The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 566, 17 September 1851, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Kp just and fcnr not Let all tho ends tliou amis't at, be thy Country'H, T)iy God's, and TuiUi's.

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 17, JBSL

Ciiamuers of Commerce have been established in so many of the principal ports at home and abroad, and have been found to woik so beneficially for the general interests of the mercantile community, that it is almost matter of surprise that our Auckland merchants, — whom we may proudly compare with those of other places in intelligence, enterprise* integrity, and all the qualifications which go to make up and adorn the commercial character of our country men — have not ere now associated themselves for the formation of such a centre of business activity, such an aid to business prosperity. There are here, in proportion to the numbers of our population, as suitable materials for the efficient construction of such an organization as can be found m Sydney, Honolulu, San Francisco, or elsewhere; and here, as in other poits, the benefits of co-operation in commercial matters surely ought to be desired and might be realized. We are led to refer to the subject just now chiefly by a consideration of the advantages of such a tribunal as a Chamber of Commerce might furnish, for the adjustment of diffeiences 3ikc those which occupied the time of our Supreme Court for two days last week, in the case of Kuui v. Lewis and Another. We pronounce no opinion here on the merits of that case ; it was tried by a jury which included some of our most experienced and extensive merchants, and was conducted by able lawyers, with much zeal, and certainly with no sacrifice of the interests of their respective clients by too gi eat haste in bringing the (rial to a conclusion. And yet, we believe, the verdict, however catefully and conscientiously arrived at, has been icceived with very general dissatisfaction, — plea&ing neither the friends of the plaintiff nor those of the defendants. A committee of merchants, authorised by a Chamber of Commerce, m which Ike

I community would leposc confidence, and un- | fettered by the technical lestiictions of legal proceedings, could generally deal with such cases more satisfactorily, by determining the issues according lo the principles of general equity and of commercial usage. Of course > we advert to this only as one of the advantages which might result fiom the formation of a Chamber of Commerce. Our meicantile leadeis do not need that we should letnind them of others. We content ourselves therefore with thiowing out the suggestion that the piesenl may he a favourable time for taking steps m the matter,— leaving it to those whose inteiests would be most, immediately promoted by it to judge how far the suggestion merits their attention.

Wk have raiely met with a display of hostility towaidban important public measme in which the opponents weie diiven to more manifest shifts, in older to give a plausible coloiuing to their case, than we are constrained to witness in the warfate which our conlempoiary seems resolved to maintain against the Corporation j Charter. Wishing, as we avowedly do, that the people may see the Act in its iral character of, on the whole, a most liberal and valuable institution of local self-government, we can desiie no more than that they should study the Proclamation for themselves, in connexion with Sir Georue Grey's explanatory Despatch ; and then compare what they read theie, with what they hear urged against it, — not permitting their minds to he obsciued by the mists of prejudice, or to be borne down by a torrent of declamatory denunciation, in which the want of aigument and fact is sought to be concealed by the rush of sonorous verbiage. We have already offoied some comments designed to set the measure in its true light ; and we aie pievented from prosecuting the subject in some detail to-day only by the pressure of mote immediate claims on our space. The importance of the matter will not only justify, but demand, frequent recurrence to it, so long as views mischievous as well an erroneous respecting it, arc assiduously put forward ; for we aie thoroughly convinced that the rejection of the Charter, (.supposing it were in the power of the fault-finding party to secure that), would be not only a present injury to the community, but a blow to the future advancement of this district which would be long and severely felt. Apart from the argument, it may furnish matter of amusing, and not altogether uninstructive occupation for a leisnie hour, to point out the glaring inconsistency with their own former avowals of political faith, to which the piominent opponents of the Ohailer are now compelled by their opposition to it, to commit t themselves.

