THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. “Vèritè sans peur.” WANGANUI, FEBRUARY 11, 1864.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 8, Issue 378, 11 February 1864, Page 3

THE WANGANUI CHRONICLE AND RANGITIKEI MESSENGER. “ Vèritè sans peur. ” WANGANUI, FEBRUARY 11, 1864.

The Proprietors .of the “Chronicle” proposed to their subscribers, in the month of June last, to publish the paper twice a week, iu order to meet the growing wants of the district. 1 his proposal was generally responded to favourably, and in consequence they sent to England for an additional supply of material, which has now arrived. They purpflbe therefore beginning their twice a week issue in the beginning of April, In taking this step they have been guided more by a desire to promote the interests of the district than their own, as they are aware that for some time at least the publication will entail an absolute loss. They trust, however, that the public will appreciate their endeavours, and show their appreciation by a liberal support. \ respectable newspaper is not only necessary in the district, but is also useful out of it, being a kind of recommendation to strangers of a place which is able to support such a publication. It is pretty'generally known that some time a go h change in the Proprietorship of the

“ Chronicle ” took place, since which a great improvement has taken place in its appearance, if not in its contents. The present Proprietors are quite aware that it is not yet what it ought to be, but are determined that no efforts shall be wanting on their part to make it a correct exponent of the political feeling and social wants of the district.

The Otago Separation party are again showing symptoms of vitality. The resolution passed in the House of Representatives, that the seat of Government should be transferred to some place in Cook’s Straits, has aroused their indignation ; and a “monster” meeting was held in Dunedin in the middle of last mouth to protest against the contemplated change. There were no arguments brought forward against this change, or in favour of Dunedin being the. seat of Government; but in the absence of argument, some curious statements were

made, which may at least afford a little very mild amusement to our readers. There was an absurd and unaccountable mixing up, in the minds of some of the speakers, of the Government and the people residing at the seat of Government. If Wellington should be the favoured [dace, it was intolerable that large and populous provinces like Auckland and Otago should be governed by a small place like it. The intellect of Wellington must indeed be extraordinary, if it is to exercise so great power over the Governor and Ministry. But No ! according to the same speaker, there was no man in Wellington of known ability throughout the country. Auckland was a place were great men lived, and where they and a powerful press kept the Government in awe. (“ No cross, no crown,” is not true in Aucldaud ; it is there, “ A Cross, no crown.) But in Wellington there was no organ of public opinion worthy of the name. Then if that is the case—that there is neither intellect nor its manifestation—how are the Wellington people so to coerce the authorities, that the former shall be the governing party, and the latter their obedient servants '? There was again an amusing forgetfulness or a lamentable ignorance, of the action of Constitutional

Government. Now that we have a Government responsible to the people, are not the members of the Legislature substantially the ruling power ; and is there something in the Wellington air so intoxicatiug that the representatives of the people, as well as the Executive will become there the willing tools of its artful citizens. A Reverend writer of an account of New Zealand declares that these who live on the high terraces at Wellington become of an irritable and pugnacious disposition, owing to. the action of the winds. It would appear, therefore, to be the very place for the ‘seat of Government, the members to which, according to one of the orators are apt to become somnolent and torpid. Let the Dunedin, petitioners add to their Memorials the clause : “ but if Wellington should, after all, be fixed on, we beg respectfully to represent the propriety of having the Government offices built at least two hundred feet above the level of the sea, as the action of the wind there induces a lively and self-asserting temperament, which is necessary for the Government, if it would successfully I’esist Wellington popular clamour.” But why necessarily Wellington 1 our readers may say. May it not be Nelson, or Picton, or some other place in Cook’s Straits 1 No ! we are happy to inform our readers, on the authority of Mr. Vogel, member for Dunedin, that though this point is referred to the Australian and Tasmanian Governors, it is quite settled they are to fix on Wellington. Writing Mr. Vogel’s name reminds us that-, at the meeting, he again claimed to be one of the originators of the Separation movement. “ It had been a great success !” “ Throughout the colony, Separation was advocated by all those (or with very few exceptions) who were able to look upon the question from an uninterested point of view. There were some who opposed the movement from conscientious and perfectly disinterested motives.” Mr. Vogel is easily satisfied. If the press be taken as the exponent of public opinion, the idea of Separation, connected as it is in Mr. Vogel’s view, with Dunedin being the seat of Government, is, out of Otago, regarded with universal disfavour ; and if the votes in the Legislature be taken as an index to the public feeling, there also separation is shewn to be at a discount. Even two of the Otago members, in last Assembly, voted for the seat of Government being removed to Wellington and declined voting for its being taken to Dunedin, while a majority of the members for the same province were opposed to a Lieutenant Governor and separate Executive in the Middle Island. The. truth is, the Separation movement was laughed at from the .first,* and has long since died a natural death, though some of its first supporters have a fond lingering notion that it is still alive waiting for its opportunity. Even these few see that, if the seat of Government be removed to Cook’s Straits, there will not then be the shadow of a hope of their fond but foolish project being accomplished ; and therefore they are now making their last effort ; again joining the Auckland people—also Separationists if they do not get their own way — against the rest of the Colony. * The Superintendent acted as Chairman of the meeting, and lie seems deeply interested in having the seat of Government at Dunedin. This will not be wonderful to those who know that he lias a block of land in Dunedin township for which, at the beginning of the diggings, be imprudently refused somewhere about ,£•10,000, and that the only, possible

