WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6,1848.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 237, 6 September 1848, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6,184 8.

We have Sydney papers to the 23rd, and Port Phillip to the 15th ultimo, by the Maukin and Maid of Erin, both of which vessels sailed from Sydney on the first mentioned day, arriving, the former on Saturday evening, the latter on Monday morning.

H. M. steam sloop, Acheron, cast anchor, in Farm Cove, on the 18lh, bunging, of course, no news. Indeed, the journals received are more than commonly banen, no Euiopean tidings having come to hand since our last. The domestic intelligence fiom Sydney is of a veiy painful character— scarlet fever prevailing to an alarming degree, and cutting off old and young with senn -pestilential virulence. Sscarcely a family enele but what has to deplore the loss of a relation or a friend. We doubt not the evil has been greatly aggiavated by the disgracefully filthy condition of the Sydney streets. We trust the authorities of Auckland will talce warning, and set about the purgation of ours. An epidemic of moderate malignancy would go far towards decimating the population — and, as a measure of common precaution, we would urgently solicit enforcement of the Slaughter-house Ordinance. The Acheron may be expected shortly ; but the Havannah is stripped ; and, from private information, which we incline to consider trustwoi thy and authentic, w r e learn that she has a distinct commission for New South Wales. On the 19th ultimo, the Sydney Prices •were — Flour first quality, 1 is. per u lOO lbs., seconds 12s. ; Wheat ss. 9d. to ss. lOd. per bushel ; Biead, 3|d. the 2 lb. loaf. And yet, with such data to guide them, some of the Auckland Bakeis have had the conscience to raise the price of the Two Pound loaf from Four Pence to Five Pence ! ! We are happy to know that most of the old established bakers have abstained from this discieditable exaction.

By the Mary Ann Watson, which arrived from Nelson, on the 4th instant, we have received copies of the Examiner, from the 29th July to the 19th ultimo, inclusive. They contain little of local inteiest, the important European news, being with them, as with us, the allengrossing topic. Lieutenant-Governor Eyre, paid a first and flying visit to the settlement on the 9th ult., taking the Wairau in his -way to the Sound, or Port Underwood, at one of which places he was to re-embark in H.M.S. Fly, on a ciuise to Akaroa. Nelson appears to be pushing its industrious and prosperous career. Its trade continues brisk ; and barley has latterly been added to its list of exports. A thousand bushels were shipped for Sydney in the Comet, and from one thousand to fifteen hundred more were waiting an opportunity for the same destination. Stock is at a very low figure. One hundred and fifty head of cattle by the Ralph Bernal, averaged but £2 125.: low condition being the alleged cause of this sacrifice. Cattle, by the London, which had been running two months in the colony, fetched, a fortnight later, £5 each. £4 per head were given for beasts impoited in the Wigrams, — a lot of heifers, many very young, but which had also, lun for some time in the settlement. Sixteen shillings are quoted as the value of imported ewes. Rangihaeta, accoiding to the Wellington Spectator, of the Bth July, had, on the 2nd, i burnt down a house at Rangitikei, belonging to Dr. Best. No violence was offered, and the furniture and effects were first deliberately removed. The outrage appears to have been caused in consequence of Rangitikei having been offered for sale to the government by the Ngatiapas, the resident natives of the district, — Rangihaeta wishing, it would seem, to prevent the establishment of cattle stations, and hoping, in the event of sale, to compel the Ngatiapas, to acknowledge his superior claims. Te Rauparaha, is said, to have given Mr. Skipwith notice to leave Otaki — the natives themselves, being desirous to depasture the lands, over which Mr. Skipwith's cattle and sheep were grazing. The former were in consequence removed to Urahi, the latter to Manawatu. The recent abortive attempt to convene a meeting at Auckland, to discuss the merits of steam communication, has called the Examinpr into action, lie is of opinion that the originators of that meeting took too narrow a view of the subject, and that the question for consideration should have been how to compass the establishment of a steamer between all the larger settlements. With the most cordial desire to co-operate in the major undertaking, we, still, cannot perceive that it would be less likely to be furthered by adoption of the minor experiment. We fear, however, both are doomed to remain inert for a length of time to come. In quoting from us, our southern contempoiary barely does justice to our sentiments, in reference to our w ish for the general prosperity of New Zealand, for — notwithstanding we expressed an anxious desire that we should be our own producers, as well as our own consumers, we nevertheless, did so in no churlish or sordid spirit. The context of the quotation will suffice to prove this. It runs thus — " Let us evince a generous rivalry in the race of industry, and, as far as we can, afford eveiy encouragement and assistance to the Nelsonians in their praiseworthy attempt to establish steam communication. The profit of the undertaking cannot be wholly theirs. We must undoubtedly participate in the gain ; and, even, if through superior industry or enterprise, or other fortuitous cause, they should be able to undersell us in our own port, they

