COLONIAL NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 68, 24 April 1852, Page 7

COLONIAL NEWS.

AUCKLAND

[From the " Wellington Independent."]

By the overland mail we have received our usual file of Auckland papers to March 6th. William Bowden had been found guilty of the wilful murder of John Doxon, and sentenced to be hanged. The prisoner put into the hands of the Registrar a defence, which had evidently been written by some other person, in which he pleaded that he was urged to the act by some resistless demon of insanity. The petitions from the borough against the New Zealand Company's claim had been forwarded to the Duke of Newcastle and Mr. Gladstone for presentation. We observe that the returns from the customs department of the names, tonnage, and cargoes of vessels enterered at the ports of Auckland and Manukau, foreign and coastwise, are published in the New Ulster Government

Gazette, and we hope that a similar system will be forthwith adopted here. Such returns published monthly would furnish materials for very important statistical information regarding Wellington, and the commercial and agricultural progress of the colony. Nearly 100 persons had sailed for Sydney in the " Moa" and " lllomama," and we find that included in this number are many heads of families.

Auckland papers to the 20th March have * been received by the " Shepherdess." A re-

p^o-t of toe discovery of gold at the Hen and Cliickens group of islands, which had been .^.generally circulated, had been fully investigated. The " Governor Wynyard" steamer was sent off, and a portion of the earth where the gold was said to be found had been carefully examined by a competent authority—Mr. Beege'r from Kawau, and the result was that not the slightest trace of gold was discoverable. The barque " Katherine Stewart Forbes" had arrived from London, via the Cape of Good Hope. She sailed from the Downs

on the 21st of October, arrived at the Cape on the 4th .January, and sailed thence on the 9th of the same month. She experienced fine weather throughout, until she arrived off the North Cape on Friday last, when she was caught in a heavy gale of that day, during which she lost one of her hands off the fore

yard. The only vessel connected with these colonies spoken by her was the " Robin Hood," whaler of Hobart Town. The passengers by the " Katherine Stewart Forbes" are nearly all for Auckland. After discharging her cargo here, she will proceed to New Plymouth, the only other port of New Zealand to which she is now destined. She brings intelligence of the death of Major Wilmot of the Royal Artillery, who formerly served in New Zealand during the Native disturbances, and who was in command at Fort Peddie on the Cape Frontier. He was shot on New Year's Day while leading his men on an attack on the enemy in the jungle of Fish river, where it was said Sandilli had taken shelter.