Historical Records of New Zealand
Some Observations on a Bill for admitting the produce of New South Wales to entry at the Customs-house of the United Kingdom.* (Banks Papers.)
Some Observations on a Bill for admitting the produce of New South Wales to entry at the Customs-house of the United Kingdom.* (Banks Papers.)
Will it not be better, instead of the doubtful phrase of “Australasia“ or “New South Wales,“ terms certainly not synonomous, and which seem to cover some secret claims, to say plainly “His Majesty’s colonies, &c., of New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land ″? This puts in a claim for the territorial possession of Van Diemen’s Land, and leaves the greatest part of New Holland, as it ought to be left, open to the enterprise of any European nation who may venture in time of peace to make a settlement there, under a moral certainty of its falling into our hands in the event of war. The territorial possession of Van Diemen’s Land is worth asserting, and, as we have now two settlements upon it—one on the north and the other on the south side—may with some color of justice be maintained, and it will in time become a most valuable nursery for seals if other nations can be prevented from robbing the seal harbours when a stock of seals has accumulated in them.
* These observations are in the handwriting of Sir Joseph Banks.
Why any southern boundary should be set to the enterprise of our successful sealers does not appear. The limit proposed by the bill of 43° 9′ S. will prevent them from visiting the south part of New Zealand, where treasures of seal-skins and oil have been accumulating for ages, and the little island of Penantipode, which has furnished 30,000 of the seal-skins and a proportionate quantity of the seal oil laden on board the expected ship which their Lordships have been graciously pleased to admit to an entry here, to the no small encouragement of the southern fishery. Besides, it is surely probable that the Antarctic, as well as the Arctic, regions produce whales and other sea monsters beneficial to fishermen, which may be made a source of profit to our new settlers, but cannot be advantageously fished for by any other Englishmen.
Will it be necessary to enact anything relative to the registration of ships built in New South Wales, either by an act of Government there or on their arrival in England, if furnished with proper certificates, or do the present navigation laws attach upon His Majesty’s territories there as soon as they are declared to be colonies? Timber costs nothing there, and ship timber of excellent quality is believed to exist on the coast, not far to the north of our settlements. Ships will in consequence be soon built there, notwithstanding the high price that labor must for some time continue to bear. If the masts sent home and fixed in the Sydney prove good—and we are told that she herself has a——* mast standing in her cut in that country— the probability of ship-building becoming a trade there will be much increased.
* Blank in the original.