The English intelligence received via Hobart Town, comes down to so late a date as the 25th of May, the most vecent papers having hee n brought to Melbourne by the Ballengeicfi t xfhich made the passage from Plymouth in the singu_ larly short space o( eighty-six days. The news, however, is fat from being presented in a complete or satisfactory shape. Several important subjects — such as the proceedings on the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill, and the probabilities of the letention. or resignation of office by the Russell Cabinet — are not touched upon in the summaries of our Van Diem en's Land contemporaries ; and the infoimation is neither full nor always clear on the matters to which they do adveit. But we must only make the best of such materials as we have. The Queen and the Royal Family weie at Buckingham Palace, where a number of illustiious visitors were enteitaincd. On the 19th of May, Her Majesty gave a State Ball, which was spoken of as the grandest that ever took place in England. The invitations extended to two thousand one hundred persons. So far as we have an account of the proceedings in Parliament, the most interesting to the colonies was on the question of Transportation to Van Diemen's Land, which had been discussed in both Houses. We give the reports entire as they have reached us. It will be seen that Loid Grey reiterated the denial of his having promised that transportation should cease, and attempted to prove the benefits that convictism had conferred on Van Diemen's Land, by the excellence of the specimens of wood-work which had been forwarded from that colony to the Great Exhibition ! The logic was ivoilhy of the cause ! His Lordship forgot, however, to prove any connection between the two things ; or rather he arbitrarily assumed that the " skilled labour" which he eulogized, must necessarily be that of convicts. In the House of Commons, Sir George Grey followed in the same track, and laboriously endeavouicd to attenuate the promise of the Government down to an engagement that transportation, as carried on previously to 1816, should not be resumed. The discussion was cut short by the House being counted out. Mr. Anstey, the hero of innumerable " counts out," had begun to speak, and the subject in debate did not command the sympathies of hon. gentlemen sufficiently to induce them to remain under the infliction. Piobably also the Government, having had their own statement made, were by no means unwilling to escape in this way from a vote on a question which they must find cmbamis.sing. MmLtm had sustained yet another defeat, on a motion hi ought fonvaid by a comparatively uniuiluential member,— -Lend Naas. The //lust rated London frciv: of May 10th thus hi icily Wlh the tale of this new discontinue :—: —

