The Maori Messenger.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 272, 6 January 1849, Page 2

The Maori Messenger.

This periodical, which has been announced for some time, made its appearance yesterday morning. Its size is that of our own Journal ; and the several contributions are arranged so that the English and Maori languages are placed in juxta position to each other. The papers are four in number — namely — An Introductory Address — Civilization of the Sandwich Islanders — Portion of a narrative of the first visit of Tasman and of Captain Cook to New Zealand — and a portion of a very interesting history of the Small Pox. A friend of ours, long resident in the country, treating of the new production writes thus — " Aware of the value this publication will ultimately prove to our native brother colonists, and how it behoves all their European friends to give every aid to its dissemination, I trust no pains will be spared to promote its circulation among the chiefs and their tribes, and to place it well before the Europeans. If so, the Karere will become in a short time a Weekly want — a most important mercantile link between two people, not a whit inferior to each other in bartering propensities. Through it, our institutions, habits, laws, customs, will become known in a legitimate manner for the first time, which will first elicit wonder and remark, and ultimately imitation." The Maori Messenger may, indeed, be made lan engine of much material good. It posi sesses powers and resources beyond the common class of Journals, and its success, and the full fruition of the objects of its creation will be absolutely and entirely dependent upon the judgment and liberality with which it shall be conducted. It should, know neither class nor creed. Missionaries of all Churches — men long conversant with Native customs, habits, and feelings, and naturally solicitous to behold civilization and Christianity handmaids each to the other, — these should be requested to assist in its distribution, and invited to contribute to its pages ; the common discretionary power to accept or decline being reserved. Upon such a work criticism should be sparing — lauding desert and being merciful to i defect — since even the most accomplished Maori scholar will find frequent and vexatious difficulty in giving to English compositions their meaning and effect. Looking upon it, then, as an important medium of civilization, rather than as a work of literary ambition, we wish the Moon M<ssengcr the meed of success we trust it will be found to deserve.

Ist Gravediggkß— ls ihe to be bury'd in Christian burial, that wilfully seeks her own salvation ? 2nd Gravediggbr — I tell thee, she v ; therefore, make her grave straight : the Crowncr hath set on her, And finds it Christian burial. Priest — We should profane the serrice of the dead," To sing a requiem, and such test to her As io peace-panetl souls — Shakspere. The interment of James Sbanaghan, late Band Seijeant of Her Majesty's Fifty Eighth Ilegi-

ment, whose melancholy decease we mentioned in our last, took place on Wednesday, with the accustomed military honours. The funeral of this unfortunate man was marked by an incident which will, we apprehend, be neither easily nor speedily forgotten. His body was not only denied the rights of Christian sepulture by the Roman Catholic Church, of which he was a member, but his remains were sternly forbid to repose by those of his departed child, his coffin being consigned to the dishonoured mould reserved for the suicide. No priest rendered the last office to the dead, or sought to bind the bursting heart of the living widow. The funeral ceremony may be characterized as an almost unparalleled one, seeing that a Regimental officer, Captain Thompson, in a Roman Catholic graveyard, read the ritual of the Protestant Church of England over the corse of a member of the Church of Rome ! We abstain from note or comment. We merely state facts as they came under our own observation. It is, however, but justice to the dead, and to the living, to republish the verdict of the Coroner's Jury — (of whom the writer was one) — Died of Apoplexy. That verdict precludes the remotest suspicion of fdo de se, and was, we know, a verdict carefully and conscientiously considered.