The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1902. THE NELSON JUBILEE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 30, 5 February 1902, Page 2

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1902. THE NELSON JUBILEE.

New Plymouth and Nelson have been so intimately connected daring the whole course of their (history that anything pertaining to the one is of grestt interest to the other. New Plymouth particularly has good reason to feel in • terested.in the progress and prosperity of Nelson, because when the town wa° so hard pressed by rebel natives in the early sixties that fears were entertained for the safety of the settlement, Nelson afforded a safe haven for the women and children of the settlers who had been driven off their farms into New Plymouth. From that time until now a close intimacy has existed between the two towns. It is not surprising, therefore, that a large number of the citizens of New Plymouth have gone to Nelson to take part in the celebrations of its Diamond Jubilee. Nelson was the third settlement established by the New Zealand Company, tbe prospectus being issued in London in 1841 immediately after the settlement of Wellington and New Plymouth. The settlemeat was to consist of 201,000 acres in 1000 allotments of 201 acres each, each allotment to consist of three sections, viz., 150 acres of rural land, 50 acres of suburban land, and one town acre The price of each allotment was £3OO, of which .£3O was demanded as a deposit. On Ist February, 1842, the, Fifesbire arrived with the first batch of emigrants, and before the end of the month three other vessels had also arrived. During the first eight months of the settlement no less than 67 vessels arrived with settlers and stores". Before tbe end of the year the Jtxaminer, the first newspaper in the colony, with Mr Alfred Domett as its editor, was \ being published at a shilling a ropy. The site for the town was where the saltwater . bridge now stands. Insufficiency of land to supply all the settlers caused an attempt to be made to survey the Wairau district, but the survey was strongly opposed by the natives. It was thought by the whites that a show of force was all that was necessary to settle the business, Coptain Wakefield, with a party of fifty men, set out for the district, where he met the natives, some 100 in number, under Te Kauparaha. There was some dispute, and a fight followed, in which some of the English were killed, and the rest obliged to retreat. Nine of the party surrendered, and were murdered by the natives. In all, twentythree lives were lost. The news of whit has since been termed the Wairau massicre caused a great sensation, and for seme time retarded the progress of tbe new settlement. Governor Fitzroy visited the town, and caused so much indignation by condoning thtaction of the natives that his effigy was subsequently burned on Ohurch Hill. In 1844 tbe population of the settlement was 3036; of these 1460 were in the town, and 1676 in the country. The settlers had 5800 sheep, and 960 cattle. There was a bank, a flour mill, three saw mills, a rope walk, three hotels, a literary institute and an Agricultural Society. The now famous Bishop's school was also established that year. A good deal of depression existed till 1851, wages falling aslow as 10s a week. In that yeir the Melbourne gold rush set in, and opened up so god a produce market tnatthedistrictbecame very prosperous. In 1853 the first election to the General Assembly took place. The Nelson members elected to the House of Represedtatives were Messrs W, T. L. 1 Triers, J. Mackay, W. O. Cautley, £BVj, F. Weld, Dr. David Monro;

and to the Legislative Council the' ! Hon. Messrs H. Seymour', R. Richard-1 I son, and M. Richmond. The Pro-i vincial Council also came into being, with Mr Edward Stafford as Superintendent. Five years later Wairau eeparated from Nelson, and the Province of Marlborough was created. This meant a considerable loss of revenue to the Nelson Province, and when Mr Alfred Saucders was elected Superintendent in 1864 the financial position was •very critical, The gold rush to the West Ccast pet in soon after, and a very marked change took place. In 1866 ,£40,000 in revenue was obtained from the Coast alone. NelsDn town had meanwhile forged ahead. The college had been estabj. listed, and the foundation stone of thf present fioe building was laid. The Government Buildings were begun, and Dr. Hockstetker kid the foundation stone of the Institute. Dr. Hobhouse, the first Bishop of Nelson, arand the town blossomed out into a " city." About thia time a good deal of money was put into local mining ventures, the chief of which was the Dun Mountain Copper Mine. Most, of the properties were failures, and al-1 most all led to the losing of money.' Nelson has always held a foremost place as an educational centre, and the Education Act o? 1877 is almost a reprint of the Nelson Provincial statute. The Nelson schools and colleges are amongst the best in the colony. An Art Gallery and a School of Music have lately been added to the educational : advantages of the city. The municii pality is up to date with complete lighting and water services and very ' complete abat'oirs. A Harbour Board lias lately been constituted, and plans for ex'onaive improvements to the harbour ktiv j bet-n adopted. The popula- . tion of the province is now 22,558, the ■ city of N- Ison containing abour. 8000. The area of land occupied is 2,014,571, in 3087 holdings. There are 9174 horses; 33,460 cattl*, 841,513 sheep, 10,785 pits. Th ; s shows substantial progres-, »nd v-« f el sure everyone in Taranaki wi 1 juin in wishing our sister province evary happitess aud pros- ' perity in the fu'ure.