New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 30, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 469, 30 January 1850, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 30, 1850.

Occasionally statements are put forth in England professing to convey information about New Zealand, which display so much ignorance in all that concerns it as would scarcely be credited, and which show that their authors must calculate on a great amount of ignorance and credulity on the part of their readers. Such a statement appeared in the shape of an article (which we have reprinted in our present number) in the Daily News, of September 20, the writer of which, while inveighing against Sir George Grey's extravagance, gravely asserts that the annual Government expenditure of this colony, exclusive of the cost of the troops, may be calculated at from £100,000 to £150,000 a year, that it eqyals Van Diemen's Land itself in its demands both on the colonists and on the mother country, and that the " revenues of New Zealand, if rightly managed, and expended with that modesty which becomes an infant colony, would be fully equal to meet, not merely the expenses of civil government and national improvement, but also of the military force which it might be deemed necessary to keep in addition to its militia of armed inhabitants" It is hardly possible to conceive a greater number of misstatements and mistakes than are contained in this article, as a reference to the published official returns will easily show. The estimated revenue of the Southern Province for the year 1849-50. according to the financial minute of his Excellency 7 the Lieutenant Governor, on presenting the estimates to the Council during their last session, is £19,000. The amount of revenue actually received at "Wellington during the three quarters ending September 30th is £12,257 ; if we add to this for the December quarter an amount equal to that received in September, (which is much less than either of the two previous quarters) the total amount for Wellington will be £15,180, or £1 80 more than the Lieutenant Governor's estimate. Tf the receipts- at Nelson and Otago correspond in a similar degree with the estimated amount, the actual revenue of the Province will rather exceed than fall short of his Excellency's estimate. The total expenditure for the same period sanctioned by the Council amounts to £20,156 The total estimated revenue for the Northern Province, according to the financial minute of the Governor-in- Chief presented at the last sitting of the General Legislative Council is £23,500, the total expenditure £25,420, and this amount includes the sum of £1,000 voted for steam communication, and £1,175 voted for the purposes of education. If we assume the revenue and expenditure to be the same with this estimate, which will be sufficiently correct for our present argument, we shall find the total revenue of the colony for the present year amount to £42,500, and the expenditure

to £45,576, or considerably leV than one-third of the amount assumed by\Ae writer in the Daily News. At present there are two regiments stationed in N>w Zealand, and it will be necessary for th\ well being of the colon} to maintain this force \ for some years to come, until the long continuance of peace, the advancement of. the natives in civilization, and the increase of European settlers in the colony leave no room to apprehend the possibility of further disturbances. But it is perfectly obvious that whatever economy is exhibited in the management of the revenue it could not, ias this writer asserts, be made to meet not merely the expences of civil government and national improvement," but also those of the military force necessary for the exigences of the colony. A favourite fallacy with this class of critics is to estimate, the expence of governing the colony at so much per head of the colonists, forgetting that the colonists form a small proportion only of the whole amount of the governed ; if the native population be included in the calculation, the cost of governing New Zealand will amount to less than 7s, per per head of its inhabitants. i; We intended to have added a few observations on an article in the New Zealand Jopmpl of September 22, relating to this and other local topics, but must defer our notice of it to our next number, but while on this subject we may allude to the Return of Revenue and Expenditure for the Northera Province, for the quarter ending 31st Dec, published in the Auckland Government Gazette, a summary of which we have taken from the Neu Zealander. In this return the salaries of the Governor-in- chief, the Chief Justice, Attorney- General, Colonial Secretary, arid other principal officers of Government, are altogether omitted, being we suppose defrayed from the Parliamentary grant, and yet the Pa liamentary grant isincluded in the receipts in aid of the Revenue. Such a statement is more calculated to mislead than convey correct information.

The Government Brig arrived on Sunday from Taranaki bringing the Berkshire's mail, the latter vessel having arrived there on the 19th inst. from JLomfon, after a fine run of 99 days. The Government Brig returned the following day to IWanaki with his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, who is about to be married to Miss Orraond, a passenger in the Berkshire, and sister toJ. D. Ormond, Esq., his Excellency's private Secretary. By Papers received by this opportunity we learn that the Monarch was advertized to sail for Otago and the Southern Settlements the 25th October, and the Clara (one of Messrs Willis, & Co's vessels) for Auckland and Wellington, the Ist November. A new work on New Zealand had been advertised by Lieutenant H. F. M'Killop* R. N., who served on board H. M. S. Calliope, under Captain Stanley, entitled " Reminiscences of Twelve Months' Service in New Zealand as a Midshipman, during the late disturbances in that Colony."

