The New Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 611, 21 February 1852, Page 2

The New Zealander.

Be nist and feir not : Let nil tne emls thou anm't at, be thy Countrj'x, Thy God's, and 1 ruth's.

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, FEB. 21, 1852.

We are now in possession of English news to so late a date as the 26th of October, — the most recent intelligence having been brought to Geelong by the Victoria — a small steamer designed to run between Melbourne and Geelong — which had made ' the passage from England in eighty-five days. We give copious extracts in oth 1 r columns; but, as usual, we here sum up the leading particulars. The Queen with the Royal Family had returned from Balmoral, visiting Edinburgh, Liverpool, and other places on the way. It is needless to say that Her Majesty was everywhere received with evidences of enthusiastic loyalty. The Court was at Windsor ,where— after an intermediate short visit to Osborne — Her Majesty intended to receive a number of distinguished guests for the festivities of Christmas. The Great Inhibition was formally closed on the 15th of October, having maintained its unrivalled powers of attraction to the last. The proceedings connected with the closing will be found copiously reported in an extract in our present issue. It will be seen that they were imposing and impreFsive, as became the triumphant conclusion of an undertaking hitherto without precedent or parallel in the annals of the world. Nothing liad been decided on as to the .ultimate destiny of the Crystal Palace itself — undoubtedly the most wonderful, in many respects, of all the wonders a of the Ea&ibibition. Mr. I 3 uxton, Mr. Fox (the Archi* tect), and Mr. Cubitt (the Engineer), were to be knighted. In awarding the Frizes, the first was adjudged to Prince Albert himself, as the originator of the stupendous undertaking. Amongst the other awards wore the following :—: — Soutli Australia.— Graham and Hallert, specimens of copper from the mines of Burra Bum. Van Diemen's Land.— Dean, Dray, and Dean, white wheat. South Australia. — Mallet, R. and Sons, wheat (white soft) wheat flour; ditto. Heath aud BurroAvs, wheat (white soft). Van Diemen's Land. — M'Pherson and Francis, wheat; ditto, Milligan, A M biscuits. New South "Wales, Newcastle, N. S. W. — Fresh Meat Preserving Company, preserved boiled Mutton. Netc Zealand. — W Brown, Kauri Gum. Van Diemen's Land. — liroronrigg Wood. Australian Colonial Assurance •Company.— Collection of raw pi-oduce. Van Diemen's Land.— Sir W. Denison, collection of rawproduce ; ditto, Fowler (Maria Island), woods ; ditto, Captain Sadden, ditto, ditto ; R. Y. Hood, ditto. New South Wales.— Colonel M'Arttiur, * collection of wools. Van Diemen's Land. — Macnaughtan, woods; ditto, Milligan, raw produce. New South Wales.— Moses, Son, & Davis, tallow. New ffialand.— Ta Nui, collection of woods. Van Diemen's Land.— Whitesides (Hobart To\yn) collection of woods. It was "extensively rumoured" that Prince Albert, — having carried out his idea of the Exhibition with such brilliant success — proposed as his next undertaking an attempt to " t-egenerate Ireland." The intention of His Royal Highness was said to be, to purchase the large estate in Connaught formerly the property of the late Mr. Martin, M. P. for Gfalway, and to locate, upon suitable parts of it, persons professing various industrial arts, invited from all quarters of the world. The project would be indeed a" princely one ; and, it need not be said, His Royal Highness would possess facilities, beyond those within the reach of any . other living man, for giving it a full and promising trial. Lord John Russell's expected Reform Bill was the principal theme of -political speculation. It was thought not" improbable that his Lordship might be induced to make the vote by ballot a part of this plan Protectionist meetings continued to be held throughout the country Lord Palmerston'had met his constituents at Tiverton, and addressed them at great length on " things in general." without, however, giving them much new information upon any one thing in particular. The English papers contained numerous leading articles on the Australian Gold Discovery ; but the general tone of their comments still fell far short of the enthusiasm which it was supposed would be 'excited by %\iQ announcement. As is observed by the Sydney- Empire of the 2nd instant, " the public mind (in England) appeared to require further evidence of the importance of the discovery, ,to give the fact a popular bearing on the country." Our contemporary anticipates, however, that the arrival of the Maty Bannantyne with 35,000 ounces of gold (which would probably be in about [ three week's after the last dates), and above all the arrival of the hundred weight found by Dr. Kerrs blacks, " would awaken even the most incredulous to the astonishing reality." Pwnc/i was already in ecstacies, exclaiming "We have got a California of oi\r own," and calling upon all goo_d

