EXTRACT FROM A LETTER FROM J.T. WICKSTEED, ESQ., TO COL. WAKEFIELD.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 35, 7 June 1845, Page 2

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER FROM J.T. WICKSTEED, ESQ., TO COL. WAKEFIELD.

New Plymouth, May 21st, 1845. " I have just seen a pleasing sight — carts laden with produce for shipment to Wellington. The Carbon is ■now lying in the roadstead, a short distance from the beach, taking in flour, barley, salt pork, and lard. Mr. Varnham tells me, that he shall take with him this trip, 6 tons flour, 150 bushels malting barley, 1\ tons salt meat, and 2001b of lard. But for an unlucky accident at the mill (which, however, has been repaired) the ' quantity of-flour would have been larger. It is the intention of Mr. Varnham, in conjunction, I believe, with Mr. Edward Dorset, to send the Carbon back again, with all despatch, for a fresh and similar cargo ; and to * make her a regular trader between New Plymouth aad 'Wellington. The next flour will be better dressed than this. Surely our Wellington friends may find it wsorth their while to encourage this wholesome and legitimate 1 business. Let them take care that Kafia wheat and pork are not passed off as Taranaki, and, by degrees, something like a profitable trade may be established. .Recent experience has proved, that from three to five days will I be the average voyage, if due notice is taken of the prevalent winds ki different seasons. - ■ -"""'". I ' Previous letters will have informed you that our setfj tiers are ia earnest about the cultivation of English flax. \ Where, as at Wanganui (according to the information recently sent to me by the Rev. Mr. Taylor) the native flax of the best quality can be easily procured, there may be doubt as to the expediency of cultivating the European flax, but there is difficulty in obtaining the raw material from the Taranaki maories at a reasonable price ; and the climate of this district is peculiarly adapted to the growth and preparation of the European article. The next of Mr. Earp's " liners" is expected 'to bring a quantity of flax seed, to order ; and several persons,, experienced in the matter, are prepared to grow tnd put the fibre in a state fitted for exportation to England. You see that if justice is only granted to, or extorted by the settlers — if, in short, they can get their land — the spirit -of improvement exists, and may yet be made something of. That greater progress has not been effected the Government only is to blame — and, as far as 1 can ascertain, this is the universal opinion -among those who take the trouble to read, hear and think for themselves. Lord John Russell's explicit and honest letter to Mr. Somes, explaining his understanding of the agreement with the New Zealand Company, has done much to open people's eyes. On Monday night (the 19) we had a monthly meeting of our Society for encouraging agriculture and commerce. The best means of preventing smut in grain was discussed. It appeared that the seed washed in sea-water, boiled, previous to sprinkling with lime, had produced very clean crops — quite as good as that raised from seed pickled in brine, strong enough to float a newly laid egg. This substitute (very commonly used in the South of England) is worth Jknowing in a district where, as in Taranaki, salt has been, and may again be, extravagantly dear— the reason why in some cases the seed was insufficiently pickled last year. Mr. Gledhill informed the meeting that he had made preparations for tanning, and expected to show good leather in the course of three months. Mr. Barrett's men have arrived, and something may be .done iji the whaling business this season."

, We publish this week a summary of a portion of the evidence taken before the Select Com- ! mittee on New Zealand, and propose to continue it weekly, until it is completed. The subject is of the greatest importance to our fellow colonists, who are, no doubt, desirous to have an opportunity of judging of the nature ef the statements which have influenced the decisions of the Committee. Most of the witnesses are also known personally, or by name, to the settlers in this district, which gives additional interest to their evidence. We have given the evidence in a connected form, in the words of the witness, so as to convey a correct general impression of what was stated ; but for the most part omitting points' of minor consideration, and particularizing the statements either in favour, or to the prejudice, of the settlements in Cook's Straits, and other points of interest, from which our i readers may judge of the correctness of the witness's statements, and the value to be attached to his evidence. - Our readers will be amused at the vanity of Mr. M'Donncll, and at his own nation of the

importance of his evidence, and his exertions in the cause of New Zealand. On reading his evidence at length, there appears so much equivocation, that he might with more justness and less egotism, have borrowed his illustration from, the Old Bailey than the Royal Exchange. The time has passed when his statements will deceive any one, but we may ask Mr. M'Donnell, —Did he "not receive £2,000 from the New Zealand Company ? — Did he not receive an annuitytfrom them up to a certain period, and certain- preliminary land orders, which he also converted into money, as their part of the engagement between them ? — Was not all his interest in any land or property in New Zealand assigned to his creditors in Sydney before his engagements with the Company ? Had he ever 500 acres in cultivation in Hokianga ? — Can he even establish his claim to 500 acres in that district? We doubt Mr. M'Donnell's ability to answer these questions satisfactorily; we can safely assert he is notorious in New Zealand, and better known than trusted. In Mr. Brodie's evidence, our readers will be amused with the description of Mr. Shortland, and further on (which we shall publish next ' wee£), with his sketch of the career of the Chief Dragoman. His account oftheManganui affair, and Mr. Shortland's land-jobbing with Mr. Porter, is correct and straightforward; and in his statement of the latter affair he is confirmed by Mr. Earp, who had the account from Mr. Porter himself. Mr. Shortland, in his official communication to the British Government, denied having sold the land to Mr. Porter, and by his representations, induced Captain Hobson to make a similar official statement ; and it is reported, that in his last illness, when he became aware that Mr. Shortland's representations were not founded in fact, this circumstance weighed heavily on Captain Hobson's mind. Mr. Brodie's statements of the amount of land in cultivation on the Hutt, and his information of the capabilities of the land in the' Port Nicholson district, considering he has been over " almost every inch of New Zealand," are nojt to be depended on, but we shall return to this subject next week.