The New Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 685, 6 November 1852, Page 2

The New Zealander.

Bo just and fear not: Let nil me ends tliou aim'st ;it, be thy Country's, Thy Gon'b, and Truth's..

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, NOV. C, 1852.

The Spencer from Melbourne arrived in our harbour on Thursday night. She brings no mail, but by the kindness of one of the passengers,— Mr. John Kerr, of the Tamalu,— and of Capt. Martin, we havca number of Melbourne papers containing English intelligence, brought down to the 7ih of August by the Y. and 0. Company's steam-ship Formosa^ which reached Melbourne on the 1 6th of October. The summaries in these journals contain a gi'cat variety of English news— not in a connected or satisfactory form indeed, but still including many particulars of considerable interest. On the subject of special interest to us, however,— the New Zealand Constitution Act— we have not been able to find a single panicle of information. Our diligent search has not been rewarded by the discovery of even a solitary English reference to that or any other subject connected with this colony. The Melbourne papers in our hands do not reach far enough back to give any account of the proceedings in Parliament while the Bill was under consideration ; and we must prolong the exercise of patience until some new arrival shall place us in possession of the much-desired information. Having no English papers from which we might expand or in any way improve the summaries given by our Melbourne contemporaries, our only course is to lay before our readers the chief items as they have presented them. This we do at considerable length in our other columns. The scantiness of the material thus afforded restrains us also from offering any detailed comment on topics on which we are so imperfectly informed. We only notice here that the subject of paramount interest was the issue of the General Election. The returns had all been made before the Formosa sailed ; and amongst our extracts will be found a classification of the members according to their supposed political principles, — viz., as "Ministerial," "Liberal," and "Liberal Conservative," as given by several of the leading London journals. Without looking at the number, we could have predicted that the Ministerial papers (such as the Morning Herald and Post) would calculate a decisive majority in favour of Lord Derby's Government, and that the Opposition papers (such as the Globe and Chronicle) would have found in the returns an equally clear majority against his Ministry. Which of these classes the Times should be placed in it is impossible to tell, as no one can know from one day to the next in what direction that eminently conspicuous, but pre-eminently versatile weathercock will point. Any general conclusion as to the result of the elections, howocr, must of necessity be vague and uncertain. Speeches made at the hustings do not always furnish a trustworthy assurance of the line which the candidates will pursue when they become members; and it is only when a few divisions on testing questions have taken place in the House, that any clear judgment can be formed as to the actual numerical strength of the respective parties. It seems tolerably certain, however, that there would be a decisive majority against a re-enactment of protective duties ; and most probably, on other qucsions of political conflict, parties would be so nearly balanced as to warrant the expectation that the Session would be one of hot struggles and doubtful divisions. The new Parliament was likely to meet {about the end of last or the beginning of the present month. We lake some local extracts from the Melbourne pape.s which exhibit in a striking manner the distress and confusion arising from the e\liaordinary influx of immigrants from England. Captain Chisholms letter is especially graphic in its descriptions of the misery in which ninny, on their landing found theinsehes plunged. Means were in progress to provide temporary accommodation for the teeming thousands ; but as thousands and thousands more were following it is to be feared that even such accommodaion could scarce!) be provided in propor-

f ioi) lo tho necessity. Companies for every variety of purpose conncetod with Australian Gold had been formed in England ; and se\eral of them had already lived out their day and died oil*. Amongst the announcements we have observed one of the " Melbourne Golfl and General Mining Association," which we notice as it came before the public with the name of a gentleman formerly resident in this colony. The Advertisements are signed "W. F. G. Scrvantes, Secretary."