are surely better entitled to look to us foi cubtom than tho alien competitors of New (South Wales and Van Diemeti's Land." Suiely there is no illiberally of sentiment, touaids Nelson, here expressed'? Nothing to call foith a lesson, savouring somewhat of an exposition of political economy, for the guidance of Auckland? The Examiner tells us, " upon the authority of the Cross," that we are too lich to undeitake the drudgery of farming. " Other reasons," he continues, " which we could name, have prevented, and will pi event, for some time at least, the spread of cultivation." Why withhold those reasons ? We will he more outspoken. We will pronounce the tiue — the incontestable cause. It is neither our riches (') nor our supineness, nor yet any inferiority of Qiir soil that prevents the spread — the extensive spread — of cultivation, Nothing obstructs the progress of the metropolitan districts except the fatuous impolicy of locking up (by exacting an impossible price) the Crovwi lands in the north, in order to facilitate the sale of the Company's lands in the south ! Do we, at present, possess a Land Sales Act, other than the Governor-in-Chief's absolute will *? Afford to capital and to skill a facility in the acquisition of land, and we should be content to endure the jeers of our neighbours, if Aye failed in maintaining oui place in the competitory career. To aggrandize the New Zealand Company, its own settlers, and New Zealand in general, have been recklessly sacrificed. To bolster a scheme — one would almost imagine to have been of Newgate device, and which had mistaken its appropriate field of colonization — the capital and the influence of Great Britain have been mischievously perverted. The ancients had many modes of colonizing, but it remained for the ambidextrous projectors of the nineteenth century to concoct a plan whereby the savage and the civilised should alike be made to furnish materials for commercial speculation and territorial supremacy ; and, having deftly hit upon the fortunate expedient, it still remained to be shown that a Government could be found to sanction the sovereignty of any piivate association, however exalted its names, or however influential its members. It is not our present intention to enter into discussion of a too invidious subject, nor should we have glanced at it, but that those very piojectors, with the grossest injustice to the settlements already planted, and to the settleis whose means they have so scandalously confiscated, have set another trap to lure the unwary ; the hollowness of the dodge being sanctified to the eyes of their expected dupes by a cloud of Reverend and Right Reverend, Honourable and Right Honourable names, whose owners know about as much respecting the merits of the scheme to which they thus stand God-fathe:s, as they do of the advantages of a North Western passage. That the Archbishop of Dublin, one of the Company's earliest zealots, should occupy a prominent position in the plan for the foundation of " Canterbury," is nothing wonderful' although, as his Grace v\ as a leading and an energetic organ in counselling emigiation to Port Nicholson, we incline to think he would have exhibited a greater degree of justice and consistency by advocating the claims of the settlement, so late the object of his pious solicitude. In commenting upon this " Canterbury " attempt, the Sydney Herald expresses an opinion that there is every probability of its being succesr^ful. Successful or not, it is unfair ; it id, besides, most objectionable. ! Unfair, because it will create in the infant settlements, of which it will be the fifth, a premature and wasting struggle for superiority ; whereas, had the interest, absorbed in a solitary, selfish, and exclusive scheme, been directed tow ards advancement of the moral, social, and physical prosperity of entire New Zealand, it would have redounded more to the honour of the projectors ; — it would have tended more to the propagation of true Christianity, than will ever be achieved by the narrow-minded spirit of the " Canterbury " clique. It is objectionable, because it is an attempt to marshall church against church — to array creed against creed; a measure disowned by the British legislature, and a fruitful source of jealousy and heartburning from which these colonies have , hitherto and happily been free. It is time that these imperil in imperio, were put down ; and we trust that the day is ] not distant when New Zealand shall no longer be called to obey two masters — by whom, in | their thirst after land, her capabilities are disregarded ; through the force of whose antagonistic influences, her legitimate colonists are stultified : — under whose misrule her provinces stagnate, and that at a moment, when with a fair and liberal system, they would speed to wealth and independence. Annexed we give the names of the new association, and the prospectus they have put forth. Association for Founding the Settlement of Can< TERBUBYin New Zealand.— Archbishop of Canterbuiy President, Arclibiihop of Dublin, Marquis of Choimondeley, Earl of Ellesmere, Earl of Lincoln, M P. ; Bishop of London, Biihop of Winchester, Bishop of Exeter, Bishop of Ripon, Bishop of St. David's, Bishop of Oxford, Right Reverend Bishop Coleridge, Loid Lyttleton, Lord Courtney, M.P., Lord A&hley, M.P., Lord A, Hervey, M.P., Lord J. Manners, M.P., Sir William Hea.tb.cote, Bart., M.P., Sir W. Farquhar,

Bart., Sir Willoughby Jones, Bait, M.P., Sir Walter James, Bart., Right Hon. If. Guulburu, M.l*., Dean of Canterbury, C. B. Adderley, Esq , M. P , Hon. Richard Civendish, Hon. ¥. Charlens, M.P., T. S* Cocks, Ri.P., J.R. Godley, Esq., E. Harwell, Esq., Rev. Ernest Hawkins, Bey. D. Hinds, Yen. Aiehdeacon, Hare, Rev. Dr. Hook. John Hutt, Esq., Jolin Simeon, Esq , M.P., Rev. G.ll. Gleig, Augustus Stail'oid, Esq., M.P., Hon. John Talbot, Rev. C. Torlesse, Venerable Archdeacon Wilberfore%. The object of this Association is to found a settlement in which real provision will be made for the moral and religious welfmv of the settlers, and thus to remove the chief obstacle which tends to deter the gentry of Eng* land from taking part in the work of Colonization. With this view cure will be taken to provide the settlement, trotn the first, aud to an adequate extent, with the Ministry and Ordinances of the English Church, and with Educational Institutions of a religious cha« ractor. Arrangements are in pro?reis for acquiring a large tenito'y in New Zealand, to be devoted rxcluaively to the pui poses of this settlement. A Committee of Management, appointed by the As* soriation, will dispose of the land so acquired, and will exercise the ii»ht of selection among applicants for the purcbaie of it. The Society for the propagation of the Gospel lias undertaken to manage the tiust-fund for religious and eductional purposes, in. concert with the Association. 4 The funds necessary for the objects above mentioned, as well as for the general purposed of founding the settlement will be supplied by the price of the knd. Further information may be obtained by persoas desirous of purchasing land in the settlement, or of promoting: the objects of the Association, by applying at the oflice o( the Association, 41, Charing Cross, between the houis of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., or by letter addressed to H.M. Lefroy, E;q., at the above address,