WELLINGTON.

New Zealander, Volume 2, Issue 85, 16 January 1847, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

By the arrival of lI. M. S, Castor, on Monday, and the American barque Auckland on Thursday last, we have southern newspapers to the 6th instant. The Natives were quiet, and the Wellington folks were making extensive preparations for the celebration of the Anniversary of the Colony. Much uncertainty seems still to prevail relative to the future plans of the home authorities as to the Government of this Colony, and the Wellington papers, that spoke so confidently of a change in the seat of Government only a few numbers back, are now discussing a rumour of the establishment of a Proprietary Government at the South, under the New Zealand Company. It appears that Earl Grey's bill, for the future Government of New Zealand, had not been introduced before Parliament was prorogued ; and, consequently, whatever may be the intentions of the present Ministry as regards New Zealand, we may not expect to hear of any important : alteration before the middle of the present year. The Spectator condemns the idea of a Proprietary Government being granted to the New Zealand Company, and evinces a strong desire to be freed from its embraces altogether. Governor Grey appears to hive given the settlers reason to place unbounded confidence in his "vigorous administration ;" and the disaffection that, formerly prevailed at the settlements in the South towards the Home and Local Governments, has now given way to an earnest desire to live under the direction of Downing-street, rather than under the sway of the Company. We are happy to observe this change of disposition in our neighbours. We have always asserted, and are now more than ever convinced, that nothing can have a greater tendency to impede the prosperity of New Zealand than the perpetuation of the Company's interference ; and no better service can be done by the Home Government to the Colony, north and south, than to effectually dissever its connexion from that body altogether. The following is from the Spectator of December 30 :— " It is reported that a Proprietary Government will be established in the Southern District under the New Zealand Company, on the plan proposed last year by Mr. Buller to the Ministry. The bare apprehension of such a change has caused universal dissatisfaction in this settlement. There can be little doubt that the different questions which agitated this settlement, and retarded its prosperity, were on the eve of satisfactory adjustment under His Excellency's vigorous administration. After so many years of bitterness .and contention, the settlers were rejoicing in the expectation that these differences were about to cease, and reposed in full confidence in the wisdom and energy of their present Governor. But if the changes to which we have alluded arc to be made, all these expectations are destined to be disappointed. It is impossible to describe the unanimity with which the settlers would oppose any attempt on the part of the New Zealand Company to establish a Proprietary Government in this Colony. Neither the times nor the country are at all suited to the experiment, and the efforts to realise the crude and visionary schemes which they have lately put forth, can only end in the certain ruin of the Company and the settlers. On the part of the settlers, we earnestly deprecatft|&jtb an attempt, and trust that the alarm which cxist^m||!np groundless,"

Auckland versus Wellington.— Pacts are stubborn tilings, especially statistical returns. We have had frequent occasion during the last year of directing the attention of our readers to the steady increase of prosperity of this settlement, and by the publication of the last Government Gazcttt, another opportunity is afforded us of adverting to the same agreeable subject, and it comes the more apropos during the present "change of capital" question, as again placing before the public the comparative merits of Auckland and Wellington.— -Our friends at the South have long ago ceased to agitato the question as to local superiority, having been convinced that it was dangerous ground upon which to take their stand, and have lately fallen back on the several points of superiority in population,, extent of agricultural and pastoral operations, revenue, &c, &c, but even in these we have been slowly, st<yisly>. and surely leaving them behind, more especially on the last-named head — Revenue — a pretty fair index as to> comparative prosperity. In the Gazette alluded to,, there is a statement of the receipts of Customs for the last quarter of the years 1846 and 1847, both lor Auckland and Wellington, by which we find that here our revenue shews an increase of £1792 3s. Od., while at Wellington there is a decrease of j£233 19s. 4d. — It is true, our increase is swelled by a months' advantage in the alteration of the ad valorem duty from 5 to 11) per cent., as the increased rate of 5 per cent, wasbeing collected here for about a month previous to what it was at Wellington : but wp t>*n aflbrd to make a liberal allowance for that, and still leave our southern friends immeasurably behind. Dbparture'of the Governor for the North.— His Excellency the Lieu tenant- Governor took his departure in 11. M. Steamer 1 Driver on Saturday last for the Bay of Islands, to be present by invitation at a meeting of a number of the most influential native chiefs of the Northern part of the Island, who are assembled there. A guard of honour, consisting of the Light Company of the 65th Regiment — about one hundred men — accompanied His Excellency. This is as it ought to be. Our chief, when attending such meetings, ought to have a body guard as well as Tarnati Waka, or Hone Ilcke. This is what our poor first Governor in vain sighed for when he delayed visiting the southern settlements until he could go " clothed with that power and dignity" which became his office !" Jesting apart — if the Home Government had bestowed that "power and dignity" on our early Governors, the present position of New Zealand affairs, and the prospects of the Colony and Die settlers, would be in a much more advanced state than we now find them. Land Claims. — The Gazette announces that Major Matson will open his Court for Investigation oftheLiind Claims under Pre-emption Certificates, on Monday the Ist of February, at 10 o'clock, when the parties interested (whose Claims are advertised for hearing) are "summoned to be in attendance with their documents and witnesses." Anniversary of the Colony.— Preparations are being made for the celebration of the seventh Anniversary of the Colony, on the 29th instant. A Committee has been formed, and subscriptions are being raised, for the purposes of Raceg at Epsom, and We understand that a Regatta is also m contemplation, to take place in the Morning, so as not to interfere with the Epsom Sports.