chance now- of its ever realising, more than probably the half of that sum .lies in'the impetus that would be given to speculation in town lots if there was any probability of Otago being made the capital of the Colony, or, even of the Middle Island., The feeling on the subject indirectly shewn by him is worthy of note. Mr. Vogel had a strong persuasion that, if the meeting expressed a unanimous opinion on the subject, “the whole ol the mnoval-of-the-seat-df-Govern-ment conspii’acy would, fall to pieces-” Mr. Vogel alluded to a vote of the Efouse carried by a majority of 28 to 23 in one of the largest houses during the session. But when Mr.’ Cargill used the same word “ conspiracy ” in describing a private compact of the Auckland members with the Otagari separationist members, the Superintendent “ thought the word ‘ conspiracy ’ was a ‘ very strong term to use.” But if it was so in the one case, it was surely.a much stronger one in the other.

A little bye-play, in connexion with the Ho". T. B ; - o Gillies, Postmaster General, was rather amusing. The hon. gentleman has been one of the deluded would be separatiouists from the beginning. Like a good Scotchman, he took his stand on whiskey; and declared that Separation must be had that this fiery liquor might be distilled in Otago. At the meeting in question he professed himself one of the four patriotic Otagans who had joined with the Auckland members in opposing the removal of the Government offices, unless they came to Dunedin, and declared that if the five recalcitrant Otago members had united with the others this object would have been accomplished. Considering that Mr. Gillies occupies the position assigned to him by one of the speakers, “as the most distinguished public man, probably, we have in the Province,” we did not expect to see this statement contradicted. But what does Mi*. Reynolds say of what had occurred at Auckland ? “He knew very well the Postmaster General' had stated publicly and privately, that he did not wish the seat of Government to be in Dunedin, but at Cautei-bury ; it was never intended that the seat of Government should come to Otago—it was intended it should be at Canterbury.” It appears, then, that there was not only a conspiracy, but a double conspiracy. The Auckland and some of the Otago members conspired to oppose the seat of Government being removed, with theostensible understanding that Dunedin should be the capital of the Middle Island ; but with the secret understanding—the second conspiracy being to secure the Canterbury members—that after all Canterbury should be the favoured region. The hon. Mr. Gillies did not attempt to defend his honour thus called in question by Mr. Reynolds ; and we must suppose-the latter gentleman to have been correct in his statement. We say nothing of the want of common etiquette and decency in a member of the Government, proposing at a public meeting a motion subversive of a course of action to which the Government of which he is a member is pledged. The hon. gentleman seems to, think the Assembly a kind of theatre, Warn which, having acted a certain part he comes outfree to act iu his private capacity as he pleases. Mr. Kean off the stage is no longer Macbeth, but simply Mr. Kean. Mi*. Gillies, at a meeting of citizens in Dunedin, is no longer the Postmaster General, but merely one of the Otago representatives. The absurdity of the notion does not need to be pointed out.

