New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, July 10, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 515, 10 July 1850, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, July 10, 1850.

The purchasers of land from the New Zealand Company may be divided into three classes, the original purchasers or holders of landorders who have selected land in districts for which the Company have received Crown Grants, the derivative purchasers who have bought land from original purchasers owning land in those districts, and those, whether original or derivative purchasers, whose lands have been selected in districts for which the Company have not obtained Crown Grants. The last, a numerous class, comprising chiefly those who have selected land in the Manawatu district are in a peculiarly unfortunate position ; it is clear, since the Company are unable to make any further payments on account of land, that the Government are not likely to enter into any negotiations with the natives for the acquisition of that district, and it therefore appears probable that they will remain among the unsatisfied purchasers of the Company. Deeply commiserating their unfortunate situation, and hoping, as in the case of the holders of compensation land, they may eventually obtain through the consideration of the Government that full satisfaction of their claims which they cannot get from the Company, we shall confine our attention to the other two classes of purchasers. With respect to the first class (that of original purchasers) we think it will be allowed if the Company had fulfilled their contracts to them, the original purchasers would have received conveyances immediately after the selection of their lands. The Company, in granting compensation have in effect admitted this, and as we stated in our last number ought to complete the titles of their purchasers free of cost in compensation for the delay and inconvenience arising out of their inability to fulfil their contracts. But the case of derivative purchasers Is still harder, inasmuch as the increased expense of completing their titles has entirely resulted from the inability of the Company to grant conveyances to their original purchasers. And this class, on whom the heaviest amount of expenses will fall, having to pay not only for a conveyance, but whatever else the Company's legal adviser may charge on the plea of examining their titles, includes all those purchasers of small lots, from five to twenty acres, those working men who, by settling in the country districts and commencing the work of clearing and cultivation, have given stability to the settlement, and for whom it might be supposed the Company and their Agent would have showed the greatest consideration. And there can be no doubt that if the interests of this class of purchasers had been sufficiently cared for, some provision might have been introduced by the Company into the Act of Parliament whereby the legal titles of those who had taken conveyances of land from original purchasers from the Company would have been confirmed without their incurring the additional expense of fresh conveyances, whereby, in short, they would have been placed in the position they would have found themselves in if the Company had originally completed their contracts. All these considerations, the peculiar position of the Company, their professed desire to reduce the expense of the conveyances to the smallest possible cost, the affected horror of their Agent of monopolies and jobbing, his vehement declamations against the tyrany of taxation which those on whom it is levied have no voice in imposing, — all these considerations, we repeat, justify the expectation that if the purchasers did not receive titles to their land free of expense* the amount to be paid should be fixed so low as to remove any reasonable ground of complaint. But when an attempt is made to extort from the land purchasers five times as much as ought in common fairness to be demanded, when in these " flat times" some four or five thousand pounds is charged where one thousand would be found a most ample remuneration, the public are involuntary led to suspect something rotten, some gross

job "which ought to be resisted and exposed. Whether, to use an expression of Mr. Fox's, there is any " going- snacks" in the affair, whether any political professor of the obstetric art has assisted at the birth of this abortion on condition of receiving for his trouble a share of the plunder, how many are to divide the spoil, and whether the fox is to receive the lion's share, are questions that naturally suggest themselves, but which we shall not pretend to decide. But we advise the land purchasers to unite in a firm and determined opposition to this flagrant job, and refuse to apply for conveyances until some fair and moderate scale of charges has been agreed to by common consent. After having waited ten years, no great inconvenience can arise from a little additional delay caused by resisting this piece of injustice, nay we believe that it would be attended with positive advantage, since if, as is most probable, the Directors finding it • impossible to keep up the delusion any . longer, have at their last annual May meeting recommended the Proprietors to wind up their affairs, and dissolve the Company, the land purchasers may be taking conveyances from a Company that has ceased to exist! A very short interval, however, will suffice to decide this point, and if as is very generally expected the Company' shall have terminated their precarious existence, those who have waited will obtain the very best possible title to their lands* namely, a direct grant from the Crown, as the reward of their prudence.

