THE TIMES ON NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 67, 12 September 1846, Page 2

THE TIMES ON NEW ZEALAND.

We have several times alluded to the ignorance which prevails in England, respecting the real character of events in this Colony ; and the article extracted from the Times, •which will be found in another portion of our columns, is an additional proof of the truth of our remarks. The writer of the article in question, is evidently acquainted with 'some" of the leading points in the history of this Colony ; but his knowledge seems to have been derived from an interested source, and we can detect the leaven of the New Zealand Cbmpany's influence pervading, and characterizing the •whole. We do not wonder at the acrimonious allusions to the policy of the late Governor, because the name of Captain Fitzßoy, has been associafed — in the popular belief of those .-who found their opinions upon distorted relations of facts, and in the assumed creed of those whose bigotry and self-interest disqualify them from exercising an impartial judgment — with all that is monstrous and absurd in politics, and all that is pusillanimous and degrading in public demeanour. But the people of England have yet to learn that Capt. Fitzßoy, with ail his faults, is admitted, — by a large

and influential' portion of the Colonists, whos c minds are unfettered by party prejudice,— to have aimed* even when he failed in his object, at the advancement of the general weal ; and that he was ready, at all times, to sacrifice his own interests, and brave the frowns of-his imperious Master in Downing Street, in order to promote the welfare of those he governed. .Official instructions- from the Colonial Office, when they appeared to him to militate against the progress of the Colony, and the prosperity of the Colonists, were treated with deserved contempt ; and disobeyed with" a praiseworthy hardihood, that future experience may probably teach the Settlers to appreciate, .Many of the calamities that undeniably accompanied Captain Fitzßoy's administration, are no more to be attributed to him, or his policy, than the present war at the* South, is to be attrijbuted to Governor" Grey : and yet it is more jthan likely, that the unjust and exaggerated (imputations which have been cast like a pall jupon his name, will never during his life time !be wholly removed. ! We are not insensible' to Captain Fitzßoy's errors, nor are we forgetful of his merits. We neither wish to extenuate the one, nor are we ashamed' of being so unfashionable as to acknowledge the other. The writer in the Times, says, that Governor Grey's first duty will be " to undo all the acts of his predecessor;" and, certainly, His Excellency seems to be pretty well disposed to act upon this advice: But if Captain Grey ventures to act upon this wholesale suggestion, he will' probably find to his cost, that in some instances he had better have left well alone. The reputation he has gained in another colony, and the celebrity which he in consequence, at present, enjoys, are not imperishable : they will wax or wane, according to the prosperous or calamitous issue of his present administration : and we hesitate not to assert, that some of his predecessor's measures are so interwoven with the prosperity of the Colonists, and the advancement of agriculture and commerce, that he cannot annul them without detriment to the Colony. It would be well if writers, like the one 1 whose article is under consideration, took care to possess themselves of authentic information, on all points, ere they presumed to speak I dogmatically upon the state and prospects of a distant Colony. We know of no such "gloomy scenes" presented to the contemplation of the newly-arrived Governor, as those which the writer in the Times pourtrays. Trade instead of being " suspended" was flourishing with new-born vigor when Governor Grey arrived ; and Auckland, having outlived the frosty winter of early misrule, was beginning to feel the influence of some of those impolitic measures of Captain Fitzßoy, which, like the genial warmth of spring, were gradually dissolving the cold and cheerless influences which had cramped the energies of the settlers, and impeded the flow of industrious enterprize throughout the country. It is easy, to decry the fiscal expedients of Captain Fitzßoy, and condemn his paper currency. It is easier still to extol the financial talents of Captain Grey, who steps into office with well replenished coffers : but it does not appear to have occurred to the writer in the Times, that England's parsimony compelled Captain Fitzßoy to adopt a measure which he would never have contemplated, had he been furnished with the funds so liberally bestowed upon his successor. But it is ever thus with public men, who prefer the welfare of the community to the commands of superiors ; they must be content to bear the obloquy and abuse Which is always attached to such honest but unofficial conduct, and seek in the testimony of a good conscience, and the inward conviction of having benefitted others by the sacrifice of themselves, that consolation j which they need. j The views of the Times on some points connected with the Land question, are, however, admirably correct. Neither we nor any other people, " have a right to dispossess the Natives of their Lands by force," and we certainly have the power "of negotiating with the original possessors," for the purchase of the soil, but not the power to prevent them from selling to whomsoever they please. The writer is fully justified in designating the parade of investigation which has been going on for years, "mere humbug;" but from whatever source it sprang, we are not aware that it " was fostered by the questionable humanity of some few missionaries." On the contrary, the missionaries were decidedly opposed to the expensive, useless, arbitrary Commission, that was permitted to harrass the .spirits and drain the resources of the settlers. We join the Times in trusting, " that Capt. Grey will see these things in their true light ;" and that he will abandon the idea of saddling the Colonists with another such incubus as a Land Commission. Equitable purchases cannot be rendered more valid by such a process, ■ and fraudulent bargains will infallibly be detected without the parade of a costly system of investigation,

