NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT BILL.

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 135, 27 January 1847, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT BILL.

A Bill to make further Provision for the Government of the New Zealand Islands.

Whereas by an act of Parliament made in the fourth year of Her Maj-sty's reign, intituled, " An act to continue until the thirty-first day of December one thousand eight hundred and forty-one, and to the end of tbe then next session of Parliament, and to extend the provisions of an act to provide for the administration of justice in New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, and for the more effectual Government thereof, ajjd for other pur. poses relating thereto," it is amongst other things enacted, that it shall be lawful for Her Majesty by letters patent to be from time to time issued under the Gieat Seal of the United Kingdom, to erect into a separate colony or colonies any islands which now are or which hereafter may fee comprised within and be dependencies of the said colony of New South WaLs. And wisereas, in pursuance and exercise of the powers in her M-.jesty vested in and by the saii recited act of Parliament, her Majesty did, by certain letters patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, bearing date at Westminister the sixteenth day of November in the fourth year of her Maj-sty's reign, erect into a separate colony the islands of New Zealand, theretofore comprised within or dependencies of the said colony of New South Wale*, with all other islands lying between thirty-four degrees thirty minutes north, to the forty-seventh degree ten minutes south latitude, and between the one hundred and seventy-ninth degree of east longitude, reckoning from the meridian of Greenwich ; and the said islands of New Zealand were thereby ertcted into a separate colony accordingly. And whereas, in further pursuance of the said recited act, her Majesty did, by the said recited letters patent, authorise the Governor for the time, being of the said colony of New Zealand and certain other persons to be a legislative council for the said colony, and did require and enjoin that the said legislative council should, in pursuance of the said act of Parliament, mike and ordain all such laws and ordinances ps might be required for the peace, order, and good goverment of the said colony : And whereas it is expedient to make further provision for the goverument of the islands of New Zealand j Be it therefore and it is hereby enacted, by the Queen's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritml and Temporal, and Common*, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that the Baid recited act of the fourth year of her Majesty's reign, and all charters) letters patent, instructions, and orders in council made and issued in pursuance thereof shall be and the same are hereby repealed, abrogated and annulled, so far, and only so far, as the same or any of them are repugnant to or would interfere with or prevent the operation of any letters patent, charters, orders in council or Royal instructions which may at any time hereafter he issued under the authority or in pursuance of this act: Provided nevertheless, That all laws and ordinances made and acts done under and in pursuance of the said recited act, charters, letters patent, instructions, orders in council, or any of them, shall hereafter be as lawful, valid and effectual as though this present act had not been made, save only so far as any such laws, ordinances or acts may be repugnant to, or would interfere with, or would prevent tbe operation of this present act. And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for her Majesty in and by any letters patent hereafter to be issued tinder the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, from time to time, to constitute and establish within any district or districts of the islands of New Zealand one or more municipal corporation or corporations, and to grant to any such corporations all or any of tho powers which, in pursuance of the statutes in that behalf made and provided, it is competent to her MBJeaty to grant to the inhabitants of any town or borough in England and Wales, incorporated in virtue of such statutes, or any of them, and to qualify and restrict tbe exercise of any such powers in such and the same manner as by the sta-

tutea aforesaid, or any of them, her Majeity may qualify or restrict the exercise of and bucu powcia as aforesaid in England. And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for her Majesty, in and by any letters patent hereafter to be issued under the Greut Seal of the United Kingdom, from time to time to divide ths said island* of New Zealand into two or more separata provinces, and to constitute and establish within the same two or more separate assemblies; (that \% to say) one such assembly in and for each of such separate provinces ; and that each of the said assemblies shall consist of and be holden by a governor, a legislative cou icil, and a house of representatives. And be it enacted, that each of the s*id legislative councils shall be counstituted, shall consist of such i persons as her Majesty shall for that purpose appoint, and that the memberg of each of the said houses of representatives shall be elected by the respective mayors, aldermen, and common councils of the several municipal corporations aforesaid, situate within the limits of the government for which each of the said houses of representatives respectively shall be so elected, and that such elections shsll take place in such manner and form, and under tush regulations as shall for that purpose be prescribed in any such letters patent as aforesaid. And be it enicted, that it shall be competent for any such assembly «o to be constituted and established within the islands of New Zealand, and they are hereby authorized and empowered (save as hereinafter is excepted) to make and enact la*vs, statutes, and ordinances for the peace f order and good government of such parts of the said islands as shall be within the limits of any separate province, for which any such assembly shall be