AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16, 1853,

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 714, 16 February 1853, Page 3

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16, 1853,

A Government Ga:elle issued yesterday contains a document which merits the best attention of the reader, and will prove most gratifying to all who feel an interest in the advancement of this District. We allude to the Resident Magistrate's "Return showing the Comparative State of Population, Produce, and Stock, within a Radius of Fourteen Miles of the City of Auckland for the Years 1831 and 1852." It has evidently been compiled with the most painstaking assiduity, and furnishes a great variety of information so judiciously classified and arranged as to aflbrd every facility for reference. As the Table will be found in exten&o in another page, we shall here only generally notice two or three of the principal features which it exhibits.

We have the gratification of finding that the statements which we recently made respecting the agricultural progress of the District are more than borne out by the details here officially given. In 1851, the total number of acres in crop was 9,707, and of acres fenced in, 12,216. These figures showed a very encouraging advance on previous, years, but the progress which they manifested seems as a trifle compared with that made in 1852, in which we find seventeen thousand, two hundred and ninety-nine acres in crop, and twenty thousand, two hundred and seven acres fenced in. Perhaps it would not be possible to name another district in any colony in which so large a proportionate increase in actual cultivation of the soil was effected in a single year; and, without any ill-feeling towards our Southern friends, we cannot but express a wish that when next they put forward their vaunts as to the right of Wellington to be the Seat of Government, they would favour the public with some statistics like those which we summed up in our last, and which the Return now published abundantly confirms in one of its most important branches. It will be noticed that while a large portion of the increased cultivation is in pasture, there is a marked increase (upwards of 350 acres) in the quantity of potato cultivation ; and that crop is one for which a large and profitable market is now open in Australia. Rut the most satisfactory item of the whole is the very striking increase in the cultivation of Wheat. In 1851 we were glad to see so much as 835 acres under this crop, but in 4852 we find no less than 1,558 acres of wheat reported. We have before recorded the flourishing appearance of this year's wheat crop, and we are happy to learn that the promise of a rich harvest has been abun-

dantly realized, and that our farmers have reason to be more than satisfied—to be very thankful —for the result of their exertions, and stimulated to renewed and augmented effort in future.

Such, we have no doubt, will be the case, for the agricultural improvement which this Return exhibits is not any sudden and fleeting spasmodic action, produced by casual circumstances. It is simply the fair development of one year's progress, which we may reasonably expect will continue in a still increasing ratio as the capabilities of the district become better known, and more fully rendered available.

Wo, somo time since, ventured to predict that, notwithstanding all the gloomy things said about the numbers leaving the district for the Australian Gold Field, yet our population would be found to have suffered no real diminution at the end of the year. The Return shows a positive increase, there being, instead of 7742 as in 1851, a population amounting to 8061. This number, it is to be remembered, does not include the military and their families—and, we need scarcely say, does not include the natives, — but is to be taken as showing the bona fide European population of the district. The Gazette also contains various official documents in relation to the Passengers' Act, and the desertion of seamen from Merchant Vessels; a Regulation respecting the issue of Tobacco, duty free, for sheep-washing;— a short Report from Dr. Ralph, of Wellington, on Auckland Gold, the substance of which is that that gentleman could not detect any silver in the specimens submitted to him for examination; —a notice of a Meeting of Magistrates to be held on the Ist of March for the Transfer of Publicans Licenses; the appointment of Monday the 21st instant for the election of Wardens for the Hundred of Otahuhu ; —and the Amount of the Receipts and Expenditure of the Wardens of the Hundred of Auckland for Hie year 1852. Most of these articles will be found in our other columns.

We have seen a very well executed " Plan of the Auckland District, showing the position of the recently discovered Gold Fields," which has just been published for Messrs. Connell and Ridings, and, we believe, is chiefly designed to accompany the " Gold Circulars" which they expect to issue as the fruits of the Gold Discovery may continue to be realized. The Plan extends from the Waikato River on the South to the Barrier Islands on the North, and from Mercury Bay on the East to Kaipara Harbour on the West. The Pensioner Villages are coloured green ; and the Coromandel Gold Field marked by its appropriate yellow. The Plan has been sketched by Mr. Heaphy, and lithographed by Mr. J. Allan of Sydney; and in its correctness and neatness it reflects no little credit on all concerned in its production and is calculated to be botfi interesting and useful.

