LATEST NEWS FROM AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1331, 15 December 1864, Page 5

LATEST NEWS FROM AUCKLAND.

By the s.i. Watiganui we are in possession of our flies to the 10th inst. The Southern|ii(ien|l)«rß arrived at Nelson on the 12th, by the from Auckland, and arrived at Lyttelton byJthewWanganui yesterday afternoon. Mr. FitzGerald retrained in Auckland, to prosecute a slander in' the Southern Cross. We-take the following from Wie Examiner of the 12th inst. ' The session is virtually over, as the Asseimily was to be prorogued on the 13th. The Weld Ministry maybe considered tone & strong one, as they have carried ail their measures by considerable majorities. ■ Ihe seat of Government is to,be changed from Auckand, according to the decision of the Commissioners, therefore Wellington will be the future capital „of the co* lonj, where the Assembly is fixed to meet in May next. It was thought disadvantageous to dispose of the unsold portion of the loan at its marketable value, therefore the interest has been raised upon that portion from 6 to 6 per eent. The increased rate will add to the liability of the colony, but at the same time improve the capital fund by nearly £400,000, and the loss of 20 or 30 per cent, will be prevented. For present exigencies, arid to afford time for action upon the Loan Act, one million iS to ,be raised upon Treasury bills, to be issued immediately, to havs> a currenoy for three years at a rate of interest not exceeding 8 per cent. - There is a great increase on the tariff, in some instances 60 per cent, additional duty is imposed. The following are the new duties: —Ale, &e., in wood, per gallon, 9d ; do, in bottle per gallon, Is 6d; cigars, &c., per lb, 4s 6d; coffee, &c., per lb, 3a; goods by weight, per cwt., 4s; fire arms, each, 6s; gunpowder, per lb, 3d; measurement goods, per foot, 6s; spirits, per gallon, 12s; sugar, &c., per lb, Id; tea, per lb, 6d; tobacco, per lb, 2s 6d; wine, in wood, per gallon, 4s: do, in bottle, per gallon, 6s. The free goods will, remain as hitherto, and the terms of the Act are unaltered. The new Act came in force on the 9th Dec. The increase of revenue from this source is estimated at £198,216, or about one third. V "

The Panarqa contract has been ratified, but certain modifications are insisted upon. The bill subjects the contract to certain qualifications, such as the destruction of the monopoly clause and the Coleman Contract 0f1853. Auckland is in $ state of ferment relative to the removal of the scjldiers and the scat of Government. They demand separation from the Southern provinces, and jSwould surrender all control to the Impanel Government. A public meeting was- held in Auckland on the 9th inst., when great indignation was expressed against the South, and the above principles were affirmed. The resolutions upon responsibility in native affairs as proposed by Mr. Weld, and which are given in another part of our impression, were withdrawn by the Government and the following substituted, proposed by Mr. Atkinson, Defence Minister, and seconded bv Major Richardson. Postmaster-General, as an amende incnt—

"1. That the House takes this occasion of expressing its loyalty and devotion to the Crown, its deep gratitude for the generous assistance rendered by the mother country to this colony, and its cordial appreciation of the gallant' services performed by her Majesty's land and naval forces in New Zealand.

" 2. That this House, having in its last session accepted the decision of the Duke pf Newcastle upon the subject of the responsibility of directing and controlling the native policy of the colony, as imposed upon it by his Dispatch No. 22, of the 26th of February, 1863, which decision has. been interpreted by the instructions of his Excellency the Governor, contained in Dispatches No. 43, of 20th April, and No. 65, of 26th,May, 1864, of the Bight Honourable Edward Cardwell, expresses its confident trust that these, ■instructions were issued to meet a temporary emergency, and may lapse the moment a normal state of things ehkll be restored in tho colony. 3. That this House does not dispute the claim of the Imperial Government to exercise a reasonable control over; policy upon which the restoration of peace must necessary depend, whilst the colony is receiving the,fid of British troops for the suppression of internal disturbances, yet cannot shrink from the expression of its conviction, that the joint responsibility of Governor and Ministers has resulted in divided counsels, which have been productive of great evils to both rac£s of her Majesty's subjects in this colony, and have entailed heavy and unnecessary expenditure both upon Great Britain and on New Zealand. • •

