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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4160, 21 July 1874, Page 2

The Agent-General, by telegram, dated London, July 3rd, announced to the Hon. the Premier, that, during the month of June, the following ships with emigrants sailed for the Colony ;—Oxford, 430 souls, for Auckland ; Carlevale (? Carlisle) and Douglas, 870 for Wellington ; Paraee, Tweed, McAusland, 1370, for Otago ; Callicolt (? Calliope), Canterbury Merchant, and Gutenberg, 1440, for Canterbury. These numbers make a total of emigrants shipped for New Zealand, between January Ist and the end of June, of 21,400. The railway plant, &c., shipped during June, was as follows Two thousand tons of rails and fastenings, 30 weighing machines, 25 sets of wagon irons, 32 tons bridge work, 122 cylinders, 1000 coils of wire, 624 cases telegraph materials.

It will be satisfactory to the Wellington public to understand that the fleet of the New Zealand Steam Shipping Company will not be sold without its full value having been paid. A number of influential capitalists and merchants have agreed that, lest the steamers should be knocked down for less than their value, every penny piece they are worth shall be forthcoming. This is to give a new company a chance of probably retaining such a fine fleet of steamers. Wo report this without the slightest regard to what may have been rumoredrespecting the reasons of the present company for disposal. These are no matter for newspaper comment, and, in fact, no more so than are other sales duly announced. But there remains the qualifying probability that steamers which have been of immense benefit to the commerce of AVellington will not be allowed to depart hence unless an outside value shall be offered for them when they are placed for sale.

The opinion of the City Council of Wellington was nearly unanimous on Monday evening in favor of tlie memorandum from Christchurch, conveying an abstract of a petition to be presented to the House of Representatives, that fees arising from licenses granted within corporate boundaries should be expended in their limits by elected authorities. In respect to the justice of this resolve, there can be little question. Local rates, foes, and receipts of all Icinds,.should be locally expended. There is neither reason nor logic in tho practice by which a portion of tho money received from an auctioneer in Wellington should be expended on works, no matter how valuable, a hundred miles further North. If the Municipal Governments of the Colony are not to look to such sources for an augmentation of their revenue, fit is difficult to see to what course they should bend their eyes. Their expenses are daily increasing, not only unifold, hut multifold. Where is the increment to come, but from sources within themselves ? But, whilst saying this, we recognise all the difficulties the General Government has to deal with in deciding upon the merits of the question. The General Government would not think of alienating a source of revenue to the Provincial Governments; and tho more especially, whilst tho Provincial Governments cannot he said to be in favor of the proposed scheme. But if the Bill were so far modified as to render it liermissive, or subject in its adoption to an Ordinance of tho Provincial Government, it might find, if not acceptance, no active opposition. More than this, tho promoters of tho propossd Bill could scarcely expect. For themselves, it has already secured great benefit. Tho Canterbury Provincial Council, whilst disagreeing with tho proposal, voted a substantial equivalent. In Wellington, where tho local expense of the police is understood to be over £2OOO, and the receipts from liconae fees throughout the entire Province not more than £SOOO, tho pecuniary benefit to be derived from the passing of an Act such as that

proposed would be merely nominal. la Christchurch, where the City Council is poor, and the Provincial Government rich, the contrary is the case. The whole question is one that, it would seem, may turn upon larger issues than those immediately involved. It is assumed that if the Municipal Council should take the license fees, to which it wonld appear to be justly entitled, it should pay the cost of the police. This is not the case elsewhere. In most of the Colonies on this side of the line the Municipal Government bears half the cost of the police, and the Government the other moiety. Xu some, the amount expended on actual public works is supplemented. The reason for this is obvious.® Travellers, and others from outlying districts, are as much interested in seeing roadways well maintained, as are the inhabitants of cities and towns where there exists a market for agricultural produce.

The arrivals of English ships in the ports of the Colony during the last week have been more than usually numerous. The 13th of this month was marked by the appearance of no less than four Home vessels in Otago ports. The Garrick Castle brought to the Bluff 220 immigrants, all well, after a smart passage of 77 days. The Caroline, 89 days from port to port, her place of sailing being Queenstown, brought to Dunedin a full shipment of 350 J statute adults, of whom 126 were single women and 77 single men. Wo may expect to hear more of this vessel, as 40 of her female immigrants are from Cork Workhouse. As the Caroline passed down the harbor two other ships were signalled at Taiaroa Head—the Cartsburn, from Glasgow, and the Hindostan, from London, each with about 300 immigrants, after good runs from England. The Devaua, also, was off the Heads at the same time. Only a few days afterwards the fine ship Sussex arrived at .Port Ohalmers, after a very smart run of 75 days,'-bringing some 495 souls. In Wellington we have had the Waikato, with over 300 souls, and the Weymouth. At Auckland, the Countess of Kintore, with immigrants, has followed the James Wishart; and at Lyttelton the barracks are full with the Hereford’s immigrants. It is very gratifying to find that of all these immigrant ships not one has had occasion to go into quarantine.

The able introductory speech of the Premier on the subject of the conservation of state forests, has not brought the question to an end. As Mr. Sheehan remarked, in moving the adjournment of tile debate after Mr. Vogel’s speech, it is likely to be made the question of the session upon which honorable members will feel bound to air their eloquence. There is always one of these “ questions,” as they are called, which crops up in the course of the session and engages the lion’s share of attention and debating power, and the one which is to be specially honored this session is the Forest Bill. It is not quite certain that the debate will not be further adjourned for the third time until a later day in the week. The principal speakers are already pointed out, and the course of criticism they will follow ; but as the debate may be a long one, it may cede place to-day to the Financial Statement. An interest will be imparted to the debate by the fact that Mr. Stafford is likely on this occasion to rouse himself for a great effort. He is, we understand, to make a pretty long speech, not exactly in opposition to the Bill, but combating some of its most novel principles. Then Mr. Sheehan will have something to say, and he has paid considerable attention to the subject in Auckland, where the rapid destruction of timber, caused by the enormous consumption for export at the principal ports, is creating serious apprehension for the future of what was once a thickly-wooded district, with abundant rains, which have seriously decreased of late. The question of the preservation of the kauri forests will itself draw the attention of all Auckland members to the subject. The fact that the tree is confined to this Colony, and to only a few degrees of latitude, will render it very necessary that some decisive steps should be taken if the tree is not to become a botanical curiosity. The Canterbury members will also have something to say on the subject, for, though a comparatively treeless Province, in South Canterbury there are good tree forests of considerable extent, and some of the wealthy landowners have set a very laudable example in making large artificial plantations. Wellington, with her totara forests, mil deserve a fair share of attention. But, as usual, Otago ■will probably take the lead. Dunedin members will have to record how the Port hills and the ranges as far as Blueskin Valley were once covered with nearly impenetrable forests of black, red, and white pine, but are now almost denuded by improvident cutting and reckless fires. Take the country from one end to the other, not excluding even the West Coast, where there would seem to be no limit to them, the forests, their conservation, planting, and management are worthy of that serious attention at the hands of all members, which the head of the Government has given them, and no one who recognises the vast importance action in this matter now will be to the future, will listen without regard to the warnings which are coming from all parts that forests which are worth millions to us are being recklessly and ruinously wasted.