The following prisoners under sentence of transportation for seven years were sent to Hobart Town by the schooner Perseverance on the sth instant : — Christopher Martin and Charles M'Devitt (two soldiers of the 65th regt.) convicted at the March sittings of the Supreme Court of the robbery at Mr. G. P. Bett's house, Porirua; William Thompson, convicted at the last Sittings of assaulting and robbing Charles Peck ; John Harris, convicted at Nelson for larceny ; and Sergeant John O'Donnell. The last prisoner was tried and sentenced by a Court Martial. ' -> •• - -«*■•*

Last Monday's Government Gazette contains the following notices. A notice that the Legislative Council of this Province will meet on the Ist of August next for the despatch of business ; a notice for tenders for the artificers 1 work required in the erection of a strong room for the Colonial Bank of Issue; for plans and specifications of work required for securing the Hutt Bridge; for certain alterations and repairs in the Legislative Council Chamber; and for printing Government forms. In order to furnish the public with the fullest information as to the principles on which the Colonial Bank of Issue has been established, and as to the legal provisions and instructions from the Imperial Government for its general management, extracts are published in the Gazette from the despatches of Lord Grey to the Governor-in-Chief relating to the Colonial Bank of Issue, and also extracts of the principal provisions of the Paper Currency Ordinance. The following is the first monthly return of notes in circulation- of the Bank of Issue published by the Treasurer of this Province : Amount of notes in circulation on the 29th day of June, 1850, being the close of the preceding four weeks : —

A notice is also published in the Gazette intimating that the Local Government will take charge of any samples or specimens of the natural or industrial products of this Province (either from settlers or natives) intended for the Grand Exhibition of all nations to take place in London in 1 85 1» which may be first approved of by a Committee to be appointed, and transmit them for that purpose to the Secretary for the Colonies. The following are suggested as some of the most obvious of the articles to be transmitted by the settlers : — "Ores. — In the natural state, in the refined state, and manufactured into specimen articles. The Iron Sand of Nevr Zealand, and instruments made from it, should not be omitted. Minerals. — Specimens of Coal from the various coal beds known, especially from Massacre Baj and Saddle Hill, Otago ; with

a statement of the place and position in which each is found. Marbles and Stone. — Limestone, Building Stone, Grten Stone, and manufactured specimens. Also Spars, Jaspers, Garnets, &c, from the Middle island ; and specimens of Septaria from Onekakara, in the same Island, and of cement made from it. Woods. — In such convenient shapes as will best illustrate the purposes for which they are adapted. ' These will include samples of the various kinds of timber, and specimens of cabinet work. Barks. — Either medicinally useful or for tanning, dying, or othtr purposes. Plants or drugs used medicinally by the natives, with a statement of their supposed or real effects, ought to be furnished. Earths. — For chemical purposes, and ma- j nufactured into tiles, potteryware, &c. Wools, of the various qualities — on the skin as specimens of quality, and also skins manufactured for various uses, in the fleece — in cloth, and other manufactured woollens. ■ Also dyed wools. Hides and Pelts. — Raw and manufactured. Tobacco,— -Raw and manufactured. Wine, Spirits, and Beer. Grain, of various sorts, in quantities of two bushels of a sort ; and also manufactured into flour, oatmeal, biscuit, pearl barley, and other articles. Tallow, as rendered, and also as manufactured into candles and stearine. Oils, vegetable and animal, and the manufacturies therefrom, including sperm in block and cand'es. Soap, common and fancy. Meats, salted, dried, and preserved. Fish, salted, dried, and preserved. Butter and Cheese. Starch. Sugar. Money and Beeswax. Flax, cleaned in various ways, of every quality ; and worked up into as great a variety of articles as possible. All Samples should be sent in such quantities as will render them sufficiently large for their proper exhibition and examination, but not of such bulk as to be unnecessarily cumbersome. The Articles must be delivered in Wellington, free of expense, by the last day of September, 1850, directed to the Colonial Secretary, and endorsed—" Specimens of Articles for the Grand Exhibition of 1850." They will be exhibited in Wellington on a day to be named in a future notice : such as are considered by the Committee best worth sending will be transmitted to England, and the rest returned to the owner on application." The following are recommended as the articles most desirable to be sent by the natives ; — "Specimens of the best hind of Flax, viz : The One "j The Parekoritawa 1 The weight of each The Ngutunui f specimen to be 28lbs. The Raumoa J Specimens or Samples of Wheat. Wheat grown by the Natives, 120lbs. Specimens of Native Garments or Mats. The full dress, or outer Chief's Garment. The Dog's Skin Mat. The Kaitaka, or Bordered Mat. The Undress Mat. The Floor Mat. Specimens of Native Baskets. Died with the following dyes — Hinau — Kiritawai, Kiri, Rata — and Akawhero. Specimens pfFsh Hooks and Lines. An Bel Pot, and a small Net. Also specimens of carved work or of any other articles either of produce or manufacture which theNatives^bay like to send in."

£5 and upwards £1000 0 0 Under £5 1403 0 0 Total 2403 0 0 Total amount of coin held by the above Office on the same day :—: — Gold £ 531 10 0 Silver 1871 10 0 Total 2403 0 0