AND WELLINGTON SPECTATOR.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume III, Issue 144, 25 May 1842, Page 2

AND WELLINGTON SPECTATOR.

Wednesday, May 25, 1842. By the schooner Harlequin which arrived some time since from the Bay of Islands and the coast, we received two numbers (6 and 7) of the Bay of Island Observer. Hitherto we have neglected, from oversight, to acknowledge the receipt of these papers. The Observer we notice is the property of a Printing Company, and is edited by the gentlemen, who presided over the late Advertiser, which was crushed by Shortland and Co. We are glad to observe that it is evidently quite independent of the Government, and we wish it every success. Sure we are that if the Bay of Islands folks are aware of their own interest, they will take care that the Bay of Islands always henceforth possesses a press. A British Settlement in these days without a newspaper, will not be deemed of any importance, though it may, in fact, have a

flourishing trade. We shall be most happy to receive the names of those gentlemen who are inclined to become subscribers to the Bay of Islands paper. By the late arrivals we have Port Phillip papers up to April 22, 1842. They are not particularly interesting. Their Sydney news only reached up to April 10, and the newspapers from Great Britain are of comparatively old dates. The vessels advertised for New Zealand are the Two Sisters, 500 tons, M'Nair [McNair], via Sydney, and the Ben Navis, 318, for Auckand. The first two numbers of a paper recently established there, and entitled the Melbourne Times have reached us. The conductors of the paper have assumed as their motto " The welfare of the people is the first great law," and they pledge themselves in the leading article to an independent system of Colonial politics. In general politics they support no party except the right, and their religion is " bible christianity." The paper is published on Saturday evening, and the Editor on this account expects to reap a rich harvest amongst the merchants and agriculturists. On Sunday last, at half-past 9 o'clock A.M., we experienced a distinct shock of an earthquake. It continued for about four seconds, and felt like an upheaving of the earth. The thermometer in the shade indicated a temperature of 61°. The morning had been fine, with rather a fresh breeze from the N.W., accompanied with frequent whirlwinds passing along the surface of the bay. MARRIED.— On the 16th instant, by the Rev. Mr. Aldred, Geo. Compton, Esq., to Mrs. E. Dunn. DIED.— On the 17th instant at Nelson, Mr. S. S. Smyth White, of the firm of Wallace, White, and Wallace, Port Nicholson, of diarrhæa [diarrhoea] and dysentery, after an illness of about ten days, deeply lamented by his family connexions [connections], and by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. To the Editor of the " New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator." Auckland, April 5, 1842. DEAR SIR,—In reference to recommeding to you a correspondent, the result of some consideration and enquiries is that I am unable to name to you a single person in Auckland whose attainments and pursuits and I may add whose character (in respect to our New Zealand politics and sectional feelings,) are severally such that you would value his communications : in short I don't know, and I don't believe there is here a person of sufficient respectability, and whose qualifications would nearly satisfy you, who would he willing to act. I like your town very much, and I have formed a high idea of its future prospects. I have heard or seen every plausible current thing said or written against Port Nicholson, from the beginning to this time; and now that I'm quite learned in the labors of the Anti Port Nicholson sages, I'd rather live in Wellington than Auckland, even though the latter remain the state town. No acknowledged fact urged against the former ever had any influence ou my mind and, to say the truth, peculiarities of the place far less material and important determined my choice of Auckland, at a time when I gave the question no very serious consideration, for I believe nothing of greater consequence than the fact of your weather being occasionally boisterous and a desire to see this place made me come here. The Printing Company's establishment was bought yesterday by the Government for £1400, and is now its absolute property. The Herald is defunct, but by some sort of arrangement under the plea of accommodating the public, the Standard will be printed at the Government office. This paper has a nominal Editor, but every publication is a patchwork, manufactured by Shortland and Co. You will perhaps be surprised that the press here should on both sides have been of such an inferior stamp, but the fact is that there is not a man in Auckland who, however otherwise respectable may be his acquirements, is a practised or decent newspaper writer. They seem here, not to be much more fortunate in the preparation of their petitions and memorials ; and their recent documents of this nature, if compared with some of those which have appeared in your paper, form a striking contrast. The Governor, accompanied by the Judge and Attorney-General, started on Saturday, on a tour to the southward. I believe his route is to be to Kafia [Kawhia], up the Waipa some distance, and down the Waikato homeward. I suppose the result will be the concoction of some new views of the physical character of the country, with regard to the superior eligibility of Auckland— the value of its great boast the isthmus, " the connecting link between the east and west coast." That a whole community may be wrong the term popular fallacy would go to prove, and a greater fallacy was never attempted to be sustained or crammed down the throats of a people than this said one, and now the talk about the proximity of Manukau to Waitemata, is quite nauseating. If the folk here fancy that the Thames and Piaco [Piako] country or the plains or valleys falling and opening to the gulf bear any considerable proportion to the great extent of valuable country declining to the west coast, I fear they are trying to deceive themselves, and if they hug the notion that the greater part of the products of the latter—say the Waikato and Waipo [Waipa] districts will be dragged by and past such outlets and lesser ports as Kafia [Kawhia] and Waingaroa [Whaingaroa], I think they are nursing a delusion ; and he must have very vague and indefinite ideas of the natural features of the surface of the north island, and of the nature of our future trading operations, or he must reason oddly who does

not see clearly that the trade of Kafia [Kawhia] and Waingaroa [Whaingaroa] and perhaps even Manukau itself will be transacted, commanded by, and subordinate to Wellington.