so constituted and established as aforesaid, such hws not being repugnant to the laws of the United Kingdom aforesaid, or to the laws of the general assembly hereinafter mentioned. And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for her Majesty in and by such letters patent as aforesaid, to constitute and establish & general assembly in and for the islands of New Zealand, to be called the General Assembly of New Zealand, which said general assembly shall consist of and be holden by the governor-in-chief of the said islands, and a legislative council, and a house of representatives, and that the said legislative council shall consist of such persons as her Majesty shall for that purpose appoint, and that the said house of representatives of the several provinces into which the said islands may in manner aforesaid be divided, which members so to serve in the said general assembly shall be elected, nominated, and appointed by such persons, and in such manner and form, and upon and subject to such rules and conditions as her Majesty by any such letters patent as aforesaid shall direct." And be it. enacted, that it shall be competent to the said general assembly of the New Zealand Islands, and they are hereby authorized and empowered to make and enact such laws, statutes, and ordinances, as may be required for all or any of the purposes after mentioned : (that is to say) first, for the regulation of all duties of customs to be im posed on the importation or exportation of any goods at any port or place in the New Zealand Islands; and secondly, for the establishment of a supreme court to be a court of original jurisdiction, or of uppeal from any of the superior courts of any such separate provinces as aforesaid ; and thirdly, for determining the extent of the jurisdiction, and the course and manner of proceeding of such sUrpeme court; and fourthly, fjr regulating the current coin of the said islands, or the issue therein of any bills notes, or other paper currency ; and fifthly, for determining the weights and measures to be u-ed therein ; and sixthly, for regulating the post offices within and the carriage of letters between different parts of the said islands ; and seventhly, for establishing general laws of bankruptcy and insolcency, to be in force throughout the same ; and eightly, for tke erection and maintenance of beacon? and lighthouses on the coasts of the said islands ; and ninthly, for the impjsition of any duet or other charges on shipping at any port Or harbour within the same. And be it enacted, that the laws so to be enacted as aforesaid for any of the purposes aforesaid, by the said general assembly of the New Zealand Islands, shall control and supersede therein any laws, statutes or ordinances in anywise repugnant thereto, which might be enacted by the assemblies of any separate provinces as aforesaid; and that if any questions shall arise regarding the limits of the authority and jurisdiction of the said general assembly of the New Zealand Islands, and the authority and jurisdiction of the said other assemblies, all courts, officers of justice asd others shall conform and give effect ta the decision of the said general assembly of the New Zealand Islands on any such question, until the decision of her Majesty in council thereupon shall have been made known and promulgated within the said islands; by which decision any such questions as aforesaid shall thenceforward be determined within the same. And whereas the immediate or early establishment of any assembly, within certain parts of the island of New Ulster may be inexpedient by reason of the unsettled state of the native inhabitants thereof; be it therefore enacted, that it shall be lawful for her Majesty, by any such letters patent as aforesaid, to maintain in force within such parts of the said island of New Ulster as to her Majesty shall seem meet, until any period not later than the thirtyfirst day of December one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, the said charter or letters patent of the sixteenth day of November in the fourth year of her Majesty's reigu, and the legislature constituted under tiie said letters patent, and so long as such last-mentioned legislature shall be so maintained, the said general assembly of the New Zealand Islands shall be composed in the manner and shall exercise the powers hereinafter mentioued, save only that such and so ni-my members of the legislature of such parts as aforesaid of the said island of New Ulster as her Majesty shall for that purpose be pleased to appoint, shall in virtue of such an appointment be members of the house of representatives of the said general assembly of the New Zealand Islands; provided always that the number of member* so appointed shall never constitute a msjority of the said house of representatives of the said general assembly of the New Zealand Islands. And whereas it may be expedient that the laws, customs and usages ot the aboriginal or native inhabitants of New Zealand, so far as they are not repugnant to the general principles of humanity, should, for the present, be maintained for the government of themselves in all their relations to and dealings with each other, and that particular districts should be set apart within which such laws,

