The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 606, 4 February 1852, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Be just and fdir not • Let all tlie ends thou .mns't at, bo thy Country's, Thy Goo's, and Tmlli'h.

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 4, 1852.

By the arrival of the missionary schooner Border Maid, which reached our port on Sunday, we have Wellington papers to the 10th of January. Some of their contents possess considerable importance. Church matters legitimately claim precedence. It has been known for some timo that various tentative movements wore in progress towards the organization of a Constitution for the Church of England in New Zealand. These, however, were for. the most part of a private, as well as preliminary, character, — designed chiefly to prepare the way for action by fixing upon the subject the fuller attention of those for whom it may have special interest. But steps of a more formal character have now been taken. The occasion chosen for a larger development of the plan was a mcciing held at Wellington on the 9th ultimo, for the purpose of opening the Schoolhouse at Thorndon, recently erected by " The Church of England Education Society," — with whose origination and principles we have already made our readers acquainted. The Bishop of New Zealand presided, and the meeting, though not very numerous, was highly influential, including the Governor-in-Chief, Lieut.- Governor Eyre, Colonel M £ Clever ty. and several of the principal inhabitants of the district. After the immediate business of the School opening had been transacted, the Bishop brought forward the Church Constitution Question in an address which, together with the whole of the proceedings, we copy without curtailment from the Spectator. It will be seen that Sir George Grey took a leading part, the Resolutions which ho moved having avowedly been prepared conjointly by himself and the Bishop, — although His Excellency intimated that " his own private views were much more extended' 7 At a cursory glance, the scheme may seem but a slight one; for, the enrolment of members of the Church of England, the payment of a small subscription for Church purposes, and the election of a Committee to appropriate the funds so raised, would, if they stood alone, seem small materials out of which to frame a '' Constitution." But the fifth section of the series opens a wider field. If Parliament shall comply with tho proposed petitions, by recognizing the association of enrolled Church Members as not only a legalized but a legislative organization, — empowered to manage all the internal affairs of the Church of England in the New Zealand Islands, — then indeed a lever will be placed in their hands by which — if it be employed in a liberal and enlightened manner — they may work out a great consolidation of tho Church energies and interests in the colony, and fix their operations on a basis of hitherto unattained coherence and independence. If this Ecclesiastical Corporation (as it may bo called) should be established, it will have as its endowments not only the contributions of the members but also the property which tho Pishop now holds as Trustee, — the whole of which his Lordship declares he will hand over to the management of Committees chosen from the general body. The proposed plan was unanimously agreed to by the meeting at Wellington, and will, we presume, bo brought in some similar manner under tho consideration of the members of tho Church of England in other districts. In the earlier part of the Meeting it was announced that the Education Society are about to erect a second School-house on land adjoining the Church on Te Aro, which the Bishop, had made over to them for the purpose. Turning to politics, — the mails of the Cornwall and the Chieftain had placed the Southerners in possession of tho Parliamentary proceedings with reference to tho colony, and of the speeches and schemes of the New Zealand Company, of which our readers were informed some weeks since. As respects the " New Zealand Settlements Act," the Spectator of the 7th ult. makes the following statement, on which we cannot pretend to throw any additional light, — but it seems very plainly ominous of an unsettling of some arrangements which had been deemed and proclaimed as settled :— " It is reported that the New Zealand Settlements Act oflast session has been received by his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief, together with' a despatch from the Secretary for the Colonies, relating to the future disposal of land in New Zealand. The effect of the Act is, we understand, materially to inteifere with the arrangements that Lave been in.ule <or biinging the mlministration of the Crown Lands in the Southern Settlements mto one uniform sy3tem, pa,rticulatly m grant-

