The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 445, 20 July 1850, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Be just and fear not : Let all the ends thou aims't at, lie thy Countiy s, Thy God's, and Tiuth's.

SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1850.

We are enabled this day, by publishing a Supplement to lay before our readers, a series of important official documents which have "been presented to Parliament since the commencement of the present Session, and which very few here can yet have seen. They will, we have no doubt, command general attention. The first is a Despatch with which the Go-vernor-in-Chief accompanied his transmission of the Blue Book for the Province of New Ulster in July of last year. In this, His Excellency enters upon what may be viewed as, to a certain extent, an exposition of the principles by which the policy of his government has been guided. It will be read with deep interest, both by those who approve of that policy, and by those who dissent from some portions of it. The second is, a Report with which Lieutenant Governor Eyre in like manner accompanied the Blue Book for the Province of New Munster. This will also abundantly repay a careful perusal. The third is, a despatch from Earl Grey, bearing date the 22nd of December last, which includes the answer of the Home Government to the despatch from Sir George Grey, to which we refer. This last part of the series we transfer from the Government Gazette issued on Thursday. It will be seen, that— with the exception of a comparatively unimportant suggestion, (alluded to in the fourth paragraph), which Sir George Grey forwarded as a resolution of the Council of the

Southern Province — the Noble Secretary for the Colonies not only expresses acquiescence in, but full approbation of, his Excellency's measures. The repetition of the phrase " I entirely concur, &c," is conclusive on this subject. We leave these documents, in their entirety, to the calm consideiation of our readers, postponing any comment of our own to a future day.

Since our last issue, we have received another supply of English papers, completing our regular files to the 20th February inclusive. We have now in hand a store of matter for interesting " Extracts, 11 which will render us for some time not so dependent on new arrivals as it is frequently our lot to he. But the extent to which we this day devote our space to the j documents referred to in the pieceeding aiticle, imposes upon us a necessity of confining ourselves here to one or two notes on points which we have reason to know interest many of our readers. The debate on Lord Stanley 's motion respecting the dismissal of the Earl of Rodfn and other Orange magistrates, which took place on the 18th of February, occupies eight or nine of the large and closely printed columns of the Times. We shall attempt an analysis of it in a future number ; meanwhile we may mention that the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland attended in his place, and entered on a straightforward vindication of his proceedings, which seemed to satisfy the House on most points— except the propriety of Lord 1 Roden's dismissal, which, after all, was the n am question at issue. The judgment of the House, however, was not ascertained by a division, as Lord Stanley's motion was for papers, to the production of which the government assented. It will gratify the friends of religious liberty to learn that Dr. Achilli had escaped from the grasp of the Inquisition, and was safe in London. The particulars of his liberation have an almost romantic interest, .and we shall retnrn to the narrative. But those of our readers who will rejoice most in Achilli's freedom, will be saddened by the intelligence that one of his devoted friends, the Rev. Edward Bickersteth, Rector of Watton, Herts.,— a minister of whom it may be said more unreservedly than of most men of his day, that his " praise was in all the churches" — was at the date of our latest accounts, dangerously ill,— indeed believed to be on his death-bed. Two new members had been returned to Parliament -.—Mr. Hatchell, the Irish SolicitorGeneral, for Windsor ; and Lord John Manners, for Colchester,— a triumph for the Protectionists, as Lord John, their candidate, had a very large majority 'over Mr. Gr. W. Cooke, the barrister, who was put forward by the Free Traders.

Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. Wynyard's Fancy Dress Ball. This Entertainment, which took pl«ce on Tuesday night, more than realized the anticipations intimated in our last number ; and the hospitable host and hostess may well feel requited for their efforts by the unanimous and warmly expressed gratification of all who participated in its gaiety. The house, to the extent of seven rooms, was thrown open for the occasion, and fitted up in a style which reflected honour equally on the good taste and the profuse liberality which presided over the arrangements. The brilliantly illuminated apartments, rendered almost dazzling by numerous mirrors festooned with flowers — the verandah converted into a delightful promenade, decorated with the flags of various nations, lit up by Chinese lamps, and terminated by landscape views, which gave the effect of extent as well as beauty to the scene—the happily conceived introduction of bayonets in several ingeniously contrived devices, and of the flags of the gallant 58th (so appropriate in a festivity at the house of its Commanding Officer) :— and the numerous accessories of varions kinds which it would be scarcely possible adequately to describe in detail— presented a coup d'ceil of singular attractiveness. Nor was comfort lost sight of— the provision made for the accommodation and convenience of the guests being all that could have been desired, and much more than could have been expected in j an entertainment so novel in this colony. Mrs. Wynyard's own drawing room merits especial mention. It was reserved for those who did not join in the dance, and was laid out with the utmost taste. Shortly after nine o'clock the company began to throng in, and were received by Col, Wyn yard, attired as a Landlord of the 17th century, with a good-humoured welcome, which gave promise (afterwards abundantly realized) that his guests would find themselves at home in his "Inn." We subjoin a list of the characters and costumes. Agreeing with the sagacious Mrs. MALAPROP,that " comparisons are odoriferous," wedo not single out any for particular notice, but content ourselves with observing that all present showed how fully they entered into the spirit of the project, and that— considering tha difficulty there must have been here in procuring materials for fancy dresses— it is only surprising that so little of deficiency or incongruity was manifest. Place avx Dames — The Ladies first. Mrs, Wynyard, an Indian Princess :— L?dy

