GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Monday, January 3, 1853.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 775, 5 January 1853, Page 2

GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Monday, January 3, 1853.

The Council met at the usual hour. On the motion of the Colonial Secretary, seconded by the Attorney General, the Bank Charters Amendment Ordinance and the Naturalization Ordinance were severally read a third time and passed. His Excellency laid on the table the papers connected with the lighthouse which had been moved for. Capt. Smith said the papers were too bulky to \>e printed, but he was desirous of knowing whether the spot on which the lighthouse was to be erected had been finally decided upon by the Government, and whether a lighthouse had been ordered from England ? He had heard that the light now exhibited at Pencarrow Head vras very insufficient ; he had alsc- ; heard that the use of some railway lamps had been offered to the Government, which, as a temporary arrangement, might be better than the present one. Sir George Grey said he thought the objection of the hon. member would be fully met by stating that authority had been given to put the temporary light in an efficient state. The spot on which the lighthouse would be erected could not be decided until the final report on the subject had been received, and for the same reason the lighthouse had not been ordered, but directions should be given to put the light in a more efficient state than it was at present. Sir George Grey laid on' the table the reports of the Inspectors of Schools, including reports on the schools at the North. Three industrial schools were established here, and the report on the industrial schools at Auckland would be found very interesting. The Attorney General gave notice of the third reading of the Supreme Court Practitioners Bill. Capt. Smith gave notice of a motion on the subject of the steam wharf, after which the Council adjourned.

Tuesday, January 4. On the motion of the Attorney General the Supreme Court Practitioners Ordinance was read a third time and passed. Sir George Grey laid on the table a correspondence relating to lands sold by the Canterbury Association on the town site of Akaroa, which was ordered to be printed. The Colonial Secretary laid upon the table the statistical returns for the colony of New Zealand to the end of the year 1851, which had been prepared so as to snow the state, up to that time, of each of the six settlements which were about to be made separate Provinces. It would be seen from these returns that at that time the total population of the colony was 26,707, the total amount of land fenced in was 28,143 acres, the number of sheep 233,043, the number of cattle 34,787. Out of the whole population there were 14,5 1 2 persons who were able to read and write, or 54 per cent, a very large proportion, greater even than in America. These appeared to be the most important particulars. The hon member also laid on the table a return shewing the number of grants of land issued, including those under purchases from the !New Zealand Company, and under purchases from the Government. The returns were ordered to be printed. Captain Smith said, before the Council broke up, he was desirous they should come to some expression of opinion on the subject of a wharf for steam vessels. He had bestowed some consideration on the subject, and he thought that the place pointed out in the report, at Kaiwarra, possessed the advantage of requiring a wharf only seventy feet in length, which might be erected quickly, and at a moderate expense. It was certainly very desirable that the wharf -should be placed in the most central situation, but this would involve so great an outlay, and so much work, as to require more money and more time than would be expedient for the present object. When the proposed improvements at Lambton-quay were completed, a new wharf might be erected there. If funds were required, the money might be raised by debentures. He should like to hear the opinion of the Council on the subject. Sir George Grey inquired if it was the opinion of the gallant member that there should be a wharf. • Captain Smith replied he thought there should be a wharf, and that it should be made promptly. Mr. Bell considered this was a question which rested entirely with the Executive Government to determine ; but if he should venture to express an opinion on the subject, he must say he should deem it most inexpedient and unfair to build a wharf at a place so -out of the way as the spot pointed out at Kaiwarra. He thought the wharf should be built, if possible, where the vested interests of the place were situated ; if members were to state any opinion, he should certainly say the opinion of the settlers would not be in favour of a place so far from the stretch of the town, as that pointed out by the hon. member. The Colonial Treasurer said the whole matter had arisen out of the inquiries of the Steam Company, who wished to know if they could obtain coal, and the accommodation of a wharf at Wellington. This Company was expected to start in 1853; if, therefore, the wharf was not built at Kaiwarra, it would be better not. to have it at all, as at any other place too great length of time would be required for its construction. ' The Collector of Customs entirely agreed with what had fallen from the Colonial Treasurer, and thought the wharf should be where it could be built in the shortest time. The Colonial Secretary said no pledge was given in the communication which had been

