WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1850.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 392, 16 January 1850, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1850.

We have received, by the "Acheron," Sydney papers to the sth inst. ; there had been no later intelligence from England than that of which we had some account by the " St. Michael." We have, however, fuller information than those reached us respecting the contents of the previous English mail to Sydney, given in " extracts," of which we shall avail ourselves as other demands on our space may permit. The intelligence from Canada is important, there having been new disturbances at Montreal, in the course of which at least one life was lost. The full account of this transaction, so far as it has reached us, will be found in another part of our paper. It so happened that on the day after the arrival of this news in London, the Gazette announced Lord Ei-gin's elevation to the peerage of the United Kingdom. The Spectator, referring to the coincidence, asks, "Is it that Lord Grey, like a perverse mamma, is petting the spoiled child the more people cry out upon him V

Our Wellington dates are to the 15th of December, A despatch from the Governor-in-Chief had appeared in the Gazette, correcting " a very material error" in the published copy of his despatch, No. 10G, in relation to the mode in which Provincial Councils should be constituted. There His Excellfncy was made to say ," one third of the whole Council being elected by the inhabitants of the Province ;" whereas, what he actually recommended was — " one third of the whole Council being appointed by Her Majesty and two thirds being elected by the inhabitants of the Province." Sir George adds, " I cannot here ascertain whether the error arose from some mistake at Auckland, in the office of the Civil Secretary, or from some mistake in the office at Wellington." Whenever it occurred it obviously was a very grave error, The Gazette announces the following appointments : — J. Ormond, Esq., to be Private Secretary to the Lieutenant-Governor, and Clerk to the Executive Council of the Province : Mr. William Mills to be Landing Waiter at Otago; Mr. William Dale to be inspector of Sheep at Nelson, under the Scab Ordinance ; and Mr. David Johnston to be Tide- Waiter at Wellington. A Board had been appointed to visit and inspect the Colonial Hospital, against the management of which various charges have recently been put in circulation. The Board consists of Lieut. -Col. M'Cleverty, the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney General, and the Colonial Treasurer. They are to visit the Hospital once a month, and, no doubt, may usefully superintend certain of its affairs ; but we are not aware where or how any of those gentlemen attained the medical knowledge which at least some of the inspectors of an Hospital should possess in order to their having a just claim to public confidence in such a service. Captain" J. L. Smith, of the 65th E-egt., died on the 1 5th of December at Wellington, after a short illness. He was only 42 years of age, and is stated to have been deservedly res-

pected by both his brother officers and the men. The Committee appointed to erect a monument to the late Colonel Wakefield, have resolved that the most suitable memorial would be a permanent object of public utility, and that a Clock Tower, with a Turret Clock, would be within the means at their disposal. Thpy have directed Mr. Roberts to furnish a design for a Tower, the cost not to exceed two hundred guineas. We have no Nelson papers, but from the extracts made by our Wellington contemporaries we learn that the Resident Agent had completed his arrangements with the Natives at the Waitohi, relative to a proposed new town. Mr. Bell had surveyed the native town at Waikawa, where the Waitohi natives agreed to settle. When the sections had been laid out the chief men came up in holiday attire, to select their lots, which they did '• just as a landowner would have done here." They had already commenced building in their town, and several houses of a much better description than those in Maori pahs were nearly finished. A Nelson settler, Mr. Richard Coward had lost his life in crossing the Wairau river. The Resolutions of the Public Meeting in Olago, which weie denied to to the local journal, are published in full in the Wellington Independent — now the thorough-going partisan of the New Zealand Company. They are very long, very verbose, and very inconclusive, beyond the fact of their declaring a strong desire that the Company should continue its operations. Therefore,--while the meeting lavished extravagant eulogies on Mr. Edward Gibbon Wakekield (whom these " Pilgrim Fathers," presided over by their Minister, deemed it right to describe as a main inslrumentof " PRoviDENCB"in the advancement of " religious" colonization) —yet the " Otago settlers [could in no degree concur with him on the present occasion." A Committee to correspond with the Wellington "Settlers* Constitutional Association" was appointed. We may note here that the Luunceslon Examiner says that R. Wallace Dunlop, Esq., who arrived in Melbourne a short time since by the Anna, from Liverpool, is likely to bo appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Otago.