customs, or usi'es, shoal J be so olrerved. Be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for her Mnj-?sty, by any such letters patent as af>r said, to rrnke provision for the purposej afore*iid ; any repugnancy of any snob native law*, custom', or usages, to tb*» hw of EngWnd. or to any law. R'atute, or usa;e in force in the sad islands of New Z-aland, or in any part thereof, in anywise no-withstanding. And be it enacted, that it anal! b° lawful fo- her Majesty, by any such letters patents as a f <>re«m'd, to make and prescribe all -uch rues as to her Majesty shall seem fit to determining the extent and boundaries of tbe districts to be comprised within any such municipal corporations at afor»-<ai,j, and for regulating the ch-ice and elsoion *f tbe vaijouj officers of any such corporation l , and of the members of any such municipal corpjr*.t?ons or assem. blies or general assembly, as nforesaid, and for deterraining the length of time for which every such assembly or general assembly *liall be hjiden, from the time of the election of the member* of the said houses of representatives, and how and by whatauthority tbe same shall be dissolve 1 or prorogued, r»nd for prescribing tbe oa'hs to be taken, or the affirmation to be made, by the mf-robers of the said corporations, assemblies, or general a-sernblv, or any of them, before entering on the discharge of the duties of their respective offices, and for prescribing the course of proceeding to be followed in th» respective assemblies, and in the general assembly, in regard to the enactment of laws statutes, and ordinances therein, and for determining in what cases the governor-in chief, for the time being, of the islands of New Zealand, or the governor for the time be;n» of'any other such separate provinces as afo.'esaid shall, in the name and on the behalf of her Majesty, assent to any such laws, statutes, or ordinances or reserve the signification of her Majesty's pleasure thereon, together with all such rule* as shall be neceisary for determining the eff.ct of tbe disa]!;wance by her Majesty of any such U-v, statute, ordinance, though not so reserved as aforesaid, together with all such other rales, not being repugn* nt to tbis'preseut Act, as it nuy seem to her Mcje ty necessary to make and establish for carrying into full effect the purposes and objects thereof. And be ie enacted, that it shall be lawful for her Majesty, by any such letters paten! as aforesaid, to appropriate and set apart from and out of the revenues of any such separate province as aforsaid, by Wdy of civil list, for the maintenance of the administration of justice, and the principal officers of the civil government, or of such separate provinces as aforesaid, such sums of money as Ehall not ex. ! cetd six thousand pounds by the year in aßy one of the said separate Governments: Provided always, that if any such law, s'.atute or ordinance hereafter to be enacted in and by any such assembly as aforesaid, and assented to by her Majesty, provision shall be made for settling on her Majesty a civil list in substitution for the before mentioned civil list then and in that case so much of this act as relates to the before mentioned civil list shall cease to bs of any force and effect within the province in and for wh : ch any such law, statute or ordinance shall so have been enacted. And be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for her Majesty, by such letters patent as aforesaid, to prohibit the grant or appropriation of any public money by either of the said assemblies or by the said general assembly, in any case in which such grant or appropriation shall not first have been recommended by her Majesty, or on her Majesty's behalf, with a view to or in aid of sine specific public service to be performed within the provinces respectirciv, or within the said islands of New Zealand colleetivelv. And whereas it may be convenient that some of the powers hereby vested in her Majesty should by | her Majesty be executed, no: hy means of such | letters p-itent as aforesaid, bat by instructions under her Majesty's signet and sign manuel, approved in her privy council, and accompanying or referred to in such letters patent: And whereas it may also be csnvenient that the exercise of some of the powers aforesaid should by her Majesty be delegated to the Governor-in-chief of the New Zealand Islands for the time being, or of the respective governors of the said respective provinces for the time being, and that it should be competent to her Majesty from time to time to amend, and for that purpose to add to, or, if necessary, to repeal any such letters patent or instructions as aforesaid ; be it therefore enacted, that it shall be lawful for her Majesty to execute any of the powers hereby vested in her Majesty, not by means of such letters patent as aforesaid, but by such instructions as aforesaid, and that it shall ba lawful for her Majesty by any such letters patent or instructions to delegate to the governor-in-chief or to suoh respective governors as aforesaid the exercise of such of the powers aforesaid as it may seem meet to her Majesty so to delegate, and to prescribe the manner and form in which, and the conditions subject to which, such delegated authority shall be so exercised ; and that it shall also be lawful for her Majesty from time to time to amend, *nd for that purpose to, or, if necessary, to repeal, any such letters patent or instructions as aforesaid. Provided always, and be it enacted, that all letters patent and instructions which may be issued by her Majesty in pursuance of this present act shall be published in the London Gazette, and shall be laid before both houses of Parliament within one calendar month from the day of the date thereof, if Parliament shall then be in session, and if not, then within one calendar month next after the commencement of the then next ensuing session of Parliament : Provided also, that no such letters patent or instructions as aforesaid, which may be issued at any time subsequently to the thirty-first day of De. cember one thousand eight hundred and forty-Siven, shall be of any force or effect until the lapse of six calendar months next after the same shall have been so laid before Parliament, in so far as the object of the same may be to amend, add to, or repeal any other letters patent or instructions which may theretofore have bten issued in pursuance hereof for the purposes aforesaid, or for any of them. And be it enacted, that for the purpose of this present act, the officer for the time being admiaising, in virtue of her Majesty's commission for th t purpose, the general government of the islands of New Zealand, shsll be considered as the Governor-in-chief of New Zealand, and that the offi.er for the time being almiinstering, in virtue of her Majesty's commissions for that purpose, the respective governments of any suoh separate province as aforesaid, shall be considered as the governor of such provitxv. ti And be it enacted, that the pres nt <ii>t may be ll amended or repealed iv ihu present tcwon of Parliament.

