The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 516, 26 March 1851, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1851.

Be just and fear not Let all the enrts thou anns't at, bo thy Country'b, Tliy Gon's, ami Truth's.

Two arrivals yesterday placed us in possession of a large amount of intelligence from the Southern Province. First, by the kindness of Captain Leathart, of the Joseph Cripps, we obtained a file of the Lytieltort Times ; and then, by the attention of {. aptain DiCK, of the Government Brig, we leceived Wellington papers in anticipation of those which, at a later hour of the day, reached us in the regular way through the Post Office. We have also a great number of English papers ; — but of course they are older than those brought by the Cresswell, and, by some additional mismanagement in tbe despatch of the mails from England, they leave our files incomplete even yet, as we find still a considerable hiatus in those of the latter pait of O«f>)oer. Amongst the passengers by the Victoria was the Hon. ( onstaniine A IJiu.on, lately our Civil i-ecretar) ;— we say " 1 tely," dt> his public seiv 1^ aie about to be in tutuie ien« dered at Nelson for which Distnct he is appoiiited Commissioner of Crown 1 ands. The lnlel'i^eiice lcceivd fiom the South is so copious and mteieoting, that v\e aie sine we shall best consult the w is- Lies of our leaders by postponing some of the Articles- — otigHial and selected — which we had intended and piepaicd i'oi publication to day, m oidei to devote to it

as much space as we can possibly command at the hour in which it lias come into our hands. The movements of His Excellency the Go-vernor-in-Ciiief claim our first attention, and occupy the largest portion of the columns of our Southern contemporaries, which aie, in some instances, almost filled with the details of his progress, and descriptions of the cordiality, little short of enthusiasm, with which he has been greeted at Nelson, and by at least a pioportion of the people at Wellington and its neighbourhood. At Nelson, addresses expiessive of welcome poured in upon IJ is Excellency. We have before us copies of such Addresses from the Wesleyan Methodists, from the Total Abstinence Society, and fiom the Odd Fellows A General Assembly of >chools was held on the 24th of February, to gieet him as " The Patron of Education," — a title to which even his bitteiest opponent- must admit he has fairly earned an eminent right. At this gathering of the little clans the lion. C. A Dillon presided, and about six hundred and fifty children, with from five to six hundred adults, were present. On the evening of the same day, Sir George was entertained at a Public Dinner, given " as a mark of welcome and esteem to himself personally, and of respect to the lepresentative of HerMui'STY in New Zealand.'' Upwards of one hundred and sixty peisons sat down to dinner, many of them having tiavelled as much as twenty-five miles in order to be piesent. Mr. Jollie officiated as ( hah man, and in proposing the health of the distinguished guest, " gave a masterly sketch of His Excellency's administration of the Government of the Colony." We have no report of Sir George's speech, but it is stated to have given " \ery geneial satisfaction.