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New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 713, 12 February 1853, Page 3

It has been currently reported that his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor was about to proceed this week to the Coromandel district with a view of personally endeavouring to secure the most desirable object of inducing other Native Chiefs, especially Paul, to enter into the arrangements which the Chiefs who arc parlies to the Agreement have assented to, so as to open a more extended field for gold prospectors and diggers. Such we have reason to believe was bis Excellency’s intention ; but it is not improbable that he may think it expedient to defer its execution for the present, in consequence of information which reached (own yesterday evening from the Gold district that Paul absolutely refuses jo enter into terms with any one at least until tnraia’s return from the Hay of Islands where he is nowon a visit to some of the tribes theie. Mr. linen's party had been prospecting on Paul’s land at Wangapo on the Eastern Coast, and had found very good indications. This, however, could not have influenced the Chief’s decision, as although he was aware that a party had been prospecting there, he had no knowledge whatever of the result. It is believed that he is acting on a plan agreed upon between b : m and Tarai a from the commencement. Such facts as this, while they show the solicitude of the Lieutenant-Governor to meet to the utmost of bis power the public desire that every facility may be afforded for the fuller development of the auriferous wealth of the district, show also vciy forcibly the difficulties which he has to encounter in the prosecution of that object, and how unjust and mischievous is the conduct of those whose influence is exerted rather to increase than to smooth down the obstacles in the way of that which they profess to desire. We learn that Mr. Ileaphy’s shaft was at the latest accounts 25 feel deep, and the workers had come again apparently to the old hill-side surface, Specks of gold had been found all the way down. Messrs. Ring’s pit, worked by Mr. McGregor and others, was producing good gold. All the diggers, it appears seem now resolved on sinking to the bed-rock. With a very few exceptions, they had received the Amended Regulations with satisfaction.

At the Waiau, Mr. Humphries and his parly were reported to be doing tolerably well, and some Americans, who bad lately arrived, were active in prospecting.

In looking through our laic Wellington files, we have been rather amused by the style in which our contemporaries there, especially the Independent , have begun to speak of “ the removal of the seat of Government from Auckland to Wellington.” _ They do not treat it even as a qiiTAion still in abeyance; but with the coolest composure assume it as a fact so fully accomplished and admitted that they may employ it as a foundation on which theories and demands relating to other matters may be built. Thus they use it as an argument to strengthen their claim that their good town should be made the port of call for the Panama steamers; and, again, they deduce from it grounds of complaint against the Chief Justice, the AttorneyGeneral, the Colonial Secrslary, and other principal officers of the General Government, because those gentlemen have not already gone to live at Wellington. Now, it may be remarked that even were the scat of Government actually established there, it would not be by any means inevitable that those consequences must follow. lint we would mildly hint to our Southern friends that it really is not so established, and that they may find themselves somewhat in the perdicamonl of the too sanguine little lady in the nursery tale who “counted her chickens before they wore hatched.”

It is quite true that for some twenty or twenty-two months past the Governor-in-Chief has fixed his head quarters in Wellington. He has an undoubted right to remain fora longer or shorter period in whichever of the settlements he judges most in want of his presence; and, apart from all speculations as to Sir George Grey’s personal preferences —(although it would be no matter of surprise if he did not feel particularly attracted towards a locality in which he has met with little but incessant abuse from a bitter and imscru- pulous clique)—sufficient public reasons forhis passing a considerable portion of his time at the South, may be found in the embarrasing condi lion in which the New Zealand Company’s settlements were placed by the surrender of ihe Company’s Charter, the sudden and selfish departure of their Principal Agent, Mr. Fox, w ho took with him the documents without which it was a matter of extreme difficulty to adjust the affairs of the Land Claimants, and the fresh disarrangement—after it was hoped that the way was made clear by the Land Claimants Ordinance—which the New Zealand Settlements Act of 1851 produced. Wherever the Governor-in-Chief resides and issues his Proclamations is, of course, for the time In one sense the scat of Government. But when His Excellency last visited Auckland, he gave a formal denial to ihe rumour that he had changed, or recommended a change of the Scat of Government; and there certainly has been no intimation of any departure from the decision in favour of Auckland which the present Prime Minister, when Secretary for the Colonies, felt justified in advising Her Majesty to sanction. Independently of all this, however, the progress of Auckland, and its existing prosperity,—whether viewed alone or in comparison with the other settlements, —give it a position of eminence and importance from which it cannot be dislodged. Let us commend a fow T undeniable facts to the consideration of all whom they may concern. Two-thirds of the Native population of the colony reside in the Northern District, cultivating its lands, supplying its labour market, and contributing to its Revenue. Without taking into account the European population of the Barrier, the Bay of Islands, Hokianga, &c., one-third of the whole European population of New Zealand live within sight of Auckland ; —upward of eight thousand Europeans living within fourteen mils of the City. Within fifiecn miles of Auckland upwards of 17,000 acres of land are in actual cultivation. Crown Lands have been sold during the last year to the amount of 10,000/. There are belonging to the Port of Auckland alone upwards of 100 Registered Vessels, and upwards of 120 Licensed small craft under 15 tons. Will anv of our Southern

contemporaries lie obliging enough to tell ns flow many of *//c/r Settlements taken together would be required to make up this number ? Seven hundred and forty-one vessels of various sizes were entered at the Auckland Custom [louse as arriving in ibis Port during the last year. In addit’on t this, 1702 Canoes a rived in the Pori, bringing Native Produce valued in the official Returns at 3,564/. The declared value of the- Exports from Auckland for the year 1852 was —51,278/. The Customs Revenue for the June Quarter of 1852 amounted t0—0,140/. 2s. JOd. We refer to this because it is the latest Quarter for which vve have materials of comparison with the South, il having been only in the New Munster Gazette of Dec. 10 that the Returns for June were published. The sums were as follows: — £ s. d. Wellington . 5,180 0 -4 Nelson, . . 778 12 7 Canterbury . 1,220 8 8 Akaroa. . . 104 3 10 Otago . . 400 1 0 Total for those five] « 7-3 |- 2 ports collectively f ’ While Auckland singly (with-'j out taking Russell or Tara- [ iiakij into account) pro- f dticcd J £ 0,140 210 It cannot be said that this was in any degree owing to the residence of the Governor-in-Cliicf, for bis Excellency did not spend an hour in the Settlement during Hie whole year 1852; 11 or can it be in any way attributed to the Gold Discovery, that Discovery not having then been made. In determining where the Seat of Government should be (if it were not already determined in favour of Auckland) such fads as these could not be counterbalanced by the solitary argument which Wellington can advance, viz., its more central geographical position in relation to the newly erected Provinces—an argument which will lose most of such weight as it has on the arrival of the Colonial steamers which, according to the advertisement copied in onr last from the Tin es, must be already on their passage from England. The question might properly be decided by a mere reference to the relative population of the North and the South, for where the greater number of people are to be governed, there obviously should be the Scat of Government. If. in lime, the Wellington Provinces should come lobe preferred by immigrants, so that its population shall out-number that of the North, then, — but not till then—may a claim be reasonably advanced for a removal of the Seat of Government to Wellington. At present, however, the tendency is clearly the other way. And when (0 this vve add the superior commercial and agricultural progress of this Settlement, and the fact—the importance of which is so evident that wo need do no more than name it-—that a Gold Field has been discovered in this district, we can rest secure in the strength of our case, and charitably excuse the notion of onr Southern contemporaries—that Wellington has claims which can for a moment be put into conipciion with these solid and irrefragable reasons why Auckland should continue to be the Seal of Government —by attributing il to those deceptive influences of self-love and self-interest to which all men arc more or less subject.