iiAND Reclaimed (liiklvnl)). ~lt appears from a return issued by order of tho IToijst; of Common*, that there have been reclaimed in tbe county of .Donrgd, since 18-10. in tho parishes where the revision survey is finished, 4.75(> '.ores of land. There are, however, 42.73:} acres at present unreclaimed, and 123.491 under cultivation. ] j tho ("toui.tv of Kerry, since lb;' suvv-'v a!'it i , 13-12 3, there have been ivelaim-'d 8.373 in th> parishes prepared ty nnbiiea'io.'i, and there are. altogether o" : .)!,h7l) acres at present under cultivation, and 302,413 still Unreclaimed. Tailoring Machine. — The Boston corr'S'iOi-d-nt of the Worce»t3r Spy (American pap?r) writes a* follows :—" I iiavebH'n ot.-nuining a new machine for -'owing, which has recently be?n invented and constructed by an ingenious mechanic of Cambridge. So far as I am informed on the subject, this is the first attempt to construct a machine of the kind, and it appears to me to he an eminently succesful one. The machine is very compact, not occupying a space more than about six inches each w;>y. Tt runs with so much case, (hat I should suppose one person might easily operate twenty or thirty of 'hem, and the work is done in a most thorough an! perfect manner. Both sides "f a seam alike, appearing to ba beautifully stitched, and the seam is closer and more uniform than when sewed by hand. It will sew straight or curved seams with ''qual facility, and so rapidly, that it takes but two minutes to the whole length of the oii'sile seam of a pair of men's pantaloons, -•■t sets 400 stitches a minute with perfect cn<-e, and the proprietor thinks there is no difficulty in setting 700 in a minute. The thread is less worn by this process than by hand sewing, and, consequently, retsins more of its strength. The simplicity of the construction of this machine, and the accuracy, rapidity, and perfection of its operation, will place it in the same rank with the card machine, the straw braider, the pin machine, and the coach lace loom, machines which never fail to command the admiration of every intelligent beholder." The Income tax and Railway SnARB Transactions.—Towards the close of last year we took especial notice of an attempt which had been vigorously made in the north by the income-tax commissioners, to assess profits derived from buying and selling railway shares and scrip. Great opposition was manifested, and some of the most eminent counsel of the Scotch bar were consulted on the point. These gentlemen gave a- very clear opinion against the legality of such assessment. The assessment; however, was made in many instances; and several appeals from these assessments came on before the commissioners for the ward of Lanarkshire on Thursday week. The commissioners, however, unanimously refused the appeals, and confirmed the assessments. Fearful Occurrence at Redruth.— A dreadful accident occurred at Redruth, on Monday last, under very strange and peculiar circumstances. Hylton's travelling menagerie had arrived, in the town that morning, and the evening's exhibition drew a great concourse of spectators, it is supposed numbering several thousands of all ages and ranks of life. There were also great numbers outside. About 10 o'clojk, whilst the crowd was greatest, some lads foolishly began teasing a blind hyena, a very savage brute; the animal, very much irritated by their treatment, commenced a fight with another hyena, confined in the same cage. This aroused the lion, who soon lashed himself into a terrible moid, and roared most awfully. The spectators naturally became much terrified, when all at once a cry was raised that the lion had broken loose." The panic became awful and the confusion terrible. The most piercing screams were heard, and a simultaneous rush was made to the en'ranco. The pressure was tremendous; the old and feeble were thrown down and trampled on. and at length the side of the menagerie was hurst open, and the spectators rushed in the wildest terror into the street. The panic was at once communicated to the crowd outside, and the cry raised on all sides, "The lion has broken loose." The people ran madly away, and rushed into private houses, up-stairs, and in'o all imaginable places, expecting the wi d beasts were at their he-Is. The shrieks and cries of murder were most piercing, ami at one time it is supposed that nearly 200 were lying on the ground. Many persons were trampled on, and picked up in a nearly lifeless state. Tin surgeons of t'te town were at. once c.tiled int) requisition, and afforded most valuable assistance. A great many persons