Lord jVws lust year hioudit foiunrd ft motion on ht'hdlfaf tho (libtilleib of JJniish spniM, comphinm<r of (he mode in u Inch the duty was J( vied, ami piaymfj; foi a remedy. The complaint wui, fh.it thp duty being lovu'tl on tho spin! before it whs* placed in bond, a contiidaiable loss fiom wnstp and evaporation took place mid (ha remedy demanded \vt\t> tli.it duty should hp levied on the spmt when it w.ia t.iLen out of'bond. Tlie Government tended tbo nioposmoii, and Loid Nam whs defeated by a majonty of one. His Loidbhip hi ought the question foiwaid foi the second time on 'I ue>day infill. The Government took tbo saint; couise as it did the piovious your, but with the addition of pulling up llio honourable member for Wesfbury to HWiiiii]), ovpipower, buiy, or otherwise overwhelm j ilie motion, l>v an at ray of ponderous and utterly utianswcinblo, because unwieldy and unrememboiable, [statistics. On a division the numbcis woie found to bo equal — J.V) against 1.>9, when the Sri am n, accdulinp, to I'urli.iinontary usage and couitesy, gave I his casttue, vote with tbo ayes ; thus) placing tho (jov- | einniPDt in a minority. Loid John Russhl, being somewhat (art ly called upon by I\Jr Itoi tiucii to \ le^n, somewhat moio taitly refused compliance with the invitation; and bo tbo matter rests lor the ]>i twin. The Gicat Exhibition was realising or surpassing the most sanguine anticipations of its promoters. It was computed that more than thirty thousand poisons visited it dining the fust two days. On the Saturday after the opening, £500 was taken, the admission being £1. The number of season tickets sold had produced £130,000. The Official Catalogue Conned a volume of three handled and twenty pages, with double columns of closely printed type, and had at the end forty eight pages of adveitisements, the whole being sold for one shilling ! The following extract fiom the Illustrated London News of May 24, will be read here with inleicsl, as including the fhst opinion that has reached us from England respecting INew Zealand Coal : — The lll uslitdeil London New, of the 21-th May, under Foieign IMines and Minerals, tlniß notices the productions of the South Australian Mining Company: — " The collections exhibited by and on account of this company will be found to possess groat interest. In addition to copper, the district contains also vast mineral lo&oinces, as the ores of iron aio abundant and very rich 5 and good indications of lead, and even of tho precious met.ds. have also been found. Wo would duoct especial attention to the magnetic and micaceous nonoie, as promising great advantage in wojking." The biimo journal also observes — " Vauous parts of New South Wales and Van Dieincn's Land yield stone of gieat beauty and of much value for 01nnment.il purposes. 'I ho opals aie especially worthy of notice, and tho white topazes may alho be leferred to. A magnificent specimen of opaliaed wootl is exhibited in the navo on the east Hide of the Colonial trophy. In addition to , other aihclcs, may be noticed some promising honeatonea fiom Van Dicmen's Land. From New Zealand, whooG pioducts aie placed near those of Australia, in the Colonial Comf, wo have samples of titamferousiron 01 c, said to e:\ist m vast quantities as sand ; other ores of non oi vaiious lands ; considemble specimens of coal and lignite ; some samples of sulphur, and specimens of pumice. Of these indications of mineral wealth, pei haps the most mteiesting at piesent is the coal. The quality, judging fiom appearance, is not such as to enter into competition with th.it obtained fiom England ; but tin's may be paitly owing to tho fact, that hitherto it is only tho top of the bed, when; it has been long exposed to the weather, that is sent for examination. Still the quality is luther that of lignite than tiue coal ; it is light, hardly soils the fingers, and in some pait lesombles jet. With these products fiom tho Southern A tclupelago, wg may iank ulso the gnlstonesforwarded from Norfolk Ibland. Visitors were crowding from all parts of the world into London. The following paragraph gives some idea of the force of the French invasion* — Duimgtho -week ending Bth May, twice as many Fienchmen landed in Knglnntl as Napoleon ever intended to bring. The Grand Army was nevur lilroly to have exceeded. 150,000 on the shores of Kent, wheieas, 2?0 r OOO passpoits mo said to have boon issued to the departments alono, Pan 13 being a sepuiato contiibutor. On the 17th of May, the Duke of Wellington entertained twelve hundred guests, amongst whom was the Prince of PiiussiA. The Meeting of the Biitish Association was to commence at Ipswich on the 2nd of July ? and was expected to gather an unprecedentedly biilliant array of scientific foreigners, in consequence of the Great Exhibition. The London Council had chosen Professor Airy, the Astronomer Jloyal, to be President of the Meeting. The following appointments had been announced '. — James Douglas, Esq., to be Governor of Vancouver's Island ; — John Haineiu Esq., to be Resident Magistrate at the Cape of Good Hope ; — Captain Ross and Mr. Owen to proceed as Commissioners to the Cape of Good Hope to inquire into the causes of the distmbances there ; — Lord Beliiaven to heller Majesty's High Commissioner to the Assembly of the Chinch of Scotland ; and Mr. Duncan M'Nkil to a Scotch Juclgeship: — The Rev Robkui' Kdf.n, D.D., who had been elected to the See of Moray and Ross, vacant by the resignation of the lliglit Rev. Dr. Low, had been consecrated at Edinburgh. Sir James Emerson Tennent had formally resigned the Governorship of St. Helena, and had offered himself again for the representation of Belfast. Rajah Brooke had arrived in London. Several deaths of publicly-known individuals had taken place. Loid Cottkniiam, (late Lord Chancellor of England), the Earl of Bantry, Viscount^NEWßY, and Lord Montfout were dead 5 as were also William Dowton> the celebrated comedian, and Mrs. Wayiett, once a very popular vocalist and actress. The foreign obituaries include the names of Ludwig Tieck, the associate of Sciileoel in the translation of the works of Siiakspeue, and the celebrated Danish naturalist Oersted,

Our Hobart Town dates by the Isabella fill the interval from the 20th of August, up to which ive had received papers by the Simlah, to the 30th ult. The demonstrations on the 25th, to greet the return of Sir William DrNisoN from the country parts of the colony to the seat of Govern - ment, are detailed at considerable length. They manifested a warm, but by no means, univmal welcome. The fiiend3 of the demonsUalwn, including, itivouid seem, thegtcat majoiity oi the inhabitants, elected tiiuinpha] aiches, displayed appropiiate flags, and formed a procession to accompany his Excellency into town, cheeied on by vociferous applause,

