NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, April 17, 1852.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 700, 17 April 1852, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, April 17, 1852.

It is impossible to conceive a more thoroughly hopeless undertaking than the self-imposed task of the Editor of ihe Independents, Week after week, in each successive number, he laboriously toils inSthe vain effort to circulate falsehoods which he would have received as verities, —falsehoods that are not only notoriously such to the rest of the community, but arc notoriously such to himself as he deliberately writes them, and the plain contradiction to which is often to be found in his own columns, whenever he ventures to give an account of passingevents. The fable of Sisyphus, laboriously toiling to heave up-hill the stone which is doomed continually to recoil upon him, is realized in his unhappy case: the unfortunate racks his brain in fruitless exertion and strains every mental energy, but dreams not of the recoil which destroys all that he has done, and renders his labour unavailing. When the truth is so palpable and manifest it is impossible that such clumsy inventions can impose on any one, nor will the settlers willingly believe that the colony is going to ruin, that each year the result is more deplorable, the prospect more gloomy, when on every side the plain facts give the lie to such assertions: they cannot believe they are groaning in Egyptian bondage, when they are in free, prosperous, and independent circumstances, that they are groping in Egyptian darkness, while they are enjoying the smiling and cheerful light of day. In truth, the Editor of the Independent at times appears himself to be in some degree alive to the difficulties of his false position; he feels he is treading on hollowground which gives way at every step and sinks beneath his feet, when he attempts to reconcile his assertions with the actual state of the colony. We shall not have far to go in search of an illustration of our position; any number of the Independent taken at hazard will fully confirm the truth of what we state. Take, for instance, the account given of the state of the colony previous to the sailing of the Midlothian (April 3,) “the full, true, and particular account of its past progress, present state, and future prospects ” put together, as we are told, to satisfy the anxious desire for information of our absent friends who feel interested in its welfare. Let any one who has the requisite patience wade through the dreary Jeremiad, written within and without with lamentation and worn and compare it with the facts such as they know them to be, such as they stand plain and obvious to the dullest understanding, and say ifany labour can be more in vain than to put forth such falsehoods and expect that anyone will be deceived by them. We are told that—“in reality no Government exists in New Zealand, that every thing is at a stand-still — every question brought to a dead-lock: that the Governor, on each visit to the different settlements, finds himself more coldly received than before, —that after having administered the Government for more than five years with unlimited means, and with despotic power, he has not settled or arranged a single question. That our flocks and herds, it is true, have gone on increasing, but it has been in spite of the Government; that new stations arc formed and arc forming, but only by those who defy the law and treat it with contempt,—that instead of one vessel with wool we ought to have sent half a dozen, if there had been a Government desirous and capable of promoting the pastoral interests,—that 1 nineteen twentieths of the colonists are the opponents of a Government which ■ crushes the energies of the settlers, and prevents any considerable increase in the

amount and value of our exports. All this, and more in the same strain, may be found in the Independent, and is intended as a faithful account ol the state of the colony past and present, and of its future prospects, while, in the very same paper, we are told that “that the exports of Wellington, especially to the neighbouring colonies, have considerably increased in value, that the estimated value of New Zealand produce shipped from this Port alone in 1851 amounted to £37,000, and that this year their value is estimated at £53,000; that the total value of exports of this Province for 1850 was £47,391, this year it will probably not fall short of £80,000.” Glowing accounts are given of public works completed or commenced by the Local Government, of land reclaimed from the sea, new quays in progress of formation, public buildings erected which “ would be an ornament to any European town,” or just commenced that “ will give a stimulus to trade that canbut be highly beneficial.” “The trade and population of the town,,” we are told, “ have greatly multiplied, and the value of building land, and the number of private dwellings have largely increased in consequence,” while the spirit of improvement introduced by the Government has produced a hostof imitators, and churches, schools, institutes,banks,hotels, and private houses, are springing up in quick succession, and in every direction. “ The demandjor labour existingin this settlement,” arising from this general activity and spirit of improvement fostered by the Government is so great “ that the large body of men and women who arrived in the Agra almost immediately obtained employment,and indeed we have no doubt that ten times their number would have been almost as quickly employed “ our population.” it is affirmed “ has become far too deeply rooted to be easily seduced away,” and “ the poor but laborous tenant farmers of England and Scotland” are invited to “ exchange their servile fear and poverty” in’ the Mother country “into bold freedom and independence” in New Zealand. Of these two statements, so diametrically opposed to each other, it is evident tliat one must be false, any settler may satisfy himself that the latter statement is substantially correct, that the trade of the settlement is increasing, that the improvements alluded to have been made or are in progress, that the demand for labour is greater than the supply, that the one statement in short, far from confirming, directly contradicts the other in each particular, and that the Editor of the Independent out of his own mouth stands condemned of wilful deliberate falsehoods that are a direct insult to the understanding of his readers. That the settlers may have some data for judging how far the colony has prospered under Sir George Gi'ey’s administration during the past six years, we subjoin the amount of population, revenue, exports, and imports, of Wellington and of the Southern Province for the years 1845 and 1851 respectively, derived from published official documents or other authentic sources, adding a few observations by way of explanation under each head. Sir George Grey arrived in New Zealand in November 1845, the returns for 1845 therefore mark the last year of Captain Fitzroy’s administration, as the returns for 1851 are the last under the present Government.

