NEW SOUTH WALES AND NEW ZEALAND.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 124, 28 December 1858, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES AND NEW ZEALAND.

( From the Sydney herald.) The second report of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce has just reached us, and we take the opportunity of extracting a few of the facts and figures it contains illustrative of the commercial condition and prosperity of the province, as there never was a time when the attention of the mercantile, community of Sydney needed to he more closely directed to the value of the New Zealand trade, now that such strenuous efforts are being made to divert it to other ports. In past days the inter-colonial traffic between New Zealand and New South Wales has been one of mutual advantage, nor need its benefits be forgone for the future, except through culpable supineness. The statistics of this colony shews that the exports from Sydney to New Zealand average annually onethird of a million sterling in value. This trade will increase year by year with the growing wealth and population of both colonies, and is well worth retaining and fostering. The report before U3 refers to the disappointment universally felt in New Zealand at the failure ; of the Royal Mail Company to realise the expectations raised by Mr. Wetton of a mail service by way of Panama. But we hope that it will not be long before those hopes are fulfilled. New Zealand, helpless by itself in this matter, not being strong enough single-handed to do that which will be most conducive to its own interests, will be indebted to New South Wales for the realisation of a trans-Pacific mail service, and the carrying out of the service will probably tend to cement the commercial intercourse which has so long existed between the two colonies. The steps taken by the Legislature and Government of this colony wil', we confidently anticipate, be warmly and liberally seconded in all the provinces of New Zealand. Since the unfortunate stranding of the William Denny, New Zealand has been almost wholly deprived of steam communication with Australia; and the mail service with the mother country, which has been irregular even for the colonies more favored by position, has been still more unreliable for New Zealand, which, therefore, has in this respect a special grievance of its own. That part of the original scheme of the Lords of the Treasury which provided for an intercolonial mail service to supplement the ocean service, has never been carried out, and, indeed, never attempted. But, in the case of the colonies of Tasmania and South Australia, the want has been pvacticdly supplied by the coasting steamers, an 1 the omission has been but of little importance. New Zealand, however, though hitherto left in'the lurch, will, for the future, be efficiently served through the instrumentality of a company, styled the •' New Zealand and Australian Steam Navigation Company," which has sent out from England four vessels, constructed specially for the purpose'; two to run between the colony and Australia, and two between the separate provinces. The Company is to receive a subsidy of £24,000 a year, and Mr. Sewell has so cleverly managed the negoewtions in the matter In London on behalf of the colony, that the Imperial Government has agreed to pay £14,000 of this amount, leaving only £10,000 to be made up "by the local Government.' We do not know whether this agreement is understood to form a part of the general imperial postal system, or whether it is merely an extra accommodation. There is nothing like having friends at Court, and to this fortunate privilege New Zealand probably owes this special little favor, as well as the more important boon lately granted, of an imperial guarantee for its loan of half a million sterling. The route to be taken by these steamers, when engaged in their regular work, appears to be not quite determined on; but the report before us states that negotiations have been ■going oir to make Melbourne the Ih oaa'»quailte-.-s on the mainland'; and a petition was lately presented to the Government of Victoria urging a subsidy of six thousand pounds a-year to the.company to induce them to do so. This proposal is by itself sufficient evidence that Melbourne is not the most •convenient entreport for New Zealand, for if it were, the trade would naturally centra there, and would not require -such strenuous exertions to tempt it from its accustomed channel. But it can never suit Auckland to make Melbourne instead <ef Sydney its Australian port, and Auckland is ■not only the political metropolis, but at present the chief seat of commerce. The steamer Queen has been lately laid on to run between Melbourne and Otago, but it remains to be seen whether there is trade enough to support it without a subsidy. The very moderate sum of £150 a month was voted by the Provincial Government of Wellington to the -steamer Wonga Wonga for bringing the mails from ■'Wellington; but the owners of the vessel have found the remuneration altogether insufficient Part of this even has bren withheld "by the Superintendent, on';some.'political or technical grounds, and the agent 3 are suing the Government for the mohev^ The statistics given "in the report before us of the commerce of the province of Wellington, famish gratifying evidence of its prosperity. The value of its exports in 1857 amounted nearly to one'hnnoVed thousand pounds sterling, which, for a population of only eleven thousand, shews an average export of more than nine pounds per head. The revenue was ,£65,000 a year, of which rather more than half was derived froni Customs, the rest accruing from land sales. There were nearly [15^000 acres under crop,"and the live stock was estimated at. .about 230,000 sheep, 30,000" cattle, and 2400 horses. The value of the wool exported was calculated at £70,000, and is annually increasing. The fisheries, which once yielded an export of £18,000 a year, have been latterly totally neglected, notwithstanding the convenient position of Wellington for whaling purposes. The occupation we presume must, therefore, have been found too hazardous and uncertain, or else the colonists had better openings for their capital. But thisreeource lies still open to them whenever they think proper to enter upon it. Speculation on land, however, may for awhile answer better than speculation on water, and the province contains nearly ten millions''-.of acres, affording scope for the farmer, the squatter, and; the miner. New roads are gradually opening ijip the interior to

occupation, and vast tracts of land hitherto waste are being gradually brought into use. The provinces of New Zealand would all advance more rapidly, if they could but nvoncile their mutual quarrels. Union exists among--them in name more than in reality, and the incessant manifestations of jealousy and rivalry which are exhibited, have no small influence in discouraging voluntary immigration.