THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Tuesday, November 11, 1856.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIII, Issue 978, 11 November 1856, Page 2

THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Tuesday, November 11, 1856.

LUCEO NON TJRO.

"If I have been extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beacons from the spark I bore

After much delay, which proves, in fine, to have been a gain,' the whole of the powder carried away by the natives from the Kawau has been returned. Eighty casks were brought up on Saturday last, by Mr. Lanfear, accompanied by two chiefs who were concerned in the detention. The Governor insisted not only upon the whole of the powder beiug restored, but that two vessels belonging to the party of the thieves, should be given up as reparation of the offence. This additional demand has been acceded to without demur j the two vessels are now lying upon the beach in Freeman's Bay. We may consider one of the most awkward occurrences that has taken place in the colony for a long while since, as finally disposed of. The argumentum ab effectu, — from result, is not always sound ; but from the beginning, we have been of opinion that the Governor took the right course in refusing to compromise the dignity of the Crown before natives, in declining to hold any direct intercourse with the delinquents, although they repeatedly offered to give up the powder without payment, provided only that a Government officer were sent down to receive lit. This, in the eyes of the natives, would j have been a great compromise, and as such, was ; refused to them. We believe that any other policy than that which has now been pursued, whether of a teui* I

porizing nature, (too long pursued in formal times, and always with most miscbievojfl results,) or of so overbearing a tI(JH deacy as to provoke hostilities, would bayijS been attended with the worst results. The reM suit of war would have been novel combinational of various' tribes, impossible to forcseem This would almost inevitably have arisen fronTO the powder having been scattered about among m various parties, in iuaccessiUe- places whence \tm could not be recovered by a coup de main "fl Moreover, by tempting, or by waging war, the j tribe chiefly concerned in the robbery, who are a jj vagrant race, would, from the very fact of war 1 being declared, have acquired a status in the coun-M try which they do not at present possess. ThAga would have advanced, even if worsted, to thf|| honours of martyrdom. As it is, however, theff feelfthemselves degraded by thecourse thathas been - pursued, and are earnestly sueing, in addition to j, the reparation which they have already made, that the Governor's forgiveness of the offence may be accorded. - f^ It is recorded in ancient times, that a party of V Greeks, having gone on shore from their vessel, J were accosted by the country-folk, who asked if I they were merchants, "Merchants, — not at all," J was the reply, as though the query were °ffen«W give; "we are robbers," an honourable calling ftpl those days. But these very marauders, if ac- 'M cused of petty larceny, would have been more % I affronted still. . f I Now the powder stealers havg' been treated | throughout, and very properly,-' not as high ' handed robbers, performing a high handed, war- < like robbery, to which credit might attach ; but j as common thieves. This it is that has broken ) their spirit ; they have been absolutely cowed by neglect, by the lack of that marked notice, which ( is so flattering to native vanity. jd It has been calculated that the tribe who com-^ Emitted the robbery will have sustained a- loss, in**' vessels, food, the season's planting, and general.! loss of time, of more than £1000. Certainly, noi J less a sum would replace them in the condition^ j as to material possessions, which they occupied , before. |

