AUCKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume VI, Issue 506, 17 August 1850, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

His Excellency the Governor-iu-Chief leaves us shortly, it is said, on a visit to the South :—there, as the lady with the many tongues asserts, to convoke the Parliament which has deserted him here. One session sufficed onr Northern neophytes; for the non-official members,— with one solitary exception,—heartily ashamed oj Nomineei«m and its notoriety have judiciously withdrawn into the more honourable retirement of domestic life. How far these self-sacrificing examples may operate upon the ■*' Bone-Knives"' and " Xtea-Blarikets" of CooVs Straits, remains to be seen; but, at such a dis<couut is Tasmanian Nomineeism, that we' understand a popular canvass is already.! in active progress, in anticipation of that grand Colonial panacea,—The Australian Colonies Bill!

Lord Grey's pet schemes have been peculiarly unfortunate ones. His constitutions have been so thoroughly rotten that they have all been returned upon his hands with greater or lesser indignity. His proffers to oblige in the Exile w.ay, has elicited ingratitude not inferior in degree :—whilst his desire to protect the .colonies, and to relieve England of a heavy military expenditure by enrolment of a semi-soldiery, has laid him open to the most Jicrinaonious denunciations.

As an example of the sentiments of the people of England on the matter of his cheap pensioners (Pro-di-gi-ous ! as Domine Sampson might say) we transcribe an article from the " Daily News" of the 16th February. Stringent as are the animadversions therein indulged, they are, nevertheless, mild and meek compared with those to which the "Spectator" jhad previously given utterance; and ■which had drawn forth a not loss energetic remonstrance from the "Weekly Despatch."

We, who live on fhe spot, and can testify, both from occular demonstration and by official returns, to the rapidly deserting condition of the village of Howick, and .the practical protectionary value of its illused semi-military, semi-labourer disconsolates, must needs admire the superlative intellect that led the Cape-controll-ing-spirit to prefer a body of old men, worn and disgusted with the service, to n force of young, ardent, and disciplined troops. The figures will show how unrivalled the economy of such a brilliant scheme! We beg, on behalf of the Colony to assure the highly accomplished Earl Grey that whenever the colonies are entrusted with their own affairs, tliey will look neither to His Lordship, nor yet to his measures for economy, or for protection.

Nifty' ZEAtAWB-RapE.-r-cWe learn,, .with heartfelt pleasure that the cordage supplied to H. M. Ships on this station, manufactured from native flax, by our enterprising townsman, Mr James Robertson, of Mechanics' Bay, has been subjected to repeated tests, all of which it has boi'oe in the most satisfactory manlier. Its qualities have been tried ag-inst those of Dockyard, and Manila rope ; —to the latter it has proved immeasurably superior, being still serviceable, whilst its yiyal has been worn out. Against the Dockyard twist, it continues to maintain its place,, and as we have been told, with every'probability of equal if not superior reputation. This is most encouraging. The standing rigging of the 2-7'/ has, we are told, been condemned, .and is to be replaced by new from Air. Robertson's store, upon the return of the sloop from Sydney.

Having paid some little attention to the conflicting opinions, elicited evidence before the Committee appointed by the House of Lords to inquire into the tnerits of New Zealand cordage, some ten or twelve years since, nnd remembering

that the great fault found by those Officers who were opposed to its being used in the IS avy, was an alleged liability to part in the nip, we are naturally anxious to learn whether this defect "has been obviated or dimiuisbed. Our inquiries, hitherto, have been confined to one or two private parties,—and to Captain Gedge, of the Hobart Town schooner Isabella, who uses nothing but New Zealand rope whether for standing or running rigging, we are indebted for the knowledge that he has found it equal in every respect to the best European cordage.' With him it has stood well, even where the nip and the strain have been the most severe; and when the comparatively heavy spars and sails of fore-and-aft craft, and the severe weather to which coasters are liable, are taken into account, we consider the consumption of the manufacture both as a means of equipment of the vessel, and as a constant portion of her return cargo, to be the very, best testimony of its practical commercial value; We trust that those who may have hud equal or superior opportunities of testing this, one of our most important staples, will favour us with a report, sul'li as we have no sufficient data of our own to piepnre. Captain Fitzßoy, R. N.-We learn with regret that this gallant officer had been obliged by ill-health to resign the command of the steam Frigate .lrrogunt, and was on his way home from Lisbon. We derive this information from the two following brief but authentic announcements which we find in the " Naval Intelligence" of the Times of the 16th of February :—" Captain Fitzßoy, of the Arrogant, had resigned the command of that ship, which had been given to Capt. G. T. Gordon, of the Encounter, —Capt Fitzßoy coming home." and, again, in J the list of appointments we read—" Cap-! tain R. S. Robinson, (1840) to the .Irro-\ if ant steam frigate at Lisbon, vice FitzRoy, superseded, owing to ill-health.— NctvZealander.

