NEW SOUTH WALES AND NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 793, 19 November 1853, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES AND NEW ZEALAND.

(From 1 lie “Sydney Oilolkt, I I.) The Government of New Zealand having sel a liberal example in (heir new land system to (he neighbouring colonies, are now, we perceive, taking another important step in advance of them with judicious measures of colonization. The last mail from Auckland publishes two proclamations authorising (lie territorial revenues to be apportioned and applied to objects which cannot fail to he directly and permanently most conducive to the prosperity of those islands. All the proceeds of the sale and leases of the public lands, with the exception in certain districts of one portion set aside temporarily to pay off the incumbrance of the New Zealand Company, is to he directly re-invested in the lands in opening up the country for settlers, and giving impetus to the working of the land system. This is practically what these proclamations amount to. A portion of flu; money is to he employed in purchasing territory from the aborigines and in the maintenance of an effective surveying department. The rest goes to (he credit of the province in which it was raised, for local improvement, and partly for immigration, if this should be deemed a profitable use of a part of it, not exceeding one-half, by the provincial council. These arc the general rules laid down for the appropriation of the land revenue. But in addition (here is a special clause of deeper and more particular effect than all the others, which appears to us to be stamped with a singular degree of originality. It is this :—“ If any portion of the province is proclaimed a Hundred, nothing contained in the foregoing paragraphs will prevent the Governor, under the authority of the royal instructions of August, 18')0, from authorising the application of any portion not exceeding one-third of the gross proceeds of the sales of Crown Lands within such Hundred, to such purpose as shall he signified to him by (he wardens of that Hundred.”

In considering these measures, (here is one idea which, at first sight, presents itself. This colony of New Zealand has a real Government. Whether (he measures he the best or not, at least here arc men with sonic higher conception of the functions of Government Ilian silling in the slough of official routine. They do not suppose, nor are they content, that the business of Government should he performed for the most part by a plausible tongue, whilst waste and disorder prevail in every department of the public service, and some of the most important interests of (he colony are visibly dwindling away. They at least have their minds and (heir hands in the work, labouring not merely to preserve established interests from declining, but to advance them, and to plant new interests in waste places. If Hie colony has prospered so much under the exertions of an energetic Government, how is the prosperity of this colony, when the tide of population has ebbed, to abide under a sluggish and incompetent one? Or how much has our prosperity been already retarded by sluggishness and incorapetency, compared; with the progress \\c might have made- with *

Government like that of New Zealand, industrious and eager to advance every interest of the community with their own hands. Another consideration which presents itself on looking into those proclamations, is the confidence which a Government may inspire by being strictly'business-like in their transactions. It is directed by one of the clauses (hat, after setting aside a specified sum for the payment of certain necessary official expenses, the proceeds of (he sale of lands shall he lodged to the credit of the Province in the bank, at the close ofevery month; and, again, in the department of Customs, and other items of the general revenue, the balance in hand shall he lodged in like manner ot the close of every week. The money will he then to the credit of (lie real proprietor ; thus there will be no room for suspicion of its being wasted, or its sticking to the palms and the pockets of those official persons who kindly undertake (he unnecessary trouble of (he charge of it, for a longer lime than the public actually require.

But as to the nature of the measures, as well as the character of the men, it appears to us difficult, to conceive any that could be better adapted to the condition of a new country. The principal of local self-government, which is the only one adapted to a people scattered wide asunder into provinces and village groups, runs through them in every degree. The council of (lie province, and the wardens of the Hundreds, are each recognised as (he government of their own slate. The Government of New Zealand having nearly adopted the American system for the sale of lands, arenow planting upon the land the seeds of that system of colonization which lias covered North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, with a confederacy of populous Stales. Population is the leading idea of right government in every new country. And as the township in America is (lie pioneer of the future Stale, so Ihe Hundred which corresponds with it in New Zealand. Mill wisely he strengthened with support, which is jwraclically, for the sake of colonization, very nearly equivalent to charging nothing for possession of the land. This plan of returning a portion of the purchase money of (lie land to the management of the Wardens of (he Hundred, as trustees for the purchasers, maybe considered also as well calculated forlayiugdeeply a solid foundation for those means of intercourse and traffic, which facilitate (he rapid progress of a rising community. The Government of the village best understand the means of communication and convenience suitable to a rude existence in a remote locality', and can produce them at thecheapest rate and in (he shortest time.

Tims rapidly forward on (he road of prosperity are the system and the leading principles which are being instituted in New Zealand. Compare (hem with (he lumbering old waggon in the slough, which the Government of this colony has been tor a whole age. We have enabled ourselves to encourage and promote colonization in (lie remote settlements with the aid of part of (heir purchase money, by having hurlhcned the territory of (he colony with a debt of 287,000 L bearing interest at 14,000 per annum, and by resolving to add with its interest to this debt the sum of iOO,OOO/.—all which (he patriots of the present lime intend transferring as a legacy to (he next generation. We have managed to centralise (lie affairs of a widely scattered population of (lie colony in tlie hands of Government and their efficient officers, lo such a state of complelenss and perfection that a hundred miles journey is an arduous undertaking over almost impassable roads.