AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 22, 8 March 1845, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

Our new Chief Police Magistrate, John Jermyn Symonds, Esq., has commenced his official duties. When we heard that the late police magistrate was about to proceed to England, we were in hopes that his Excellency would have appointed from among- the magistrates, in the district of Auckland, a gentleman to conduct the police department. A police magistrate ought to be a gentleman of inteligence and experience, with a sufficient knowledge of law to enable him to decide the cases which may come under h s jurisdiction, without postponement or reference to a barrister. Although Mr. Symonds may have received a liberal education, and possess as much intelligence as other persons of his age, yet he cannot have acquired sufficient experience, or legal knowledge, to enable him, satisfactorily to fill the office of a police magistrate. When Mr. Symonds first arrived here, he obtained the situation of an assistant surveyor, and we do not think that he shewed any greater talent .or industry than the other young men who were employed on similar duties, When appointed assistant to Mr. P. M. Macdonough at Wellington, Mr. Symonds, we understand, ;for some time attended at the police office there, and affected

tp be studying " Burns Justice " and " Plunkets Magistrates Manual," but did not raise any great degree of respect for himself, as a magistrate, by the exercise of a certain supercilious taciturnity of demeanour towards the public. When the New Zealand Company was about to purchase Otago, as the site of "NewEdinburgh," Mr. Symonds was appoiiited on behalf of the Government, to ratify or sasb r tion the purchase of the land from the natives,^ but he returned two or three times to Wei-' lington without carrying into effect the simple duty which he was required to perform, and, we believe, the main ground of difficulty arose from the supposition that the Company's Chief Surveyor, Mr. Tuckett, did not shew to the fullest extent, that degree of deference and respect which Mr. Symonds conceived due to his dignity, — but, if so, such punctilios would not have prevented a person of more experience from performing the service on which he was employed. — Ibid.

New Government Schooner. — That very beautiful schooner which was built a short time ago in Mechanic's Bay for the Govern r raent, has been neatly rigge I and fitted out under the superintendence of Capt. Rough, and she proceeded last Tuesday on a trial trip. Shefis likely to be a very fast sailer, and we think may answer every purpose for which the brig Victoria is kept at so muck expense. That brig will, we understand, be sold. She would make a good whaler, and might be purchased in shares by our merchants and traders for that purpose. — Ibid. Brig " Nimrod." — We understand that Dr f Imlay, with his usual spirit of euterprize, has become the purchaser of the brig Nimrod, and We believe that gentlemm intends to load her with timber for the Isknds. We should be glad to see finur, the produce of our soil, accompanying the timber, so that a return cargo .might be purchased by that exported. — Auck< and Chronicle..

Native Korero. — On Friday last, a great" number of natives from Waiheke and* Waihow assembled in Mechanic's Bay for the purpose of settling their conflcting claims to a tract of land in the neighbourhood of the Thames. The Chiefs kept up a vehement discussion for about two hours ; but after flourish of Tomahawks, and a wrestle, a mutual understanding was at last arrived at by the respective claimants, aided, no doubt, by the intimation from the Government that neitner party would be permitted to sell, until the matter was fairly arranged. — Ibid.

The Southern Cross, (January 11,) has a long article on the disturbances by the natives at Matakana, a place about twenty miles from Auckland. After detailing the outrages the Editor observes :—: — " Under these circumstances the question, naturally arises — what is to be done? are we tamely to submit to periodical visitations of this description, and run the risk of losing our lives as well as pur property — or are we to be protected as well as the natives ? The time has now passed when half measures can be adopted, dnd we have every reason to believe that his Excellency is fully alive to this fact." He expresses his doubts as to the policy of offering at reward for the apprehension of the offenders, and says :—: — " We are aware that the Government are placed in a veiy awkward predicament: the few troops which they have at command are young and inexperienced — and it is a crying shame that the Home Government have not • placed a larger military force at the disposal of the Executive ; still we cannot lose sight of the fact, that the weak and vacillating policy of the Local Government has been the means of losing that moral influence which we held so Iq ng over the natives, and which .policy has %

also beea the means of entailing upon the various persons who have suffered by the outrages of the natives, those losses and insults which have been perpetrated upon them." And concludes by hoping :—: — " That no compromise will be made for this outrage ; but the termination of similar affairs, give us no warrantry for its being settled any better than all the previous ones, and we shall therefore watch with a jealous eye the final result of the measures now in the course of adoption. Apologies of the most ample description will not compensate for what has been done, and it is high time that compounding felonies should have an end." The Government Proclamation was published in the Wellington Spectator of February 15.

Native Meeting. — On Tuesday last a considerable number of maories assembled at the Royal Hotel, in consequence of a notice inviting them to meet, for the purpose of taking into consideration the warlike transactions of John Heki, and also for ihe purpose of expressing their opinions as to the Protectorate. About one o'clock Tauiwa, tbe chief of Waihau, arrived with his followers and was placed in the chair. The old warrior's head being profusely decorated with feathers, and his remarkable countenance closely tatooed, gave him rather an imposing appearance as a chairman. The meeting orginated in the dissatisfaction of Paura chief of the Nga-te-Paoa, a man who sold his land at the Barrier to Mr. Wm. Ahercrombie, and had arrived with his people in Auckland for the purpose of receiving the payment ; but the Governor not having waived the right of pre-emption, it created a good deal of discussion between Mr. A. and the natives, they being desirous that Mr. A. should pay them for their land. Of course this was not acceded to, and Paura having accused Mr. Clarke of a direliction of duty, they were assembled at the Royal Hotel for the purpose of expressing their disapprobation of a line of conduct on the part of the Government officers, which prevented them receiving payment of land which they had willingly sold to Mr. Abercrombie. They also expressed their willingness to do all they could to support the Government ; but they could not do so when they were deprived of the right of selling their lands to Europeans they had long known and respected. One of the Nga-te-whatua tribe, at the commencement of the proceedings, proposed that all the paper money should 3>Wsent away and gold and silver imported in lieu- of the debentures, a motion which was unanimously carried. It was submitted to the meeting by one of the Nga-te-Poa tribe, that in consequence of the interference of Mr. Clarke they could not sell their lands — that they had no confidence in that gentleman — that they did not require him as a protector, and suggested that he should oe discharged, and that an interpreter who would state fairly the speeches between the natives and the Governor should be appointed. After some discussion, as to the difficulties which they experienced in selling their property, they unanimously agreed in stating their want of confidence in Mr. Clarke as protector and interpreter, and that they did not wish him again to interfere in their affairs, Taniwa then left the chair, and, upon the distribution of some bread which had been provided, the natives quietly dispersed without entering upon any debate as to John Heki's transactions.