AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1055, 20 December 1862, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

The political history of the-past month may be easily written. No new feature hisaristen iaiWfif6'; matters, to lead to the supposition that thedisaffected tribes are anxious to return to their'allejmncfe. 1 the contrary, those tribes that hareking, still continue staunch adherents to the cause i they espoused, and announce theirdeterminatiorinofc to permit the opening of the country for useful pur<poses. In another place we repririt our o#n pondent's letter from Waipa, in wliiclr of the great native meeting at ifl Substantially, this decision amounts id tion that thework of eblomfcatisi ; mult within certain prescribed limits; THfe" 1 IteghftPtad Waipa road is. to be stopped &tfae.W£^trartfcißV^, ; which ihe kmgr-ites declare rnust riot W ffitijjijA I ,' and resolutions were come to prohibiting vernment placing a steamer on the WaikiStS/ or, spanning it with a bridge at It "Witt likewise be seen, that at this native Bishop of New Zealand stated that he' ; chiefly with a viewdf having the Taranakl 5 peacably settled, but so far from atyy' ; the Taranaki- adiir btirig a the action of the king pahy, r thd J; B%|te« resolved that the matters in dispute should 'trot lie referred to arbitration. We think it was a great ! mistake indeed, on the part of Bishop to • make any reference to theTaranaki questibn atthii : meeting; for it was a tacit acknowledgemento& tfie I part of the Europeans of the jurisdicti&h of Mitjfi taere. The plain, -truth is, that neither the ■ king nor the Waikato tribes have ! to do with Taranaki affairs, and the sooner tb^r'are 1 I taught so the-better it will be for I the settlers. On the 3rd November, we | translation of a letter addressed by his Excelfepicpf j Sir George Grey to the so-called Mabri- r kitf&iir I which he warned him of the inevitable conseqtfehces • to himself and people of persistance in their dfeloyi loyalty and defiance of British tow. That l&tiar [ has given great offence to the natives, who to | dislike being advised to give iip their tfationil m'oTe- | ment by any person, much less by his Exoellmcy i Sir George Grey, who, they had been taught' to I believe, before his arrival, would br theiir ! efforts to orgaifoe a system of They have been' disappointed in their CTpdctetfobs, : as all who cared to' reflect seriously, at ; they would be. . Sir George Grey is a rep|e&ntiffife of the British crowb in a British colbny, and sanction the establishment of an /iuia hostile nationality within the bounds ofhisjumdiction. The chief feature of the month in provincial politics has been the election contest, foir the saperintendency between the former John Williamson, and Mr. Robert Graham. the ex-superintendent resigned because the General Assembly passed the Native Land Act,' and' W the last moment came out as a candidate; The stituency marked their disapproval of Mr. Jbhn Williamson's conduct ,by polling in majority Of Mq in the city for his opponent, an old settlen vjrfroljita been a consistent advocate fcnr direct the natives. With a. few exceptions; thfe rtfttiros already to hand show that the country settlertt%itb with the electors of the city of most familiar with aU the circumstanbes. It however, that our provincial institutions' remodelled. A full year has been lost to ithe ptiofvince for devising useful measures calculated to develop its resources, and the only things the Provincial Council can do is to meet and pass an appropriation act, to prevent, the public works of the country being neglected until the winter rains render any expenditure upon the roads a waste of money, as shown by the experience of last year. The superintendent should not be elected by the whole constituency, but ought either to be nominated by the crown and held responsible for the honest, discharge of the duties of his office, or else he should be elected by the council. The result of thejilate election will doubtless place Mr. Robert, Grahamin office, and there is good reason to hope, that r the development of the country will be the chief aim of his administration. The first General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New. Zealand has been constituted! in Auckland, the Rev. John Macky, of Otahul%-for-merly of the Irish Presbyterian Church,: being the Moderator. The assembly brought its labouxaio* close last night. There were representatives from the southern provinces present. The weather is now delightfully, warm. The general appearance of the crops is- good, Earfy potatoes are being taken up and meet a ready sale. Owing to the heavy rains of winter and.' the ; moist spring, grass lands have yielded excellent feed,aad there will be a good crop of hay, although wefear not quite equal to the demand. Our settlers labour under many disadvantages in pursuing agriculture, and nothing but theacquisitionof large block! good land will enable them to keep pace witlkt the requirements of the population. Grain crops fare not largely .grown, and we depend chiefly on imports for our bread-stuffs. Sheep and cattle are dearand scarce. The consumption of butchers' meat is large and steadily increasing. On the whole, however we are able to report a steady advance; in material prosperity so far as this province is (concerted. Work is plentiful, money is likewise and none who are able and willing to work need be idle. The only qualification is, that a man cannot chobse his labor at all times. Skilled workmen, such as are required in new countries, find ready employment on their arrival; and the same remark applies to men accustomed to field and general labor. • :?, The Albertland settlement is going forward steadily. A large proportion of the settlers have gone on to the blocks, and engaged in the ipioneer work which is the first step towards reclaiming the wilderness.—Southern Cross, Nov. 29.