WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 36, 13 September 1851, Page 7

WELLINGTON.

The Wellington papers received this week contain much news of lively interest, together with the melancholy, but almost certain confirmation of the loss of the brig " Raven ;" a piece of the vessel's taffrail ' having been washed ashore in Palliser Bay, in which the name " Raven" was cut, together with a quantity of cedar cabin fittings, parts of cabin chairs, masts, spars, and rigging. The Spectator reports, also, that the barque " Eudora" had been driven ashore on the east coast. The news was brought by the " Twins" from Ahuriri, where it had been received overland by some Maories from Poverty Bay: it was said that all hands were saved, and that there was a probability of getting the vessel off again. A small schooner (name unknown) had been lost in the Bay of Plenty, and a young settler, named R. Derrick, and four natives drowned. The schooner " Mary," of Nelson, had also struck on a reef on her way from that port to the Wairau, from which, on lightening her, she swung into deejvwater and sank, but had been raised and •> was undergoing repairs. The barque " Laura," Captain Dambrill, proceeded to Evan's Bay lately to ship part of her cargo, previous to her being hove down. She has undergone a thorough repair, and will proceed with all despatch to England. Two Europeans were drowned in the Manawatu river on Friday the 22nd August, by the | upsetting of a canoe. The name of one of the 1 parties was Me Donough, and the other went by the cognomen of Major. It appears that there were three persons in the canoe at the time of the accident, who were proceeding with a load of flax to the cutter Fishetman, when a freshet • came and capsized her ; one of them saved himself by swimming. We learn from the Wellington Independent that a Meeting of the Constitutional Association was held at Wellington on Tuesday, Aug. 26th,

for the purpose of protesting against the recent Proclamation in Wellington of the " Roads and' Streets Ordinance." Dr. Dorset, the Chairman, read a letter from the Secretary of the Colonial Reform Society, acknowledging the receipt of Resolutions passed by the Association in September last, and also some extracts from a private letter from a Canterbury Colonist, assuring them that the settlers here had determined to join them heart and soul in resistance to arbitrary power. Dr. Featherston concluded a very able speech by moving the following resolution, which was seconded by Mr. Clifford. " 1 That this Association protests against the recent proclamation of the " Roads and Streets Ordinance," on the following grounds:— Ist—Because they deny the right of the Local Government to bring into operation laws imposing taxes for local purposes, as long as the colonists are debarred from exercising, by means of their representatives, a control over the expenditure of the general revenue, and a voice in the framing and passing of the laws they are required to obey. 2ndly—Because the revenue of this settlement, if economically administered and properly applied, is amply sufficient to repair the streets of this town, and to execute all the public works that are at present required ; there being, according to the "Estimates " for the ensuing year, a surplus, of revenue over expenditure of 2000 Z. 3rdly—Because this surplus of 2000/. has already been increased by the addition of at least 800/. or 1000 Z.; being the amount of which the holders of wines and spirits were recently defrauded, by the gross breach of faith committed by the late General Council in having, in one and the same sitting, first introduced an alteration in the New Customs' Ordinance, to the effect that the act should come into operation the day after the passing thereof, instead of a month afterwards, as originally agreed to and published; in then having passed it through committee, and brought up the report, read the Ordinance a third time, and obtained the Governor's consent to it, with the express and avowed object of fixing all wines and spirits, in bond that evening, with the additional duty of one shilling per gallon. 4thly—Because it now appears, that instead of the new scale of duties being, (as originally intended) as nearly as possible under the ad valorem system, the duties have in reality been doubled on almost all the articles enumerated in the Tariff; and that there is therefore every prospect of the revenue for the ensuing year being much greater than was anticipated when the surplus of revenue over expenditure was estimated at 2000/. 4thly—Because all past experience has shewn, that an increase in the revenue of this setttlement is never followed by an increased expenditure on works of public utility, but on the contrary, that in proportion to the improvement of the public finances is the increase in the number of useless, unnecessary, and expensive offices ; and that therefore the members of this Association pledge themselves to use all the constitutional means in their power to defeat the operation of the ordinance, and to render it as far as possible null and void." The following resolution was then moved by Capt. Rhodes, and seconded by Mr. Schultze:— " 2. That the thanks of the Association are due to the following non-official magistrates, viz., —Major Baker, Mr. Clifford, Captain Dauiell, Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Hickson, Mr. Jolmstone, and Mr. Keiham, for having refused to sign the requisition to his Excellency to proclaim this obnoxious Ordinance." Mr. Wallace moved the 3rd resolution, seconded by Mr. Lyon, to the following effect:— " 3. That a committee be appointed to carry out the objects of this meeting, and that such committee do consist of Mr. Bligh, Mr. J. Smith, Dr. Dorset, Mr, Allen, Dr. Featherstone, Mr. Clifford, J.P., Capt. Rhodes, Mr. Lyon, Mr. H. Wallace, Mr. Schultze, Mr. J. Mcßeth, Mr. Bragg, Mr. Brandon, Mr. Quin, Mr. Fitzherbert, J.P., Mr. G. Waters, Mr. G. Crawford, Major Baker, Mr. D. Munn, Mr. C. Brown, Mr. J. Johnston, Mr. G. Allen." The Independent publishes the escimates as they recently passed the Legislative Council. We insert below the estimates for Lyttelton, and the recapitulation of the whole account. LYTTELTON. Resident Magistrate. Resident Magistrate . . £200 0 0 Clerk to Bench, also Sheriff and Deputy Registrar 150 0 0 " to Resident Magistrate, at ss. per diem . . 915 0 Contingencies .... 10 0 0 451 5 0 Police. Sub-Inspector .... 150 0 0 1 Corporal at 3s. ]od. per diem 69 19 2 5 Privates at 35.6 d. per diem 319 7 6 Contingencies .... 500 544 6 S

