New Zealand Colonist. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1842.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 29, 8 November 1842, Page 2

New Zealand Colonist. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1842.

We perceive,, by the fifth report of the New Zealand Company, that they propose to advance the requisite funds for the construction of roads, as soon as there is any corporate body in the Settlement, to whom the loan can be made. This affords a confirmation of a rumour to which we have more than once adverted; and it furnishes fresh reason to regret the imperfect arrangements for giving publicity to matters so deeply important to the, welfare of this community. It is now, unless we are greatly mistaken; more than six months since we first heard the rumour to which we have' referred ; but as it was then, so far as; .the public were concerned, no more than a rumour, it was impossible to take any measures founded upon it. Nor do we, even at the present moment, know anything as to the amount that would be advanced, the terms of the loan, the nature of the security that would be required, or the period and manner of repayment., And yet, without this knowledge, the mere statement > that money will be supplied, is of little advantage. The most important consideration, however,. • suggested by'the terms in which this intended’ advance is referred to, is, that we are appa-j rently arf-far off as ever y from deriving afly I nefit .from the intention of the Directors. There J is no corporate body by whom funds for, this purpose could be received and applied. There are no roads within the limits of the Corporation, to which the assistance of the Company is required. ’ Roads, are wanted,; not within the boundaries of the Borough; but for the purpose of connecting the rural districts with the town. The intentions of the Directors to promote the interests of this Settlement, by supplying means to overcome the chief obstacle to our progress, are consequently at present, and must apparently remain for some time, unavailing. At least, we have not heard of any measures adopted or suggested, to afford the means for their Accomplishment. !• Now, however, that, this, knowledge Js no longer confined to the Company’s Agent,' it will be the fault of the Colonists themselves, if some steps are not taken to turn it to, account. The Company have avowed ;their readiness to assistus upon one -condition, and this is a condition, we believe, of by no means,difficult fulfilment. Wei can hardly -suppose but that immediate attention would be paid by the Government at Auckland, to any representation from .this community, praying Ipr the ereetfcm o£ ther district! I of Port Nicholson into a. comity, with the same ! powers of borrowing money, and levying county, rates, which* are possessed by counties in England. So soon as this is done,Vwe shall be in a. situation to borrow' the money which the Company is willing to lend; and the construction of roads may be commenced in those directions where they will be most useful, and lie carried on with promptitude-and vigor. It; does fortunately happen, that no inconvenience will be felt practically in consequence Of the secrecy, so far as any official notification is concerned, which has been maintained with regard to the intentions of the 'New Zealand Company. There has been, we believe, no meeting of the Legislative since this intelligence \Yas/first;-receivedbythe Company’s Agent.. We shall consequently be ablfe to sent a petition in time for the Afe§@niblihg "'of Council ; and if the prayer df jffiaf petition is^

acceded to, immediate arrangements may be made to. avail ourselves of aid. There aref nevertheless, many points connected in/ormapon/is p|uiij||-; but ’ 1 fo| 7 this information wc hjuAtwait/ if Hie past is t&.bri, taken as a guide; until thp publication in a new report of the New Zealand Company. It is rather singular that our first authentic information a subject of such vital; importance, should be found in a communication from the Directors to the shareholders of the New Zealand Company. Surely the zeal uniformly displayed by our contemporary t&e Gazette , in the service of the Company, entitles him to be employed as their organ of communication to the * public here. Of is this one of those- matters upon which, for the public good* it is needful to preserve a mysterious silence, lest by any chance the truth should be known ? Seriously, however, the colonists have a right' to complain of the sefcrecy bbserved here with regard to the contemplated proceedings of the Company. It is not that they are altogether concealed, but that they are communicated only toya few individuals, and reach the public in the shape of rumours, to which it is impossible to know what credence should be attached. If the Company had no public duties to fulfil, the case would be different. In that event, we should not trouble ourselves with their proceedings. But when,. upon the supposition of their deep interest in this community, they are intrusted with the performance of many of the most important functions of Government, we have a right to expect that there should he at least as much publicity given to their mea-; sures as to those of the Government itself. And we cannot but believe that this is the intention of the Directors. They have shewn, and they continue to manifest, every disposition to advance our interests, and they canndt* wish to risk the accomplishment of this object, by a silence which can have no intelligible object.

We have heard, .from a quarter which* we have no reason to l doubt, that private’letters have been, griceived* iri : th© Cokjihy, stafcmjg "tliat the English Government, had recalled Mr. Short land from the,office of Colonial. Secretary. We give the above as a rumour, but we do not vouch for its authenticity. * «'•<*

In the New Zealand Journal of the 14th of May last, we perceive an article headed “ Chop* piiig arid Land,Clearing in New Zealand,” in which it is'asserted/" that land which requires clearing is iiigqb richer than land 1 that is free fr6m remark would appear to be the whole of this Colony, whereas, jt is well known that the immense Kauri forests to the northward, even if cleared, would present no land fit for agricultural purposes, from the exhausting properties of the timber. The largest farmiug establishment in New Zealand, is that at Waimate, the head missionary station, the Bay of Islands; where the finest crops have-been, gfoiwn, 'and than which there exists no richer soil in' the island. Nearly the r whole of this was covered with high fern, and it is proverbial that * the greater the height and luxuriance of that plant the richer is the mould. It is true,, that about Port Nicholson the forests occupy the . most productive land, and when cultivated will, ,no doubt, yield remuiiei'ating crops,; hut we can name numerous places where timber is exceedingly scarce, and where the ground is by ho means inferior in quality. At Otaki, the soil produces in great abundance—at Wanganui the flat plains of fern >la&4 /extending, to the eastward, have been reported. available ip every respect for cultiyation ; at New Plymouth vast tracts Ojf ljmd hghtiy timbered exist, which are Said, to be admirably calculated to farming operations; and.in the interior, numerous plains are to be met with, (Otawao for instance,) which might he cultivated with ease, arid would produce ' abundantly . We have been led to offer these remrifts, as the writer of the article alluded to seems to have formed his opinion from the nature of the land around Port Nicholson o«/y, without reference to other parts of the Island. , ? •

Wp understandathat it is the intention of the Lord Bishop to proceed in company with the Chief Justice overland to Auckland, visiting all the Missionary establishments. It* is said that' the party will strike directly across the interior of thdcoqntry to'fauranga, the Rev. Mr. William^ 1 #ssl, takihgUotoura, and the numerpi^Vseff]e|o^|M^a; their rway. His* lordship: highly gratified wth the: progress made by young Colony, where, We are happy to be able

to state, every thing is going on well, the fl tiers being sanguine in their expeditions of ■ approaching season’s crop. ’ v | fl