*' During his stay, His Excellency visited the Wesleyan Methodist Day School, and himself examined the children. He stated his intention of giving a donation towards the erection of a School Room. . . He also gave instiuctions for immediately cutting a survey line between Nelson and the Wairau, by the l'elorus and Kaituna, and directed instant measuies for purchasing these districts of the Natives... The Examiner moreover informs us that Crown Gran's weie to be given without delay to the purchaseis of land in the Nelson Settlement. The only political movement properly so called, which we hear of during this vmt, was the waiting oi. a Deputation upon His Excellency, to state amendments which they thought would be necessary to render the Provincial Councils Bill acceptable. As our only dnect information respecting the interview on this subject is derived from a single article in the Examiner, and as the interview seems to have elicited at least one disclosure of considerable importance, we give it in our contemporary's own words, — for the present without coin* ment : — The points which the Deputation agreed to bring before His Excellency ueie these. First, the franchise, showing the lestiictive tendency of making the occupation of mere " dwelling houses" a qualification for voteis, instead of " tenements," which would include lands and all improvements; secondly that Nominee seats should be confined to servants of the Government, who should be limited in number; thiidly, that the assent or otherwise of the Governor should be signified to all measutes passed before the end of each session; fouithly, that the General Council, when summoned, should not be less popularly constituted than the Provincial Councils. The Deputation, which consisted of Messrs. Saxton, JRell, Sclanders, Ti avers, Elliott, Robinson, Renwick, Mackay, Mooie, Bush, Wells, White, and Rankin, found his Excellency well disposed to listen to their statements ; and in respect of the franchise, Sir George said that the operation of the Bill, as pointed out to him, wouU certainly defeat his own intentions. When the next topic was introduced — that of the exclusion of non-official nominees from the Council, out came this disclosure, which must staitle' our leaders as much as it did the Deputation; namely, that His Excellency expects the General Council of the Colony, as it will be constituted by the Home Govern ment, will consist of two chambers, both elected by the people, but the upper one requiring a higher qualification for its members. This Council to possess full powers to amend the Provincial Councils, which were only large municipalities. Referring to this interview, the Spectator observes, " The settlers of Nelson on applying to the Governor were frankly informed of his intentions. If the settlers of Wellington had made a similar application, it would have been attended with similar results." "The Governor arrived at Wellington on the 3rd inst. in the Government Brig. The most notable occurrence since his return there has been a Public Dinner given to his Excellency, by the people of the Hutt district. The interest attached to this demonstration, — especially to Sir George's own eloquent and impressive speech — is such that we transfer to our columns the repoit of the dinner contained n the Spectator, — making only a few unimportant abridgments in the minor parts. It was '.supposed that Sir George would shortly <>fter sail in H.M.S. Fij/ for Auckland. The same notification in the Gazette which announces Mr. Dillons appointment, announces also the appointment of Francis Dillon Tell, L'sq. as Commissioner of ' rown Lands for the Wellington Distiict, both appointments being consequent upon " the cessation of the functions of the New Zealand Compmy." Mr. Bill was entertained at a Public Dinner previous to his leaving Nelson. His conduct was viewed as honouiably contrasting with that of Mr. Fox m at least one important particular. While Mr. I-ox sailed fiom " his adopted country" carrying with him in the Lord Wdliam Bent inch the

