The Southland Times. MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 1013, 31 August 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 1868.

The Victorian colonists are a thoroughly practical and enterprising people. Notwithstanding the trianglar battle that has been so long raging — between the Assembly, the Conncil, and the Imperial Grorernment — the work of progress has been steadily pursued. The strife having ended, the results of the liberal land regulations, in force for the past three years, are becoming appreciable; Me M'CtjiiLOCh, has resumed the reins of government with a stronger following than before, and announced a determination to unflinchingly pursue the course his party has persistently followed, viz: — the settling of the people on the lands, the encouragement of local industries, the extension of railways, and last but not least, continuous immigration. Although these may be the chief articles in the creed of the Victorian Grovernment there are also other questions of importance, not only to Australia but also to this Colony, that are occupying ministerial attention, the chief of which may be considered, that of the establishment of a bi-monthly line of powerful steamers between England and Melbourne via the Cape of Cood Hope. Arrangements, although not completed, have, we believe, been so far advanced that it is looked upon as almost a certainty, that in the course of a few months, this line will be in operation. For some time past negotiations between the Victorian Government and a home company have been going on. "What the precise nature of those negotiations are has not yet been divulged, but this much may be gleaned, viz : — that in connexion with the immigration scheme, a second Postal Service is to be established by a line of steam vessels of an average tonnage of from 40C3 to 5000 tons each, specially adapted for a mail and passenger service. It is estimated that if the projected arrangements are carried out the cost of importing immigrants will be decreased by one third, superior accommodation and treatment secured, the length of the voyage reduced to about forty-four days, and a bi-monthly mail service secured at much less cost than if the P. and O. Company's proposal / for a double mail service via Suez had been accepted.

The instructions given by the Victorian Government to the Agent- General of the colony (the Hon. Gr. Vebdon, C.8.) have been published, and fully prove that there is a determination to energetically carry out the policy above indicated. The ' Herald,' 20th August, in a leading article commenting upon these instructions, with almost especial reference to immigration, writes : — " This (immigration) is the chief ground on which the colony will consent to burden itself with the cost of the new agency. And it may be taken for certain that if a copious stream of emigration does not soon begin to flow in upon our shores from Europe, as the result of the establishment of the agency, the public dissatisfaction will soon put

an end to the office. We, however, have no fears on this score. Mr Vebdon is fully convinced of the importance which public opinion in Victoria attaches to an early and full increase of our population from without, and doubtless he will exert himself to satisfy public opinion in this respect. It should be one of his first cares on arriving in England to master everything connected with projects for steam communication via the Oape of Grood Hope. And there are one or two leading ideas on this topic that he ought always to keep before him. These are, first, that the voyage must be made a cheap one — cheap enough to compete with the passage to America ; next, that the intending emigrant must find no difficulties whatever, but, on the contrary, all the facilities and publicity possible for enabling him to take his passage and transfer himself to his berth onboard ship. It is only those who have come in contact with the humbler classes who know how utterly ignorant — how complete a blank — is the

mind of the small-town resident, villager, or inhabitant of the rural districts, as to how he is to set about getting a passage to Australia. Everything tnust be, as it were, chalked out as on a path for them to follow implicitly as directed. And for this purpose " the diffusion of useful knowledge" will need to be one of Mr Vebdow's chief cares. "Without exaggeration, too, he can draw a very pleasant picture of the summer voyage that the passage to Australia is, and of the lucky chances and rational hopes of good fortune which wait upon the industrious adventurer who journeys to the Great South Land. It should be Mr Vebon's care also to so arrange that the intending emigrant, who pays down a certain small sum — £5 or so — for his passage, should count on securing that passage without delay, on© month being the longest interval ; and should also be able to walk on board as readily as entering a railway train. These arrangements for the sure, expeditious, cheap, and satisfactory conveyance of the emigrants from the old country to the new being perfected Mr Veedon will have a wide field of interesting labor before him, in organising the means of giving the fullest and the most wide-spread information respecting the attraction which emigration to Victoria offers." It may be asked in what way will immigration to Victoria benefit New Zealand ? It will, under any circumstances, have indirectly a beneficial effect on the progress of this colony, especially the Southern portion, and it might be rendered a direct advantage to this Province. We want population ; the settlers here desire to bring out their friends, but, naturally, at the smallest cost consistent with comfort, and the Provincial Government desire to offer the greatest possible inducement to emigrants to come and settle. Is it possible that by arrangements with the Victorian Government, emigrants for this province could be brought out, enjoying on the passage all the comforts and advantages of those that ship for Melbourne ? "We think it in. It is a question worthy of the consideration of the Provincial G-overnments.