people to make a Great Exhibition of themselves, by demonstrations of joy at the prospect that Australian Gold would draw away the lawyers and doctors who practice only for fees, the divines who keep chiefly in View the loaves and fishes, and other sordid members of the community, leaving England to those who practise, preach, and ■work for the general good. The graver Illustrated JS 7 eius predicates an immediate and active stimulus to commercial transactions with Australia. Meanwhile many of the vessels for Sydney were advertised under the head of " Emigration to the Australian Gold Region ;" and two steamers — the Yarra Yarra, of 200 horse power, and the Warata, of 120 horse power, were announced to sail from Greenock for Sydney in all October. The Weekly Times stated that a Cabinet Council was about to be held to take into consideration the propriety of "restraining the Australian colonists from working the gold-field in the present indiscriminate manner." We have heard here several rumours respecting the augmentation of the military force in Australia, one being that a portion of the troops stationed in New Zealand would be removed thither ; but the only statement worth quotation on the subject which we find in the papers is the, following, copied from the United Service Gazette into the Sydney Herald of tl^e 3rd instant : — Troops fob Australia. — The 48th Regiment being first for foreign service after the list already promulgated has been exhausted, we imagine, will be sent to New South Wales, should the Governor call for a reinforcement of troops for that colony. The next accounts from Australia, should they confirm the expectation of extensive gold discoveries, will decide the matter. We understand, that Governor Fitz Roy has intimated to Earl Grey the necessity for a reinforcement of troops, the expense of Avhich would be borne by the colony. A Provincial Synod of the newly appointed hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in England, was to be held on an early day in the metropolis, under the presidency of Cardinal Wiseman. The principal object proposed was the consideration of the canon law for the government of the church. All the vessels sent out in search of Sir John Franklin's Expedition had returned without having disco vere any additional traces of our braye — and alas! we must now more then fear — our lost countrymen. It had been supposed that the Admiralty would abandon further search as utterly hopeless ; but the last accounts state that it was " said" that the Lords Commissioners had decided on sending out another expedition early in the ensuing year A heartless hoax had been perpetrated on this affecting subject. On the afternoon of the 9th of October, a small balloon fell in a garden at Wooton, in the car of which was a card with the inscription, — " Erebus, 112 W. long-, 71 deg. N. lat., September 3, 1851, Blocked in. The balloon was similar to some supplied to the Erebus, and the Admiralty sent down Capt Beechy to make enquiries; — the result was a telegraphic despatch on the 15th to all the Admiralty stations, declaring that the whole affair was a hoax. Alderman Hunter had been elected Lord Mayor ot London for the ensuing year. The new Shci iff swore Thomas Cotterell, Esq., citizen and cordwainer, and James "Swift, Esq., citizen and spectacle maker. At the swearing in, Father O'Connor, of Islington, a Roman Catholic piiest, attended in lull canonicals, as chaplain to bheriff Swift, being the first time that a 'clergyman of the Church of Rome had officiated in any civic ceremony since tho reign of Henry VIII. Kossuth, the Hungarian hero, had arrived at Southampton on the 23rd of October, and had been received in a most cn.thuasiastic manner. The Corporation of London had made large preparation to do him honour, and — in spite or the unworthy hostility of the Times to the great Magyar himself, as well as .to the patriotic cause with which he is identified — there was no doubt that the British people would greet him with a noble welcome. France was in a still more unsettled state than at our last report. Louis Napoleon seemed steadily bent on securing his re-election to the Presidency, whatever difficulty the constitution might cast in his way ; and the masses of the people were so strongly on his side that alarming outbreaks were apprehended should his schemes be frustrated. The Ministry had resigned, and at tho last dates no new Cabinet has been formed. Amongst the recent deaths we notice the names of Lord Calthorpe :— Dr. Kidd, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford ;— Mrs. Sherwood, well known as the author of numerous popular works in juvenile and serious fiction; — the Rev. James Crabbe, whose benevolent and unremitting efforts to reclaim the gipsy tribes had earned for him the title of "The Gipsy's Advocate;"— James Richardson, the enterprising African traveller; — and James Fenimore Cooper, the celebrated American novelist.

