To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington, 3rd July, 1848.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 306, 5 July 1848, Page 3

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Wellington, 3rd July, 1848.

Sir, — The advantages of frequent and regular inter-colonial communication are so obviously important to the commercial and political interests of every settlement, and are so generally recognised in theory that any elaborate attempt of mine to prove their truth would only tire your readers and would, in fact, be as superfluous as if I endeavoured to show that the circulation of blood was netfessary to the existence of the human frame. In theory ([ will speak presently of practice) to secure this intercourse is an axiom of successful colonisation ; no prospectus of any colony is issued, but it points to her eligibility, among other recommendations, for communication with her neighbours, and generally^ the immediate prospect of steam communication for this very object is descanted upon- in the glowing terms of encomium displayed by all the emphasis of print. Who is there that has not heard, as a thrice told tale, eloquent panegyrics of " colonial bonds of sympathy," "integral parts of the empire," "regular communication as between English counties," " mutual supply of wants," " increase of collective prosperity" ; but who is there, acquainted with our colonies thatcan truly say, that any attempt, worthy of the British Empire, has yet been made to gain these great results, and to reduce the visions which theory so faithfully delineates into the reality of practice ? Alas ! how distantly the recognition of a great truth is always followed by its practical application. Its flash of lightning may illumine every mind, but years, many years, elapse before its sound is heard with a voice of thunder, imperative, irresistible. Let us take our own case, — three months will in a few days have gone by without the arrival of one vessel, great or small, from Auckland ; and, if to foster and increase the intercourse between British colonies, under distinct Governmerts, be a proper object of the solicitude of each, — ought it not especially to be so between the two Provinces of New Zealand, which are under one general Government, and which cannot revolve in separate spheres, but are so involved in their political orbits that an absolute independence of each other has become impossible. . I am well aware that but little commercial intercourse has existed, and can exist, between the two places, and I am not now solely complaining of this lamentable circumstance, though I might argue that it primarily originated in a great measure from the feelings of jealousy and dislike, which, if not fanned into existence, were, I believe, greatly enhanced by the misconduct of the then Government, and that, had not this been the case, some such, intercourse might have sprung up and materially diminished the evils which almost a total^ dissociation is now entailing. My complaint is of the evils which we in the South exclusively feel, in the absence of inter-communication, from our peculiar political relation to each other. Auckland is the seat of the general Government, and this fact, while we have so little intercourse with it, is a mill-stone on the neck of our political advancement. We say not this from envy,— we entertain no such feelings for Auckland, and we honestly welcome her to the advantages which this position, as head-quarters, enables her to obtain, — but we do complain of the positive political injuries which that position, and the rareness of intercourse, entail upon us, and we do reasonably urge our right, as long as that position continue, to more frequent communication with her, than has hitherto been afforded us. Ninety days have nearly passed by, without our hearing once directly-from a place distant from us only as many leagues, — that place being, let it be remembered, not only a sister Province, but, what is of far more consequence, the head-quarters of our Civil Government and of our naval and military forces. The Govern-or-in-Chief, the senior naval officer, and the general commanding, all reside there, and, since the 10th of April last, we, in Wellington, have not heard of their acts, or even of their existence, except fortuitously by way of Sydney. Acts are passed, Proclam tions are made, important events occur, at Auckland, and their effects begin to operate in the South, before we scarcely can know their cause, or take precautions against any evil results. For all weknow to the contrary, the very Constitution which we are to have may now be cooking in the legislative cauldron of the resuscitated Council, and we maybe forced hereafter togulp the nauseous draft. Here, when important political questions arise, before they are finally decided upon, their refe-' rence to Auckland is necessary ; now, the an* cient proverb "ad Greecat Calendas 1 ' does not imply a more indefinite postponement, than is the reference in question. Had New Zealand never been separated from New South Wales, Wellington and Nelson would have enjoyedthe great advantage of more frequent communica- i tion with their Govern or-in-Chief at Sydney, than they have now with their one at Auckland, though less distant by 700 miles. Does not this state of things give just grounds of complaint! Is it not an evil highly prejudi- j cial to the interests of the Southern settlements? Will the statement of its existence be a creditable record in the future annals of New Zealand history? It is no evil of rare occurrence, or temporary duration. Annually has it increased, while annually the necessity of its cause has di- >] minisbed. On the 26th July, 1847, Governor Grey's words to his Council were, " I have always lamented the difficulty which has been experienced in keeping the Southern settlements well informed upon the proceedings of the Executive Government and the Legislature." Has Governor Grey less reason to lament this difficulty in July, 1843? During the last twelve months Government has had at its disposal four men-of-war (one of them a steamer) and the Government brig. One -would have naturally thought that, yith such an effective force, and with no war going on, where their conjoint presence would be required, not one of the Southern settlements would '

be without monthly news from Auckland. Let us now see how these vessels have served to facilitate the communication which we so much require. We will instance Wellington, as their angelic visits have been still more rare at the other Southern settlements. From July 1847, to the present date, the bng has only come twice to Wellington from Auckland (once in January and once in April, 1848); the Racehorse has only come twice (once in October and once in November, 1847) ; the Inflexible only twice (once in August 1847, and once in January, 1848) ; the Calliope left Wellington for Auckland in October, and has not since reappeared here ; the Fly is not one of the four men-of-war in question, as she has only recently arrived, but, however, she came once from Auckland (in April 1848, to relieve the Race, horse) ; the Dido has never come once here at all from any place, though she arrived at Auckland in July, 1847 ;— with respect however to her we are not singular in our freedom from her visits, for, I understand, that in April when she was last heard of, she had not visited a single outport in New Zealand, but (excepting a visit to the Friendly Isles) has been safely moored in the harbour of Waitemata, where her periodic vicissitude of motion with the tides has indicated their ebb and flow with a continued punctuality very interesting (no doubt) to the public at Auckland, but rather unusual in her Majesty's Navy, — on the same principle, one might suppose, as those painted vessels over the faces of some clocks whose oscillations are in consentaneous movement with the seconds as they fly. The result of the above "Naval Visiting List" is, that we hare, during a whole year, received only seven calls by these vessels from Auckland (directly or indirectly), and that all July, September, December, February, March, May and June, (in all seven months) have passed without our being able, through their means, to learn a single icta of news from head-quarters. He, who knows how little commercial intercourse exists between Auckland and Wellington can- easily calculate the extent of our other tmetins ' of obtaining information through that channel. Can any one, with these circumstances in their consideration, think it premature or unreasonable in the Southern settlers to urge the speedy establishment of steam communication in the colony of New Zealand? I am, sir, Your most obedient servant, A Colonist.