documents of the Company, (which he had refused to place in the hands of the Government except on terms which could not be complied with), Mr. Bell threw no such obstacle in the way of his fellow-settleis' (at Nelson) obtaining a title to their lands, but placed all the papers in his possession at the disposal of the government, with the right of making any copies that might be lequired. The defunct Olagu News had been succeeded by another journal, the Olago Witness, the first number of which (Feb. 8) is before us. It is a respectably <>ot-up sheet, to be published fortnightly, under the management of an " Editonal Committee." We shall return to the papeis by these auivals, and lay before our leadeis any additional matter which we may find deseivmg notice. It will be seen that to-day we have largely availed ouiselves of all their mote important contents.

We have intelligence from the Canterbury Settlement to the first week in Maich. A principal featuie of it is the selection of Land by the first portion of the first body of Puichasers, which took place at Christchuich on Monday the I7ih ultimo. The appioach of the day, big with the fate of the earliest " Pilgtims," was heralded by the 7'irnes, naturally enough, with a loud flourish of editorial drums and trumpets. It was to be <: one of the most important days in the Chronicles of the Canterbuiy Colony."—' 1 The Land Purchasers were on that day to become Land Owneis.' 1—"1 — " The tents, whose snowy canvas added so much to the picturesque appearance of the hill -sides, were to be stiuclc in a few days, and would reappear on some dislant pait of the plains ; and their occupants, instead of diawing upon, would he engaged in supplying, the resources of the town." The day anived, and the business was proceeded with, so far as the account goes> corhally and satisfactory. An appiehended unpleasantness, from an opinion held by some of the Puichasers that they weie not obliged to select their land until the expiration of eight months after the drawing of the lots for the numbers of cho cc, does not seem to ha\e practically aiisen. The new Land Office (which was so far completed as to allow ot the business being earned on in o.ie of the rooms) was the centie of atti action. Outside, as our contemporary daguerreotypes the scene, Outride, the scene looked busy enough. Gioups of land pinchtiseis. lounging undo the vei mdab, or lying on the luxu.iant fern mid grass with which the sheets of Cliribtchnrch aie still gieen, discussed the merits of their selections, or their hopes of > bUining iavouiite spots. Around, hoises were tethered and dog-, quarrelled; bullocks dragging: timbet from the bush, nu^ed the dust on the recent tncU ; and the carpenters continued to v/oiU on the outsid" of the buildin , within which the « xcitin^ business ot the day was going on. " Mutton and beef, tea and coffee, bread and butter,' 1 spiead on " a while cloth," abounded in close pioxinnty, and the Pilgrims formed a '•' merry paity." One hundred and six applications foi permission to choose had been sent in ; and of these, fifty were settled on the Monday, and the lemamder on the following day. The suivey, which had been made in good time, enabled each applicant to point out on the map, with tolerable distinctness and facility, the spot on which he had set his heart ; and then he received from the ( hief Agent a printed form of engagement, entitling him to occupy u till the regular title deeds are ready, — " which will be the cas" as soon as the Association's seal sent from England, shall arrive in the Colony." The Times warmly congratulates the set- ! tiers on the pleasant and leady manner in which they have obtained their lands :—: — In two months after the settlers land without the delay of an hour after the promised time, they aie given a legal title to the land they have paid for,-- -land winch a most excellent survey has enabled them personally to visit and inspect map in hand. Of the whole body of land purchasers hardly one has selected a section to which he cannot convey goods by land or water il not along a road, across a level country, where a bullock diay may be diawn with little difficulty. Above all, the land so chosen becomes his own by the best of all titles, a title conveyed under the Association, in ac coi dance with a special Act of the Imperial Parliament. If the Oanteibnry Association have done nothing else, they have done this. Whatever mistakes 01 blunders they make hereafter, they have, in this at all events, kept faith well with those who have bought their land. Notice was given to the second portion of the first body of puichasers that their applications would be received on and after the Ist of March. Local improvements were advancing. Workmen had commenced macadamizing the streets of Lyttelton. The road from the Feuy over the Heathcote to Chnstchurch was in such progress that it will probably be completed on the 15rh of Apul, — sixty Kuglishmen and forty maories being at work on it. "Those who have visited the loads are highly pleased with the manner in which the woik is perfoimed " At this rale, it will be well if we of Auckland aie not boon tempted to envy our Southern fiiends. The Isabella I Ice rent had anived on the Ist of M.uch, with one hundred and ninety emigiants. The 'Limes of Match 1 gives an account ot various; plans on the consideiation of which the Bishop of Nmv Zealand m concert with the Bishop- Designate of Lyttei/ion had been engaged. It was possible only to make such temporal)' arrangements for the supply of

religious ordinances and for educational institutions as the funds at the disposal of Mr. Godlky would admit. An elementary school was to be commenced at Chrislchurch "as soon as possible." Mr. Ciudland, architect, had furnished designs for a wooden building to be used both as a school and a church, — " a portion of the I' astern end being separated from all common uses, and shut in hy draper// chiring school hours." The present number of children in the commeicial school at Lyttellon is fifty-one ; in the children's department of the grammar school, six; in the senior department, four. The Bishop of New Zealand held a confirmation at Lyttelton on the 19th February, at which twelve young peisons were confiimed. His Loidship sailed in the Undine on the 21st, — we are not infoimed whither. Sunday the 23id was set apart as a day of thanksgiving 10 Almighty God for the safe arrival of the five ships containing " the fathers and founders of the ' anterbury Settlement.'* Collections amounting to £'25 were made, — • the money to be devoted to the spiritual interests of the Maories.