The arrival of the Moa has placed us in possession of a heap, of New South Wales journals, extending from the 23rd of Dec. to the 3rd of this month. The unusual length of the interval since our last intelligence from Sydney had led to a general expectation that now we should have a considerable amount of news; but this anticipation has not been realized, as we find in the papers but little combining the attractions of novelty and importance. The accounts from the Australian Gold Field are much of the character to which ■we have now become accustomed. The precious metal continued to be found in quantities which proved amply remunerative to, those who were fortunate enough to obtain it, — while, as heretofore, not a few were but badly requited for their toils and risks. Gold had been found in several new localities, adding cumulative evidence of the already undoubted fact of the wide extent of the auriferous district. Port Phillip still proved richer in the precious product than New South Wales. At Sydney, considerable dissatisfaction was occasioned by the decision of the Law Officers of the Crown that Gold, when sold by Auction, is liable to the duty of £ per cent. Sickness — particularly dysentery — prevailed distressingly at the diggings. We insert in another column Mr. Lloyd's latest " Gold Circular," which may be re-

I garde* l as not only the most recent state' mont but also as virtually a representation of the general accounts for several work's past. f lt will be seen that the total value of the gold shipped up to the end of last month amounted to nearly sevcu hundred and four thousand pounds. From a former report it appears that the Kate which sailed from Sydney for London on the 9th ult. conveyed upwards of two tons of gold ; aud that the Melbourne, which sailed from Port Phillip the week before, had on board nearly two tons and a quarter. The arrival in London, about the end of April, oifour tons and a quarter of Australian Gold ivill surely be deemed " a great fact." The shipping interest in Sydney was suffering from the constant desertion of seamen. The Herald says, "already some of our more cautious shipowners pause for further intelligence, before they will subject their vessels to the chance of abandonment by the crew on their arrival in Port Jackson." But, worse than desertion by the sailors themselves, is the conduct of some masters of vessels who have seduced men from other vessels to join theirs. One marked case of this kind was brought before the Water Police Court, and dealt with energetically. Captain Lewis, of the biig Julia Percy, was accused and convicted of inducing two seamen to desert from the ship Scotia. The magistrate, Mr. Brenan, with a severe censure on the defendant's conduct, sentenced him to pay a fine of £50, or to bo imprisoned for three months after hard labour. This was the highest penalty under the Act, and the Police Magistrate most properly declared his doterm nation to award it in every such case. The sixty- fourth Anniversary of the foundation of the Colony had been celebrated at Sydney on the 2Gth of January with a Regatta, pic-nic parties, and a number of other out-door festivities, from which even unfavorable weather did not deter the holiday-makers. ,'Mr. Hill having resigned the Sydney Mayoralty, Mr. Thurlow had been elected to the office : the unsuccessful candidates were Mr. Archibald Little and Mr. Daniel tgan. .Business in Sydney had derived a considerable stimulus in some lines, from the demand at Victoria. We give the Herald's latest Commercial Report and Marketnote in another column. — Flour remained at £11 per ton for seconds, and £13 for first quality. It appears that the rumour of the discovery of gold at Waiheki had been fully credited at Sydney. By this time, no doubt, further information has been received there shewing that whatever may take place in the future, New Zealand cannot yet be classed amongst the auriferous lands. It has, however, resources of perhaps greater though less dazzling value. We must to-day dismiss in a sentence or two the news from the other neighbouring colonies, intending in our next to devote ample space to the principal topics. — The Legislative Council of Van Diemen's Land met on the 30th of December : a long speech was delivered by the Lieut.-Gover-nor, which we have partly in type, but arc obliged to postpone, as well as the discussion on the Address in reply, which, though it boldly dissented from the speech on some points, was carried by decisive majorities against amendments proposed by the supporters of Government 0' Meagher, another of the Irish Exiles, had, like his compatriot M'Maims, absconded from the colony— like him, it was believed, to California ; he had resigned his ticket of leave, and thus avoided the accusation of having violated his parole.^ The most business-like hoax respecting alleged gold discoveries of which we have yet heard, had been practised in South Australia. The Government were so far taken in that commissioners for the supposed auriferous district were appointed and official notifications as to licenses were published in the Gazette ; the whole proved a trick of some humourous — but, in such case we must say mischievous — wags. A " nugget" which had been presented to Sir H. Young as the first-fruits of South Australian £old-digging, turned out to have been a bit sent from California as a present to a young lady, who gave it to the inventors of the. hoax, to "poke fun" at his Excellency.