irig'loases for stations for stock, but as no doubt i ho instructions received by the Local Government will slioitly lie published for the inclination of tht-settleis, wo refiain lrom entenng further on this topic' The New Zealand Company's claim, however, engaged an amount of attention in Wellington not second to tliat excited by any other topic. The perusal of those statements from England with which our readers arc acquainted, seems to have quickened our fellow-settlors there to a lively perception not only of the imminent peril which did exist, that the General Revenue of the colony would be saddled with this frightful weight, but also of the danger which still exists that another attempt will bo made to secure that nefarious and destructive object. We transfer to our columns the full report given in the Independent of a, meeting on the subject held by the " Settlers Constitutional Association on the 7th ultimo, with the Petition to Parliament then adopted. We have made no secret of the distaste with which we have viewed many of the sayings and doings of the " Constitutional Association ;" but we are not the less willing on that account to appreciate the force and justice of their arguments in this matter, — which^ as we have repeatedly said, is one on which men of the most differing political opinions can think and act in harmony. It was in this spirit that the question was discussed at the Meeting referred to,— those topics which might kindle party feelings having been sedulously laid aside for the time. It will bo observed that Mr. Clifford, in moving the Petition, had the candour to urge that,— however the case might bo with the Southern Settlements, — Auckland and the Northern Province clearly ought to be exempted from any liability to the burden. But surely wo should represent our own case to the' Imperial Legislature. And, if this is to be done with any chance of our voice reaching Parliament during the Session which probably has even now commenced, it must be done forthwith. When we pointed out the advantage that might result from a Petition against the claim from the Common Council, wo argued on the supposition that tho step would be taken instantly. Had wo entertained any apprehension that a matter of such pressing importance would be shelved (as, though ostensibly taken up, it practically has been) we should rather have urged the people to act .for themselves, without reference to what' the Corporation might or might not do. We trust that it is not yet too late to get up a suitable expression of public opinion to be laid before Parliament. A little more delay and it will he too late. j The following appointments had been notified in the Government Gazette: — Charles Simeon, Esq., to be Resident Magistrate for the Districts of Lyttelton and Christ Church, Port Victoria, vice J. R. Godloy, Esq., resigned; — John Parsons, Esq., to be Harbour Master and Pilot, and Mr. William Eades to be Landing Waiter at Port Victoria; — Mr. C. Ward to be Locker in the Customs Department, Wellington ;— and J. C. Boys, Esq., to bo Surveyor of Crown Lands, and Clerk to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the Middle^District of the Middle Island, vice C. 0. Forlesso. Esq., resigned. Captain Smith had resigned his seat in tho Legislative Council, and also the Commission of tho Peace, through dissatisfaction, because he could not prevail on the Government to set aside immediately a Publican's License granted to a person named Morrison at Wairarapa. The Independent has been for some time threatening to bring before the public the details of acts of private delinquency charged upon certain "high officials ;' — unless the Governor should avert the disclosure and satisfy the claims of justice by punishing the culprits. His Excellency having (as is alleged) done no more than forbid the visits of one of them at Government House, our contemporary has fulfilled his threat by making statements of gross immoralities which are told so circumstantially as to the imputed facts that, although the names of the delinquents are not given, there can probably be little doubt— at least at Wellington — respecting the quarters at which his heavy blows were dealt. "It remains to be seen," says the writer, " whether Society will not vindicate itself from being supposed to countenance such scandalous transactions, and whether the Settlers will not appeal for redress to higher authority." We, of course, know nothing of the truth or falsehood of tho allegations, and only note the matter as one of the current topics of exciting discussion. Tho price of first flour at Wellington on the lOtli ult. was £11 per ton : bread 4d. per 21b. loaf.

Our Lyttelton papers arc to the 3rd of J anuary. They contain little news of interest. The New Canterbury Act of last session had been received with only very qualified approbation. Part of it was pro nounccd excellent, but strong objections wore made to the appointment of a Managing* Committee in the Settlement (in place of the Agent), to be nominated by and responsible only to the Association in London. The Lyttelton Times says, "If the Managing Committee proposed by the Association is a mere agency, it is a bad scheme ; for one agent is much better than half-a-dozen. If it be intended as a local governing body, it is a Council of Nominees, a-id it will only not be mischievous because it will be valueless ; for we do not believe that there could be found a sufficient number of Land Purchasers in the Settlement who would become the Nominees of the Canterbury Association, any more than of the Government." Similar views had been expressed at the General Meeting of the Society of Land Purchasers. The completion of the road communication between Lyttelton and Christelmrch by Sumner engaged much attention. Public Meetings had been hold to promote the object ;~which the resolutions declared to be " of greater importance to the advancement of the Settlement than any other public work which can be undertaken." Captain Simeon's appointment a3 Kesident Magistrate is described as "a matter of great congratulation," and " most grateful to the feelings of the settlers." — much as they " regret the loss of Mr. Godley's services in the Resident Magistrate's Court,"