"4. That the resources of New Zealand have been already heavily burdened, and theiir development retarded by the great sacrifices that' have been entailed upon the colony by the native insurractioifr That nevertheless, the colony is resolved to make every further possible effort to place itself in: a position of self-defence against internal aggression, with a view to accept the alternative indicated by the Home Government, namely, the withdrawal of her Majesty's, land forces at the earliest possible period consistent with the maintenance, of Imperial interests, and the safety of the colony; thereby enabling the Imperial Goverment to issue such instructions to his Excellency the Governor as may permit him to be guided entirely by the recommendations of-his constitutional advisers in native as well as in ordinary affaire,* excepting iipon such matters as may directly concern Imperial interests and the prerogative of the Crown. "o. That these resolutions be embodied in an humble address to his Excellency the Governor, requesting him to transmit them to her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies." To which Mr. Robert Graham, Superintendent of Auckland, proposed the following addition, after the third paragraph:— ' ' . j "5. That, in the present circumstances of the colony, it is expedient, as a temporary measure, that New Zealand should be divided into two separate colonies. That the Southern colony should have a Constitutional Government, administered on the principle of Ministerial responsibility. That the Northern colony should have such a Constitution as will enable 'the Imperial Government to exercise such control over the management of native affairs as will enable her Majesty's Government to take such measures as it may deem necessary to suppress the present rebellion, and provide safeguards against rebellion for the future." , , ' " 0. That when the management of native affairs shall cease to form a special difficulty in the Government of New Zealand, the colonies be re-united as one colon vender a single Government, to be established in the locality which shall be most convenient to the members of, the legislature, and for the general interests of the colony at large. . " 7. That her Majesty's Imperial Government be most respectfully, but strongly, urged to give effect, without delay, to these resolutions. ■ . , "8. That these resolutions be embodied in an humble ( address tp his Excellency the Governor, requesting, him to transmit them to her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies." A long debate ensued oil Mr. Graham's amendment, J which was eventually negatived on the following division:— , Ayes, 18—Butler, Carleton, Colenso, Gillies,. Graham George, Graham Eobert, Haultain, Henderson, Mason, Munro, O'Neill, O'Eorks, Russell, Taylor Charles, Vogel, Williamson James, Williamson John, Wood. Noes, 35—Atkinson, Bell, Brandon, Brodie, Brown, Cox, Domett, Eyes, Featherstone, FitzGerald,Fitzherbert,Fox, Harrison, Jollie, ■ Mantell, Miles, Ormond, Patterson, Eenall, Reynolds, Rhodes, Eichardson, Richmond A., Richmond J. C., Stafford, Taylor, Thomson, Walker, Ward, Wayne, Weld, Wells, Wilson C. 8., Wilkin. In the Legislative Counoil, Mr Whitaker proposed a 1 similar amendment on the Government resolutions to that by Mr. Graham in the House of Representatives, and which waa lost by one vote. The following was the division:— . Ayes, 9—Gilfillan, Hall, Kenny, Pollen, Russell Salmon, Swainson, Walton, Whitaker. _ Noes, 10—Buchanan, Crawford, Outfield, .Leslie Left; Richmond, Sewell, Stokes, Taftcred, Whitmore, Watts Russell. It will thus be Been that the resolutions of the Auckland members were rejected in the House of Representatives by a majority of 17, and in the Legislative Council by one. . „ , .... The New Provinces Aot remains m force, an 'amendment to the proposed Limitation Bill having been passed on its second reading, which threw out the bill. ' The bills relating to and authorising the construction of the Canterbury Great Northern and Southern Railway* have beeri passed. . . . . The New Zealand Confiscation Act has been .amended, according to the terms dictated by Mr. Cardwell; The guarantee for the One Million Loan has been rejected by resolution of the House of Representatives, on the motion of the Colonial Treasurer, on the wounds that the terms of the guarantee requiring the pledge of the territorial revenues of the colony as security, woul4 tend to prejudice the rights of provincial creditors who hadprior claims. . With regard to the peace proclamation no natives have come in under it in the Auckland district, but it ia said that a hundred have surrendered at Taranaki. Reinforcements of troops are moving to that locality. The only indication that the proclamation has produced any serious effect is evidenced by a letter addressed to the Governor by William Thompson, the so-called Kingmaker, who in eifect asks for an extension of time to the end of February, The idea seems to be gathering strength that the settlers should take their own measures in reference to the natives,'and reports are prevalent in Auckland of threats by the northern rebels. The bold and energetio action of. the new Ministry in paling with the momentous_ questions of the time is gratifying, and when dispassionately considered at home will clo much to wipe off a reproach which is as unfiar to the generol sense of the colony as it is undeserved.