Johnny Newcomes.— As the Societies of Freemasons, Oddfellows, el hoc genus omne, require their novitiates to undergo a certain initiatory ordeal before becoming acquainted with the mysteries of the body to which they are about to attach themsejves,— so is it equally necessary for persons arriving in this Colony, and becoming members of New Zealand Society, to undergo an initiatory ordeal of time, before they can become acquainted with the mysteries of the Society in which they live. One of the rules of our society is— the rule of exaggeration and misstatement — the more especially as legards any little matters of, or belonging to, or rumours about the Natives. The mysteries of this rule, are decidedly of a " marvellous and himdred-pcr-cent- added" nature ; for if any report win circulation, every oth.er time- it is repeated it is magnified in the above ratio, until when the tale perhaps rolls back to the original teller, he does not even recognise his own story, but in all innocence repeats it as something new. This habit of silly repetition, and, we fear, sometimes more criminal practice of wilful fabrication, of rumours about the movements and intentions of the Natives, Johnny Newcomes cannot be aware of, and acting, without due investigation, on the belief that such reports are true, frequently gives rise to sufficiently ludicrous mistakes, and one of which nature has recently occurred. A correspondent from the Bay of Islands writes, that a report was conveyed to the officer in command there, that Heke had mustered some six hundred ?nen, (lie never in his most palmy days, which have gone by, could muster many more, r/he ever did so many,) and that he was at the Waimate, and, of course, meditated evil intentions. The officer in command, young in the Colony, and not having as yet accomplished his initiatory ordeal into the "mysterious rules" of its society,believed the report, and, it is said, wrote a despatch to head quarters accordingly. Now the fact being known (for such things always da oose out) that such a despatch was written, might have not only given alarm to the inhabitants at the Bay, but also ,put the authorities here to considerable expense and inconvenience, ami, had the despatch been published, done very considerable damage to the interests of the Colony. Fortunately, however, none of these evil effects have arisen on the present occasion, for "an old hand," an "initiated one" in the mystery of exaggeration and misstatement, disbelieving the rumour, went in propria persona to the "Waimate, and there he found Heke with about one hundred souls in all — men and children, and women with all their "infantry in arms,"— sufficiently formidable at all times, no doubt; and the evil Heke was meditating was, the devouring— not our settlers at Kororarika— but a feast at the Rawiti. He had received an invitation some time previous from the Natives of that plao6— our former allies in the field—and being in the neighbourhood, the invitation was accepted ; and friend Heke had mustered some forty men, as a body guard to make a show— native fashion— in going to the feast. Such are the facts, as far as they can be gletned, which have given rise to the question that we havo heard some of our fellow settlers putting, as to "whether there was going to be another war at the North ?" We fear there are a great many old Johnny Newcomes amongst us besides the veritable ones. Mechanics' Institute. — The Annual General Meeting of the Members of this Institution took place in the Hall on the evening of Thursday last, agreeable with the notice given to that effect. — The half-yearly Iteport was read by the Secretary, which we were glad to find showed the affairs of the Institution to be on the whole in a flourishing condition, there being a considerable balance in the hands of the Treasurer, and a confident hope was expressed, that the finishing of the interior of the Hall would be gone on with and completed immediately. The election of the Office Bearers for the present year took place, the former President Dr, Campbell, being re-elected. Thos Outhwnite, Esq., was chosen Vioe President, Mr. Buckham, Secretary, and Mr. G. Smith, Librarian. — The Committee of Management was also elected, under whose energetic superintendence we expect to see the interests of the Institute receive a. reviving* impetus.