wore very severely bruised, and were taken up almost insensible, their eyes sufTtise i with blood, -and several eases of fraotured ribs and collar hones are also reported. Happily no lives have ben lost, although it can scnrce'v he said that all the sufferers are out of danger. Largs posters were, on Monday, June 10, placarded throughout the in? tropolis, offering employnient to 3,000 lailors. An American paper stales, that six skilful Yankee boot and shoe-makers were sent over in the Columbia for the express purpose of instructing 'he aniz ins of Liverpool and Manchester in the mysteries of peg soles. Steam-Boats —In 1814 there was but one steam-boat belonging to the British empire. During 30 years the number has increased to about i,OOO British steamboa's, which are now navigating to and from all parts of the world. American Ice.—A vessel called the Hannah Sprague, has arrived in the St. Catherine's dock from Boston, United States, having a cargo consisting entirely of ir-e, and comprising the large quantity of GOO t'tns of the article. Poor Law Liberality.—The low wages of agricultural labourers for which Dorsetshire is proverbial, appears to have affected eren the operations of the Poor Laws in that county. The Guardians of the Union of Beamiuster have advertised for a schoolmistress " capable of cutting out and making clothes," and " per'ectly understanding the duties of a schoolmistress." For these dissonant qualifications (intended to be exercised, we presume, alternatively, i.e., tho cutting out and making up to be effected during school hours) the salary of " ten pounds " a year and " such provisions as the house may afford " are offered. (Qv. i -—oatmeal porridge and potatoes ?) The Sherhoni! Union Guardians require a porter and a nurse, and here again the desire to make the best of the bargan is apparent. " A shoemaker will be preferred, and he must write a good hand " (whether with the ultimate intention of converting him into a writing master may be fairly ques- ! lionet*.) The joint salary "offered is " £20 a year, with maintenance in the house." These wages are somewhat under those given in London for a decent domestic, who is required to bring no other qualifications than those of a good character and a desire to make herself generally useful; but in her case '• the rations which the house affords " make her situation worth half as much again as that of a Poor Law officer in the county of Dorset. New Transatlantic Steamers.—We have already mentioned that three new steamers are to be built for Canard's company, to enable them to fulfil their contract to carry the mails weekly between Liver pool and the United States. The Glasgow Citizen gives the following description of iho projected vessels :—" We hear that three immense steam-ships have already been contracted for. They are to be about 2.000 tons register each ; the length of keel and fbrerake to be 250 feet; the length over all, 280 feet; the breadth of beam, 40 feet. They are to be built of timber, by Messrs. Robert Steel and Co., of Greenock ; and the engines, of about 700 horse power each, are to be supplied by Mr. Robert Napier, of Liverpool. In order to show the great size of these vessel*, we may state that the Cambria and Hibernia are only 220 feet keel, 245 feet over all, and 36 feet breadth of beam ; while the engines do not exceed 500 horse power each. The Britannia, Acadia, and Caledonia are still smaller, being no more >han 205 feet keel. 225 feet over all, and 34 feet beam; with engines of only 450 horse power. It is intended, we believe, by the same interprising company, to order a new iron steamer of the same splendid dimensions as the three wooden ones now about to be laid down." We find it stated in a French scientific paper, that Siberia contains gold in such abundance, that its discovery is likely to produce a financial revolution in Europe similar to that which took place on the discovery of Peru. In the period of the last fourteen years, the produce of the gold mines in that country is said to have doubled. Eleven thousand persons are daily employed in washing the mineral; and thrice the number could be so occupied if tin hands could be found. Nothing but this want of labourers, add 3 our authority, prevents the markets of Europa from be' ing (tiled with the gold of this rich deposit. About one hundred thousand men were employed fir twenty years in erecting the great pyramid of Egypt. From a computation by M. Dnpiu, it appears that the steam-engines of England would equal the whole product of this immense application