made to the Government ; it simply asked for information, whether any wharf could be provided for the accommodation of the steamers ; it did not go on to say the steamers would call at Wellington. It was a question for the consideration of the Government, for, unless a distinct pledge was given, it might happen that after erecting an expensive wharf the steamers might go elsewhere. *f he great thing would be to get the steamers here. What was required to be done would properly be within the province of the Executive Government. Mr. Bell observed it was a point worth considering that nobody knew if the steamers would come to Wellington. That v*-as the real question, and if it were settled that Wellington was to be the place for the calling of the steamers, the question of erecting the wharf might thtn be decided on the best principles. Sir George Grey thought they should not overlook one class of vested interests, for in speaking of vested interests, the interests of a few were too often regarded as those of the whole community. In determining this question the first class to be considered was the vested interests of the whole settlement, and | if it was in the power of Government to secure so great an advantage to the whole settlement of Wellington as the calling of the steamers by erecting a wharf, it would be the duty of Government to do so rather than lose such an opportunity. He (Sir George) doubted the propriety of taking any additional steps at present. If it were deemed necessary to erect a wharf, the Executive Government would undertake the responsibility of its erection. The spot at Kaiwarra was sufficiently good for the purposes of steamers, but might not be found to answer for sailing vessels. He thought they were not in a position to do more, than collect every information on the subject, and to act as circumstances may require. The Colonial Secretary said the object in calling for the report was to furnish the Company with information. The Attorney General observed, that if a wharf was made it would very much induce the Company to fix its station here. His Excellency referred to' the wharf that had been built at Auckland, which was about a thousand feet long, at the end of that part which had built solid a jetty run out would be sufficient for the purpose. The whole wharf had cost about £6000, and it was imagined the cost would be repaid by the increased value of the lands sold. No motion having been made by any hon. member, the discussion here terminated. Sir G. Grey then said he begged to return his grateful thanks to the hon. members for the assistance they had afforded him on this the last occasion* of their meeting together. In af,ter times they might look back with pride and satisfaction on their labours, and he thought it would then be admitted that the measures passed by them had tended greatly to the prosperity of the colony. The affairs of the colony would pass into the hands of the new legislature in as great a state;of prosperity as that of any country could possibly be, and when the difficulties they had had to encounter were considered this was no small meed of praise. With these few observations and again thanking them for their assistance lie would now adjourn the Council sine die.

The following letter from Mr. E. G-. Wakefield to Mr. Fitzgerald has been communicated to us for publication. It will be observed that Mr. Wakefield requests Mr., Fitzgerald to ' publish his letter ' in the Lyttetion Times, in fairness to the Canterbury colonists, who " should hear something on the other side" of the question. With this jequest Mr. Fitzgerald has not thought proper to comply ; but now that part of the correspondence is published, he may perhaps see fit to make it complete, by printing the long letters of 6th October and 30th December last, referred to j by Mr. Wakefield, in order that the Canter- j bury settlers may have an opportunity of forming 1 a correct judgment of the "bit of legerdemain 1 ' attempted to be practised by Messrs. " Godley & Fitzgerald," under the \ pretence " of giving effect to the principle of local self-management:" — (Copy.) I * Reigate, 23d Jane, 1852. Mt Dxar Fitzgmum), — Uhere is just a chance of your receiving by the Duke of Portland, now on the way to Plymouth, this acknowledgment of the receipt of yoor long letters of 6th October and 30th December last. ■ I write in haste. ' We agree and we differ ; we entirely agree as to the principle of local self management, bat we entirely differ as to the application of that principle, Your application, or rather what you intend as an application of that principle, would inevitably and instantly give effect, and in the worst possible form, to the principle of distant and wholly irresponsible government. Considering the legal facts, which you utterly ignore, there is duly one way in which the Association can cease to perform ' its functions on the spot where it was called into existence, and that way is by forfeiting its charter or otherwise banding over everything to Downing-street. Yon propose almost specifically a forfeiture of the charter ; for the charter would be yso facto forfeited by the course which you propose of transferring the seal of authority. The bit of legerdemain by which yon propose that this should be done would be transparent, or rather so palpably a trick that it might almost pass for a joke. At any rate, it would impose on nobody ; the charter would be gone, and you Canterbury wiseacres would be ruled in, all things by Captain Grey and Colonel Campbell under orders from Mr. Mothercountry. And yet yoa call the proposal a mode of giving effect to the principle of local self management. I declare that such total unreason in men of such ability as Godley and yourself, confounds me with astonishmeut.' However, there is ' an end of the controversy. We on this side, always as deeply attached as you could be to the principle of local self management, have done that which alone would give effect to it; your fierce antagonism to the Association, ] by putting its members out of heart and even j disgusting them with the whole affair, was within an ace of handing the settlement over, bound, to the tender mercies of Colonel Campbell. We had jast strength enough left to take

advantage of the present odd state of parties here, and get a distinct local government for Canterbury, to which, of coarse, the Association (of which you are so insanely jealous) reI joices in being able to hand over a most troublesome and thankless task. There is the whole truth as I view it. And as your view is not confined to private letters, but continually reiterated in the Lyttelton Times, I wish that you would there print this letter with any comments you like. It seems but fair that the colonists should hear something on the other side, after all they have heard from you. Trusting that this may catch the Duke of Portland at Plymouth, and therefore that she will take the news of the, second reading (yesterday) in the Lords of the New Zealand Government Bill. % I remain, my dear Fitzgerald, Your's most truly, (Signed) E. G. Wakefield.