(From the Wellington Independent, Sept. 23.)

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 246, 7 October 1848, Page 3

(From the Wellington Independent, Sept. 23.)

It is now pretty generally believed that the principal motive for the departure of his ExcelJency the Governor-in-Chief for Auckland is to ie-open the doimant Legislative Council, for the purpose of proclaiming some sort of a Constitn lion foi the Southern Province. That Constitution, we have eyery leason to expect, will be a Nominee Council, Now, in attempting to obtain a Constitution for this province, the inhabitants liave ever averred their desire to possess fiee institutions—some form of election m the Government of the colony. The settleis aie opposed lo the Nominee system— the) object to a system in which they can by no possibility obtain a voice and which, under the name of the thing, would rob them of their light. If Governor Gre) cannot, for some time to come, meet the wishes of the inhabitants, we would rather that the Government would remain as it is. Better to be under the sole contioul of an able man, to whom we may appeal, than to be legislated for by those who would remove all onus from the Governor-jn-Chiefsshouldeis. But m this case, we shall urge our plan on the attention of the Colonists, of appointing a committee to walch over their interests. An active and intelligent body of men, laying statements before the Governor for consideration, would, we feel confident, have great weight with his Excellency, and might be the means of effecting beneficial changes, or diiecting the expenditure of a poition of the public revenue, into legitimate channels. And on this point, as on other subjects, we think it will be advisable shortly to call the settlors together. Before doing so, however, we shall be happy, as we have ever been, to find room for communications on matters affecting the question mooted, or on any other likely to advance the piospeiity of the Province.

Parties o( men are busily at work levelling the giound on Mount Cook, intended lor the site of the new Military Barracks. We have not seen the plan of the pioposed buildings, though we liear Mint, when completed, they will piove a consideiable addition to the place, as well as an ornament to this spattered town. It is mmoured that a Company of soldiers will from this tune, be stationed at Taranaki, and lhal a second w ill be located in the Wairaiapa. We give the above as mere rumours, but must admit that we think both places would receive a beneficial impetus provided such a plan should be can led into execution.

VVAIRARAPA. The sheep-fanners are at>ont to commence sheaiitig operations. The fleeces promise well, and the amount of wool, leceived this season fiom Wuirarapa, will be very considerable. Our readeis will have noticed that two vessels are laid on for London, and we make no doubt but that the season's crop of wool, with the returns fiom the whaling stations of oil and bone, will be found more than sucffiient to load them.

Hadfield. The village of Hadfield, at Otaki, is rapidly becoming a place of no little importance. Our readeis may not be aware that at the instigation of Government and the Resident Missionary, the natives removed from the old Pah at the mouth of the liver, to a place about bix miles inland, where Captain Collinson had sketched out for them the plan of a village. Here the natives have erected more than thirty comfoi table wooden houses, leaving a space of ground at the front and back of each dwelling for gardens, and they a«e now at work building a substantial Church eighty feet in length by more than 30ft. in width. When the village is completed for the population of the old pah, Hadfield will possess more than tv^o hundred wooden tenements. We feel great pleasure in recording the above facts, and we trust that effoitt will be made to induce the natives of Port Nicholson and other places to follow the noble example set them by their countrymen of Oiaki.

The following paragraph is from the City article of the Times, May sth. :— feome specimens of a preparation of the Phormium tenax, or New Zealand flax, have lately been submitted to the New Zealand Company, warranting a hope that the difficulties which have hitherto pi evented the general use of this article, arising from the costliness of the various modes of dressing hitherto attempted, iray at length have been surmounted. Several of the leading hemp and flax brokers of London testify to the efficiency of the new process, which is alleged to be inexpensive, while, at the same time, it involves little waste of material. The inventor is Mr. E.W.Trent, of Smith's hemp works, Old Ford. Mr. Levein, late of Wellington, has opened an establishment in London for the sale of cabinet work manufactured from New Zealand woods ; he executed a commission for the King of Prussia, and received the gold medal awarded by the Prussian Court to persons of distinguished merit in the arts. — Independent, Sept. 20. (Faom the Spectator, Sept. 23J Yesterday afternoon the mortal remains of Colonel Wakefield were consigned to their last lesiing place. The stores and place* of buiiuess in Welling'on were i

