AUCKLAND.

Wellington Independent, Volume VII, Issue 670, 13 March 1852, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

By the Lucy James we have received Auckland papers up to the 27th ult. We are sorry to learn that great numbers of people are leaving the town for the diggings. Many of them no doubt w?ll return wiser but not richer men. Others there are, we dare say, whose presence may be well dispensed with, and who finding congenial spirits among the hetreogenous mass at the mines will never more be heard of. By leaving New Zealand they give up a positive benefit for an uncertain advantage; to purchase a 'ticket in the golden lottery they sacrifice their little all, and obt,aiii for their temerity one out of the hundred thousand blanks amidst which fortune temptingly mingles her few brilliant prizes. None of the papers before us give any account of. the markets. We observe that the Cashmere and William Hyde, are both laid on for London, one to sail in March, the other in Mny. A Petition to both Houses of Parliament against the New Zealand Company's claim had been most numerously signed. As respects the opinions of the Wellington Settlers on the New Zealand Settlements Act, the New Zealander is obliged to form his judgement from the columns of- the Independent " as the Spectator seems to preserve a singular tacituriuty on the subject." The Southern Cross has a long article on the Governor of Victoria from which we learn that that gentleman, Latrobe by name, has been demanding three companies of the 58th or 65th regiments to bolster up his power over the Port Phillip Gold diggers, which if granted/ would in the opinion of the Cross jeopardize the peace and prosperity of New Zealand, seeing that eveiy day is rife with the prospect of golden discovery of our own. The subjoined'is from the New Zealander of the 25th ult.

Wilful Murder;—lt is seldom our duty to prefix such a painful beading as this to a report of an Inquest in Auckland, where crime of an aggravated character is happily of rare occurrence; and when it does occur is (as in this instance.) generally to be traced, to convicts from the adjoining Penal Colonies, who, when they can, naturally desire to be numbered amongst the population of a colony which, like New Zealand, is free from the taint of Transportation*- We have,"however, to report that a man was killed iv, perhaps the most public' thoroughfare of our town on Monday night,, under circumstances which will be sufficiently understood from the following summary of the facts sworn to at the Inquest yesterday. We need give only a summary, as several of the witnesses repeated, almost without variation, the evidence already before the Inquest. '•>.-.

The facts, as staled by a number ot witnesses, were substantially tbese: Some months since there had been a quarrel, issuing in a fight, between William Dixori, a blacksmith, the man who was killed on Monday night,>tind the accused person, who was known here by the name of Isaac French, or by the nickname of " Ikey the Carpenter," but who (as was sworn to by more than.one witness who appeared to have had full knowledgo of him in the previous stages of his history) was well known in former years as a prisoner of the Crown in Van Diemen's Land, under the name..of Win. Bowden. Bowden (as we shall call him, dropping his assumed name here) had repeatedly declared that he " would take his revenge out of Dixon/' for the result of com-

bat, in which Dixon had proved " the best man." On Monday evening, after sometime conversation in Graham's eat-'lng-house in Shonlaud-Orescent, which grew to be of a hostile character, Bowden and Dixon went out into the street t-i fight. - It appeared clearly that although both had taken some drink, neither of tho parties was intoxicated to any extent Unit would interfere with his entire command of his conduct and accountability for it. After some scuffling, Dixon cried out that Bowden had akiiile, but Bov.'.len stoutly denied this—(so far as anything could be denied in the struggle then going forward) ; shortly afterwards, Dixon was heard to cry " I am stabbed ! I am an undone man!" Ho ran back iuto Graham's House, when he soon sunk under the effects of wounds he had received. Medical aid was procured, but proved ineffectual, as mny be inferred from the testimony of Drs. Matthew's and Lee, who, on a font mortem examination yesterday, found not only that the deceased's lungs had been penetrated by one of the wounds, but that the pulmonary artery had been pierced, and his heart literally punctured by one the blows. A Knife was produced in Court which was indentified as having been in the possession of Bowden, and was found yesterday morning, with a blood mark on it in the immediate vicinity of the tragical occurrence.

The following was the Verdict arrived at after a very patient hearing of evidence by the Coroner aud the intelligent Jury above named.

That he died of wounds inflicted in his heart and chest, aud which wounds were given by William Bowden, alias Isaac French, and that the said William Bow-, den alias Isaac French did feloniously kill and murder the said William Dixon.

