NELSON.

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 127, 30 December 1846, Page 3

NELSON.

[From the Nelson Examiner, Dec. 12 ]

Supposed Wreck or thb Phoenix and Loss op all Hands.—lt is our painful duty to statethat there is every reason to fear the beautiful little schooner Phoanix, lately built at this port, and which sailed hence for Wellington, on her first voyage, on the 21st nit-, has-been wrecked somewhere between Stephen's Island and the Rangitoto side of D Urville's hland. All the information we at present possess relative to this most unfortunate advent has been obtained from Mr. James M'Laren of Croixelles, who arrived here in a boat from Rangitoto on Monday evening last. ; Mr. M'Laren left Croixelles.in a boat, accompanied by a canoe on Monday, the 23rd of November, and proceeding through the French Pass, reached Rangitoto on tha day'following. A native lad who had accompanied him having strolled into an adjoining bay, picked up there a piece of bulwark of a vessel, and'bringing it back with him, Mr. M'Laren immediately suspected it belonged to the Phoenix, which be had seen in Nelson a short time before she sailed, and that she had been wrecked in tbe neighbourhood. On the morning of Wednesday, the 25th; he himself proceeded along the same coast, and picked up several pieces of bulwark, part of the wreck of a boat, one of the main hatches' and the false keel of a vessel, and a piece of sawn timber. When arrived opposite to Stephen's Island, Mr. M'Laren remained there till low water to take a survey of theßUoken rocks, but discovered n>th'ng fu.tber that day. On the following morning, he stated again on the came track at daylight, but finding nothing, he crossed the mountains to Pjrt Hardy, and ranged the whole of the north west coast to Cape Stephens, without discovering a particle of ths wreck. At daybreak, on the 27ih, Mr. M'Liren manned his boat and started for the Admiralty Islands. On the northernmost one he discovered part of a boat, a main-hatch, a forecastle scuttle a handspike, and several small pieces of bulwark Proceeding to the next island, he there picked up part of a bag of flour, one of the companion stanchions, two of the companion doors, and a curtain roller. As it came on to blow heavily, Mr. M'Laren was obliged to discontinue further search. On his return to Rangitoto, a native brought him a parcel be bad picked up containing letters and papers belonging to Mr. Perry, which proved at onee -that the wreck was that of the Phoenix. Another bae with flour, and a cask which had been gtoved, supposed to have contained brandy,- were also picked up by the natives; the bags were marked A P On M ondayf the 30th> Mr# M .jr jaren gtarted fo - Nelson, but the state of the weather did not permit him to reach here before Monday last. Tha above is all we know regarding the fate of this unfortunate vessel; what remains is mere conjecture. The Phcenix left Nelson on Saturday the 21st November, about nioe, p. m., with a fair breeze. There were seven persons on board, namely, Mr. A. Perry, of this place, merchant .and owner of the vessel; Cooper, mastery.formerly mateofthe Fife shire ; Manning, in the Royal William ; Joseph HalU.leStajui; SeottM'Donald. son of Mr. M'Donald, lata of the Wakatu Tavern • William Rice, shipped as carpenter; and' Thomas .Lightband, son of Mr Lightband. leather-dresser. The probability is that the night after she started she ran in the dark inside Stephen's Island, aapl posing shs had passed it and was in the Straits and striking on one of the sunken rocks th«re' bilged, or went down at once by the head in deep water. The finding of Mr. Perry's parcel of private papers on the beach, leads ns ; to think that when the vessel strnck, the unfortunate gentleman seized it and rushed on deck, but whether he succeeded or not in getting into the boat, the wreck o. which was found, it is impossible far us to say. As no part of the rig;ing or spars were found it would seem that the vessel must have gone down bodily. The weather at the time was very foggy, and the wind strong, whhout however blowing a gale. The pilot boat started oa Tuesday evening, with Mr. Tinline, who had charge of Mr. Perry's affairs in bis absence, to endeavour to learn something more of the fate of the vessel and those on board.