The Fancy Dress Ball of LieutenantColonel and Mrs. Wynyard, which took place at their residence on Tuesday evening., , and which had long been anticipated <is a feature in the gaieties of New Zealand, far surpassed the expectations even of the most sanguine: it was brilliant to ii degree. Although the guests fell far short in number of the invitations issued, yet those who did attend, evince'l neither poverty of invention, n >r lukewarnmess in their industry to do honour to an entertainment as novel as it" was pleasing. If the great difficulty of procuring the malervil for equipment discouraged some, it appeared to have only the more excited perseverance in others, and familiar as we have been with Balls, in every quarter of the globe, whether of Balls of "the usual order, Fancy Balis, or Bals Masque, we can confidently aver that, , as a whole, we have never been present at one of a better or more attractive description than this the iirst Fancy Ball given in New Zealand.— Southern Cross.

From the Government Gazelle of Saturday, we learn that her Majesty has been pleased to appoint Henry Samuel Chapman, Esq , and Sydney Stephen, Esq., to be Judges of the Supreme Court of the Islands of New Zealand.

Proclamation is male by the Governor appointing the before-named gentlemen his Deputy Vice Admirals for the Middle and Southern Districts of the Province of New Munster, the limits of which Districts are, by another Proclamation, set forth.— lbitL

CaiamitousFiue.—On Tuesday night' or rather about one o'clock on Wednesnesiiay rooming, the Windsor Castle Inn, on Mechanic's Hill, was discovered to be on fire. The first intimation of this unfortunate fact was given by a person sleeping in an upstairs front room, and who had been awakened by a suffocating smell. This caused a discovery that the premises were on fire; and of course an immediate alarm was raise;]. Flames were perceived by the inmates to be forcing their way from the kitchen into the front parlour. The inhabitants of the house, aided by some neighbours who had been aroused, mounted the roof, and commenced pouring water over the burning .building, but after a few minutes of unavailing exertion, and finding the flames Were beginning to- penetrate through the shingles, and that the smoke was overpowering, they wore compelled to desist. Fortunately, immediate attention was directed to the salvation of the furniture and effects, and we are happy to say, .that with the exception of. a few trilling articles, every moveable was snatched from the jaws of the devouring clement, and safely deposited in the premises of Mr. Snook, the blacksmith. At this moment the Fire Bugle called the military'to their alarm posts, and, in a very short time, his Excellency the Governor, Lieutenant Colonels WinyarJ and Bolton, the Officers of the 58th, the Commissioner of Police, and many other gentlemen who hurried from Col. Wyuyard's Fancyßall.arrived with the soldiery; and police to render every available aid, Every effort was made to arrest the onward progress of the flames; the engine at Fort Britomart was sent for by Capt. Laye, and the connecting buildings were cut down, under the.direction of tho Governor, who was particularly active. No-

thing, however, but the total destruction of the Windsor Castle, and the house of Mr. P. W. Bagnell, immediately adjoining, could stay the conflagration. The aspect of the fire, as seeirfrom the town, was truly alarming ; it blazed with terrific brillancy for at least an hour mid a half, and excited great cause of apprehension that its ravages would extend. These fears we are happy to say, proved groundless, the destruction being confine:! to the tenements already mentioned. The loss incurred by Mr. Johnson, the proprietor of the Win Isor Castle, we have hear! stated at various amounts, but we believe we may estimate it at something considerably under a £1,000. Here, where no Insurance Companies exist, fire is a merciless destroyer. We therefore trust that this terrible warning will, prove nn additional incentive to care upon the part of our townsmen, to whose" united properties a single spark might carry genera! and uncontrollable destructions/in/.

A Government Gazette was published yesterday, but we received it at "an hour to late to do more than merely glance at its contents. 1. A Proclamation by the Governor, appointing Messrs. Fox, F. Dillon Bell, Halse, Cargil, Kelham, and Jollie, the nominees of the New Zealand Company in investigation and adjustment of Land Claims and Titles. 2. Proclamation of her Majesty's allowance of the Ordinance to provide for Provincial Legislative Councils. 3. A lengthened despatch from T2arl Grey to Governor Grey, informing him of the above, and remarking somewhat at large, an i somewhat disprovingly of certaiu of his Excellency's Legislative mea- 1 sures. The document however, is too lengthy for present commentary.— lbid July 19.