THE ‘SYDNEY MORNING HERALD’ ON OTAGO

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 6, Issue 287, 27 March 1862, Page 4

THE ‘SYDNEY MORNING HERALD’ ON OTAGO

One of the most, remarkable colonising revolutions of late times may be seen at Otago, and the surrounding territory. Oui - readers are aware that to that country a large number of the members of the Erie .Church of Scotland .wended their way, to realise, if possible, their ideal of cliu'rch‘government and social life. Their idiosyncrasy was thus strongly impressed upon the first social and political development of the infant State. Fortunately for : them, there was no native population to obstruct their movements or to give the. General Government any pretence to interfere : with the management of their affairs. • Had they continued undisturbed by any new. and. powerful element, the colony would probably have been highly prosperous, as well as highly respectable. The- ordinary : accumulation. of wealth where r the'habits of the people are industrious, thrifty, and inexpensive, is very rapidi arid we do not know that we can congratulate the province on the change whicli has passed over it, and which will alter completely its' social character. 1 1* Beb&mber, 1860, for instance, there was a population of 7449 males and 5242 females. Then arose the cry of “gold.” Since that time, ‘ however, the % immigration has chiefly been of adult males, whose destination is the- - gold-fields, and whose influence on the i final condition of'ehe country will be anything but a realisation of the beau-ideal, in pursuit of which the colony of ! Otago was founded. The immediate material result is, however, surprising:' Gold to. the value of ,£74742fij,. a duty pf £2 3,461, f was. raised during the 'linli-year.’ In 'thh first 3 months the port of Dunedin was visited by -28 outside ships of 9660 tons/ •In the quarter ending 31st December," there were 164 shipsy' representing 47,91 d tons, besides a trade Of great extent with the ncigbOuriijig provinces. The duties received were. £31,709- for 1860 ; but for 1861 theiduties were "£69,737. Thus the discovery^/gold a sudden and large development to an : out-of-the-way corner of New Zealand, which promises to influence the political destinies ,of the entire:group of New Zealand colonies ; to lead to a transference of political power j or to the severance of the close relations in -vyhich the islands of New Zealand now stand to each other.

Among the effects likely tp result from the .unexpected; expansion of this colony, the oestablishment of the Panama route seemtf not the least probable. If a considerable population shall settle there, particularly one' constituted of diggers and traders, 1 -the question of steam communication will rise into engrossing importance. •'Anbigrieiiltural or pastoral colony re-', quires- m. : ,such : accelerated intercourse, butiwe have already seen that/agold/colony iis the hotbed of projects which, ripeii in aTew monthsj ; and which in other, circumstances- could only be;the growth of many years;-- The; writers on the spot are of course’ full of those anticipations which «uckqa ; Wderi spring in the progress of, the colony is calculated to suggest. Dun-edinr-,;according to them, is to be “ the capital of the Great Britain of the South,” and c the rival of, Melbourne,-—for Sydney is too -obscure to suggest a comparison ! Otago poesesses a climate which will contrast,with the coldnies-of North Australia. . , It is cold enough for the coustitvtipn'of a _ North Briton. It will complete those - climatic varieties, which lead to different .kinds of produce and industry. ■\ye have;: not now to learn that every • neWMftolpny-.expands the. trade and increqse3'’.tho resources, of the eptire sisterhood,arid that any. loss made by the emigration from; the older' settlemen t is distributed oyep so larger surface as not to be felt, . For our part, Ve-arp inclined to rejqico when accidentrinduces new enterprise, and to. see in the advahpemerit of any. new community an accession to tWgeneral strength. • • Qne. question, of course,' is very sejrioTj.B,, always- arises in a gold'country how long aitime 1 will 'the’ gold tfelds.,

jtftke to . exhaust 11;^hq i suddon cemtion, of raining would, of course, be followed by great 'disappointment and distress. We can, however, only regard the gold digger as the' pioneer in any country, and the' final prospects’ of any colony muse depend on the settled population, and on the common sources of wealth and prosperity.— S. M. Herald, Feb. 11.