Whether we view this unfortunate event as a public or private calamity, it is equally distressing. In a smallcommunity such as oars, the loss of any single member leaves a hiatus;, to lose at once seven, and among them a man who acted a prominent part in the mercantile affairs of the settlement, is a blow we shall long feel. Mr. A- Perry, was, we believe, the son of Dr. Perry, of Glasgow* and emigrated to Wellington with the first settlers! For the last four years he has "carried on business in this place, and was always characterised by his indefatigable industry. No man more willingly assisted struggling enterprize, eurted himself with greater energy to develop our resources. If we could persuade ourselves tbe thing were possible, we.should hope the lives of those who were on board the ill fated vessel may yet prove safej but, had they been carried ashore in any of the bays or on the islands in the neighbourhood, they must have be«n heard of ere now through the natives. The loss of the vessel to the port is also a serious matter. Strongly built, and fitted up in the most tasteful and complete manner, we looked to. her to supply the want we have long laboured under—a. regular communication with the neighbouring sat. tlements.

The captain of the Phoenix has left a vWife and young family, for whom a subscription will be opened at the Custom House.

v The Potato Disease.—We are sorry to find that this disease has a&ain. this jff&r made its appearance to an alarm* ing extent, in our neighbourhood (ICnighton). There are in the. vicinity of Knighton numbers of fields rented in small lots at the rate of £10 per acre per annum, which a short time since had a healthy and flourishing appearance, promising fair for a productive crop, and a good remuneration to the poor man for his labour; these are now become generv ally blighted, the leaves being withered, and falling off the stem, and having a very unpleasant odour; those approaching neareit to maturity appear to be the worst affected. Upon the whole, it is considered a general failure, which will be severely felt by the poorer classes in these parts. —Hereford Journal*.

Denmark.—•' \¥e read in a letter from "Copenhagen, 24th tilt. : " Captain Ross, ■the celebrated English navigator...but who ha 9 the last four yean tilled the post of British. Consul at Stockholm, .arrived at El.sinoro on the 22nd ult.. from that City, on- his xvay to London. He came in a fmatl.' cutter called the Mary, and had with hini only one man. Tha whole weight carried in the boat did not exceed four lasts. Captain Ross has resigned his post at Stockholm, and though now seventy years of a»e, is about to take the command of an expedition of discovery towards the "North Pole."

Mr. ilice, the celebrated " Jim Crow," has been deprived of speech and the use of his limb.*, by a stroke of paralysis. —Devonport Telegraph.

The conduct ofthe troops in New Zealand, appears to have satisfied the authorities at the Horse Guards ; as Colonels Dfspard and Wyiiyard have been appointed Companions of ihe Bath ; and Captains Matson, 58th foot, Reed, 99 h, Denny, SBih, Marlow, R.E., and Willmott, R.A., promoted t> brevet majorities. Several of the London papers stated positively that 250,000 quarters of wheat, besides oats and rye, were to be shipped almost immediately from London for this Colony for the use of the soldiers during the next six months, in consequence of the scarcity of corn in New South Wales. Sir Thomas Wylde had been appointed Lord Chief Just ; ce ofthe Court of Common Pleas, vacant by the death of Sir N. C.Tindal, Knight.

, A report lies been abroad that the cholera was racing in London, but it turned out to be merely an epidemic,usual in large ciiies during the summer season.

* The Sir R, Peel has been engaged to carry the remainder of the 65th Regt., to N. S. Wales.

It is now admitted on all hands that the potato crop has gone for this year, at least as far as Ireland is concerned.

The subscripiion for the relief of the widow and children of the late Benjamin Haydon, the historical painter amounts to upwards of £2000. exclusive of tho annuity of Lady Peel already fixed on the relict.

Consols Aug. 24,95| to |. Leghorn has been seriously damaged by an earthquake which was experienced on the 17th August.