all closed, the fla^s of the diffarent merchant and coasting vessels in harbour were half-mast high, and theGo»ernor-in«Chief, with that considerate attention which he has on all occasions shewn to the feelings of the inhabitants, had directed the Public Offices to be closed to enable the officers of the Local Government to pay the last tribute of respect to the memory of the departed. Throughout the day, which was exceedingly tine, the natives collected in considerable numbers, having come to Wellington from different parts along the coast, to attend the Funeral. About four o'clock the mournful procession began to move from Colonel Wakcfield's late risidence and, in older to give sufficient space to the procession to form, proceeded down Kumutcto Street along Lambton Quay in front of the Government Domain, and up Molesworth and Sydney Streets to the Church. The following was the order of the procession :— Pall Bearers. Pall Bearers. Hon. 11. W. Petie, J.P. >■ \C Lieut.-Colonel M'Cleverty H. St. Hill, Esq , It.M. \- § 1 J. Kclham, Esq , J.P. U) A. Ludlam, Esq , J.P. Jg (_ Te Puni Chief Mourners— F. Dillon Bell, Esq , J.P. His Excellency the His Excellency the Governor in-Chief. Lieut -Governor. Officers who served with Colonel Wakefield in the Peninsula— Major linker, J.P. Major Dune, J.P. Dr. Dorset Major Hoinbionk. The Officers of the New Zealand Company. Lieutenant-Colonel Gold, and the Officers of Her Majesty's 65th Regiment. Captain Oliver, and the Officers of Her Majesty's Ship " Fly." The Officers of Her Majesty's Commissariat. The Officers of the Local Government. The Private Friends of Colonel Wakefield. Colonists. Nath es. We cannot attempt further to particularize those who were present on this mournful occasion. All ranks, all professions, all classes, all leligious denominations, both races, united in testifying their regret at the loss which the colony has experienced. Never was any private individual in any colony followed to the grave with a greater demonstration ofiespect, never, perhaps, was it more deseivedly bestowed. Ii is calculated that upwards of one thousand persons ( including natives) followed the body to the grave, while, including spectators of both races, the number of persons present could hardly have been less than two thousaud. The church was completely filled, and a considerable number of persons were obliged to remain outside for want of room. On leaving the church the procession proceeded to the grave, the Rev. R. Cole re ding the burial service, and the last rites were duly peiformed. One of the incidents most worthy of obiervation was the number of natives present and their appearance on tins occasion. Nearly all were clothed in European attirejvery many of both sexes were clothed in decent suits of black evideutly purchased for the occasion, whils many of the men who wore ci ape on their bat 1 !, and the women crape on their bonnets, and some of them wore black veils. To some these seem trifling 1 incidents, but they are not without their value. It has been one of the idle clamours raised against the settlers of the Southern Province, that the na ive race would Buffer from the effects of colonization, and a ifood deul of the opposition eff red at an early stage of the N j w Zealand Company's proceedings aroie from the impression that tbe natives were taken advantage of and unfairly treated. And yet the aboriginal inhabitant and tbe colonist of New Zealand, unite in one heartfelt and common demonstration of regret and walk side by side while following to the grave the mortal remains of die founder of this settlement. And t]u semen, who in common parlance are still called savages, are seen habited, to all external appearance, lile their civilised fellow subjects. This fact speaks volumes as to the treatment they have received. But the best, the most equivocal testimony, is the condnct of E. Puni. Thii line old man, whose life is already extended beyond the ordinal y term of humnn existence, is afflicted wiih a deep and genuine sorrow ; in the loss of his friend and benefactor he appears to have lijst all worth living for. We do not suppose that this demonstration will end here. We believe that the feeling which has been exhibited will seek a further indulgence on some permanent memorial of this mournful event ; that each colonist, according to his inclination and means, will feel duposrd to testify his regret by contributing towards a monument to mark the spot where rests the Founder of the First Principal Settlement, the leader of systematic colonization in New Zealand.