DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, MARCH 12,1853.

Otago Witness, Issue 95, 12 March 1853, Page 2

DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, MARCH 12, 1853.

By the arrival of the " Scotia" from Wellington we have received our files of colonial papers, from which we have given several extracts. Very little of importance has occurred since our last advices, notwithstanding our not having received a mail direct from that Settlement for nearly four months. From the " Lyltelton Times" we have previously gathered some information to a later date. His Excellency the Governor-General has proclaimed the Constitution, but has taken no farther steps. No writs have been issued, and the subject of a new registration has not been mooted, although nearly eight weeks of the six months, the time allotted for issuing the writs, have passed. Our readers are of course aware that no time is fixed for making the writs returnable, so that it seems probable that His Excellency is staving off the evil day — the meeting of the General Assembly — to the latest possible period. The fact that the Legislative Council voted the supplies for nine months instead of six appears to confirm this view.

In the meantime His Excellency is putting in force that obnoxious measure — the Land Claimants' Ordinance — and the issue of Scrip has been resumed. We have on previous occasions pointed out the injurious effects of this Ordinance ; and it would seem from Sir John Pakinglon's despatch, that the law is not viewed in a favourable light at home, only part of its provisions having been allowed. The instructions further show that so much of it as has received the royal assent His Excellency is only to make use of in cases of extreme urgency ; yet we hear it stated that His Excellency intends carrying out this Ordinance to the utmost of his power. We need hardly say that such a course is unfair and unconstitutional in the extreme, and may cause the greatest difficulty to the General Assembly in settling this question of the land claimants.

His Excellency appears to cling with suph pertinacity to his despotic powers that he will do as much mischief as he can before the General Assembly can meet, instead of acting as he should do — using a little diligence and -getting that body together as quickly as possible, and leave all important business, except such as require immediate attention, to be settled by the representatives of the people.

His Excellency's hostility to this particular Settlement is as obvious as ever. He has abolished the office of Crown Commissioner within" the Otago block. This may be only the gratification of a private pique against Captain Cargill, the late holder of that appointment; but it may have an injurious effect upon the Settlement. Captain Cargill still remains the agent of the Otago Association, but the Government is the acting trustee ; and what effect this renunciation of him as acting on behalf of that" trustee may have upon the questions of

| titles, delivering possession under recent land orders; and the sale of land, we are not prepared to give an opinion. It should be remembered ,fhat Captain Cargill was appointed by the direction of the Secretary to the Colonies expressly to avoid this difficulty. We also learn, from the " Government Gazette" of the 19th Nov., that three more Magistrates have -been added to the already notorious Otago Bench — additions which will not raise its.dignity, or increase the respect in which it Is held by the public ; more especially if we examine into the details of the affair. One of the new J.P.s has been most actively engaged in making preparations, and has avowed his intention of enfranchising the natives wholesale, without reference to the qualifications required for Europeans. Another has distinguished himself once— and only once— by asserting that the Bench of which he is now a member gave a wrong or a biassed decision,— that is, that they were 1 neodles or rogues, — and by subscribing to defeat that decision. The third is so young a man, that he has just passed that period of life which the law designates infancy.

There are now 19 Magistrates appointed for Otago, or about 1{ per cent, upon the population, or 1 J.P. to every 20 male adults, or 1 to every 13 electors. Fortunately there is a tendency in Otago Justices to migrate to the diggings, or we should soon have had a standing army of them. The old proverb says, "In a multitude there is wisdom ;" perhaps his Excellency, judging from past events, and having witnessed how little of that quality existed in his previous selections, thinks to get over the difficulty with the help of the old adage. One comfort may, however, be drawn by the respectable settlers from this : his Excellency has, by the last appointments, made the magistracy so ridiculous, that it will be an easy method when we get the power of making our own laws, to punish offenders by condemning them to so many years on the Otago Bench ; but as the ignominy would be very great, it should only be inflicted in extreme cases.

Another circumstance worthy of notice in these late appointments is that of the Gazette containing the appointments bears date 19th Nov., while the appointments bear date the 17th Oct. Several Gazettes had intervened between these dates, which goes far to show that the Governor must have resorted to a piece of cunning, and ante-dated the appointments to make.it-appear that he could not have received information from Otago of facts relating to the first two cases we mention. Such an artifice does not" succeed. Every person h^re wiJl know that our objection to the individuals selected was the only reason for their appointment.

The " Royal Albert," from London direct, arrived at the heads on Saturday night, the sth inst. She sailed from London on the Ist November, and from the Downs on the 9th. She brings 120 passengers, about 50 of whom are for this place. Owing to some difficulty which we are unable at present to explain, she is still lying off the native village, inside the heads.

We learn with satisfaction that the Wool shipped from this port last year, and sold in London at the last October Wool Sales, fetched as high as Is. B|d. and Is. 9d. per lb.

On the the 25th ultimo the Rev. Charles Jeffreys delivered the Opening Lecture at the Mechanics' Institution, the subject being " A remarkable lately discovered Experiment for establishing, by means of a Pendulum,* the fact of the Rotation of the Earth about its Axis." The attendance was numerous, many persons coming from a considerable distance to be present. Many were, however, unable to obtain admission. The lecture gave universal satisfaction.

Additional J.P.s. — Henry Charles Herstlett, William Johnston, and James Fulton, Esqs., have been appointed to the Commission of the Peace for the Province of New Minister.