The New Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 327, 12 July 1849, Page 2

The New Zealander.

He just and fear not: Let all the ends thon aims't at, be thy Country's, Tlty God's, and Truth's.

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 184 9.

The barque Ennerdale arrived on Tuesday morning from Wellington, from whence she sailed on the Ist instant. We have received our files of the Southern papers, the " Otago News" to the 30th May ; " Nelson Examiner" to the 9th June ; " Wellington Independent" to<the 27th, and " Spectator" to the 30th June. The barque Pair Tasmanian arrived at Wellington from Otago on the 14th ult., and brought intelligence of the Mariner having arrived at that port on the sth June, from the Downs Feb. 11, with one hundred and twenty emigrants, and several cabin passengers. Previous to the sailing of the Mariner, intelligence of Colonel Wakefield's death had reached England, and the Directors of the New Zealand Company had confirmed Mr. Fox as his successor in the office of their Principal Agent in the colony. The Government brig Victoria arrived off the mouth of the harbour of Port Nicholson on Thursday the 28th ult., where she was becalmed, and had not been able to enter until the Sunday following. Preparations were being made for the survey of the settlement of Canterbury, at Port Cooper, and Mr. Thomas, and a party of sutveyors, were about to proceed in the Fair Tasmanian, to commence operations. Many of the Wellington people, it is said, had determined to remove to Port Cooper, Only such lands as have been acquired bona fide by the Association, with perfect titles, both from Government and natives, are to be surveyed fur sale and selectiqn. The plains discovered lately in the Middle Island are magnificent, and are said to stand unrivalled in New Zealand for extent and luxuriance. Mr. Hamilton, (formerly private Secretary to Captain FitzRoy), was with the party who lately pene-

