The New Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 659, 7 August 1852, Page 2

The New Zealander.

Be just ana fear not: Let all the ends thou aim'st at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, AUG. 7, 1852.

By the arrival of the Moa, which* reached our harbour on Thursday after a rap d passage of seven days from Sydney, we have New South Wales papers to the 29th ult. They contain English news to the middle of April. The political intelligence is important. The Derby Administration seemed for the time firm in office ; but, being confessedly in a minority in the House of Commons, were enabled to pass the most urgent measures only by a sort of compact with the Opposition — that they were to confine themselves to such as were absolutely necessary, and that a dissolution of Parliament was very speedily to test the mind of the country on their policy. It had been attempted to fix upon the Government the charge of prevaricating as to the time at which this appeal to the nation would be made ; but there did not appear to be any real contradiction in the several statements made by Ministers on the subject. Lord Derby's declaration first and last was, in substance, that the dissolution should take place in sufficient time to permit the New Parliament to assemble in the Autumn of this year. Under these circumstances, various measures, which otherwise would most probably have led to party collisions, were suffered to pass without serious opposition. The Army and Navy Estimates had been voted, with unprecedented rapidity, the Government having adopted the Estimates of the late Ministry. The Army is to be increased by 3,223 men, with an additional cost of £84,347. One thousand men are also added to the Ordnance, and the expense of this department is increased £15,500. But there is a decrease of £111,000 in the expenditure for the Navy, so that, by greater economy and better management, the total cost of these three great branches of the national defence is less t by £1000 in 1852 than it was in 1851. — notwithstanding' the augmentation of force, and the special outlay on new rifles. ...A vote of £460,000 for the expenses of the Kaffir War was agreed to, but not without some discussion, raised it would almost appear solely for the purpose of giving members another opportunity of pronouncing severe condemnation on Lord Grey's conduct towards Sir Harry Smith. We have of course looked anxiously for some announcement of the intentions of Ministers respecting New Zealand. We find only one statement, but, so far as it goes, it is satisfactory. In reply to Mr. Mangles, Sir John Pakington said, "It was the intention of Government to endeavour to meet the reasonable wishes of Her Majesty's subjects in New Zealand by bringing in a Bill at an early period after Easter for conferring representative institutions on that colony." We may note here in passing that despatches from the Governor of New Zealand were received at the Colonial Office on the 4th of April. How fai 4 these contained the "additional information" which Lord Grey expected to aid him in the completion of his contemplated measure, is, of course, amongst the hidden things at which we cannot guess. A Militia Bill had already been introduced by the present Government. Its leading features were — to raise the number of the Militia to 80,000, of which 50,000 were to bo raised this year, and 30,000 next. This is intended to bo done by voluntary enlistment, but when volunteers cannot be procured, the Queen in Council may order a ballot, which, however, is to bo confined to persons under 35 years of age. In case of invasion, or imminent danger thereof, Her Majesty may raise the number to 120,000 men. The measure, it was expected, would be more searchingly discussed than almost any other introduced by Ministers had been. Parliament had adjourned for the Easter recess on the Bth of April, — to meet again on the 19th. Meanwhile tho near approach of a general election was producing a strong excitement through the country. Numorous candidates were already in the field, and tho Carl ton Club on tho one hand, and the Anti-Corn Law League on the other, wore contributing immense sums to aid in the anticipated contests. Mr. Robert Lowe, lato of Sydney, was canvassing Kidderminster, on " Conservative and free-trade" principles, and the Times says the struggle between him and the sitting member, Mr. Best, was likely to be a sharp one.

The re-elections of the Ministers had taken place in the majority of instances without opposition ; but Lord Naas, the Irish Secretary, had been defeated at Coleraine by Mr. William Kennedy, on the tenant-right question ; and Mr. Whiteside, the Irish {Solicitor-General, succeeded at Enniskillen only by a majority of nine against his former antagonist Mr. Collum. On the subject of National Defences (which, amidst all the turmoil of parties, still engaged public attention,) the United Service Gazette states, — " The whole scheme of defence against external foes is, we understand, entrusted to the vigorous hands of Lord flardinge, who is now diligently employed, iix the intervals of his Ordnance duties, in drawing- uj) an effective plan. It will be remembered that' his Lordship is favourable to a force resembling the Prussian Landwehr. It may therefore be inferred that his scheme wil comprehend the establishment of some such home force." The .Revenue Returns for the year and quarter ending April sth showed a decrease oa the year of £707,558, but an increase on the quarter of £102,540. The results were considered satisfactory, as the defalcation was accounted for by remission of taxes, while the increase was chiefly in those items which indicate commercial and social prosperity. The subject of the conveyance of the mails by steam to Sydney had been brought before the House of Commons by Mr. F. French, who interrogated the Secretary to the Admiralty on various points connected with the contract. The following was the official reply : — "Mr. Stafford said the Australian Royal Mail Company had not yet entered* into a contract with the Government for the conveyance of the Australian mails. The reason 'that they had not done so, was that they were waiting for a charter, as they thought it would be more satisfactory to enter into a contract as a chartered company. Under the charter they were empowered to raise £500,000 first, and £1,000,000 afterwards. They had already paid up between £300,000 and £400,000, The first steamer would sail on the 3rd of June with the English mails. When the present Government came into office the first vessel was appointed to sail on the 3rd of May, but since then the day had been postponad until the 3rd of June. Two steamers were now being built at Dunbarton and London." It had since been formerly announced that the Charter was granted, limiting the liability of the Shareholders; and that there would be no delay beyond the 3rd of June. A deputation, headed by Sir W. Molesworth, M. P., had had an interview with Sir John Pakington on the subject of Transportation to Australasia. Sir John received them in a way which made a favourable impression ; but he gave the prudent and convenient answer that he would give the subject fuller consideration than during the short time he had held office he had been able to devote to it. We give the following scrap of news as we find it. Curiosity will be a little excited to know who is the " coming man" whose movements are enveloped in so much mystery : —