In the population of this settlement we have included the districts of Ahuriri and Wanganui, estimating the population of Rangitiki and Wanganui at 250, which we believe to be under the actual amount. It will be remembered that Captain Fitzroy did his utmost to break up the Wanganui settlement, and in answer to the applications of the settlers informed them, in 1845, that “ he did not think it advisable to hold out encouragement to them to remain in a place which is not likely to receive efficient protection from Government during the next twenty yearn'' Wanganui is now a flourishing settlement, the town has recently been made a port of entry, and boasts of

as substantial stores and dwelling houses as are to be found in Wellington, its inhabitants are thriving and prosperous, and the numerous difficulties arising out of questions and disputes with the natives have been entirely removed. The population of Otago is estimated at 2000 which we believe is also less than the actual amount. During this period the settlement of Otago and Canterbury have been founded, increasing the population of this Province between five and six thousand souls. It will be seen from the above that the population of Wellington has increased fifty per cent., while the population of the Province during the last six years has more than doubled itself, the European population of the Southern Province nearly equalling in amount the total European population inhabiting these islands in 1845. In the Revenue there is a still more striking increase, in six years the ordinary revenue of this settlement is more than trebled while the revenue of the Province has increased in amount five fold. In the published accounts the June quarter the Otago Settlement was not included the accounts not having been received in time, but we have estimated it at an ave - rage of the three other quarters. It is also proper to note that during the year 1851 the sum of £1958 has been received by the Government from the sales of land, chiefly in the settlement of Nelson and this sum is not included in the foregoing amount. To show how the amount of land sales has progressively increase d we subjointhe amount for each quarter : —

Now on turning to the New Zealand Company’s last Report, the total value of land sold by them in the Nelson Settlement, for the three years ending June, 1850, only amounted to £447, er less than a quarter of the amount sold by Government in one year. So much for the difference between the management of the Land Fund by the Government, and by the Company under Mr. Fox, so much for the assertion so continually repeated by the Independent of the utter annihilation of the Land Fund. But it is well known if Mr. Fox could not sell land, he could compensate his friends to their hearts content, witness the Duppa compensation job, and other flagrant instances it would be beside our present subject now to enumerate. But we find we have exceeded our present limit and must defer therefore such further remarks as we intend to offer to another opportunity.

An inquest was held on Thursday evening at the Royal Hotel by Dr. Fitzgerald, coroner, on the body of a man who had been found drowned at Okiwi. It appears that the deceased, who is supposed to have been a discharged soldier, in company with two other persons, had been drinking at Brown's house at Okiwi on Sunday' afternoon, and after a good deal of drunken disputing the three, according to Brown’s statement, left the house together for Wellington ; according to the evidence.of the other two men the deceased was left behind by them at the point of the Bay beyond Brown’s house while they went on together. The body was discovered by Mr. Wilton on his return from Wairarapa, and he gave information to the authorities, who caused the body to be brought over to Wellington. It is supposed that the deceased was drowned while in a state of intoxication in endeavouring to pass the point beyond Brown’s house. The inquest has been adjourned to eleven o clock this day to allow & post mortem examination of the body to be made by Dr. Mon- , teith.

WELLINGTON. 1845. 1851. Population 4,193 6,100 Revenue £5,028 £18,319 Exports £22,725 £32,951 Imports £37,755 £113,582 SOUTHERN PROVINCE. 1845. 1851. Population 7,581 15,730 Revenue £6,341 £31,253 Exports £24,374 £35,388 Imports £44,066 £170,500

March quarter £ 125 18 0 June ,, 493 8 3 September,, December „ 633 9 0 705 7 1 £1,958 2 4