of human labour, in lifting stones, within tho short space of eighteen hoursA dreadful tornado lias nearly des'royed the town of Grenada, in Mis-issipi United States killing 3(3, and gtiovously wounding 52 persons. The poor-rates in England were, in 1803 £5.343.205 ; in ISIS, at their highest, being £9,320 000; while in 1844, they amounted to £0.848 717, In 1838, they were mdr £5,180,389. ForiTll-ICATIONS AT GIIAVRSRVD.—The irw fortifications on tho site of the burialground of tbe chantry, erected by Aymer de Valence, are rapidly proceeding. The men, whilst excavating, a few weeks since, for the foundations of the magazine in the center of the fort, discovered many of the skeletons of its former occupants. The original chapel, though ca*ed over with modern brick work, it still standing. It is now converted into the military hospital. In the recent alterations necessary to such conversion, pariiiions, &c, were removed which then developed its original shape. It was 59 feet long and 17 feet 7 inches in breadth, within the walls, and was cover, ed with a cove roof, probably originally lined with boards. The height of the edifice from the floor to the highest poiat of the cove was about 10 f-et. For the additional defences now constructing at Gravesend there will be required 15 32 pounders of 5(5 c«'t, on carriages with dwarf traversing platforms. On the opposite shore ol the Thames the fortifia- | tions are likewise being great]v increased [ and strengthened and they will be rpquir|rd for the additional de'enees at Tilbuay Forf 50 32-pounders of 50ctvt. each, on carriages with dwarf traversing platforms, and 79 32-pounders of 33 cwt., on iron carriage, making a total of 69 additional guns for Tilbury Fort. The New Building Act —Cellars and Underground Kitchens.—The sec- [ tion of the Metropolitan Building Act, j having reference to underground kitchens and cellars, comes into operation on the Ist of July nex f , and both landlords and tenants ought to be o n their guard not to render themselves liable to the penalties, It is required by the act, that every kitchen or cellar used as a dwelling shall be at least 7 feet high from floor to ceiling, and have a fire-place and flue, and also a glazed window of at least 9 superficial feet, one half of which must admit of being opened for the purpose of ventilation. It is further required, that externally there shall be an area the whole length of one side, where there is such window at least 3 feet wide, and 3 inches below the level of the floor, and that a space of at least 5 feet long and broad shall be left open, or covered with iron railing. Any person letting, or occupying, or suffering to be occupied, any under ground kitchen or celler without these clauses being complied with, will be liab'e to a penalty of 20s. for every day it is so occupied ; one-half lo go to the informer, and the o,her half lo the poor of the parish. On Fiiday, Mr. Baker h-dd an inqupst at the Lord Nelson, Nicholls-row, Beth-nal-green, on George Thomas Norton, aged eight years. The deceased and some other boys were leaping over one another's back, when he fell and struck himself a violent blow on the stomach. Medical advice was procured, but he lingered for a few days, when he died. The surgeon said the child's stomach was full of blood ; had it been empty at the lime, the injury would not have proved fatal. Verdict '" Accidental death." Marine Fans —In the bed of the Red Sea. and on some pans of the coast of America, there grows a very curious marine plant, which is flat, and spreads very much like a peacock's fea hers. Its colour, in general, is tawnev, hut some are found of very fine olive. It is formed of innumerable fibres interwoved together, and is as supple and tough as a whal- l--bona. They are sometimes found eighteen inches long in the Red Sea. Tn»y are also sought by the women of America for fans. In some few instances these planJaare found of a very beautiful red, or variegated, when of course their value is greatly increased. Wreck of am American Ship. — Exrrßct from a private letter, dated Swellendam, May 1 : — " Information has just reached here of the wreck of the American ship Jentoo, Captain Hallis, f.om Calcutta to Boston, laden with indigo, shellac, hides, Sec. Seven persons have perished—a lady, two children, a female servant, and three of the crew. The captain and isixteen men were saved. The ship is a total wreck ; the cargo is scattered over the beach, and must hare been very valuableThe vessel was wrecked at Struis-bay, on Wednes day night at eleven o'clock, on the very same spot where the Duke of Northumberland was lost "— South African.