The following advertisement on the subject of Local Steam Communication in New Zealand, is extracted from the Spectator, of September 29th. Local Steam Communication in New Zealand. — At a 'meeting of the Landed Proprietors and Shareholders, held on Tuesday last, the 25th instant, at the New Zealand Company's House, Henry Aglionby, Esq., M.P., in the chair; Present: Sir John Pirie, Bt. G. Lyall, Esq., Capt. Nairne, &c. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted : — Moved by Mr. Burnand, seconded by Mr. Carrington — • . " That the peaceful and happily altered condition of New Zealand at the present moment, when the vast resources of the country are daily increasing in an extraordinary manner, without possessing any adequate "means of conveying them to the principal depots for sale or reshipment to other countries, make it an imperative duty on those connected with the settlements to effect Local Steam Communication between them as early as possible." Moved, by Mr. Radford, seconded by Mr. Gover — il That the. Directors of the New Zealand Company, having a' reserve fund of about £U),< 00 belonging to-Nelson for the promotion of local steam enterprise be solicited to advance a part of this fund in aid of this object. "This meeting considers that at no period since the colonization of New Zealand has the necessity for this appeal presented so strong a claim to consideration as the case before them." Moved by Mr. F. A. Carrington, seconded hy Mr. Brees — ■ " That not only have the inhabitants of Wellington, Auckland, and Nelson, expressed their

sentiments in favour of Steam communication between the settlements at several public meetings, and memorialized the Local and Home Governments to obtain it for them, but they conceive its establishment would give the greatest value and security to their land, and prosperity to its productions." Moved by Mr. Wray, seconded by Mr. J. Stayner — " That the latest advices from New Zealand give evidence of the increased anxiety among all classes, to obtain Local Steam communication between the settlements, while the Gover-nor-in-Chief was urged from his seat in the Legislative Council to remark, ' the plan appeared to him plain — practicable and profitable ; while the results to be attained were so important to the colony, to every resident, and to all who had property therein, that it could not long be deferred.' A declaration from such high authority, and before such an assembly, of its absolute necessity, where indeed all parties governing and governed are united to support it, encourages this meeting to exert themselves to despatch at least one steamer for New Zealand on that service." Moved and seconded "That a Committee be appointed to carry out the objects of this meeting." Moved by Mr. Radford, seconded by Mr. Hart— "That the thahks of this meeting are due to Mr. F. G. Moore, of Nelson, for his exertions in bringing the subject before the public, and the pains he has taken in procuring information and calling us together to unite zealously in procuring a Steam Communication f>r the settlements of New Zealand." " ? Moved by Sir John Pirie, Bart., seconded byTWr. Moore — Resolved, — " That the Committee be authorized to insert the foregoing resolutions in the Timet, the Chronicle, Daily News, and Spectator."

The result of the election of Trustees for the management of the Nelson Trust Funds was declared by the Company's Resident Agent on the Ist January ; Dr. Monro, Mr. Stephens and Mr. Cautley having been elected Trustees by the Resident Land Purchasers. The result of this election is a .pretty plain indication of the sentiments of the Nelson settlers, and of their confidence in the Nominees, two of these gentlemen being non-official members of the Council. It is supposed the Company's Resident Agent would nominate Mr. Jollie on their behalf. Mr. Seymour nominated Mr. Fell as one of the Trustees for the Absentees, and stated his intention to offer the other seat to Dr. Greenwood.

Programme of the performance of the Band of the 65th Regt., at Thorndon Flat, on Wednesday, January 31st : — 1. Overture— Don Pasquale Donizetti 2. Aria — Meco Tv Vieni O Misera"! Bml j-»; Stramera J 3. Grand Quadrille — Ernani Jullien 4. Aria— Ecco II Pegno ch'io le parsi 1 DonizeUi — ( lemma de vergy J t 5. Prague Waltz LabitzM 6 *w° ng ~;? herC " ° F1 ° Wer tha H Wallace ' bloometh J 7. Aiw Rienci Yon Wager — Ger- 1 Carl man Galop J Riechton 8. Camelia Polka Jullien