Mr. Vogel’s hope of a unanimous expression of opinion Was not realised. The Chairman (with, his separation proclivities) could only say that the principal resolution was carried by a considerable majority. Whether it is the misfortune of the Province to have.no able speakers; or the stupidity of the Separation cry which her able men do not join in, we do not know ; but a really good cause would be injured by such supporters ; and all that is necessary to counteract the possible effect of the Otago memorials to the several Governors, is to send a copy of the proceedings at this meeting along with each of them,

The New Zealand. Gazette of ’lßth ulto. gives the following account of the trade of the Country for the quarter ending 30th September, 1863. , The Customs revenue is 145,594/, against 94,754/ in the same quarter of 1802, an advance of 65 per cent, hooking at the items in the account we find that 64 per cent of the whole amount is raised from so called articles of luxury, namely. Spirits, Wine, Ale, and Tobacco, and that of these articles the increase during the 1863-quarter was 37 per cent over the quarter of 1862. The only failing off is the duty on arms which Ims fallen from 921 to 47/. The Exports fertile quarter are valued at 621,322/ against 233,689/ in the same period of ic-62. Nearly the whole amount of this increase has been in the exports from Dunedin to Victoria, to which the greatest part of the Otagari gold finds its way. The principal items of increase are:—gold 52 ',360/, against 189,728/in 1862 ; word 11,513/, against 9,761/ in 1862 ; and kauri gum 14,577/, against 1,489/ in 1861—the last item a proof that the natives north of Auckland are settling down to their former industrious habits, finding that the Koreroing does not satisfy the stomach There is the unprecedented export of specie from Auckland to the extent of 40,000/, which we suppose must have gone to Australia to pay for the bringing over of the Defence Force. The Imports are valued at 1,864.626/, : the value in the same quarter of 1862 being 1,003,796/. The value of the im-

ports from every -quarter is nearly doubled, except from the Cape, Mauritius, the United States, and the South lslauds—from all. of which the imports have declined more or less ; while the. produce of the, .Southern whale fishery, which was introduced in the quarter of 1862 tp the value of .5,4-59/, had fallen to zero ii,K T t,he. three; tuonths of last year ending in September. The quarter’s returns shew that the Shipping lias increased in a corresponding ratio. The tonuage cleared outwards last year was 90,103 tons, while in 1862 it was 57,792 tons. The average size of the vessels was in 1862,.350 tons, and in 1863,'356 tons. In the latter two-thirds of, the whole left the country in ballast ; in 1852H;w0 per cent more than that proportion left without cargoes Wellington has had her share of the increase, her shipping having rather more than doubled The extraordinary development of commerce which has taken place within a very short period will be understood when we mention that in 1860, the imports for the whole year were 300,000/ less than for the quarter of last year ending in September; and that the whole of the exports for 1860 were less by 32,000/ than those in the same quarter of last year. Thus in less than three years our trade may be said to have been more than quadrupled.

A statement of the Provincial Revenue and Expenditure for the quarter ending 30th September 1863 is published in a gazette of the 19th ult. The income amounts to 10,126/ 2s 3d —arising from Customs, 3967/, ; licenses 120/; pilotage 112/; Kaiwarrawarra toll 295/ ; Queen’s warehouse, rent 115/ ; wharfage 116/; Immigrants promissory notes, 130/; contributions for grants in aid of roads 34/; rates ?on land 408/ ; proceeds of reclaimed land 642/ ; pasture licenses and rents and proceeds of land sales 3852/ ; money deposited, for Immigrants 1,41/; and a number of small items make up the balance. The expenditure amounts to nearly 18,000/, -made up as follows : —Executive 7 10/ ;- Legislative 578/ ; Judicial 1294/ ; ■charitable 410/; special, including harbour departments, lighthouse, sheep inspector -cfec. 687/; miscellaneous 398/ ; land purchase experices 117/ ; land department, clerks salaries 225/ ; survey department 1163/; Roads do. 393/; education 357/ ; Geological svrve'y 100/; ferries 134/ ; steam navigation 250/ ; sundry public works 286/ ; Wangaehu bridge iOO/ ; Porirua do. 292/ ; roads 4744/ (grants in aid, 1903/ ; repairs, 992/ ; Eeatherston to Castle Point &c. 383/ ; Mungaroa 225/; Karori 126/; Wai-nui-o----matallO/; sundries 133/; Rangitikei to Wanganui 463/ ; No. 3 line 330/; Matarawa 54/ ; Brunswick 3/ ; Kalniuraponga'2o/) ; sundry works at Wellington 4,523/ ; court-houses Rangitikei 35/ ; piling right bank Wanganui 15/ ; audit 62/ ; interest 272/; 654/ for sundries not included in Appropriation Act, including repairs of Hutt bridge 267/ ; charge of toll bar 39/; charges of Warehouse and wharf 320/.

The. American news by the English mail was anticipated by the intelligence received via San Francisco, except that Burnside has been driven into Knoxville, which is invested by the Confederates., under Longstreet.