Sevfral public appointments weie announce, in the English papeis received by the Cresswell — as actually made, or in contemplation. The Princess Mary, Duchess of Giouckstlr, was Gazetted as Ranger and Keeper of the New Park near Richmond, in the room of the late Duke of Cambridge, — an arrangement which strikingly shows how thoroughly a .sinecure the place is The Right Hon. R. L. Sheil was also Gazetted as Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of Florence, in room of the late Sir GioRGE Hamilton. The most contradictory notions — indicative of the pievailing state of public feeling — wete broached respecting; the reason for this appointment. Some saw m it th- success of an under current of Jesuitical influence bringing into immediate communication with the Italian States a gentleman who has never made any secret of his hostility to the Established Church in England and especially in Ireland. Others, with the ministerial Globe, saw in it a safeguard for Protestantism, on the giound that a Romanist would be better qualified than a Protestant to fathom and defeat Jesuit intrigues at the It.ilian Couits. And a third class, with at least equal probability, accounted for the appointment by the fact that Mr. Siiifl's office of Master of the Mint is likely to be abolished, and that the Government took this mode of providing in good time for an old friend* ....The Times had "much pleasure in announcing the appointment of Mr. George Arbutiinot to the Auditorship of the Civil List, one of the most impoitanf offices in the Treasury; he had fulfilled the laborious and responsible duties of private secretary to several successive Chancellors of the Exchequer. ' Mr. bTErui'NsoN was to succeed Mr. Arbutiinot as Private Secietary to Sir Charles Wood. . . . .The Gazelle also notifies the appointment of Charles Mann Esq , to be Crown Solicitor, and of Henry Jickling, Esq., to he Master of the Supreme Couit for the colony of South Australia. . .Amongst the rumours of changes circulated with nioie or less " confidence" by the London journals weie these-, — the Marquis of Normanby to be removed from the French Embassy to the Governor-Generalship of India; — Mr. More O'Fi<RRALr, to letire fiom the Government of Malta in April, " his constitution not permitting his risking another summer on the Island," — 'and to be succeeded by Lord Beaumont ; Mr. Daly, formerly secretary to the Canadas, to be Governor, of Prince Edward's Island \ — and Colonel Ollivant to have the Presidency of the East India Company's Educational Establishment at Addiscombe, with a salaiy of £1500 a year, besides a residence and other advantages. In connection with this class of news, we notice that Mr. Charles Locke Eastlake, (probably before now Sir Chari.es) has been worthily elevated by an almost unanimous vote to the Presidency of the Royal Academy, vacant by the death of Sir Martin Andrew Shee The election of Lord Rector of the Glasgow University took place on the 15th of November. Several names had been spoken of by the students, amongst which was that of Prince Albert; but at the election Loid Palmerston and Mr. Alison, the historian, were voted for, equally by " the nations," (two voting for each), but with a majority of thirty individual votes for Mr. Alison. The casting vote rests with the retiring Lord Rector, Mr. Macaulay Dr. Okfs, Dower Master of Eton College, had been elected Provost of Kings College, Cambridge, in the room of the late Dr. Thackeray.

The Foreign Intelligence received by the "last mail, though not fully intelligible in some parts owing to the hi tvs in our European tiles, sufficiently shows the momentously critical state m which the affairs of Germany were involved ; so that, although the accounts were of a daily changing character, yet, says the S/>tclator, " if the maiu tcuour of what appears in those accounts is to'etaMy truthful, it would seem to be impossible to be nearer a tiemendous Kuropean stiuggle." The mtervenliou of Austna ;>nd Prussia on opposite sides m the afl'ans of Hesse Cassel thus threatened to deluge the country with blood, — neither party caring much for the constitutional lights

