Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, FEB. 6, 1872.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 117, 6 February 1872, Page 4

Cromwell Argus, AND NORTHERN GOLD-FIELDS GAZETTE. CROMWELL: TUESDAY, FEB. 6, 1872.

Quite a revolution is- apparently taking place in our immigration arrangements. Under the auspices of the General Government—which has taken in hand the systematic augmentation of our population by immigration, under the provisions of the Immigration and Public Works Act Amendment Act of last session,—energetic measures are being taken to supply the various portions of the Colony •with immigrants, in proportion to their requirements. During the past week or two, this Province has been visited by the Hon. W. Reeves, Resident Minister for the Middle Island, and the Canterbury Immigration Officer (Mr J. K March), who have inspected the buildings used in connection with our immigration arrangements, —the barracks, quarantine station, &c. As mijght have been expected, neither of those places met with their approval,— the former more particularly, on account of its ineligible site, and the latter by reason of the inadequate accommodation and

Jiluitableness of the buildings. When jff ReevßS makes his report to the Go•fllnment, steps will no doubt be taken as e s|i as possible to carry out any sugges■tuffis it may contain as to the necessity of i-iWcuriug another site for the barracks, ittll altering and enlarging the buildings of he quarantine station, In connection (ran the immigration policy of the Government, Otago presents some special fea--jafes: notably, the power—acquired unit the Otago Settlements Act, passed last i&ion, —of creating special settlements in l p\vart's Island and iu the heavily-tim--B»fed district on the coast southward of fc§ Molyneux, extending from C.itlin's jtiver to Waikava, each settlement em►rlcing an area of 100,000 acres. Another b%ture is the class of immigrants which it 9 proposed to introduce to those localities. !t seems impossible to awaken an interest ' n ; New Zealand among the inhabitants of 'he British Isles, and therefore the countries of Northern Europe—Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, —have been selected as J ihe most likely to furnish immigrants who rill make good colonists. As We have on >reviou3 occasions stated, we hardly like he idea of drawing accessions to our popuatjion from these countries ; not bscause vd are narrow-minded enough to entertain irpjudices against foreigners, or to imagine ||tt the English, Scotch, and Irish alone [re fitted to colonise a country; but be- | saiise it is only reasonable to suppose that, speaking different languages, and inhei'itng manners and customs unlike our own, ibey do not possess the harmonious elements of colonisation, the social ties, the inison of interests, of those with whom ihey come to cast in their lot. Intermar•iage would go a great way towards bindng the two races together; but, for some rears to come, the dissimilarity of the anguages spoken must have a deterrent upon the cultivation of social in:ercourse between the British and foreign jolonists. We grant that the hardy Norsemen make good colonists. They possess jreat powers of physical endurance, indomitable energy, independence of spirit, and ;he valuable characteristic of submitting to :emporary discomforts and trials without ?omplaining. Next to the people of the British Tslps, for whim we confess a deeded preference over those of foreign Hmtries, we suppose that a people more raited to the requirements of the. Colony ibun the natives of Scandinavia could lardly be selected. Stewart's Island, one Hthe proposed new Settlements under the {Ljct of 1871, presents, it is believed,, an lligible Held for the experiment with the, few colonistsj and if too large a number! )e not located there, the result may prove tatisfactoiy. The natural advantages of, Hew.irt'.s Island are numerous and iinpor-I iaiit, and its magnificent harbours are not jijiong the least of them. With the exception of a small area in the interior of She island, the land is densely wooded, the brnno: of a superior description. The jgast district, which has already been proclaimed as a special settlement by his Honor the Supkrivtevdext, is heavily limbered, and woik of the most laborious Emd is before those who may be induced B make it their home. The laud has been liyided into three classes, subject to vajttms conditions of disposal, viz., 10,000 ]U!re3 subject to free grants ; 30,000 acres 40, be sold at live shillings per acre, and 10,000 acres at the upset price of five shillings per acre. His Honor the SupeutJSft'ENDENT and Mr Reeves, accompanied by several other gentlemen, left Dunedin by steamer recently, with the intention of visiting the different localities we have mentioned, and of selecting the portions of. land most suitable for the purposes of settlement.