Fatal Conflict at Hokianga.—We have learnt, with very sincere regret, that an unhappy collision, resulting in the slaughter of five natives, took place last week at Hokianga. Repa, a chief of some celebrity in Heke's wars, having charged Papakiikukuru and others with having taken improper liberties with one of his wives, demanded, according to native usage, a horse in satisfaction of the affront. The justice of the accusation was however denied, and the delivery of the horse peremptorily refused. From words the contending parties came to blows, Hone Ware, the brother of Repa, shooting Hoaia Rore dead, and being himself shot dead in turn. To avenge the death of his own brother, Repa threw himself upon Hohepa Patu, the brother of Rore, whom he speared; but this not sufficing to kill his antagonist, he despatched him with a couple of shots. Repa theu shot Papakakuru, and was himself subsequently slain.

Some considerable apprehension is entertained lest the affray should not terminate here, but arouse the resentment or the powerful tribe of Muburehure of Waima. It is to be hoped, however, that the mediation of Wnkii Nene who is anxious for the preservation of peace, may happily prevail. .

Gold—There is something mysterious in all the rumours, and asserted knowledge, in connection with this precious metal.

As yet, e\ery discovery that bus been made has been that of the people ! Every damper and difficulty that have been opposed to its acquisition have been those of their refers. The most moderate restrictions cast in the way of this surprising accessory to colonial progress have been in New South Wales: and yet, even there, we hear of a gold field, of which the Government have full knowledge, but whose locality they are actually afraid to disclose !

Here, in Auckland, rumours of auriferous wealth, succeed each other day by day. We have been led by the writings of the great Australian geologist, the Rev. W. B. Clarke, to believe in the golden riches of New ; and, independently of various other asserted gold yielding regions, the island of Waiheki, in our own harbour, has been positively affirmed not merely to produce but. to have exported gold. The knowledge of the existence of this discovery is said to have been in the possession of the local government for several months, — '■ the belief in the accuracy of this knowledge is more or less credited by every man in Auckland. The Sydney press confidently affirms tho existence of gold in that locality—not from rumours derived through our own local journals—on the contrary, without any knowledge of our reports of their existence, but in conse-. quence of information conveyed by H.M. brigautine Bramble, the source, be it remembered, of the intelligence which we were the first to publish here, and in the accuracy of which we have never since felt disposed to waver. Stale secrets are strange matters ; aud Slate disclaimers or State indifference are unfortunately too frequently taken for gospel. We need not to be reminded of the trash which was shewn by Government and others as gold samples; but we do -require to be convinced that Government' had no better samples in their power to show. Rumours of gold will of course abound; (indeed, yesterday, (he report that it had been found near Kaipapa, was in general circulation,) hut tho question to be considered is, are those rumours without any foundation upon which to base them, or are tho persons who have undertaken to resolve them competent to the task ?

We feel firmly persuaded that the discovery of gold in New Zealand is a mere question of time and capaoity, and in order that we may afford a sufficient reason for the belief that is in. us, wo

beg to quote! from the Gold Pamphlet of the Itev. W. B. Clarke, to the following most apposite effect:

"As connected geographically with the Australian continont, Borneo, Sumatra, and Malacca, may be cited, as producing gold in some abundance. The annual amount of Malacca gold is estimated at 20,000 ounces. As New Guinea is also geographically connected with Australia, and as New Caledonia and New Zealand !ire evidently merely out-lying summits of the groat submerged land, of which the Australian Cordillera is the main parallel, the older rocks of all these countries being identical, there can be little doubt that, hereafter, those islands will be added to the list of auriferous countries. In all the islands surrounding Australia, we have a phenomenon wellknown to geologists, viz., the junction of cerlain sedimentary formations with igneous rocks of a certain class, the planes contact being marked by the efiecis of transmuting influences, by disruption, derangement,' and ' the developemeul of metalliferous products. Similis niniill t/uudet—v/e may.look for gold in all of them."

The Cut is-Stilt, .of Gold.—Yesterday, the town was again thrown into a state of considerable excitement in consequence of'the alleged discovery of an indubitable gold field. We give the particulars, without vouching for their veracity. A shoemaker named Gamble, took a smallnugget to Mr. Mackenzie, the Chemist, requesting' it might be tested. Mr. Mackenzie pronounced this to be altogether unnecessary, as the sample was unquestionably 'gold. Mr. Mackenzie believed the "whole affair to be a hoax, and the sample to be a specimen of California gold. This, however, Gamble indignantly disclaimed, insisting that he had picked it up at Maurice Kelly's Creek, where he could gather a bushel of the same material. Upon this representation, numbers of eager diggers have proceeded along with Gamble to Kelly's Creek, which is about fourteen miles up the 'W alternate. If he has been hoaxing, Gamble has assuredly put himself into the hands of the Philistines. If the report be a true one, we shall speedily hear further. There are several parties, we may as well remark, still prosecuting the search at Waiheki, confident that gold will" eventually be discovered there.