AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume I, Issue 50, 20 September 1845, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

H.M.S. Hazard, Captain Egerton, proceeded to the Bay of Islands on Tuesday last, and the barque Slams Castle, with one hundred and thirty men of the 99th regiment, will proceed likewise on Monday next. On Thursday night a small cutter arrived from the Bay, and it is stated that the excellent native chief, known by the name of Williams, hitherto an indifferent passive observer"of the war existing, has joined Nene, -and, in con"junction with him, has driven Kawiti to the Kowa-kowa. But we should imagine that, for the presept, very active measures will be taken by tup nattveWon either-side^fsir,now; is their plantingr-season* aad all will be^ busyproviding food for the future summer. We would most earnestly call the attention of the Local Government to the fact that Heki obtains supplies of gunpowder direct from Auckland. The supineness and negligence evinced with respect to the importation of arms and ammunition, by this Government, is really astonishing. Every vessel from Europe, America, or from Sydney, brings fresh supplies, which can only find a market with the natives : and yet, day after day passes, without any prohibition or penalty for thus vending the means of our own destruction ! — Truly, there are no bounds to the ruinous infatuation prevalent in our Councils, guided by the prejudiced, mistaken, false philanthropy of the Protectorate. Although there is at present a temporary cessation of hostilities, let it not be imagined that there is any change "of feeling for the better on the part of the disaffected natives at the Bay of Inlands or elsewhere. Again; we I would warn tlie Government not, to, be lulled into false security, by deceptive • information or fallacious reasouiug on the motives and | acts ot the natives. We repeat* that throughout the whole island, with bfii" little exception, a grea* portion of the native population is ripe for revolt. We are on a slumbering volcano ot rebellion and bloodshed which may burst fort!, when least suspected. The least temporizing, or symptom of supineness now, vyill but hasten the crisis. which will render the colony one universal battle-field for some ' years to come. We understand the detachment of the 96th regimei.t, now stationed here, under Lieut.- , Colonel Hulme, will shortly leave to join head- quarters in Van Dieuen's Land, — at, well as the 99th, under Colonel Despard, for New South Wales, as soon as the remainder of the 58th regiment arrives from Sydney. H.M.S. Daphne, Captain Onslow, arrived on Monday last .Torn Callao, South America, via Tahiti, having also touched at the Navigator Islands, leaving Mr. Pritchard there m English Consul. The whaler Matilda, which left the port of Auckland at the end of March last, had touched at Valparaiso, on her way to England.

The Weather. — On Saturday night last, the weather suddenly changed, the wind blowing from the north-east, and accompanied with heavy rain. On Sunday the tempest increased with great violence, affd continued incessantly until Tuesday. The Barometer fill to 28» 80. In the town «f AaclfUnd