We have intelligence from the Sandwich Islands to the 19th of November, a portion of which possesses considerable interest. The inoflensive Ilawaaian Government, — which, notwithstanding its own peacable and equitable disposition, seems destined to suffer much from the rapacity of stronger and less scrupulous Powers — is again disturbed. Its present source of anxiety is the threat of " annexation" to the United States, which, although not formally made by the American Government, yet is broached by parties high in station and influence. We cannot lay the case before our readers more fairly and forcibly than the Polynesian states it ; — Annexation I — Ah I that* the magic word, in these piping times, to catch the gaping multitude ! and, as if it were not enough to grasp an undivided continent, the little gems of the ocean wave must alio be added to the catulogue, to glut the all absorbing maw of the restless and disaffected. What do you think of it ? Why we think we had rather be excused. As an independent sovereignty, acknowledged and icspccled, H. H. Majesty and the natiou over which he rules in equity and justice, have nothing to gain, but everything to lose, by being " annexed*' to any nation or government under heaven. Three thousand miles from the American continent, with a climate, govern* noent, language, ma^cs and habits differing essentially from that of our neighbours, we mny well be spared Iho ruinous mortification of being eradicated, as a distinct nation, lo gratify the amhiiion of a " Free Democracy," or anybody else. Give us a little more time, and Bee if the Ilawaiiun ntttion will not grow, and be an ornament to Christianity and civilization. Foiter and cherish us for a generation or two, and you will be proud of us! But throw amongst us the apple of discord ; direct the thoughts of the ambitious and designing to the desirableness of possessing the little heritage of another people, and you may "take possession of Naboth'i vineyard," but it will be at the txpenie of justice, and the rights of the inheritors of Hie soil. Suppose you just go 3000 milen the other way, and " annex " the British Isles first, and if it works well, so fur off, we will then take it into consideration. But for the present, do let us breathe the air God has given u», and manage our own affairs in our own way ; which we will do with the most scrupulous regard to the rights and privileges of all other peoplu, while we seek to cultivate our own. Ay, it may well be asked, why not go three thousand miles the other way, and 1 annex' the British isles % The principle — or rather the want of principle — would be just the same in the one case as in the other. The only difference is, that Britain is strong enough lo resist and punish the attempt ; while here, as in the matter of the French aggression, Hawaii is feeble in every thing but the nghtousness of its cause. Let us hope, however, that no serious effort will be made to carry into effect this iniquitous project of a lawless ambition, the bare suggestion of which is deeply disgraceful to the country from which it has emanated. The duty of the Mission Churches to become self-supporting, — and so to relieve the Institutions through which they have received the Gospel from pecuniary charge on their account, at the earliest period that they are, in. circumstances to maintain their own pastors, — has for some time engaged the attention of the Churches in the Sandwich Islands ; and steps are now in progress for the accomplishment of that object. It would seem however, that the American Board of Missions is rather too prompt in availing itself of this laudable effort,

as, it is stated, " the tendency now decidedly is towards a desertion of the islands by the American Board." Too much haste here might prove very bad speed in the end, No doubt it is clearly due to the Parent Institution, and to the vast field of yet unpenetrated heathenism that the Churches should not hang as a weight on the Mission Fund longer than their absolute necessities require ; and, in various important respects, the application of their energies and resources in this way would prove highly beneficial to their own interests. But the more willing they are to help themselves, the more ready should the Board be to continue such an amount of aid as would suffice to avert the result now apprehended,— that "large Churches will be left without pastors, and much that has been gained will be lost." Public Education continued to engage the best attention of King Kamemameha and his Nobles. A " Temporary Enactment," to take effect until the next meeting of the Legislature, tvas issued from the Palace on the Bth of November, in which various regulations for the promotion of the object are laid down. One is that "a mild system of manual labour shall be connected, a? far as practicable, with the public schools, the entire avails of which shall belong to the labourers themselves." We have received through the Polynesian, and transfer to our columns, two important public documents relating to California, which were issued at the close of the recent Convention at Monterey. The one is an Ordinance declaring the propositions for a Constitution for the Mate of California, which, if assented to by the Congress of the United States, are to be put in force :— the other an Address to the People of California, in which the Convention gives a general view of its objects, proceedings, and decisions. These documents obviously have the value of history.