which, says the Guardian, was " energetically indicative of the popularity of tin: Scncrcign's Representive, and of the un mi stake able loyalty of her Tasmaniaa subjects." The Courier, however, denies that the demonstration, was entitled to such weight as the Advatiser and Guardian attach to it, and aveis that " most of the chief citizens, merchants, hankers, and tradeis took no part iv the procession." On the other hand, a numbei of the "Native born youths," assembled at night, marched through the town with the Temperance Band and a few of the banners of the Australasian League which they had got hold of to give eclat to their cavalcade, patriotically groaned as they passed the houses of obnoxious individuals, and, finally, burned Lord Grey , and Sir William Denison in effigy. We transfer to our columns an aiticle from the Courier which gives an appaicntly candid and eclectic review of the whole transaction. We observe that, dining his »our, Sir William Denison had, in effect, retracted and apologized for the depreciatory manner in which he had at first dcsciibed the character of the sp! tiers in his despatches to Lord Grey. The following extract from his Excrxi.i'NcVs speech at a lunch at Campbell Town, as repotted in the Cornwall (hionicle, ments attention as containing an explanation of the past, and a dcclaiation of the views which aic now entertained of the Settlers by their Lieuikn ant-Go-vernor :—: — IJe begged to say a few wokls in explanation of his present views anil opinions, as well as of those winch ho b.ul foimcily held. He bad a vivn\ ircolhvlion of the Kindness with which the settleis of the Midland district had welcomed Inm in 7849, nntl ho also lecollecled tho explanation he then g-ave of somo repressions winch had been mnele use of in u despatch lo Loid Grey, which were calculated to give his Lordship an oironeous opinion of the characters of tho settlers. JlibE xcellency obseived, thai at the time (he despatch in (juestjon was written, ho had boon hut a shoil time in the colony, and hia opinion of the colonists was formed llnongh individuals who thiust themselves more pmticulnily upon his notice, arrogating to themselves tho cluuactei of representatives of' the people, and to whom that chaiactor seomed to bo tacitly yielded by their fellow colonists. His Excellency stated that he had long- since discoveiod Ins error, and hadappiecinted better the cluiactcr of tho gieatne9S of the settlers of the colony, nnd had not Haled to do them justice in hia communications lo the Secretary of State. Until the pi esent occasion bo had no opportunity of making himself acqunintod individually with several iimongsl k lbo company ;he had, however, within tho last few weeks, parlaken of tho hospitality of mnny— had seen them in the bosom of thoir families, and in all tbeielations of domestic life, — and was prepared to bear testimony to tho sleilin; 1 ; worth of tho groat body of the settlers and their families. His Excollency fully admitted the eirorinto which he had been led in depicting the g>oat body of the community in shade and colour, which ought only to have been used to represent a small minoiity ; with regard, however, to that minonty, he maintained — and he tilled upon the gentlemen piesent to bear him out m hia nssoition, — tlmt the picturo he had drawn of them was in no sense oveichaiged. (Chceis.) The elections for the new Legislative Council were expected to take place in October. Additional Courts of Session for the revision of the Electoral Rolls had been proclaimed, and t,he Returning Officers had been appointed* The Electoral Roll for the, District of I-lobart Town contained the names*of 2,016 voters ; the distiict of Buckingham, 385. | The barque Beulah trom England had arrived on the 28th ult., bringing 165 single women, 24 manied couples, 10 children, and 4 sub-matrons. The Tasmanian Female Immigration Association had advertised for applications for the single women as servants. A despatch from Lord Grey, dated April 15, had been received, advising the formation of such a Committee as that in which the colonists had thus anticipated his suggestion. It was intended to charter another vessel for the conveyance of one hundred and seventy females more to the colony. The Shetland women were to sail from Plymouth on the 7th of July in the Thetis. A Public Meeting of persons interested in the discovery of Gold in Van Diemen's Land had been held, at which it was agreed to offer a reward of X5OO " for the discovery of a profitable Gold Field or Mine in this Island." The subscriptions announced towards this sum amounted to £235. Before the Bculali left England, tenders had been invited for the conveyance of four officers and one hundred soldiers to Van Diemen's Land. It was rumomed that the 99th Regiment would be lemoved to New South Wales, to embaik thence to India. BievetMajor Nicholson, of ihe 99 ih, had died on his passage to England. The Committee of the Mechanics' School of Arts had resolved to hold an Exhibition of Native Productions, Models, Manufactures, Ornaments, and Curiosities on the Ist of January 1852, and following days. The .Lieut en antGo veiinor had expressed approbation of the scheme, and promi&ed to assist in carrying it out. A deputation from the Ilobart Town Lodges of Odd Fellows had waited on Sir William Uenison to solicit his acceptance of the office of Vice Patron of the Older in the Colony, His Excellency readily, and in flatteiing terms, complied with the request, but as to his becoming a candidate for initiation into the Older, " he would not then make any promise, but would consider the matter." The Coinfc of Quarter Sessions had been opened on the 27th ult. The calendar was tmusally heavy, iheie being twenty-nine prisoners for trial, — a considciable number of them charged with burglary. A Msetmg of the Latfy of the Church of England to consider the present aspect of affairs in the Chnich was to be held in Launccstou on Wednesday, the llrd of this month. Wheat was fiim iv the Hobart Town maikets at 10s. od. per bushel: Flour, X 25 per ton •. Bread, sd. the 21 bs. loaf •. Potatoes, <oos, to 70s. per ton. At Launceston, Wheat was from 10s. 6U to Us., and holdeis seemed

