Extract from a private letter dated London, October 17, 1844:—

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 20, 22 February 1845, Page 3

Extract from a private letter dated London, October 17, 1844: —

" My last letter to you, was dated August 1, a few days ago I received yaurs of 23rd May, and was very sorry to find it so cheerless ; for I expected the reported settlement of the Land Question by Captain Fitzroy, would have put every body into good spirits. Here we were alternating for a long time betweeu hope and fear, till the d. cision of the Parliamentary Committee, which I -mentioned in my last, threw us into extacies; a long time hovever has elapsed since the Report was made to the house, yet I cannot find tnai Lord Stanley has taken any steps in accordance with the Resolutions, but on the contrary seems determined to set them at nought. Still £ am sure that our position is wonderfully improved by the Report; I have sent a a copy of the njinutesof the proceedings to you, and you will see what violent struggles the the Ministerial advocates made in regard to some of the resolutions. Mr. Cardwell, who was added to the Committee at Lord Stanley's special desire, and was our most active enemy, is Member for Clithero, a Barrister and the sou of a Manchester manufacturer of great wealth who being very dtsirous of political distinction has sold himself soul and body to his patron ; and is ready to go any lengths at his bidding. told me that he was considered to have acted very disingenously at least, for in the examination of witnesses &c, &c, he, to the surprise of every body, seemed to take exactly the &ame line as Lord Howick ; but as soon as the resolutions of the latter were proposed, he affected the greatest astonishment at their purport ; saying " indeed my lord, I imagined that we had both taken precisely the same view of the whole j)f this question ; but here are my resolutions, quite opposite to your lordship's." And so you will find them in the Minutes ; and quite opposite to the evidence. aLsc*. I doubtless his pretended agreement with Lord Howick, was intended to throw him off his guard. It has been said that Lord Stanleyon taking his seat in the House of Lords, which he will do next session, will resign the Colonial Office. Of this, however, lam certain, that if the " Report" does not give the Company all the advantages they have a right to, it will put them into a better position with the public than they ever stood in before. On board the last two or three ships a number of persons have gone out for the purpose preparing the Pkormium on Donlan's plan ; others are about to tiy Sir George Farmer's machines, and in the last published account of of the Directors, I find an item of expenditure (£lOO, I think) for Flax-raachiues, which I suppose are. also on the way to you. Perhaps, by some or all of these means you may be able to send flax in a marketable state ; all that has arrived hitherto is considered worthless. The ornamental woods seem likely to come rapidly into favour. Several persons unconnected with New Zealand having lately sought after them. Levin has an order from the Baron de Rothschild to fit up an entire room with totara and hinua ; old Mr. Rothschild, is about to do the same thing, and Gillow, Dou- ! biggen, and some others of the Cabinet-makers have purchased good quantities of his woods, j By the bye, tn my last I told you I wanted a log or two of rimu, but I meant hinua. : %\ suppose jour navr^portage arrangements are the cause of my not receiving my Wellington papers, per post as usual; perhaps they are on board the Tyne, which brought your last letter, but which has not yet cleared out all her lading. We are told that the New Zealand Gazette and Wellington -ipectator, now abuses the Company and its Agents, if so, I must withdraw, my subscription ; and trust to the intelligence and energy of your fellow settlers for the establishment of another journal that I may encourage. Your letters seldom contain any local uew«. I have not heard any one hiuted at as the leader of the great " Church of England Co- : louy," which it is iutended to organize next Jspriugi and to locate in the Wairarapa, if the purchase of that district is perfected. Theie is a talk cf commencing it with a settlement of 200,000 acre s; and as many influential persons, pamong the nobility and gentry are supposed to be very friendly to the Company and thetr schemes, it is hoped that they may be easily induced to come forward, and without making themselves responsible personally for any thing, 16 recommend and sanction tot e«ter~

piis*e. From all we hear of the capabilities of end Wairarapa it must be one of the most eligible districts in New Zealand for agiiculturtfl and pastoral pursuits ; and its success would be of immense advantage to Wellington, Cor aft- its imports and exports must pass through your port.