LOCAL STEAM NAVIGATION.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 768, 24 August 1853, Page 2

LOCAL STEAM NAVIGATION.

(From the " Nelson Examiner," July 16.) A few weeks ago we communicated tbe pleasing intelligence that Messrs. Willis, of London, were about to despatch two steam -vessels for th:i colony, with the intention that they should ply on the coast of New Zealand; and that the fint vessel, the Nelson, was to leave England early in July. Since making the above announcement, additional particulars respecting the proposed undertaking have come to our knowledge, which we shall now lay before our readers. < . It appears then that thi well-known snipping house of Messrs. Willis, of London, has for some time past been engaged in forming a company to give New Zealand lcCil steam navigation, and that these plans were sufficiendy matured towards the end of last year to induce them to despatch an agent to the colony to visit all the settlements, and make the necessary arrangement for employing the vessels on their arrival. Captain Williams, the gentleman selected asthesgentoi the Company, arrived in Auckland in tbe If mere on the 9th of May, and after remaining there a fortnight came on to Wellington w«• Government brig. , ft There is no public statement, as far as we »w seen, of the manner in which the proposed » blishment of local steam navigation was receive by the mercantile community of Auwan% we have been told that it was viewed »*?**3y and the opinion was, that on the arriva g? second vessel from England, she should w mr ployed in running between that port *"* to bourne. In Wellington, however, the f* was taken up in a much more public meeting of the principal merchants and v was held, to whom Captain Williams *« «"* duced by Messrs. Bethune and Hunter, wneu gentleman stated, as far as he was awe, we *» tions of his employers. "■',, ._„*„ : n wine It now becomes our duly to dissipate uu j degree the pleasing anticipations * ba nsT j. nouncement of an intended locai. 6tea ~y e gation had given rise .to amongst us * - e f QI . that the Company, which was mation in England, has been entirety woiw £ and that although one vessel, despatched for the colony, she wilt not ww by a second, and that the Nelson, oni jer here, will be for sale. Whether or not ttieo g of this vessel will be induced to run fi^j e emcoast of New Zealand, provided I loyment can be found for her, we are uk say, or whether under any circumeww. must be disposed of either in this or t» bouring colonies; we believe (meta ' a^ID ffit of reasonable encouragement, the >e?P keeping her on this coast will be made. The fact, then, stands thus. On or »^ f Ist of July, a splendid new iron stea^ eng ine« tons, fitted with a screw V \c\xdfi ei ' of 70 horse power, and built in the o 1 pressly for the New Zealand coast, w 0 England for Nelson direct. The cOS V o ' ,yll vessel by the time she arrives in the co j,O be about £IO,OOO, and on her arrival Be intended that she shall be offered «»fig*, that a purchaser is not found the she will have to leave the olonv. sho.-t time will now elapse before tbe sff Le here (for if punctual to her tim ?y-|«af° r she is now on her way, and may W . , $ e * early in October), we think the colon«»» Zealand should not run the risk of vices of such a vessel, and that they s ££ io &e no time in taking measures to retain" colony. In the event of its bemg «Mw»r &< clearly that the vessel could find profi***

j oyme nt here, there would, we imagine, be little difficulty in finding purchasers for her should her owners refuse to sail her on their own account. At the meeting at Wellington, to which we have already alludcd,.it was suggested that the Government should give a bonus of £SOOO (to be afterwards diminished yearly), and dispense with the government brig, which at present is costing the colony certainly not less than £2OOO annually. Supposing the General Council to be sitting at the time the Nelson arrives, the question of such a grant may then be brought under its notice; nod should such not be the case, the proprietors, •whoever they may be, will at all events be able to treat with the various Provincial Legislatures, which by that time will, we imagine, be called into existence. Supposing that parties in Nelson become the purchasers of the vessel, or that in conjunction with others they become the owners of her, and that Nelson was allowed to be her beau* quarters, then we conceive an application to the Board of Trustees for assistance from the Kelson Steam Fund would be favourably received, ajfld either in the way 6f a yearly bonus, or a positive grant, some aid from this Fund might fairly be calculated upon. These are intended as iiiere suggestions, but we were anxious to make known the real circumst vnces under which the Nelson will arrive in New Zealand, and to stimulate if possible an eilort to secure her services for the colony, and we hope that we shall see the subject taken up in a proper manner.