The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 532, 21 May 1851, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

He just and fear not : Let nil tlio ends tlion nims't at, bo thy Country'K, Thy God's, nnd Tiuth's.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2!, 185 1.

By H. M. S. Havannahy which arrived in our port yesterday, H.M S. Flxj in company, we have received a number of journals from the Southern Provinces. The latest dates are, — Wellington, May 10 ; Nelson, April 26 ; Otago, April 19; and Lyttelton, May 3 They contain scarcely any news of such immediate interest as to induce us to displace the matter already in preparation for this day's publication ; although we notice in them a few articles which may be worth recurring to for another number. , His Excellency the Goveunor-in-Ci/ibi had been thirteen days on his passage from Auckland, the Fly having met with contrary winds. He landed at Wellington on the 6th instant, under a salute from H.M.S. Havunwtfi. The names of the gentlemen who were to compose the Legislative Council, which was to assemble on Monday last, had not transpired in any trustworthy form ; and, if the Independent's information may be credited, considerable difficulty was experienced in obtaining suitable persons who would accept the proffered honour of seats. Lieutenant-Governor Eyre with his lady had paid a short visit to Nelson. At Otago, the topic engrossing most attention was the contemplated formation of a beach road between Port Chalmers and Dunedin. The improVement of the Pastoral Regulations in the Settlement, and the organization of a Landowners' Society were also exciting some interest. At Lyttelton, there had been an auction of town land. The lots, on the whole, sold well. The schooner Salopian, recently arrived from Wellington, had been purchased by Mr. Wf.bb, a passenger by the Travancorc, for £470. It was intended to run her as a coasting vessel between the several ports of the Islands : — Mr. Godley's magniloquent Times adds, " The Salopian may be called the FlagShip of the Lyttelton Fleet.".. A Company, for the purpose of establishing steam communication between Lyttelton and the Plains, and the Bays in the Peninsula, was spoken of. r . We generally find something in our young Canterbury contemporary about the important subject of eating and drinking •. the last report is, that milk was scarce, and really fresh butter " a thing unknown :" but, we are duly gratified to learn that " any inhabitant of Lyttelton may now have fresh sausages on his breakfast table." May good digestion wait on the appetite of the " noble Pilgrims !M! M

Wk have received by the Packet a number of colonial journals, several of which contain English summaries and extracts, and we have also a few London papers ; but none of the Home news is later than that which had alicady reached us,— viz. to the last week in December. We therefore give precedence to-day to intelligence from other parts of the world, intending afterwards to collate the different particulars of English information with a view of embodying in another summary the substance of any interesting matter which has not already been presented to our readers. We have Sydney papers to 30th of April inclusive. The discussions in the Legislative Council weie mainly devoted to the measure

connected with the introduction of the New Constitution. The New South Wales Elecj toral Bill had nearly worked its wa;jr through Committee, with (as might have been anticipated) an immense expenditure of oratory on both its principle and its details, but with only one material alteration from the plan of which we gave a rather full digest in last Wednesday's New Zcalandcr. We then stated that the chief objection urged against the measuie was ihe preponderating influence it was likely to confer on the Squatting interest in the next Council, as compared with the interests more immediately connected with Sydney and the other important towns in the colony. This again involved the more abstract question whether population alone, or population combined with, and privileged according to, the amount of wealth and intelligence connected with it, should constitute the basis of legislative representation. A debate mainly on this question extends over twenty-eight columns of the Herald, but was remarkable chiefly for a speech of the Colonial Secretary, (eulogized by that journal in terms of the Avarmest admiration), in which he argued that population is not constitutionally the sole basis of representation, and, moreover, that, looking at the past increase of population in the Pastoral Districts, and at their importance as producing at least two-thirds of the exports of the colony, the government were warranted in accoiding to the Squatters the number of members j specified in the Bill, However, it was agreed in Committee that the number of Electoral Districts should be increased from twenty-nine to thirty-one, and the number of Elective Mem- I from thirty-two to thirty-six,— making the whole Council to consist of fifty -four members, instead of forty-eight. The four new elective members are apportioned thus -.—the county of Camden is divided into two Districts, each of which is to return one member ; the country of Durham is to return two instead of one ; the united counties of Northumberland and Hunter, also two instead of one ; and the Stanley Boroughs, a new Electoral District, is to return one. The Herald's general conclusion respecting this arrangement is, — Though we should have been much better satisfied had two members been tians^rred from the Paitoral ; Dutricts t« Sydnry, one to the city and the other to iti hamlets, we accept this modification ai a movement in the right dnection, three membeis being added to the pgricultural and one to the borough interest. These interest*, as mch, are not indentified with the pro-trantportationiits, ninrteen-twentietln of our agriculturists and burgesses being, a% we believe, decidedly opposed to the rc-introductiou of convict labour in any shape or on any terms. For this reason we are glad to see their influence strengthened in the counsels of the country. The Victoria Electoral Bill had progressed with less (though still abundant) discussion, and the adoption of the Report of the Committee stood as an order of the day for the 30th ultimo. The Legislative Council had addressed the Governor, requesting that the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Post-Office should be laid on the table of the House. On the 29th ult. a reply was forwarded by His Excellency, declining to accede to this request, but promising that the Report, the " voluminous mass of evidence," and the decision of the Executive Government, should be communicated early next Session. An endeavour was made to brand this refusal of immediate compliance as a breach of privilege, but the proposition was quashed by a majority of 17 over 9. Dr. Lang's trial for libel on Mr. Icely had : been finally brought to a close, after every effort that legal skill could devise to raise tech" \ nical difficulties in the way of justice had been vainly made on the part of the Reverend defendant. The sentence of the Court was that, on the first count of the information, he be imprisoned in Paramatta Gaol for four months, and fined One Hundred Pounds ; and that he I be further imprisoned till the fine be paid ; and [ that on the second Count he be imprisoned for j the same period, to commence and expire with j the former term of imprisonment. The ChiefJusricrc's address «n pronouncing sentence was one of the most witheringly severe we have read in such a case ;— but not more so than the i conduct of the prisoner merited, for the Press has seldom been disgraced by a more foul and self-evidently malignant libel than the Reverend M.L.C. (we suppose we may now say ex M.L.C.) had been guilty of. We shall transfer His Honor's able review of the case in a future number-. The Anti-Transportation cause in New South Wales was still gathering strength, and the movements of the Delegates of the Australasian League were everywhere attended with encouraging success. They had held an especially influential and satisfactory Meeting at Paramatta. The prices in the Sydney Markets for Wheat were 7s. to Bs. per bushel, for good samples ; Flour, £20 per ton for line, and £18 for second quality. Potatoes weie at nominal prices, the market being glutted with them.