We invite attention to the notice, in onr advent tising columns, of a public soiree, announced for^|> this evening by the Committee of the MechanJ;-? ics' Institute, on the occasion of the openings of the new Lecture Hall. t This Institution, always an object of great, , interest to those who exert themselves practically? A in forwarding the material interests 6f the Province, though scarcely made use of as yet to theil full extent of its capabilities, may-.now be said/jfl in nautical phrase, to have taken a fresh depar^M ture. A vigorous effort has been macie by ti|^| Committee to infuse fresh life into it, and broadl^B the basi3 of its operation. The buildingijH itself has been enlarged, partly by aid of thejg Provincial Government, partly by private conjjf tribution, in a manner commensurate with thfpt objects proposed ; and a resident Secretary ha p| been appointed, instead of depending as heretofore ?§ upon the more irregular, though cheerfully ren *| dered services of a visitor at stated intervals. ; The Institution bas received an unpretending Jn name ; but is intended to reach farther than it -', mere title, if interpreted according the nsua •" acceptation at home, nould denote. The range '"I embraced is extensive ; the conduct of the Last if I tution being arranged to combine, as the mai* I objects, not only the social and mental adv&nci^l of the community, but also the development oE 1 the physical resources of the country. B I Socially, provision is made for bringing aIK I classes into closer intercourse with each other ; t« J furnish a common ground, where they not onljfl 1 ghall be able to meet, but are likely to meeiSl during hours of relaxation. As yet, they aiMI thrown together only in the relations of business ■ or of work, in which, of all ' thers, the distinction.* between employers and the employed _ is moMf B markedly drawn. It may indeed be said, tflfl the Mechanics' Institute is as yet the only plaSfl in Auckland where all persons, of every claBa|fl party, creed, or condition, may easily fall in tojjfl gether, and, by learning to know each otbir^s better' than heretofore, learn to think better of each other; thus preparing the way for the gradual obliteration of those class jealousies which, have done so much to breed ill feeling, and to lower the moral tone of this community. To this end, one of the objects to be mainly : kept in view, is causing the Institution to be- V come a place of pleasant resort. By every means, ;~ it must be rendered attractive, — even a pleasant ■£ lounge, if possible, for the whiling away of unoc- *;- cupied hours,r— the mere dry attainment of know-I_-ledge being not the only advantage in contempla# tion. It is most desirable that the want so|frequently experienced in a young colony by';, those who are without relatives, who have no? family circle, who may perhaps be even without c intimate friendships, should be supplied. To such as these, there is a gap in every diy of life. To, these, the tavern — without assuming any craving to indulge the grosser appetites, becomes a temp*" tation, if only for the sociality to be found there, unless a rival to the tavern be open elsewhere, i One step in advance towards this end — already contemplated by the Committee, would be the addition of a Coffee-room ta the establishment, so J < as to give it one of the characteristics of a club. r" ' The Committee also propose to allow immi-'Si grants, under the usual forms and restrictions, to J share in the advantages of the Institution, a^fl honorary members, for a certain time after l^^^j ding. By this, opportunity of acquiring tL * m best information, from the best class of colonist^ |J would be afforded to them j for it is at such kjl place t' t us that the best class — the thoughtful* th~ well informed, and the steady, will mainly congregate. It has been suggested that for the advantage of immigrants, tbe Committee should endearour to obtain from the land-office sketches of the districts open for selection, with descriptions of the general features of the respective blocks, and ,' their various peculiarities. As touching the mental development that is * to be expected from the Institution, we do not \ waste unnecessary words in dwelling upon the obvious advantages to be derived from the lecture room, but draw attention to another advantage, which, if it obtrudes itself less forcibly, is at least of equal value, — to the opportunity af- j forded for acquiring knowledge in frequent and> casual converse among those who are all alike, interested in improvement. It is with us a-* maxim, that "any man may learn of any man," -V if he, be desirous of so doing. There was one who said — "that he never met a man in his life from whom he could not extract some information ;" and to that habit, in no small measure, did he owe the extraordinary variety and practical precision of his acquirements. * , The Institute has already the best library in jf the Province, accessible to the publ : c ; many I valuable additions having been made to it within,,^ the last twelve-months. To the principles hjJm which its formation should be regulated for tbiH future, we may presently take an opportunity^^! devoting some careful consideration. It is to be hoped that some arrangements will be made for amalgamating the Auckland^; Museum— at present bv^t a nucleus, with thjf

Institute ; or failing this, to form a new one with the least possible delay. In regard to the development of the physical resources of ihe Province, we are hold to say that the search for a continuously available export — a subject upon which those who are the most deeply interested in the Province look with the most anxiety— will be pursued, through the agency of the Institution, with renewed hopes and chances of success. Should the funds at the disposal of the Committee presently suffice for such an expenditure, it is their desire to engage the services of scientific explorers of the country — to bring down, for instance, such a man as W. B. Clarke, if obtainable, at a salary commensurate with his acquirements. This, we would observe, is rather a matter that should be undertaken by the Government itself ; but, if neglected there, we cannot lose time in disputing as to the particular quarter upon which so important a duty devolves. It has to be performed, with the least possible delay, and by the means most readily attainable at the time. Correspondence with similar institutions in the sister Provinces, and the adjoining Provinces, will be actively kept up. As the furthest development, the Mechanics' Institute aspires to following in the wake (for many years to come at a humble distance) of the Society of Arts at home ; not merely promoting the useful, at least according to the restricted sense in which that word has been too often used — but striving also, to popularize the elegancies and refinements of life. This is not all speculation, Lr much has been actually and practically effected. The very improvements in the building and expensive enlargement, are so many substantial pledges of success, and of the earnest and practical spirit in which fhe work has been undertaken. We need not say how heartily we coalesce with the promoters of it, nor how ready we are any time to place our columns at their disposal. What has been already effected is guarantee sufficient for the future, — that the Institution will be worthy of the support which has been freely rendered hitherto, and which will be continued, we fully believe, in an increasing ratio, as the benefits derived from the Institution shall be more and more perceptibly felt.