H. M. Ship Carysfort, 26 guns, Captain G. Seymour, arrived from Sydney, on Saturday morning, the sth inst. She brought the April mail j and from our files of English and Sydney papers, we subjoin the following condensed particulars.

English intelligence had been received in Sydney up to the 27th April. Governor Grey's arrival was known in England. The second reading of the Corn Law bill was carried in the House of Commons, on the morning of the 28th March, by a majority of 88. Lord Stanley, as the leader of the Protectionists, was rallying his forces preparatory td a vigorous opposition in the House of Lords. Ireland is still in a dreadful state. Famine and fever are making frightful havoc amongst the people ; upwards of 9000 emigrants were to leave Cork for America during the months of April and May.- The Government was exerting itself to alleviate the sufferings of the Irish poor. Vast quantities of maize and rice had been imported at the public expense. Strange to say, that in spite of a general belief in the approach of a season of scarcity, prices of provisions had not risen. The best bread ! was still selling in London at twopence a pound. The news of the recent successes in India had reached England ; all parties were speaking with delight of this additional instance of the prowess- of British arms. The names of the non-commissioned officers and privates who fell in the battles with the Sikhs, were published in the Gazette. The Oregon question as still upon the tapis. Mr. Polk had twice rejected a proposal of arbitration ; and on the 24th of March, concluded an address to the Senate, by saying, "it is my judgment ; that an increase of our military and naval force is, at this time, required, to place the country in a suitable state of defence. At the same i time, it is my settled purpose, to pursue such a course of policy, as may be best calculated to preserve, both with Great Britain and Mexico, an honorable peace-; which will so effectually promote unanimity in our Councils, and a firm maintenance of all our just rights." Sir Robert Peel intended to impose a duty of 21s, per ton, upon all imported copper ore. A deputation from Birmingham waited upon Sir Robert, with a view to induce him to forego the obnoxious impost, but the Premier gave them no encouragement to expect any alteration in his determination. Several large failures had taken place ; one firm in the Glasgow iron trade, had failed for upwards of £100,000. The firm of Came and Telo, Russian merchants, had also gone, their liabilities exceeding half a million. Latham and Co., of Dover, had stopped payment for upwards of £100,000, but it was thought that the estate would realize a dividend of 15s. in the pound. It was the senior partner of this house, who entertained the Emperors of Russia and Austria, in the most sumptuous manner, when they visited England after the Peace. The question of Steam Communication, between Great Britain and the Australian Colonies, was occupying the serious attention of the public. A meeting, at which Sir George Larpent presided, was held, on the 1 7th April, for the purpose • of carrying out the scheme. The route proposed by Lieut. Waghorne, was, from the present steam mail packet terminus at Singapore, to Batavia, thence through the Straits of l Sunda, then to touch at Swan River, South Australia, Port Philip — from thence to cross Bass's Straits to Launceston, and finally to Sydney. It was in contemplation to include Mew Zealand, ultimately, in the list of Ports. It was believed that the first vessel, of this projected line, would leave Singapore on the Ist August, and the people of Sydney were daily- expecting her arrival. The ship Java> of 1,200 tons, it was currently reported, would be chartered by Government for the purpose of conveying the head-quarters and 700 rank and file of the 65 th Regt., to New Zealand ; she was reported to sail on, or about, the 18th April. An attempt had been made, by a miscreant named Lecounte, on the 16th April, to shoot the King of the French, as he was returning from an airing in his carriage through the park of Fontainbleau. Happily, the assassin missed his aim, and was immediately arrested.