t ra tea into the interior of the island fiom Port Cooper, and says — " The plain behind Port Cooper is one hundred and twenty miles long, by thirty-five or forty broad, covered entirely with beautiful grass. There are not less than ten or twelve million acres. I have just visited two fine inland plains lying thirty miles north of Port Cooper. Splendid sheep and cattle country — good soil. I suppose these two plains are not less than 600,000 acres, or even more of level land, besides 200,000 or 300,000 acres of downs and hills, all on limestone. Fancy us walking for fourteen days through grass knee-deep everywhere, often breast high. I really now have certain hopesof this countryfiourishing. The mutton of the plains is splendid. Then the climate, — there is a summer and a winter cleatly defined ; and there is such a thing as settled weather for two months in the autumn. I was thirty -three days in the bush, one out of which only was wet." Our fellow-colonists at the South have not been idle as regards Earl Grey's Exile experiment. The Grand Jury at Wellington have given expression to their views of the question in the following presentment, made to His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman, at the sitting of the Supreme Court, on the Bth ult. :—: — ! This Grand Jury respectfully present that their at* tention has been directed to a proposal made by her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, to introduce into New Z aland Convictg from Great Britain, under a system of reformatory prison discipline administered at home and followed by Exiles to the Colony. That the experience of the Grand Jurors on this and many previous occasions has taught them that nearly all the most serious crimes comnoitied in this Colony, have been perpetrated by parties who, after undergoing an entire or partial sentence in New South Wales or Van Diemen's Land, had been turned loose as Expires, or ticket-of-leave men, on the presumption that thry were worthy to resume that independent position in society from which their crimes had removed them. That considering the complete organization of crime in Great Biitain and the improbability of the reformat tioo of a class so deeply imbued wi h'criminal habits as the inßJoiity of those who would conati'ute the Exiles, considering also the position of ihe Native Race in New Zealand, and calling to mind the fact that many of the colonists already in this country came out in reliance on pledges of Government that the Colony should not be converted into a receptacle for convicts, the Grand Jury feel it to be their duty to present respectfully their opinion that the introduction of Exiles into New Zealand would be an experiment calculated to produce the most disastrous effects on all classes of society, as well as on tho piesent and future prosperity of the Colony. Wh.li\m Fox, Foreman. His Honor replied as follows :—: — As to the propoial to introduce Exiles, be was glad the Grand Jury had expressed their opinion. It seemed to him (ihe learned Judge) that corning from so influential a body, the expression of their opinion was precisely what Earl Grey s ught, and lie would forward their Presentment to his Excellency for transmission to hit Lordship. He (the learned Juilge) could not help remarking that the gratitude of the Colony was due to the noble Lord for thu« seeking the opinions of the Colonists previous so any final measure, and he had no doubt the opinion that had been so universally expressed would have due weight. The Ministers of the Evangelical Alliance convened a meeting on the same subject, and have forwarded a memorial to Earl Grey against his scheme At Otago a Public Meeting was also held and resolutions passed, which, with the Wellington memorial will be found amongst our extracts. The Ennerdale has only procured two passengers at Wellington to proceed to California. Mr. Hogg, the Collector of Customs at Wellington has arrived by this vessel. The Provincial Council had been adjourned on Thursday, the 28th ultimo, after having passed a number of local ordinances. The Council had refused their consent to the item for Educational purposes which appeared on the Estimates. We shall take occasion to revert to this subject in an early pumber. Below will be found the observations of the Specta tor on the proceedings of the Session. The Legislative Council of this province have brought their labours for the present Session to a close, the Counsil having been adjourned sine die on Thursday. The report of their proceedings published in this Journal, which we have endeavoured to give at as great a length as our space would admit, has enabled our readers to form an eg'imtte of the value of their labours. Of fourteen ordinances which have been brought in during the present Session, one (the Bread Bill) bai been thrown out, the others have been passed, and await the appioval of the Governor-in-Chief, and the final confirmation of the British Government. Beside* the disc, ssion of these ordiuauces, the Council have been usefully engaged in committees, in considering several subjects of importance, namely, in committees on education, on reprinting and arranging the ordintnees now in force, on the claims of certain settlers at Wanganui to compensation for losses during the disturbances in that district, on the Dog Nuisance Ordinance, and for considering the best mode of levying Customs Duties. On some of the most important of these subjects we have freely expressed our opinion, particularly when, as on the subject of Education, our opinions were at variance with those entertained by the Council. The bills that have been passed are of a local nature» and mostly of a useful character, particularly that for repairing the streets in the town. In the bill for repairing roads in the country districts, one of the last introduced during this si ssion, we regret that a land tax was not adopted instead of attempting to provide funds by means of tolls, which, we think* must necessarily prove a failure. The true principle ii to throw the charge of making and repairing the roads in the several districts on the owners of the land, who are most benefited by them. Wherever roads are made the land immediately becomes valuable, and is eagerly sought after, while those districts through which no roads have been made remain unoccupied and neglected. Ai the law stands, the absentee proprietors, who own the great proportion of land in the districts through , which roads have been made, and who receire a considerable annual amount in the rents arising from the

increased value eiven to their sections by means of the roads made by the Government, do not contribute in I any way to their repair, the whole expense being thrown on the colonists. This we consider to b« un just in principle, and calculated to inflict a great in jury on the colony, while it tends to perpetuate the evil of absenteeism. If the classes were separated indeed, the colonists and the absentee proprietors being each in n>parate districts, the cine would be somewhat Hltrred, but while the properties are intermingled, the colonisti have to make or keep in repair so much rnorp road" than they require according to the extent of the sections belonging to the absentees. We are convinced that a tax of lixpence per acre for making and repairing roads would bo cheerfully paid by the lettleri,^ and wou'd operntc mo>t beneficially by obtaining a considerable amodnt from thoie who have hitherto never contributed 'o theie object*.

St. Patrick's Total Abstinence Society.— A meeting of the members and friends of this Society was held in the Roman Catholic School Room, on Monday evening last. The chair was occupied by the Rev. J. B. Petit Jean. The object of the meeting was to take into consideration the propriety of erecting a Total Abstinence Hall ; and, after the subject had been duly discussed, a Committee was appointed to take the necessary steps for erecting a building to serve the double purposes of a School Room, and a Public Meeting Room for the advocacy of Temperance. A subscription list was opened, and the sum of £53 10s. subscribed before the meeting broke up. We understand that Mr. Coolaghan, a man of wellknown benevolence, has conveyed a piece of ground to the Society, near the Roman Catholic Chapel, upon which to erect their building, which is to be termed the " St. Patrick's Hall."