BAY OF ISLANDS.

New Zealander, Volume 1, Issue 38, 21 February 1846, Page 3

BAY OF ISLANDS.

The administration of the internal government of this colony, seems doomed to be marked, from time to time by the most absurd, contradictory acts, as well as by neglect of the most obvious measures of consistency and justice, affecting its prosperity, and the welfare of the settlers. The Bay of Islands was placed under blockade, in April, 1845, by which, all commerce was completely suspended, and all customs' revenues extinguished. Before such blockade was raised, it would have been naturally anticipated, that necessary steps would have been taken, to establish the proper machinery of Customs at the Bay of Islands. Such proceeding was imperatively expedient ; not only, in order to piotect the revenue of the crown ; but also, in justice to the merchants and traders, at the other settlements within the colony. On the 2 1 st January la&t, Governor Grey issued a proclamation, declaring that on and after the Ist February, the blockade of the east coast of the northern island of New Zealand, from VVangavei to Monganui and Doubtless Bay would be discontinued. Now, has arrived the 2 1 st February, — one month subsequent to the proclamation, — and no officer of Customs, or Plarbour master, for the Bay of Islands, has yet been officially appointed. Rumour states that the conjoint appointment of Sub-collector of Customs, and Landing waiter,— and Harbour master, have been offered to one person ; but that his departure is deferred, on account of his daily attendance, at school, at the customs' here, in order to qualify him in the efficient performance of his duties. The notice of ten days, previous to the opening of the Bay of Islands, was consequently not disregarded ; and during the last three weeks, merchandise of all descriptions, as well as spirits and tobacco, have been landed there, to a large amount, by which the revenue has proportionately and greatly suffered. The Shamrock, schooner, from Sydney, went into the Bay of Islands, and landed her whole cargo, in consequence of the port being open, and no customs in existence ; and doubtless, -^Sll vessels, — besides the numbers that have gone from Auckland,— that fortunately visit the Bay at this period, will not fail to avail themselves to the utmost, of such great advantage of landing spirits and tobacco, which ara in such constant demand, and bear the heaviest import duties. To curtail the expenditure of the colony, by abridgment of the number and expense of officials, is highly to be approved and commende'l; but to neglect, proper, obvious precautions to protect and to increase the revenue, is a reproach on the local government, while at the same time it renders nugatory and ridiculous, any petty attempts at retrenchment.

Post Office. — In the Sydney Morning Herald, of the 24th January, there appears the following article. "New Zealand. — 'The arrangements of the New Zealand Post office are so defective, that we receive papers from New Zealand very irregularly. This accounts for our not having previously seen the interesting article from the New Zealander, which appears in another part of this morning's Herald, having been copied from a Hobart Town Observer." In justice to the gentlemen who so ably conduct the business of the Post Office in Auckland, we take this, the earliest opportunity, of stating that, from the commencement of last December, we have discontinued forwarding the numbers of our Journal to the Sydney Morning Herald, in consequence of never having received that paper in exchange. Rev. Gr. Kevern. — On the return of the Triton, missionary schooner, to this port n from the South Seas, in the early part of December last, the Rev. Mr. Kevern anived from Tonga, on account of extreme ill hoalth. The climate of New Zealand has so much restored him, that he was enabled to perform the duty at the Wesleyan Chapel on Sunday last, when he preached with great simplicity and much feeling, an excellent sermon, appropriately allusive to himself, from the 28th verse of the Bth chapter of Romans. " Ocean Queen." — Mr. Cretnay's sale of this schooner, announced in our last for Monday first, is postponed till Thursday next, the 26th instant.