We regret to learn that the Native quarrel at Waingaroa, about land, increases in bitterness. Two divisions of the Waikato tribe, the Ngatimahuta, with Teavherowhero at their head, on the one side, and the Ngatitahinga, with Kiwi at their head on the other side, have been disputing about their respective claims to lands at Waingaroa, for some time past, and .have had several meetings on the subject. A few months ago the parties agreed to refer it to the Governor, who was to act as arbitrator to settle the matter in dispute, and the principal chiefs were to come to Auckland this summer for the purpose. It was hoped that no further aggressive movements would be made by either party pending the Governor's mediation, but it appears that about ten days ago, a party of the Ngatimahuta went from Waikato, travelling by night and concealing themselves among the high dock that surrounds the Pah of Ngatitahinga at Horea until the people were gone to their cultivations. They then crawled through the dock, entered the Pah unperceived, turned out two old men and two old women, and set fire to the Pah, which in a few moments was in a blaze, and houses, boxes, clothes, books, muskets, powder, kai, &c, &c, were all consumed. No one durst go near to ext'nguish the fire or try to save anything, because of the powder and loaded fire arms that were in the yah going off in every direction. As soon as they durst move, the Waingaroa natives hastened to prevent the spread of the devouring -element, which increased the ire of the Waikatos, who resolved on making a more direct attack on Monday, the 7th, the people of the jpah resolving to resist them so long as they had a drop of blood left ; the result of this has not yet reached us. It is believed that the pah was fired at the instigation of Te Wherowhero, who does not stand boldly and openly out in the matter, but issues his commands or makes known his wishes to others who are too ready to carry them out. It is well known how much Te Wherowhero wishes to be thought peaceable and to keep in favour with the Government, and our correspondent has suggested that if the Government could send an officer to see Te Wherowhero he might be prevailed upon to stop further mischief. We believe the Government are willing to do what they can in the way of mediation, and it is probable Te Wherowhero and the contending parties may be visited this week. We shall lay before our readers any further information on the affair as soon as it reaches us.

The Government Gazette published yesterday contains the usual returns for the last quarter. The Auckland Revenue for the Quarter ending 31st of December, amounted, (including the Parliamentary grant of £2,500) to £7,759 Os. lid: — the Expenditure was £4,062 10s. Id. The total value of Exports for the quarter was £11,079. The total number of immigrants was 138 ; total of Emigrants, 180, of whom 130 went to California. The official list of persons who have taken out Depasturing Licenses is given ; and there is the notice from the Commissioner of Crown Lands, appointing (in conformity with the provisions of the Ordinance) the places and times for the election of Wardens. The elections are to take place as follows : — for the Hundred of Auckland, at the Commissioner's Office, on the 7th of February ; for Onehunga, at the Village, on the 6th of February ; for Panmure, at the Village, on the Bth ot February ; for Howick, at the Village, on the 9th

of February ; for Otahuhu, at the Village, on the 11th of February; and for Pupuke, at Mr. Meixivin's, on the 12th of February. We have on a former occasion, pressed upon the consideration of the holders of Depasturing Licenses, the importance of choosing, as Wardens, men of intelligence, experience, and acknowledged integrity. As the day of election approaches, we shall probably take leave again to call their attention to the matter.

(JJgp" The Band of H. M. 58th Regiment, by the permission of Lieut. Col. Wynyard,C.B., will pciforra in the Grounds in front of the old Government House on to-naorrovr evening, from four till six o'clock.

PROGRAMME. Overture. .Op. "The Fair Maid of Perth"... Waddell Melanga 0p... "The Daughter of St. Mark".. Balfe Duetto Op "Lucrezia Borgia" Donizette Chorus Triumphe 0p... '■ La Vestale"... Mcrcadsrte Waltz " The Jenny Lind" Koieng Quadrille "The Swigs" Jullien Song " The Banks of Allan Water" .... ■ Song " The Tartan Drum" Rod well