Inspector of Sheep and Slaughter Houses . . 70 0 0 70 0 0 Customs. Sub-Collector (also SubTreasurer) .... 200 0 0 Landing Waiter ... 180 0 0 Contingencies .... 100 0 0 480 0 0 Post Office. Postmaster 160 0 0 Contingencies .... 15 0 0 175 0 0 Medical. District Colonial Surgeon (also Coroner) no salary yet appropriated. Rent of Hospital ... 26 0 0 Contingencies .... 100 0 0 126 0 0 Coroner (Fees) .... Nil. Sheriff. Sheriff (also Clerk to the Bench Nil. Gaoler, at 4s. per diem" . 73 0 0 Contingencies .... 50 0 0 123 0 0 Miscellaneous .... 100 0 0 100 0 O Total . . . £ 2,069 11 8 eecapitulation. Wellington . £16,627 3 3 Petre 478 8 0 Nelson - .... 4,675 15 0 Lyttelton 2,069 11 8 Otago 2,643 12 8 Akaroa 341 0 3 26,835 10 10 Charges on Land Fund . . 1,100 0 0 Amount to be appropriated towards the erection of a New Gaol 1,400 0 0 Grant to New Zealand Society . 200 0 0 " Mechanic's Institute . 200 0 0 Total . . . 10 10 The Wellington Independent reprints the whole of the Report of the " Separate Province " Meeting at Lyttelton. The Spectator publishes the resolutions then passed, and endeavours to meet them both by satire and by more sober remarks. We extract the following from the leader of the Independent, Sept. 6 :— "If his Excellency has failed in enlisting the support of the Cook's Straits settlers, in his crusade against Canterbury, he must have been still more disappointed with the effect which his attack has produced upon the Canterbury settlers themselves. They have taken up the gauntlet thrown down by his Excellency, with the alacrity of men confident, both in their own strength, and in the justice of their cause; and not content with repelling his Excellency's aggressions, they have carried the war into his own camp. There has, on their part, been no temporizing, no shilly-shallying—no time lost in debating as to what course they should adopt; but the tocsin has no sooner been sounded by their talented leader, than every man is found at his post. In the two public meetings held respectively at Christckurch and Lyttelton, they have not merely exposed and denounced in firm and temperate language his Excellency's uncalled for attack upon them, but have pledged themselves henceforth to join their fellow-colonists in the other settlements, heart and soul, in their resistance to arbitrary power. His Excellency intended to divide, but in reality he has united the various settlements. He attempted to raise feelings of religious and political dissension, but he has forced the settlers to Jay aside all such feelings, and to form an alliance, offensive and defensive. He endeavoured to play off Canterbury against Wellington, and uuder the plea of erecting the former into a separate province, to ensure the acceptance of the Provincial Councils' Bill, but. he has only elicited from the Canterbury colonists, a more severe condemnation of the Bill, than it has ever before received. Having in our previous numbers published at full length the proceedings of the meetingheld at Lyttelton, (at which nearly 200 person's were present) and knowing that the speeches then delivered, move especially the addresses of Mr. Godley and Mr. Fitzgerald, have been perused, and reperused by our fellow settlers, we feel it unnecessary to make any lengthened comments upon them. In the whole settlement, not a single individual could be apparently found, to raise his voice in support of the present system of government. The unanimity and enthusiasm that prevailed, were greater than even at Wel-

Jing-ton. But we were especially rejoiced to see that Mr. Tailored and Mr. Cholmondeley, who not long since (because they objected to some article in the Lyttelton Times,) were represented by the Spectator, here, as supporters' of the Government, and as zealous advocates of despotism, were amongst the most prominent in denouncing nomiueeism, and insisting upon the right of the colonists to the fullest powers of self-government. Mr. Tancred, as chairman, opened the proceedings of the meeting at Christchurch, and Mr. Cholmondeley made a most able and telling speech (as we gather from one present) at the meeting at Lyttelton, in support of the following resolution, moved by Mr. Fitzgerald:— "That this meeting, while urging its claim to a Local Government for Canterbury, desires to guard itself carefully against being supposed to imply assent to, or approval of, the measure for establishing Provincial Councils, which has lately been enacted, inasmuch as that measure does not give to the people of this country any real or efficient control over the management of their own affairs, and the expenditure of their own revenues." We intended to have made&few observations | upon Mr. Godley's and Mr.Fitzgeralds' speeches,' but must defer doing so to a subsequent number. Suffice it to say, that Mr. Godley's speech is acknowledged'even by the officials to be "the most able political address" ever delivered in this colony. How it has told, may be learnt from the extra abuse which is being heaped upon Mr. Godley by the " Government organ," the Spectator."