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Contributions to the Early History of New Zealand

1849

1849.

January.

1.—Cricket match between the married and single members of the Dunedin Cricket Club. Won by the single by 49 to 44, with eight wickets to go down, the principal feature of the game being the batting and bowling of C. H. Kettle, Esq.

8.—Arrived, cutter Fly, from Akaroa, with William Fox, Esq., the New Zealand Company's principal agent.

Arrived, ship Ajax, Capt. Young, 116 days out from the Downs, with 23 cabin passengers, 13 adult forecabin, and about 150 steerage passengers; 85 for Otago and the balance for Wellington and Nelson.

page 299

10.—Report of public dinner at opening of Royal Hotel. Mr. McDonald, proprietor. Capt. Cargill in the Chair. In the evening the Chairman proposed "The health of the Labouring Classes of Dunedin." "There was no toast he could propose with greater satisfaction. It suggested one or two hints, however, which, with the leave of the company, he would mention. The labouring class is our mainstay, and we are all greatly indebted to them; but many of them have come out here with an exaggerated belief that they were to have large wages and short hours of work, making them in reality mere drones. On board our vessel we had several meetings about wages and the hours of labour, the difficulty being how to hit the line, and keep the wages at a figure sufficiently low to allow the land proprietors to benefit by it, and from the best information we could obtain, we came to the conclusion that as labour at home was generally about 12s. per week, if we added 50 per cent. and made it 18s., it would be a fair average wage. With regard to the hours of labour, the general hours of out-door labour at home were 10 hours a clay, or 60 hours per week; we therefore made them 55 hours, thus adding 50 per cent, to the weekly wages, and deducting 12½ per cent. from the hours of labour—working 10 hours each day for five days, and allowing the labourer half of Saturday for his own use. This was considered a just and reasonable thing then, but many fancy that their hours should be shorter than this even, and their wages proportionably higher. The arrangement 1 commenced with has been regularly carried out, and will be continued, as I think it just to the labourer and to the land purchaser. On the whole, however, we have a noble set of labourers, and I drink the toast with all my heart."

24.—Letter published from Mr. Wm. Fox, principal agent of the N.Z. Company, to workmen and labourers of Dunedin employed at the N.Z. Company's works, deprecating their discontent with hours and wages. Leading article in same issue of News traversing this, and urging letting of works by contract.

24.—Graham's Otago Almanac for 1849 published.

28.—Church of England service read at the Gaol (the only place available) by Rev. C. Creed, of Waikouaiti. Services advertised to be continued at the Gaol every Sunday morning at 11 o'clock.

29.—First annual dinner of Hand and Heart Oddfellows Lodge.

February.

7.—Publication of report of Governor Grey's address to Parliament, December 21, 1848.

20.—Dunedin market rates:—Flour, £22 per ton; bread, 1s. 4 lb. loaf; beef, 7d. per lb.; mutton, 7d. per lb.; potatoes, £6 to £7 per ton; fresh butter, 2s. per lb.; firewood, 15s. a cord; timber, 18s. per 100 ft.

21.—Eight hours' system of labour established.

March.

23 and 24.—First anniversary, celebrated oy aquatic and rural sports on the first day and races on the second day.

Public worship held in Church at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thanksgiving, humiliation, and prayer.

April.

11.—Ship Mary arrived from London.

May.

2.—Letter from Capt. Cargill to Rev. C. Creed, Wesleyan missionary, protesting against his intrusion and abandonment of his post at Waikouaiti. Vigorous reply of Mr. Creed.

16.—Continuation of discussion between Otago News and Capt. Cargill. Issue almost entirely devoted to articles and letters on the question of tolerance and intolerance.

26.—Public meeting (Mr. W. H. Valpy in the chair) held in the Church to protest against expressed intention of Secretary of State for the Colonies to send convicts to Otago; six earnest resolutions, proposed by Rev. Mr. Burns and seconded by Capt. Cargill, being carried unanimously.

June.

5.—Ship Mariner arrived from London.

9.—Weekly issue of Otago News commenced with No. 14. Also enlarged.

23.—Library of the Church of Otago opened. Subscription, 1s. 6d. per quarter.

28.—Dray road as far as Saddle Hill and coal mines completed.

30.—Regulations published for use of jetty at Dunedin.

July.

7.—Leader about mud in Princes Street. Publication of last of a series of notes on the suburban and rural districts of Otago strongly urging the exploration of the country.

21.—Letter and article advocating establishment of a building society, defects of many of the existing houses having become apparent in recent severe weather.

August.

25.—Mr. H. B. Graham appointed Postmaster for Dunedin vice Mr. A. Anderson resigned, and notification given that any letters, newspapers, &c, must be posted at the General Stationery Store, Princes Street. Demand in leader for market place and regular market day.