ThelGfrh of December, the anniversary of the arrival of ths first Colonists, had been Observed with a variety of sports, and a Public Dinner. 'I he ship Falhna, from London, with 142 passengers had arrived on the 2Lst of December. The Arabia, from this port had arrived on the 19th of that month. The Gold-seekers who had left for Port Philip, in the Canterbury —after knocking- about for some time off Stewarts Island, had been compelled by stress of weather to return to Lyttclton. There is no Market Note, or other reference to the prices of provisions, in any of the numbers of the Times which have lately reached us.

Native Affray at Hokianga.—lntelligence has reached us of a serious Maori affray which occurred a few days a^o at Hokianga, arising from one of those causes that in days gone by have often led to protracted war and much bloodshed. Repa, a native chief, wellknown here, and of some notoriety in Hekes wars, considering himself injuted and insulted by a man who had taken liberties with one of his wives, went in the usual Maori style to seek utu. In the couise of the koiero he speared the offender tinough the body. This led to a general skirmish, each party Hying to their muskets. The fatal resuUs was that four were killed on the spot, and six or seven wounded. It is difficult to say what the consequences may be, but the probability is that as the opposing parties fought, and blood was shed on each side, the matter will there terminate, and a reconciliation take place. The influence of Tamati Waka, who is nearly related to both paities, will probably do much towards promoting peace. Repa himself was shot through the head. He will not be much regretted among his own people, as he has long been a troublesome and dissolute man. Successful Whaling at Hawke's Bay. — The Antelope and Eliza, coasting vessels, arrived in our port on Sunday, bringing 44 tuns of sperm oil, being portion of 120 tuns recently obtained at the whaling stations of Captain Salmon and Mr. Ellis. The oil is worth £50 per ton here, so that it is a very valuable " take;" and, we hope and anticipate, only the forerunner of still greater success, as the whales from which this quantity was procured were only part of a large number which had entered the bay. We are informed that whales are at present very numerous along the coast, so that we trust our colonial brig Maukin when she starls on her (iist whaling trip, will not be obliged to proceed very far from home before she fills up. Elections of Wardens. —The following elections have taken placesinceour last repoit: —on the 28th ult. For the Hundred of Paniuure, Messrs. William Williams, Joseph Brennan, and Charles Durbridge : —on the 31st ult. for the Hundred of Howick, Captsin Macdonald, Mr. James White, and Mr. Thom&s Smyth ; (the latter having an equal number of votes with Mr. Chailes Watson, was returned by the casting vote of the Commissioner of Crown Lands) -.— and, yesterday, the 3id instant, for the Hundred of Pupuke, Messrs. Thomas Duder, William Menary, and T. Poynton. This concludes these Elections. Dinner to Captain Swift. —We are gratified to observe that a Public Dinner is to be given this day, at the Masonic Hotel, to Capt. Swift of the American ship Anadir, as an ndditional evidence of the general appreciation of his conduct since his arrival in our port, and especially as connected with the late Regatta, when his fine vessel was given up to the Committee as Flag Ship. The Auckland DiRLCTORY,--We have seen a circular announcing that a compendious Directory of the Borough of Auckland is projected by Messrs. Hansard and hrookfield, Shortland-stieet, and will be immediately proceeded with, if a sufficient number of subscribers to warrant the undertaking, sball be ! obtained. The usefulness of such a woik of reference for the names and callings of the inhabitants, especially to parties recently arrived in the J-ettlement, is too obvious to need illustiation ; and we have pleasure in commending the project to the favour and support of such parties, and of the public generally.

The Band of the 58th Regiment will perform in the Grounds in front of the old Government House, on To-morrow, Thursday, from 4 to 6 o'clock. PROGRAMME. Overture— Op. . ." Stradella" Flotow. Melange — 0p. . . " I Loinbai di" Verdi. Duetto — 0p..."Nel Egilda di Provenza" Mercadante Cliant — " Dus Croates'' Waltz-" La Mnndolina" Buller. Quadrille — " The Hibernian" Julhcn. Polka — "The Balmoral 1 ' King. Galop — " Les Chaperons Blancs" Molir.