hltle disposed lo sell even at that advanced figure.

' We arc enabled by tJir following summaries, taken from the Jlohart Town Courier of Ihe 30tIi ultimo, to anticipate in some interesting particulars the news which may be expected by our next arrival directly from Sydney. SYDNEY. We have papers to the Kith August. A new Gold Field bad been tli.->covcrcd at Liverpool Plains. A 8 rious charge of nssnult preferred by Captain Pocklry, against two of iho seamen belonging to the Emma, stood on the list for the 16th instant. Gold is still tlio all engrossing topic; it is being brought into Sydney in large quantities by the mail, by the aimed escort, ' ami by private individuals — diggers; by the latter in much larger quantities than is genemlly known. From the progress nlrendy made ..luring Ihp fust tluee months of its discovery, and the increasing success of (he miners, we anticipate, says the Ileutld, that cio the Ist of June, 18J2, the export of gold will amount to Cully one-iinlf'ol our annual productions ; and fiom the vast numbers of our Inborn ing population en route to the IJathurst district, together with the fortunnte results horn the cxeittons of the labourers on the spot, it is not impiobabic that the amount of gold shipped during tbe fust ye.ii will be in excess of our exports of any pievfous year. The bulk of the labouring class and mechanics aro on their way ; men are leaving situations with sulaiicsof fiom one to two bundled pounds per annum j and boys of fomtecn years old and upwaids aic being ligged in mining costume, preparatory to seeking a golden fortune in the interior. Meanwhile tiadc flags in Sydney, or, so far as ictail is concerned, at a stand fatill. Numbcis are leaving those hitherto depending on them very destitute—as their outfit absorbs all iheir spare cash ; consequently but Jittle is being sold, unless it bo tbe necraaancs of Hie — say floui, sugar, and tea. Of these articles sales aic Jnr in excess oi an aveiago, although but lew have sent their oiders lor sheaiing supplies. The Botidicar took home gold valued at £28,785.

VICTORIA. We havo papers from Melbourne to the 22nd August Theio were about 300 diggers at woik for Gold at (be Victoiia Gold Fields. Regulations have been issued by ordev of His Excdlnncy the Lieuicn.int-Goveinoi, Mr. Latrobe, ami the ininois will have to pay thiity shillings per month as at Sydney. Lieutenant Dovoton, Into 51st Rept., of Poit F.iiry, lias been appointed Gold Commissioner lor the I}uningyong find Pyrenees District, and Mi. Armstiong, l.itoly returned horn California, Assistant Gold Commissioner for the Melbourne District.

Mechanics' Institute. — The Lecture on " The Unity of the Human Species," which was to be delivered last evening by the Rev. J. Inglis, was unavoidably postponed, as although the Lecturer was fully prepared, the Hall was not available, in consequence of another engagement which had been forgotten when the arr mgement was made. Mr. Inglis's Lecluie will be given next Tuesday evening. A Government Gazette was published on Monday, containing a Proclamation of a Laud Sale to/ be held on the 15th of October, and other notifications which we need not enumerate here, as the whole will be found in. another page of this number.