" The Canterbury Bishopric. — A clergyman has at length been nominated to the office, having received her Majesty's sanction. Lord Lyttelton and Mr. Sewell have had several interviews with, Sir John Harding, her Majesty's Advocate, during the last few days at Doctors' Commons, and the legal documents which arc necessary in such cases are in course of preparation. In consequence of a desire expressed by the bishop-designate that his name should not be made public before all the preliminary arrangements are completed, the greatest secresy is maintained, and the rev. gentleman's name has not been allowed to transpire. The seat of the bishopric will not, as originally intended, be at Lyttelton, but at Christchurch, and the new prelate will consequently bear the title of the Bishop of Christchurch. His diocese, will, it is said, include the whole of the middle and southern islands of New Zealand. — New Zealand Gazette. Major- General Campbell, R. H., (late of the 95th Regiment) had been appointed to succeed Major-General Wynyard as MajorGeneral on the Staff' at Sydney. The Morning Advertiser states that Lord Beaumont and his sister had seceded from the Church of Rome to the Church of England. The Hon. Mr. Stapleton, brother to the noble lord, had become a Protestant some months previously. Amongst the recent deaths we notice the names of Earl of Pembroke(to whose peerage Mr. Sidney Herbert succeeds) :— -Sir John Harvey, Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia : — Lord Rendlesham : — the Rev. Sir Harcourt Lees : — Mr. John Sealy Townsend, one of the ornaments of the Irish bar in its most brilliant days : — the Hon. Edward Montagu, only son of Lord Rokeby: — Prince Schwartzenberg, Prime Minister of Austria : — and the Duchess of Saxe Weimar, sister of the late Queen Dowager of England. It is with regret which, will be sincerely participated in here by all to whom the many estimable qualities of the lady of our former Governor were known, that we copy from tne Sydney Herald the following: — « Died, in London, on the 9th of April, Mary Henrietta, wife of Captain Robert Fitzroy, R.N."

The intelligence from France, -without presenting any very novel feature, exhibits the Prince President ruling at his own pleasure, and subordinating an apparently unresisting people to his will. He had opened the new Chambers with a self-com-placent address, in which he intimated that only the plotting of his adversaries could lead him to seek any greater power than he already possessed. He also declared in favour of pacific measures. Trust him who will! News from the Cape to the 29th of May represented the Kaffirs as still troublesome, — retreating only to advance again. From the seat of war in India, despatches from General Godwin reported that, early in April, Rangoon had been taken, but with a loss to the British force of 150 killed and wounded, the Burmese having fought with unexpected determination. On the sth of April Maraban was captured.

The Sydney papers are occupied to a considerable extent by the proceedings of the Legislative Council, the most generally intoresting of which had relation to the New Customs' Duties Bill,— the free-trade principle of which had been affirmed by the Council, but the details of the proposed Tariff' were undergoing close examination. Lord Grey's Reply to the Declaration and Remonstrance of the Legislative Coun-

cil bad been received, and is a document of much interest,even though his Lordship happily is out of power. We can only notice to-day that he absolutely denies, and elaborately argues against, the claim of the colonists or their representatives to the control over the Waste Lands or the Revenue accruing from them. The brief intimation -winch we formerly took from a paper of the Ist ult. of disastrous floods in New South Wales had been realised to a frightful extent. In the Murrumbidgee district, an inundation had swept away Gundagai, with a loss,variously stated, but at the least not less than from seventy to eighty persons. At Wagga Wagga and other localities also property had been destroyed to a large amount. Subscriptions were in progress for the relief of the surviving sufferers. The principal items of Gold and Commercial news will be found in another -column. Flour it will be observed was quoted at £23 and £21 per ton.