The papers which have recently reached us contain a considerable amount of intelligence from Victoria, in addition to those more immediately striking facts which have already more or less fully appeared in our columns. Some of the most interesting portions of this intelligence \\c now proceed to select and condense. The dates come down to the 25th of January. The Revenue Returns for the last quarter of 1852 afforded undeniable evidence of the financial prosperity of the colony. The December quarter's Income amounted to 597,324/., being an increase of no less than 514 per cent, on the corresponding quarter of 185!. It was noticed as even a more striking fact, in proof of a continued augmentation of the rale of increase, that, although the December quarter of 1851 was the first in which a revenue was derived from gold, yet the increase in that quarter above the preceding one was not equal to the increase in the December quarter of 1852 above the preceding September. It was calculated that the Income for the year 1853 would be at least 2,000,000/.

With such a prospect, the Estimates were brought forward with little alteration from the scale fixed on at first, all hough the rejection of the Gold Export Bill had diminished the Revenue anticipated as probable when they were prepared, by 575,000/. And the Legislative Council seemed disposed to vote away money with open-handed liberality. The Lieutenant-Governor's salary was raised to 5,000/. per annum, and amongst the grants were, 40,000/. for a new Government House, 10,000/. for a new House for the meetings of the Legislative Council, 20,000/. for the buildings for a contemplated University on the plan of that lately established at Sydney, and 10,000/. for a Fever and Cholera Hospital. A vigorous effort had been made by the advocates of Voluntaryism to induce the Council to abolish grants for religious purposes; but, not only was this proposition rejected, but there appeared a manifest reaction in favour of the grants, as a Bill had been introduced, and had passed the second reading, providing that the sum devoted to religious purposes, under Sir Richard Bourkc's Church Act, should, during 1855, be increased from 6,000/. to 50,000/. The plan proposed in this measure was that double the amount raised by voluntary effort should be granted; that at least one sixth of the Seats in the Church should bo free; and that the maximum paid to any clergyman from the public funds should be 400/. per annum. The Mailland Mercury observes that, in the course of the discussion on this subject, "the example of South Australia, as adopting the voluntary principle and refusing all state support to religion, was referred to with approval by a few of the members, but the great majority considered the experience of South Australia showed the failure of the voluntary system there, I some even that opposed the increase joining in this expression of opinion." i A Select Committee on Education had presented a report which had been looked for \ with considerable interest by the supporters of the National and Denominational School Systems respectively. The following ; is given as a sunmary of its contents : " It is a document of considerable ability, signed by Dr. Murphy, the Chairman, but lead-

ing to a somewhat unexpected conclusion. The committee slate that having examined numerous witnesses, supporters of the two systems now in force, they find the differences so warmly dwelt upon, and so much strong feeling expressed, that Ihey regard it as hopeless to attempt to frame any system as a compromise between the two, which many persons had hoped for. Failing this, therefore, they recommend that both systems be abolished, and a new one substituted, which should be declared the only one entitled to receive public aid. Their new system, entitled the " Public School System," the committee say is based in lis main features on that adopted by the Education Committee of the Privy Council in England. Under it the principles of conformity insisted on would be few and simple; they are—the free and instant admission of inspection at all limes by the appointed inspectors ; the pledge to use no compulsion to make any child receive religious leaching; and that not less than four hours a day be devoted to secular teaching. The kind and extent of religious leaching, and the mode of applying it, is thus left to be fixed by the promoters of each individual school, without interference or control; the Board of Education itself not undertaking to to initiate any but normal or training schools, and requiring in Ihc teachers only satisfactory efficiency in imparting a literary and moral education. To work this system a board of four laymen to be appointed by Government, as Commissioners of Education, who are to employ one chief inspector of schools, and three or more inspectors, of sufficient literary qualifications ; the cbief inspector to be a member of the board, and their executive officer."

Amongst the other Legislative proceedings we notice that the Government had brought forward a Bill for Licensing Public Houses at the Diggings. This had encountered earnest opposition, both in and out of the Council, and at a meeting to petition against it, held in the Temperance Hall, on the 19th ult., a long and eloquent letter was read, from Chief Justice a'Beckelt, which concluded as follows:

" Such, sir, arc my sentiments on the subject of to-night's meeting. 1 have stated them fully and explicitly, because I feel that at this critical juncture, I have no excuse for reserve. Far enough over (lie land already is the shadow cast by intemperance, but from (he day when publichouses are established at (he Diggings, it will advance with rapid and gigantic strides. No longer shall wc hear of the peace and order which up to this moment have, upon the whole, been maintained there. The moral atmosphere around them will soon grow 100 dark and baleful to be inhaled without contamination. The hot blast of our parching winds may for a time scatter blight and desolation in its withering career, but tbe sky they have for awhile overcast soon re-brightens, and nature and man speedily recover from the effects of the temporary visitation. Uut moral evil is not thus repaired, is not thus Heeling, and if it once takes root at the Diggings in the shape which it threatens to assume under the auspices of Ihe proposed Bill, the contagion will spread like a consuming fire, till Ihe hell, some as yet falsely describe them to be, exists in reality, and the crowning calamity will have been put lo the many wc have already had lo endure from what will then, if not now, he truly designated the ACCURSED DISCOVERY OF GOLD,

I remain, Sir, yours, etc., Wll-LIAM aBeCKETT."

