THE "Wellington Independent." Wednesday, May 21, 1851.

Wellington Independent, Volume VII, Issue 585, 21 May 1851, Page 3

THE "Wellington Independent." Wednesday, May 21, 1851.

We have given below, a full report of the opening of the Nominee General Council; but the length of His Excellency's address compels us to defer to a subsequent number, our Editorial remarks upon tho various topics touched upon in it. We cannot however forbear congratulating our fellow settlers, upon the triumphant position, in which they at present stand. If the late Provincial Council afforded them a source of infinite merriment, the present Council promises to keep them in a state of perpetual and unceusiug roar of laughter:— at least, if we may judge from what occurred on Monday last, when Sir George and his Company made their debut before them. The Gallery, as we suppose the space allotted to the public is termed by the officials, was in one constant titter from the beginning to the end of the performance. In fact, had it not been for the ludicrous absurdity of the whole scene, we feel assured, that his Excellency and his Company, would have been fairly hissed off the stage. As it was, there was an evident disposition to encore ihe whole proceedings; and we cannot but suspect that His Excellency expected something of. the sort, for as soon as the Farce was ended, he bolted off the stage. And yet his Excellency deserves credit for the manner in which the affair was got up ; the military band of 65th Regt. played " God Save the Queen," and other national airs ; a guard of honor was in attendance ; the boxes and stalls were filled with officials, dressed in their Sunday clothes ; His Excellency and all the other performers (with the exception, we regret to say, of the Colonial Treasurer) were got up in first-rate style ; all the decorations, orders, stars, &c, which the corps could by hook or by crook muster, were called into requisition; and yet ths giliery failed to appreciate either the trouble or the expense which his Excellency had incurred to please them. The " Gods " were in an amazingly good humour; they made not the slightest attempt to disturb the performances; they threw neither orange peelings nor anything else; they indulged in neither whistling nor any other noise ; but they cracked their jokes, passed their puns backwards and forwards, and revelled in their sneers and squibs, until the whole Gallery was in a roar. The spirit of the Gallery gradually infected Sir George himself; and it soon became evident, from the uneasiness of his manner, and from the hesitating- tone in which he read his address, that no one was more conscious than himself of the absurdity of the farce he was acting, nor more thoroughly ashamed of the " sorry Company of performers he had. go"t together.

In sober seriousness—what a commentary does this Council afford upon Sir George-Grey's proceedings in regard to Representative Institutions ?—What conclusive proof it uffanls of the utter hopelessness of his attempts to force upon the Settlers, Institutions repugnant to their feoliugs and principles. After canvassing in every Settlement—after holding out all sorts of bribes—after offering places right and left—after availing himself of the besetting sin—of the peculiar weakness of every man, he is driven to meet a Council composed of seven officials, and two Nominee's ! !!

Wellington Atbenjroh.—The Rev. Mr. Kirton's lecture, unavoidably postponed in consequence of the inclemency of the weather, will be delivered to-mor-row (Thursday) evening, at eight o'clock.

N The Return arrived here ou Saturday evening from California via Nelson.— She made the passage from San Francisco to Nelson in 51 days. Mr. Thos. Waters, who left this place in the Arlemesia, is a passenger by her, as also Mr. Gordon. The news from California is not.of a cheering character; trade was dull, and almost all kinds of Merchandize and produce were selling at ruinously low prices. The majority of persons who have left these colonies,- have not bettered their condition ,in life; but heartily wish they had not gone there. We have been favoured by Mr. Gordon with the loan of California papers to the 11th March, but the crowded state of our columns prevent us from furnishing our readers with any extracts in this number. English news to the 2nd January, has been brought by the Return, and if the vessel had been delayed for a few hours longer, wo would have received English intelligence to the 15th January. Mr. Gordon states that New Zealand cheese and butter, although sellling at a /'low figure, were commanding the highest prices at San Francisco, boing considered the very best in the market, and that too with the produce of all nations to compete with.

BWikd. —At St. Paul's Church,' Ihorndon, on Monday, tho 7th \nri! '.y Ilov R: Cob, M.A., (by special license) Mr. Willhun Frederick Mason of Wellington, to Miss Lydia Sarah Salmon, lute of Sydney,