The Committee appointed by the Public Meeting on Saturday to piepare Petitions to Parliament against the imposition on this Province of any part of tue New Zealand Company's Claim, have performed the duty laid upon them by drawing up the Form which we subjoih. Regarding themselves as restricted to the substmce of the Resolution adopted by the Meeting, it will be seen that they have done scaicely any more than mould the matter of those Resolutions into the necessary shape for bringing it before Parliament. But that matter was so full, and its expression so unequivocal, that the mind of the Petitioners on this irnpoitant sulject will be declared with unmistakeable explicitness to the Imperial Legislature. The following is the Petition as prepaied for the House of Commons. That intended for the House of Lords differs only in the necessary technicalities of expitssion .—. — To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled. The Humble Petition of the undersigned Burgesses and others of the Borough of Auckland, in the Province of New Ulster, New Zealand, Respkctpul.lt Sheweth — That your Petitioners — regarding the New Zealand Company as primarily an ordinary Joint Stock Company, engaging in colonization with a view to commercial pro/it — have learned with surprise and deep regret that, towai'ds the close of the last Session of Parliament, a measure was brought before your Honourable House, under the sanction of the Colonial Office, by which — had the original intention of its framers been carried into effect — an enormous sum claimed by the Company in compensation for its losses would have been charged on the General Revenue of the Colony, as well as on its Land Fund, — thus, in addition to the other objectionable features of the scheme, unconstitutionally interfering with the rights of the Colonial Legislature. That while your Petitioners may not be prepared to deny that the "Land Fund" of the "Province of New Munster" may be chargeable with so much of the Company's claim as represents the fair value of their Assets, taken and held by the Crown for the benefit of the Settlers of that Province, they can have no hesitation in declaring their conviction that to saddle the General Revenue of New Zealand with the losses incurred by a Trading Association in its mercantile specu-

lation — and to do this without consulting the Colonial Legislature or the Settlers — would be an act diametrically opposed to the principles of the British Constitution, and J to the immutable principles of justice. That your Petitioners would further., 1 and with especial earnestness, represent to your Honourable House that whatever may be the conclusion airived at respecting the justice of charging a portion of the Company's claim on the Southern Settlements, there cannot be e^ en the shadow of an equitable reason for imposing any part of it, however fractional, on the Northern Settlements. The sphere of the Company's operations was, by arrangement with the Government, limited to the Province of New Munster, and the Settlement of New Plymouth. Not only have the Northern Settlements derived no advantage, directly or indirectly, from the Company's schemes, but, on the contrary, they have been the constant objects of open or insidious attack from the Company's Directors, agents, and advocates through the Press; from which, amongst other evils, it has resulted that many of the Company's settlers have come out to the colony with strong prejudices against the Northern Settlements and their inhabitants, tending to excite and foster feelings of jealousy and suspicion, which your Petitioners earnestly deplore, desiring as they do, that the most amicable relations should subsist between the several settlements, and regarding with sincere sympathy the sufferings which the colonists in the South have endured, and are still enduring through the faithlessness and cupidity of the Company. That ) our Petitioners regard it as the conclusion of common sense and common justice, that the Northern Settlements should not be taxed in any form fot the losses of an association from which they have received only reproach and injury. On behalf of the Natives also, your Petitioners would record their especial and emphatical protest against any arrangements which would subordinate their interests to the interests of the Company, as would obviously be the case if the grants for their educational and other purposes "w ere to be considered only after the Interest of the New Zealand Company's Claim had been discharged. For these and other reasons your Petitioners respectfully but urgently pray, that your Honourable Iloube will reject any future attempt (should such be made) to impose the New Zealand Company's Claim, or any part of it, upon the General llevenue of the Province of New Ulster : And they further pray, That if the terms of the Act 1 0 and 1 1 Victoria, c. 112, already render the Land Fund of New Ulster liable to the charge, or to any part of it, your ilonourable House may be pleased to pass a supplementary measure releasing this Province from all such liability, which' your" Petitioners regard as evidently unjust in,' itself, which was imposed without any reference to, or communication with the Settlers, and without the attention of the Colony having been in any way called to the matter. And your Petitioners will ever pray, &c. It will be seen by an announcement in our ad\ertising columns that the Petitions lie for signature at the office of this journal, and at the Southern Cross office The Committee have, however, in accordance with the direction of the Meeting, nominated a number of gentlemen in diffeient parts of the Boiough to obtain the signatures of the Burgesses and others in their respective districts. We ti ust that every facility will be afforded to them, and that the work will be done with all expedition, as it is of the utmost impoitanceto the practical effect of the movement that the Petitions* should be forwarded without delay. The Committee hope to he able to send them by the Moa, which is advertised to sail on Thursday next Oux case in this matter is one which, where - ever it is known, will secure for us the sympathy of other colonists, and of the lovers of justice generally. We have pleasure in extracting, from one of the numbers of the Sydney Herald just come to hand the following passages \\hkh occur in an article on the New Zealand Company's endeavour to saddle us with their monstrous claim : — A more grievou* wrong has never been committed on a colony since thp Ameiican colonies revolted. The tax-pa\ers of New Zealand have no more tight (o be calif d upon to pay the debts of tbe New Zealand Company, than Lave the people of this colony. So gross is the injustice, so monsfious the fraud, tbat we can j pcaicely belieye it possible that it will be persisted in. If tbe case were understood, we cannot think it possible that .Pailiamenl would for a moment sanction such a procetding; but tbe difficulty is to attract tbe attention of Parliament by any peaceable means. * * * If tbe Parliament c.in thus deal with the revenue of one co'obv, it on do so with that of any other, and we think it will be the duty of all the Au-trnlabian colonies to endeavour to assist their poar'and weak neighbours in their endeavours t resist this glaring injustice.