The declaration of Lord Palmers on, in reply to Mr. Milnes on the subject of the independence of Cracow, excites much attention, and it may lead to serious differences with the great powers of Europe. Whilst declining to lay upon the table of the House of Commons certain papers moved for in reference to Poland, as the three powers—Austria, Russia and Prussia -—held opinions different from those entertained by England, Lord Palmerston distinctly slated that the treaty of Vienna had been violated in the late transactions with Cracow, that it must be upheld, adding, that it would not be permitted to any Government to pick out with one hand the articles which it would observe of a treaty, arid with the other the article* it would violate, and lie hoped the Governments of Austria,' Russia, arid Prussia would recollect, that if the treaty of Vienna were not good oh the. Vittula, it would be equally invalid on the Rhine arid on. the Po. That this speech will cause a great sensation throughout Italy, the Tyrol and the Rhenish, provinces, cannot be doubted, but whilst we depre-f caie. a hasty appeal to arms, inordinate; : use bflanguage tending to such result, we cannot shrink from upholding a thin in-; tegriiy, the condition of treaties to which| we are parlies; and should deem \hq British honor tarnished did we hesitate td insist oh their 'due observation, however! great and powerful may be the nations interested. " '' i

, General Election in FRANCE.-r-Pai ris, YVednesday, A ugust 5, i

o'clock The victory of, the Ministers ia complete. Last night says tho Journal dcs Debatrs, the returns of 422 elections had Been received; 263 were in favor of the Conservatives, and 159 on the siile of the Opposition. , Tha, nominations yei unknown amounted tp'37, but the result already "known show (hat already the Ministerialists exr>j*eded a moiety of the Opposition by 104. —Time?. We have recejtvee| the Pari9 papers',of Tuesday, with intelligence, brought by express, of the state of the elections up-to yesterday, when, ofthe returns then made known— namely 446—the Guizot government are slated to have obtained ,a safe majority of 102; or 274 Conservatives' to 172 ..Oppositionists. — Globe, Aug. 6. - Rome.—>We learn from Rome, July 24, that the Pope has ordered the Swigs troops in garrison at Cessana, where .the recent conflict took plaeeVto.be removed, and replaced by other troops. On the 21st his Holiness assembled the Committee of Education, consisting of 16 cardinals, and presided over their deliberations. It is said to be his intention to introiuce many improvements in the system of public education. —Ibid. A person named Whitney had made a report to Congress, to complete a railroad from the Atlantic Shore across the Rocky Mountains to Or.gori. Notwithstanding its absurdity, the Senate Committee of Public Lanl gravely rbcommended that a grant of land be given for that, purpose 60 miles wide, alontj the whole 'length of the line—a strip of land some 2,000 miles long, and 60 wide! Although the job was opposed by Mr. the Senate ordered that the report be printed.

By the last accounts from the army, it appears that General Taylor's force now amounts to 15,000 men. Between 5,000 and 10,000 more are on the route to join him. General Kesrney was to move on to the conquest of New Mexico. He was to halt at Bent's Fort, to recruit his men, and to be joined there by Colonel Price's regiment. His whole force will be about 3,200 men, deemed ample strong enong'i for the object.

A regiment commanded by Colonel Stevenson, is to be sent to California. At the conclusion of the war each man is to have 340 acres of land, and to remain in the country as a seitler.

-This war seems to be very unpopular, because in the opinon of a great majority, if not unjust, it is not necessaary. .

On the last intelligence from Vera Cfuz, no attack had been made on the foitresi of San Juan de Ulloa. There had been a skirmish between the fleet and several hundsed Mexicans on shore. The Princeton, Coraberiand, and Potomac having gone up the river to take in supplies, the Mexicans concentrated a force and fired on the boats, and wounded one man. <

Smobs,—The Snobs of England are a very numerous class, and as despicable as they are numerous. A snob is not a man who merely lacks refinement ;—an individual may be very vul<>ijr, and yet no snob after all ; —it is a vulgar assumption —the.make-believe dignity, the relying on shams of all kinds ; it is this which constitutes the snob, A working, man with-, out education, but also without paETENCE, is no shoo ; whilsta vulvar rich man, who leans on his purse, and demands in its name applause—who apes the nobility, and reads with devout satisfaciion ofthe doings of royalty in the Morning Post or Court Journal, he is a snob of the truest stamp —a genuine snob, an unquestionable snob every thought he sat up his carriage, and purchase a coat of arms.

Tha pavilion and grounds at Brighton are to be sold to assist in defraying the expences of repairing and altering .Buckingham Places, .