftVß he, "is the gieat conqueror. Wherever the captain cries, 'Stop her!' cmln-uion stops, and idnds in the 6 h;p's boat, ami makes a permanent acquaintance with the Bivii«es on shore." And if this remark may be made with reference to some of the less highly civilized nations of Em ope, the ob-ervntion^ applies with still greater force to a country like New Zealand. This may be considered as the last nnd crowning effort of his E\cdkncy'a policy in improving the condition of the natives. After hawing moie intimately con* nected them with the Emopeans by opening up the country districts by raeanb of roads, after having taught tiiem the u-e nnd value of European, implements by employing them in the construction of these roadb, nfier having inured them to habits ol continuous labour, and given them a taste (or ai tides of European maimfadure, the introduction of local steam communication peipetuates th-se benefits by enlarging the held oi labour, and by supplying fresh incentives to industiy. The advantages to the colonists are so manifold and obvious, and ha v e so often been enlarged upnn hy us, that we shall merely now direct uUentiui to the effect of steam communication in increasing the ievenue and reducing the expense of Government, while at the same time it increases iis efficiency, and couvuia what is at present the we.ik»e»s of New £ al.uid,—the number ot s atteredhetrlements unconnected with each other,— into its great* st strength by uniting these i-ottlemeins into one prosperous colony. The eMracls from the Times in our piesent nuralwi shew that an earnest and resolute effort is being >i ude in Knglandto connect, by m-ans of steam, the Austvaltan colonies with the mother country, and it oppeais by no means improbable that befoie the c d oi the present year this project muy be matured and the commwuica tion be established by steamers by way of Panama,

This rou!-, by far the most diiecl to the Australian colonies, would lie attended with ueenJiar advantages to New Ze«Unti, which would be the first colony in (he track of t]x><, ( > vessel?. The |>ructieaf question of the greatest interest to he decided would then he whether, these vessels wouil toucii ai WkUnd or at Wellington. Tne centra! position of \Vdlin»ton would almost seem to decide this question in its favour, hut it is impossible to doubt that the considerations most likvly fo twn the scale, are the superior facilities offered by either seUleoieni: for forming a coal cLjj ut. Our fellow settlers at the North t,eetn to be exerting tlienowith laudable industry in aicertaimn^ the qiulity of the coal in their neighbjurhood, and similar efforts should be made in this Province in testing the properties of the coal in the Southern Island, so' that we may be prepared with the necessary information whenever tlie wished for opportunity occurs.