there was much damage experienced, particularly in Queen-street. Tht " Blue Bell Inn " was inundated, and the lower part of the house was considerably injured. The creek, the edge of which was so foolishly made the margin of the street, was as usual after heavy rains completely filled, so that the water found vent through all the houses between the jail and the beach. This evil and nuisance has long existed, and the same mischief will recur until the Government makfe a proper and sufficient water course from the swamp beyond tbe Court House, to the sea. This ought to have been done long since, and we think Mr. Nicol as well as others who may have sustained loss or damage by this flood, are fully and justly entitled to compensation. In Mechanics' Bay, the flood made a ravine on the road to the bridge, and quite altered the appearance of the beach. — Most of the vessels in the harbour rode out this tremendous gale very well indeed, excepting the Elizabeth, which parted from her anchors, and drifted into Cooper's Bay, but as she was not safe there, the Harbour Master got her off, and ran her into Hobson's Bay, on the soft mud, where she sustained no injury. The Wave, a small cutter, itr attempting to beat out of the harbour, capsized and sunk, but fortunately a boat was towing astern, and no lives were lost ; her mast is seen at low water, therefore there are hopes of raising her. A small schooner, presumed to belong to the natives, but none on board, upset at' her anchors and has since disappeared. The Flying Fish, coaster, also parted from her anchors, but was run into Hokao Bay in safety — New- Zealander. Purchase of Land from the Natives. — Notice has been issued from the office of the Colonial Secretary, for »11 purchasers of land from the natives to send in a statement of the actual consideration given for the property sa acquired. — Ibid. We understand, that the Chief Dtagoman, departed in the Government Brig for the North, for the purpose of accomplishing some deplomatic business, with our friendly allies ; but die nature of his business is of course a secret. It is said that Hall, of Exeter, with that solicitude which distinguishes all the acts of the Sublime Porte, has issued positive instructions to the Chief Dragoman, to hold no communications with the Rebel Pachas, as they have more than once th r eatened to shoot him, if in their power, for they assert (falsely no doubt!) that the Chief Dragoman is the cause of their present rebellion," and that it true interpretation had been given to their letters and complaints, by him, hostilities never would have been commmenced. But aceordingy to an old maxim, "It's an ill wind that blows nobody good," for it is said that one of the objects of the Chief Dragoman's visit is to arrange a contract for the supply of meat for the Troops by the young Dragoman ; therefore it is to be hoped that this valuable Citerer and officer will long be spared, for the goodoi the community. — Communicated. — Ibid. The communication between Auckland and the Southern settlements, is a matter that deserves the most serious attention of the Government, and some small vessel should be immediately employed in going to and fro, as near as practicable, at stated dates. Since the Government brig has been so much employed at the Bay of Islands, the communi- i cation with Ports Nicholson and Nelson has been completely interrupted. In these critical perilous times, it is of the utmost importance, that information on passing events should be constantly spread throughout all the European settlements in the colony. At present the settlers at Wellington, New Plymouth, and Nelson, receive their intelligence of events which take place at the Bay of Islands much sooner through the Sydney papers than from Auckland. The natives on the Hutt know very quickly all the transactions of Heki, and regulate their conduct accordingly. The anxiety <k the settlers to the southward must naturally be intense, regarding the military operations and their results ; and it is the bounden duty of the Local Government to establish certain periodical communication between all the settlements, for their united security in these eventful t'mes. Collision might take; place at Wellington with the Natives, and the Government remain for weeks in perfect ignorance. — Besides the expediency of such communication, on account of the present state of the colony, there arrives, frequently, a vessel direct from England with mails, and the settlers here remain for months without their letters. The mail by the Tyne arrived on the sth of July, at Wellington from England, nearly two months since, and has not yet arrived here. If some immediate measures are not adopted to secure regular communication with the Southern settlements, we would advise the settlers throughout the Co-, lony to petition the Government upon the subject. But the only hope for -the redress of this, as well as other obvious grievances, is a proper system of legislative representation.

Oun Pukssnt Armambnt. — Her Majesty's ship North Star has lately made an unexpected return from Sydney, and during the week H. M. Sloop Daphne, Captain On slow, 18 guns, has come into our port. The gay and gallant Hazard is still with us ; there is besides the Government brig Victoria, and we believe the Government charter of the Slnins Castle is continued. The D&dalus, expressly instructed to be with us, is daily expected, and there is a pertinacious, but, in our opinion, rathei untenable rumour of a steam ship of war being sent to this station. In addition to all this, detachments of the 58th, 96th, and 99th Regiments, under the | command of Col. Despard, and 200 men expected, furnish a paramount and sufficient force to convince the natives of the moral and physical impossibility of their prevailing, except by temporary accident, over British power. We hope, therefore, that Clarke with : his. temporising system, made up of cant and utu ! — Utu and cant in which he always gets the worst of the bargain, will now be thrown overboard. The Daphne was at Lima, when she took on board Mr. Pritchard, who had come across the isthmus of Panama with power to command the services of any man of war upon the station to convey him to the residence of his renewed position. He is invested with the Consulship of the Archipelago, but to prevent collision or disagreement with the French Authorities, has taken up his residence upon one ot the islands, of the group, called the Navigators' Islands. Every thing, as far as we can learn, is quiet at Tahiti. The Daphne is one of the hansomest vessels we have seen, is in excellent health, trim, and condition ; and having been up to this time, upon her cruise, has only lost two men. It was at the Navigators' Isles, that Captain Onslow heard of the ticklish position of Auckland, and he lost not a moment in cracking on to the rescue. The current rumour in the town is that a council of war at the Bay of Islands is to be held, to determine upon final movements, under ihe able judgment of the experienced commanders we have now the good fortune to rely upon. A Courtmartial is sitting in the barracks upon the conduct of Lieutenant Barclay, of the 99th, — he being charged with a want of personal courage and soldier-like behaviour on the day when Kororarika was sacked. The trial is proceeding with open doors, and we attended for the purpose of reporting proceedings, but were forbidden to do so ; the evidence being taken down* by authority, verbatim, may be made known hereafter. Col. De^pard acting as President of the Court, assisted by Captains Thompson and Snodgrass ; Adjutant McLeary acted as Deputy Judge Advocate with much patient, and very able, industry. The Court consisted of eight officers besides the Colonel President. The Court Martial which has been so many days pending upon thfc conduct of Lieut. Barclay of the 96th Regiment, closed on Thursday last ; the result will not transpire till it has been transmitted to head quarters, but we are happy to say that his friends, who have watched the enquiry, are sanguine that his honour will be justified, and his sword restore I. We have heard that this is the first Court Martial which has been held in the 96th Regiment since its fin>t enrolment. We understand there are now more alleged forgeries of debentures flying about, the preseut appearance is of the se wl ich bear the denomination of Five Pounds. We have seen one of them, and we give our decided opinion that it is an imprint of the government type ; how it can have got into circulation, without the addition of genuine official signatures, remains to be yet unravelled: — there are sufficient evils attendant upon this spurious paper currency, without any absence of care in its genuine issue. The public must be relieved upon this subject, and if it can be made to appear that the imprint is genuine, the Government should be bound to take them up, sinoe their officers have not the vigilance to take care of their own documents.

