Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 536, 23 December 1857, Page 5

Colonial.

AUCKLAND. THE MEETING OF THE AUCKLAND PBOVINCIAL COUNCIL. We make the following extracts from the napers last received. — . . The Eighth Session of the Provincial Council of Auckland commenced on Wednesday the 25th instant, in the Odd Fellows Hall, fhe attendance of auditors was large: it comprised Representatives of every shade of political opm[on and the earnest attention of the entire ase ibfv evinced that all had come in the expectation of hearing a plain and practical.state. Sent of the position, prospects, and wants of the Province. Nor were they disappointed proceeded to read his Opening Addreo.

Having given that address in full in our report, we shall here only briefly advert to its general tone and contents.

Throughout, as might have been prognosticated by those who know the present Superintendent, there was as little reference to himself as possible, and his allusions to the past obstacles opposed to his administration of his office were as pleasing and unproductive of fresh controversy as could be well accomplished. The points on which the Address chiefly dwelt were—first, the gratifying increase in the population and the cultivation of the land of the Province; —the" steps taken to carry on the Public Works since the Prorogation in February, and in default of an Appropriation Act; —the steps also taken to prepare for the arrival in our Harbour of the Panama route Mail Steamers, and for the general extension of our Harbour works; —the successful opening up of a considerable portion of the Great North Road (from Auckland to Wangarie and the Bay of Islands); —the extensive purchases of land from the Natives made in this Province during the past year, the' further acquisitions at present in progress (the two amounting to above half-a-million of acres), and the access that would be had to a great portion of th is;larid and|to theold an d long-neglected settlements of the Bay of Islands and Hokianga, by means of the forenamed new road.

_ The Superintendent next adverted to his desire to co-operate with the Council in providing necessary protection for the Bay of Islands, although it was still a moot point between the Imperial and the Colonial GeneraljGovernments which should bear the expense of furnishing barrack-accommodation ; to the well-working of the Education Act, and the assistance he had given to the Board, of Education ; to the extent to which he had been enabled to establish Local Posts,'and the endeavours he had made and was making for re-establishing an efficient interColonial mail service.

Having thus shown what had been done, the Superintendent proceeded to the questions of Provincial Finance and the administration of the Waste Lands—pointing out, under the latter head, the importance of encouraging systematic and pi >ofitable.;immigr,ition by grants of land in proportion to passage money, rather than by votes of money for the importation of labour, as had been done elsewhere, and announcing the speedy introduction of a Waste Lands' Bill similar to that, the consideration of which was suspended by the events issuing in the Prorogation" of February. He urged the desirability of promoting the development of the Mineral resources of the Province and of the Council coming to a decision as to the mode in which the City and Harbour should be managed. He also stated that Bills would be laid before the Council empowering the Government to raise money for the City and Harbour works, on the Security of the Harbour and City Endowments (not bymeans of Debentures on the Provincial Revenue)-rand for the establishment of Local Boards. He drew attention to the necessity for an amendment in the Law of Licenses for the sale of Spirituous Liquors and the regulation of Public Houses. He showed that (with the £45,500 refunded to the Province of Auckland on account of the New Zealand Company's Fourths, with land-sales, and our proportion of Custom's receipts, &c.,) the total revenue of the province for 1858. might be estimated, at £85,000, and the net revenue (after the payment of the cost of the " establishments" and the interest of 10 per cent on the Provincial Debt incurred by the two preceding Governments;) at £62,250 —all available for public works and undertakings.— New Zealander, Nov. 28.

Moke Good News foe New Zealand.— "It was but the other day we had the gratifying task of .announcing the success that had attended Mr. Sewell's . mission to procure the guarantee of the Imperial Legislature to the New Zealand Loan of £500,000. The last mail has brought the news that Mr. Sewell has accomplished that loan on terms unexpectedly liberal and convenient for this colony. The entire loan has been taken up in London at par, the money to be delivered here in Auckland, at the Union Branch Bank, free of any expense for transmission, and in such sums as may be required from time to time, at, we believe, four months' notice. If Mr. Sewell had done nothing more than this he would have entitled himself to the gratitude of the colony. But we learn that he has done more. In arranging.for the settlement of the New Zealand Company's claim, he has succeeded in insisting that the celebrated Scott's Debentures—about £4000, on which 8 per cent, has been running, shall be taken by the company in part liqxiidation of its Shylock-like bond.— lbid, Deo.'s. The Cobomandel Gold Fields.—-We have seen two quartz nuggets just received from Coromandel, which are essentially different from each other; the larger one is of a dark red or brownish hue, coated in part with brilliant golden scales, and streaked throughout with the same shiny ore. The other, and much smaller nugget, is of a cream colour, and is veined with gold. Both are exceedingly satisfactory specimens, and add to the already numerous assurances that the auriferous nature of the Coromandel country cannot much longer be held in darkness. — Ibid.

The amount issued on account of the expenses of Lord Clarendon's mission to the Paris Congress was £2,000; Earl Granville's special mission to Russia, on the occasion of the Co'-onation of the Emperor, cost £12,773; and the expenses of Sir H. Lytton Bulwer's mission to the Danubian Principalities are set down at £4000.