The second reading of the Bill was carried, however, by a majority of 10 to 5, and at.our last dales the various clauses had been agreed to in Conmiitlce with little or no discussion. The Lieutenant-Governor had announced to the Legislature that he had recommended to the Secretary of State to sanction a permanent guarantee of the first 4,000,000/. subscribed towards the capital of a Company for making a railroad from Melbourne to the Murray.

The Argus assumes that, within the year, more than 80,000 souls from all quarters of the world have landed on the shores of Victoria, and calculates the entire population of the colony at present at 200,000. It is admitted by the papers however, and is fully corroborated by our information from private sources, that great numbers are leaving Port Phillip, and that " iho tide is decidedly turning."

Nor can we wonder that this should be the case, when we consider the privations, toils, and dangers into which the multitudes who have flocked to its shores have found themselves plunged. The Argus says,— "This immense influx, while it has given an impulse to our progress unprecedented in colonial history, has been attended with much inconvenience to the entire community, and especially to persons newly arrived. The appliances of social life have not kept pace with the rapidly increasing population. Nor was it possible. In a young colony, and in circumstances of such unexampled emergency, there must of necessity be a deficiency of the most ordinary social conveniences." We have frequently quoted instances of the sufferings of immigrants at Melbourne, through want of lodging-and other most indispensable accommodations. The sanitary state of the city is painfully exhibited in a report by two medical inspectors on Bourke Ward, which, we are told, "gives a most disgusting picture of ihc ruekiug filthiness in which nmny of the small lanes and rights of way in that Ward are allowed to remain, all of them being densely inhabited." The Argus of the 7th iilt., contains a Petition to the Licut.Governor from the dwellers in " the City of the Tents"—the South Yarra Encampment —earnestly complaining of the additional sufferings they apprehended from an official order that all wooden portions of their tents should be pulled down. They plead that " Melbourne is already crowded to an alarming extent, so that no sheltering home can be had there under any circumstances;"— that "some thousands of the inmates of the tents are women and young children, many of whom have been nurtured in warm and comfortable homes;"—that '* the privations to which they are at present subjected are committing fearful inroads on their health ;" -and that "Medical men have been consulted whose opinions are unanimous that the effects of the sun reflecting through the canvas ! as well as the wind, rain, and dust, arc proI ducing fevers ; and diarrhoea and dysentery prevail to an alarming extent." The modest prayer of this Petition is that His Excellency I "would allow deal boards to be used!" Surely, reality here surpasses romance, and this affecting Memorial speaks volumes on the price to be paid in the pursuit of gold ! Nor is this all:—the insecurity of life and : property form an important feature in the

picture. One of the Jast papers contains indeed an "advertisement," signed by several ministers and others at Mount Alexander, declaring that many of the reports of the outrages at the diggings "were untrue, and very many distorted, exaggerations," and urging that the gold fields are not so bad as Melbourne in this respect. But whatever weight these representations may claim, we have before us in the journals circumstantial details—giving dates, names, localities, and other particulars —of murders (some at the Ovens of revolting atrocity), of bushranging, and of crime in various forms, which unhappily form a more than sufficiently black catalogue without the addition of any "untruths" or "exaggerations," supposing (which we do not question) that many such have been circulated.

As respects the City itself, the Melbourne Morning Herald of the 19th lilt., gives the following painfully significant statement :

Hun Majesty's Gaol, Melbourne. —On inquiry at the Melbourne Gaol, yesterday, we ascertained that there were three hundred and thirty-six prisoners confined within its walls, three hundred and seven males, and twentynine females, who may be Ihus classed : —For trial, sixty-three males, and Iwo females; remanded, eleven males and two females; other stations five; road gang, twenty-eight; hard labor, eighty-five males and twelve females; imprisonment, eighty-nine males and twelve females; lunatics, twenty-six males and one female. The next criminal Sessions will be an exceedingly heavy one, not only as regards the number but the nature of the offences.

The Band of the 58th Regiment will perform the following pieces of Music, in the Government Lawn, to-morrow (Thursday) afternoon, from four to six. PEOGBIMUB Overture Op. " The Fair Maid of Perth"...Wnddell Selection Op. <• II Flauto Magico" Mozart. Quartetto Op. " I Puritani" Bellini. Cavatina Op. " I Lombardi" Verdi. Quadrille " Ernani" Jullien. Polks " Cavallerie," Berte. Gallopade C. W. Y. Stier. Grand Spanish March arranged by D. Dariea. »l ■ 1 111 IMIMiMMMMJMMW———^I