Who wrote the Postcript ? — Hitherto a sullen silence prevails upon this most interesting inquiry. A Government Gazette has been published since our last, but it contains no word of elucidation, retraction or apology for the lying postcript, which stands upon the record of our public annals to the everlasting disgrace of its secret author. The detail of the facts, the honest facts of the case are these : that about midnight preceding the morning, of which the honest part of Colonel Despard's despatch bears date, he was apprised by Tamati Waka of the fact that the enemy had evacuated the pa, but he, Waka, refused himself to intercept their flight, and counselled our similar forbearance, because of the intricate and unexplored passes through which the retreat was to be made, and which weie certain to be protected by preconcerted ambush. At three o'clock, a. m., as the really so far honest despatch testifies, the pa was in the

possession of the British forces, and the despatch was instantly sent down to Captain Johnson of the Hazard, to be forwarded for the information of the Governor. Such was was the haste exercised in this matter, that the messenger had delivered his intelligence on board as early as any messenger could onvey it. About two o'clock in the afternoon the body was discovered ; it was found buried with the clothes on. As soon as Colonel Despard had notice of this, be wrote again to the Governor, saying, that the body was found entire, which was presumed from the presence of the head and the four limbs. Subsequently, upon the preparation of the body for Christian interment, according to our decent and established practice, the horrible mutilation was discovered. Again, a third communication was sent to announce this fact. All three of these reached the hands of the Governor by the very same conveyance ; the Government Brig Victoria, simultaneously ; so completely so, as to make it a matter of accident which was fust perused, and yet we find the thir }, the final, the conclusive, the most important one suppressed in favour of the second, which was known to be incorrect : and this too was practised by the inconceivably dishonourable trickery of making a postscript with a forged signature to the first, of which it was a physical impossibility that it should form a part ! to increase the magnitude and deformity of this falsehood, it bears upon itself the damning evidence of its own conviction ; it relates first of all a fact that was yet to occur ; but it proves its own violation of truth by most gratuitously telling us the lie, that Captain Grant's body was found where it fell ! ! It is the fate of the inventor of falsehood, sooner or later to be seen to fall into his own snare ; but we cannot but admire the folly which could thus riot unnecessarily in that degree of extravagance v.hich must breed detection of itself; which must furnish pi oof, though all else were wanting. In order that the Home authorities should not continue under a cloud of delusion, it is absolutely necessary that this extraordinary misrepresentation should receive contradiction in the same official channel which afforded to j it currency ; and it is necessary besides that the fact of the soldier, roasted alive, and of Lieut. Philpotts' mutilation, after he had fallen, should also be put upon record. Exeter Hall sham sensibilities must not be maintained by the violation of truth, or by invention of falsehood ! however strenuous a man may be in favour of any theory, he must abide by the established principles of honor and integrity, or he will certainly only injure the cause he espouses. — Who wrote the Postscript ?