A Government Gazette was issued yesterday. We transfer to our columns so, much of its contents as possess general interest. In doing so, we would particularly invite attention to a new fea'ure, — viz , the publication of Returns of the number of Canoes arrived in Auckland and Onehungn within given dates, shewing the number of thei> crews, and the quantity and species of Pioduce, as neaily as can be ascertained. This has bi'en done under the diiection of the Commissioner of Police, and we have no doubt is as accurate as ciicumstances permitted. Still it can only be an app oximation to th ij facts. An additional and \ery important step towards the attainment of the object would be inducing the Maori owners to enter their vessels at the Custom House, and causingauthenticated Returns of them to be periodically issued from the Customs' Department It has always been matter of regret that sufficient information has not been obtained respecting our coasting trade, a knowledge of the extent of which is absolutely essential in order to an adequate view of the commercial state and progress of Auckland. What has now been done is a step in the right direction, and we trust the idea will bfe followed out in the way we have indicated, so that, as far as practicable, a complete view of this trade may be regularly supplied We are glad to learn that Major Nugent, the NativeSecretatyhastakenthismatter up, and to observe that the 'Maori Messenger has earnes'.ly called {the attention of the Natives to the importance of entering their vessels on their arrival in harbour from the coasts.

Our attention has been called to what we fear, if not checked, may become' a practice with some of the masteis of coastingvessels that frequent our harbour, and productive of very injiuious lesults. We are informed that (in the particular case to which we more especially refer) the master of a schooner, of whose name we are in possession, boarded the Ameiican whaling barque, Lion, on her passage up the Gulf, and made the most false and extravagant statements respecting the^ charges for pilotage at our port, — of course, oilenng to do the work of pilot himself, at a much lower late. We believe that, with but very few exceptions, the marineis employed in our coasting trade have too hiph a sense of integrity to en age in such a dishonourable practice, or to countenance in others conduct which would give a bad character to the whole ; but even one or two may do

much misjLief; and stiang (> r masters of vessels should He Named against the deceptions of such impostots.

Chapel Opemng. — The neat and commodious building lately erected for the use of the Church and congi egation under the pastoral care of the llev. Alexander Macdonald, was opened for Divine worship on Sabbath last, the loth inst. The Rev. Walter Lawry (Wesleyan) preached in the morning ; the Rev. Thomas Hamer (Independent) in the afternoon ; and the Rev John Inglis (Presbyterian) in the evening. These services were attended by large congregations, including many friends belonging to the other Protestant denominations in the town and neighbourhood. The Opening Services were concluded on Thursday evening, when the llev. R. Ward (Primitive Methodist) preached.