Grey, a Milanese costume: — Mrs. Pitt, a Fancy costume -.—the Hon. Mrs. Dillon, the costume of Seville -.—Mrs. Hulme, au Old English costume .—M rs. Bridge, the Fair Persian -.—Mrs. Cockraft, a Munster Lass -.—Mrs. Greenwood, an Indian Nautch Girl -.—Mrs. George Pitt, a costume of George the First's times -.—Mrs. Page, a costume of the days of George the Second —Mrs. Laye, a German Peasant : — Mrs Ligar, the dress of " Old Gaul:"— Mrs. Timbrell, an Andalusian-.— Mrs. Berry, the Cachuca costume of Le Diable Boiteaux -.—Mrs. Russell, "Marguerite of Navaire -."—Mrs. Burn, " Zara, LaGitana:" — Miss Susan Pitt, a German Peasant, and Miss C, Pitt, a German Flower Girl -.—Miss Hulme, " Maid Marian -."—Miss Cockraft, the dress of " Amine" of the " Arabian Nights -."—Miss Emily Oockraft, the uniform of "La Fille dv Regiment :"— Miss Shepherd, a Greek Gill :— Miss C. Shepherd, a Fancy Dress -.—Miss Johnson, a "Contadina:" —Miss Isabel Johnson, a Vivandiere of the 104 th Regiment -.—Miss McDonald, and Miss J. McDonald, Scotch Dresses -.—Miss Porter , a Fancy Dress. Now for the Gentlemen. His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief wore an undress uniform; Lieutenant Colonel Wynyard having done his duty as " Landlord," re-appeared as Sir Brian de Bois Guilbert : — Lieutenant Colonel Bolton wore uniform : — Lientenant Colonel Hulme, an English Gentleman -.—Major Bridge, an Albanian Chief -.—Captain Greenwood, one of " Skinner's Horse," a distinguished corps of Indian Irregular Cavalry :— Captain Nugent, an English Fox Hunter :— Captain Pitt, a " Gentleman of sixty years a g 0 ■_ Captain Cockraft, a Greek sailor:— Captain Russell, an Amir of Scinde -.—Captain Laye, Quarter -master of the Starboard Watch of H.M.S. Calliope -.—Captain Parratt, " Jack Sheppard : — Dr. Sinclair, a Franciscan : — Mr. Swainson, Earl Stratford, of Charles the First's Times -. — Mr. Ligar, Edward the Fourth :— Mr. Beckham,a Staff Officer of Pensioners :—: — Mr. Gisborne, Hamlet the Dane :— Mr. Young, Shylock :— Dr. Carter, a Quaker -.—Dr. Thomson, the Amir of Bokhara -.—Mr. Berrey, a " Gentleman of the Old School -."—Lieutenant Balneavis, a double of " Full Pay and Half Pay -."—Lieutenant Cooper, " Friar Tuck," and afterwards a Mounted Policeman of New South Wales -.—Lieutenant Wynyard, a Highland Chief :— Lieutenant Page, the Lord Chief Justice :— Lieutenant Petley , a North American Indian Chief -.—Lieutenant Hill, the Hunting Dress of Old England -. — Lieutenant A. Cooper, an English Jockey -.—Ensign Duncan, " The Mulligan, of Bally mulligan Castle :" — Ensign Wynyard, Robin Hood: — Mr. MacLachlan, a Light Infantry Uniform -.—the Hon. C. A. Dillon, a Morning Dishabille -.— Lieutenant Servantes, " Guasso -."—Mr. Timbrell, "the Baron Grumgriffisop, Doctor of Physic :" — Dr. Mahon, " the Illustrious Stranger -."—Captain Potter, an Officer of Austrian Dragoons :— Mr. Rough, an Officer of New Zealand Militia -.—Mr. Mayne, "a Barrister -." ! —Mr. Johnson, Chief of Monte Negro -.—Mr. ! Pitt, an Albanian :— Mr. Burn, a Knight Tern' |>lar :— Mr. Cuthbert Clarke, a Turkish boatman from Smyrna:— Mr. George Cooper, a Turkish bherbet vender Masters II and R. Wynyard appeared in Hunting Dresses, and Master Cockraft, as a page of the time of Henry the Eighth. The amusements of the night were painfully interrupted by the fire at Mechanic's Hill, of which an account will be found below. This — " came like an ill-omened cloud Upon the summer sun of festival,"— and most of the officers and other gentlemen hastily deserted the ball-room and the suppertable for the sterner employment of aiding to check the conflagration. Many, however, subsequently resumed dancing, and kept it up I with animation to a late— or we should rather say,— to ah early hour on Wednesday morni ing-