September.

11.—Arrived, ship Larkins, 770 tons; Bruton, from London, with 220 immigrants, 79 of whom were for Otago.

October.

6.—Leader approving of remarks by Mr. E. G. Wakefield, advocating extinction of N.Z. Company.

Meeting of settlers at Halfway Bush. Messrs. Chalmers, Williamson, Mosely, Fraser, Glover, Keunard, Jeffreys, and Cargill agreed, for mutual benefit, to stye their pigs, and earnestly recommend all settlers on country lands to join together for a like purpose, in order that crops may be taken off the open lands.

Boat accident near Port Chalmers on 1st current, by which Mr. T. S. Watson, of the Commercial Hotel, Benjamin Coleman, and Thos. Harman were drowned, only one (Hunter) being saved.

Requisition signed by 77 settlers, calling public meeting to consider Mr. E. G. Wakefield's letter to the settlers in New Zealand.

Subscription list opened for the purpose of fencing and beautifying the cemetery.

page 300

November.

10.—Publication of census returns for Otago to March 31, 1849—
M.F.Total
In the Town of Dunedin240204444
In the Town of Port Chalmers281038
In the Country158105263
Totals426319745
Religion.
Presbyterian Church of Otago476
Church of England161
Methodists8
Catholics (Roman)7
Independent1
Unknown92
Total745
There had been 9 deaths (3 adult males and 6 children) among the Company's immigrants and 5 among settlers found in the district. There had been 13 marriages; 25 had been born in the settlement and 5 at sea. The live stock comprised—
Horses35
Grazing Cattle357
Working Bullocks18
Sheep2430
Goats50
Swine132
Poultry593

Crops of potatoes and vegetables had been taken from 43 acres of land in all by 57 persons in town and country. There were 99 buildings in Dunedin, 9 in Port Chalmers, and 163 in the country. The total value of them was £9532, and the number of householders was 170. There were 91 days on which there was more or less rain, 56 on which it was considerable, and 176 on which none fell. The average temperature for the year was 47?30, taken before 7 a.m. It ranged from 50 in February to 37·8 in July. Barometrical means ranged from 29?72 to 30?34.

20.—Arrived, ship Kelso, with about 80 passengers, principally for Nelson.

December.

1.—Deputy Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages (Mr. R. Chapman) appointed. Also appointed Clerk to the Bench of Magistrates.

Leading article in News adverting to presentation of petition to House of Commons by Sir W. Molesworth, praying for the immediate introduction of representative institutions to New Zealand.

At the Police Court, Mr. John Cargill summoned W. Mosely, A. Chalmers, and J. Salmond for pigs trespassing.

5.—Arrived, ship Pekin, Whitby, from London, with 116 passengers, chiefly for Nelson.

First anniversary dinner Hand and Heart Lodge of Oddfellows, Mr. S. Gibbs, P.G., in the chair; Mr. H. B. Graham, G.M., vice-chair. Secretary read report showing the membership to be 33, and overplus funds to be nearly £50.

22.—W. Underhill, secretary, notifies formation of the Dunedin Cricket Club, and weekly practice on Tuesdays.

Publication of Statements of Receipts and Expenditure of Otago, New Minister, for year ended 31st December, 1848; for quarter ended 31st March, 1849; and for quarter ended 30th June, 1849; also from 2nd July to 29th September, 1849. For the last-mentioned period the receipts were as under:—Customs: Spirits, £275 2s. 11d.; cigars and snuff, £7 17s. 6d.; tobacco (manufactured), £62 4s.; unmanufactured, nil; ad valorem duty £107 17s. 11d. Fines and. fees: Fines, Police Court, £4; fees, £3 8s. 6d. Licences, Auctioneers', £40;—total, £500 10s. Expenditure—Civil: Customs Department, £229 0s. 8d.; Sub-Treasury Department nil; Post Office, £1 10s. 3d.; Deputy Registrar, births, deaths, and marriages, nil; Police Department, £116 18s. 4d.; Pilots' Department £20 12s. Miscellaneous: Police, £20 4s. 6d.; miscellaneous, £2 5s. 6d. Total expenditure, £420 18s. 3d. John Macarthy, Sub-Treasurer.

The Customs duties at this time were:—British and foreign spirits, 5s. per gall.; tobacco (manufactured), 1s. per lb.; unmanufactured, 9d. per lb.; cigars and snuff, 2s. per lb.; wines, 20 per cent.; malt liquors, 15 per cent.; munitions of war, 30 per cent.; British goods and produce, 10 per cent.; foreign goods and produce, 12½ per cent.; glass bottles (full), specie, bulbs and plants, live animals, printed books, duty free.

26.—Arrived, ship Mooltan, from Greenock. The Mooltan had 9 deaths from cholera and 6 from various other causes.