o f the people of Hesse, but both yrasping at any pretext for contention, and Russia,— siding meed with Austtia,— but undoubtedly pursuing its own selfish and insatiable course of aggrandisement. We take from the Spectator of the 16th of November the following summary of tbe then state and prospects ot this lamentable collision : — The laht news from Berlin wag the most threatening of all It announced that the Austrian Ambassador, Baron Prokesch.had presented an ultimatum, insist ug that Prussia should evacuate Heetoral Hesse within eieht days, withdraw he- garrisons f-om Hamburg and Baden i" six weeks, and formally renounced the Eriurt League. Baton Prokesch was to demand his oa«BPoriH instantly if these terras were not accepted. The Austrian ultimatum was at once enforced and interpreted bv the news that the Kin.-s of Saxony and'Wirtembetg had dissolved their refractory Chambers and thrown all »ln military resources of their j-espective states into the Austrian scale. But, < n the other hand, the King of Hanover after a ph se of hesitation, had veered towards the Prussian side ; p-o-fessinp neutiulity. and protesting agnmst the pa^a^e of Austrian troops across the Hanovernn territory into Holsteuu 1' he Duchy of Dmnastadt also ranged with Prussia, after having lately been ascribed to Austiia. . • , i t The \ustiian and Prussian armies had come face to face id Electoral He.se; blood had actually flowed; the Piuastau, had retreated from FuUla. which they seized last week at a cavalry gallop ; and their commander had intimated to the Austin commissary his intention to withdraw the Pius^ians to the military road». The town of Cassel is on one of these road, ; and the Pru-siaus could hardly yield the cus'ody of the Elector's millions of dollars without a serious stru^e. '1 he campaign on a small .scale seems tv bave° been accompanied by diplomatic interchanges, which deprive the Prussian movements of the character of compulsory retreat, and the collision which occumdwas but a trivi.il tffur of outposts; but the two nrmies viewed each other with deadly flare a " d the next news that we get may be that of a general battle. , From any immediate influence on these immensely impoitant complications, Great Britain lemams excluded. Without refetenee to the causes of this exclusion, public feeling is gr wing very acutely bet^ibie of the frfct The Leading Journal founds on it telling attacks on ihe foreign policy which it opposes; the Minister himself is understood to be fretfully urua&y at his humiliating position ; the Cabinet organs denounce the arrogant e of Austria as intolerable and raise anew the cry of sy-npat'iy with Gem.Hii Constitutionalism, in peril of extinction by brute foice. In the evening edition of the Britannia of that date (the latest we have from London) is the following somewhat less gloomy account derived from despatches received that day :—: — The Continental dtspatchet received this morning: give greater assurance of peace, at least for ihe present. Prussia has, it is now said, succeeded in modilying the Austrian terms, so as to be enabled (0 accept them Without any loss of hon< ur. What, the terms may be is a secret ;" their acceptnuce by Prussia ha* doubtless been materially influenced by tbe declaration of Russia that she would consider the continuance of Prussian policy in the electorate a casus belli. Troops are still movn.g io the Austrian <n-nuers fiom all pa ts of tint vast empire, and Russian troops are moving to the West of Cratvnv to o< tu|>y the Austii «n bor<li r provinces, in order to facilitate the concentration of 'he Austn-in arm'es. Great distouteut prevails throughout the Prussian armies. France was less agitated than at our last accounts, owing to a moderate and seemingly disinterested Message from the President to the National Assembly at its opening on the 11th of .November.

Mechanics' Institute. — Last evening the Lectuie Session for the cunent year was commenced in the most satisfactory manner, and with a gratifying promise for the future The Lecturer was the Rev Thomas Buddlr : — his suhject " The Ahorigines of New Zealand," on whose early history, and religion and superstitions, he discoursed for about an hour and a half to :i crowded audience, whose interest evidently never flagged to the conclusion. Mr. Buddle read several translations of poetical compositions from the Maori, and introduced on one occasion two Natives, who chanted in a striking manner a Lament in the original. We must necessarily be very brief now in our reference to the Lecture, but shall return to it in another number, when we hope to give some extracts from its mass of entertaining information. At the close, William Swainson, Esq., President of the Institute, announced that on the last Tuesday in Apiil Mr. Buddle would resume the subject; — an intimation which called forth anew the cheers with which the audience had previously given expression to their gratification.

Destructive Fire at Howjck. — We regret to state that the raupo house in which Captain Smith, commanding the Enrolled Pensioners at Howick, resided, — together with the furniture and other property contained in it — was totally destroyed by fire on Thursday morning last. It is not known in what way the conflagration originated.

The I3Ar»u of ii M 01-Stii Ri-gt. (by the permission of Lieutenant- Colonel Wynyaul, C. 8. ), will peilonn in the giounds' m front of old Government Hou.se, Sc-morrow afternoon fiom four till mx o'clock. , ** riIOGRAMUC. Grand Overtute — Op ' Noima.".. Rappr. Melange — Op. ' The Bohemiiin Gill. I .. Balfe. Chor. c Cay. — Op '' Pcir,isina.''.. Donizetti. Qtwrtetto— Op. " I Piuitdni ". . I'eilmi. Tno— •' 'Ihiough the world let us fly love ''.. Balff. Galop — '" Dor Amber.".. L.iliiizl-y j, 0U uu — '• You me going fai d\sny.".. Giov r. Song— Spfiiw-li " H.uiillo."