Melancholy Accident.— On Tuesday last, about j midday, a horse belonging to Mr. Rooney, took fright in Shortland-crescent, and started off towards Queenstreet. In turning the corner by Victoria House, an interesting lad, of about fourteen years of age, named William Bourne,son of Mr. Bourne, formerly of Sydney, engineer, was knocked down, and the wheel of the cart to which the horse was attached, passed over his body. The lad was promptly conveyed to Dr. Ford's, but the injuries he had received were of such a nature, as to preclude the possibility of his being saved by surgical skill. He lingered a few hours, and finally expired at the residence of his sister, Mrs. T. E. Conry. We believe that instances are not uncommon, of the lives of passengers being endangered by the carelessness of some of those individuals who are entrusted with the management of horses and cat ts ; and we trust that the suggestion contained in the verdict of the Jury which sat on the body of deceased, relative to the introduction of some Legislative enactment to control the proceedings of carters, will be received by His Excellency with the consideration it merits. The verdict was—Accidental death, with a deodand of 4)os. upon the horse. Mr. Domett.— We are happy to welcome this gentleman to Auckland. He arrived in (he Driver, and we sincerely t elieve that His Excellency formed a wise determination wnen he decided on offering Mr. Domett a seat in thj Legisiative Council, Of Mr. D.omett, personally, we know but little ; but of his talents we are inclined to form a high estimate. We congratulate the settlers of Nelson on his nomination ; and doubt not, but that their representative will studiously promote their interests, in so far as the circumscribed influence of an officially nominated Independent Member will permit : and we indulge the hope, that Mr. Domett is uot bo prejudiced in favor of the Company, as to incapacitate him for advocating the general interests of the Colony.

Purchases of Land prom the Natives Some misapprehension appears to have existed respecting the meaning of the announcement contained in a late Gazette, requiring all parties who acquired land under the pre-emption systems to send in the documents relating to their purchases by the 15th of September next. It was not generally understood that surveys were to be included in the papers called for, and it is possible that this misapprehension will militate against the equitable claims of many land holders. The period'allotted was far too short to afford a reasonable prospect of the Surveyors be/ng able to complete their engagements in | sufficient time ; and we feel surprisad that His Excellency should refuseJo accede to the request which those Gentlemen recently preferred, for an extension of the time. We presume that the measure was devised by His Excellency for the purpose of expediting - the settlement of the just claims of equitable purchasers, and not to involve them in greater embarrassments by requiring compliance( with demands that are found, in some cases, to be impracticable; and we are quite at a loss to conceive any sufficient ieason for the denial with which the application of the Surveyors has been met j. We should recommend those, whose interests may be, affected," to unite in addressing a respectful remonstrance to His Excellency on the subject. We conclude that press of other business has caused His Excellency to forget his promise to receive the deputation of land holders, immediately on his return from the South.— The public are anxiously waiting his Excellency's reply to the memorial adopted at the public meeting held on the 25th of June last •

High Street. —lt is a pleasing task to bestow praise, when praise is due; and we take this opportunity of acknowledging the promptitude with which the Local Authorities attended to the representations of some of the residents in Town, respecting the state of this much frequented thoroughfare. The inhabitants of Auckland will be generally benefitted by the repairs now making in High Street, and we hope that the improvements now commenced will be extended, and that the "gulph" in Queen Street, which the Grand Jury, very properly branded as a nuisance, will be fashioned into a permanent covered drain.