New Zealand spectator, AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, October 11, 1845.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 53, 11 October 1845, Page 2

New Zealand spectator, AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, October 11, 1845.

The effect produced by the news of the recal of Captain Fitzroy has, of course, been (different according to the difference of class lamongst those at present resident in the settlement. To the< first comers amongst the settlers whose career has been, from no fault of theirs, so truly disheartening, the news caused unmitigated joy, and to the settlers generally it has given heartfelt satisfaction. Could it have been otherwise ? As we said in the tenth number of this journal, December 14th, 1844:— " No other man could have demolished a character and the remains of a colony, in so short a time as Captain Fitzroy has done. The prestige of a new Governor vanished ii 1 1 a fortnight. Philo-maorieism, or rather prostration at the feet of filthy savages, was gazetted as the only road to preferment. A Maori Exemption Ordinance, and a Maori Land Trust Ordinance, quickly followed; folly could no farther go without declaring that the white men had been imported expressly to furnish Maori pic-nics ; and thus has Captain Fitzroy shewn himself to be the saviour of the colony. Again we say, that if it cost some thousands to set things right, the blame of the necessity must rest with the Colonial Office, who by its acts, and by those of its servants, has done all the mischief." Since this was written the infatuated bein^, whose appointment as Governor was only one amongst the many almost incredible acts of the Colonial Office, has never exercised his power in one single instance for good of any kind whatsoever. Disappointment, vexation, ruin, and despair have awaited a vast number of the colonists subjected to his insane tyranny. Defeat, disaster, and death, in the most horrible forms |pve attended his operations in war. The costs of all this both to the colony and to the mothercountry, need not, if it could.now be estimated. Let us for the present be grateful for his removal. Let us,as loyal subjects, rejoice that the Queen has stopped the madman's hand. Captain Hindmarsh, the first governor of South Australia, played the fool at some expence; and Colonel Gaw-» ler displayed his incapacity on a still larger scale. Sir John Franklin's incompetency was bad enough, but the aggregate of their follies was, as dust in the balance compared to the weight of Captain Fitzroy's execrable career. To be vain, haughty, rash and fickle, to be always and every where meddling, and hardly ever rightly, were the lighter defects of his character. He was, moreover, false, treacherous, unmanly, and, we believe, from sheer incapacity, remorselessly cruel.

What his reception in England.^when judgment has been passed on what he has done, since the date of his recal may be, concerns us little ; but we are quite sure, that in the colony he will not leave a single friend. No man will ever be found to say a word in defence of this dishonoured gentleman. Thus much, we believe, may be correctly stated as to the opinion and feeling of the colonists. We are not quite so much aufait as to the government officials, and some of our readers may think that the opinion and feelings of this tribe are not worth noting. In one point of view they certainly are of no importance. It cannot be of the slightest moment, for example, to learn what a body of persons, not possessing any property, and therefore not having any interest in the prosperity of the colony, think about the qualities of its governor. Beginning with Major Richmond, who is a proprietor of land at Auckland, and ending with the meanest official, there is not a single one of the staff who ever gives a thought to the settlement except in reference to his salary. The settlers, therefore, have no right to expect any benefit from their communication with a new Governor. On the contrary, and in this point of view only are these official gentlemen worth notice : they may inflict serious injury on the settlements of Cook's Straits by depreciating every man and thing connected vi ith them. We do not say that they would wilfully misrepresent, but we sincerely believe that it is not in their power to fairly state the whole truth. We repudiate any idea of charging them with the contemplation of the suygestio falsi, but in the very nature of things they will be guilty of the suppressh veri. The most important question for this place will be the change of the capital, and it is not conceivable, that those whose official existence depends on no change taking place, will set all the advantages of one before a new ruler. Supposing the war in the north brought to a satisfactory conclusion, that is, that British honour had been satisfied, and British supremacy had been established, every impartial mind must agree that it would be folly for the local government to at Auckland. Apart from unanswerable reasons for placing the capital near to the great body of the colonists, the late bloody collisions with the Maories have demonstrated the mischief arising from placing [ it near a large native population. The souudness of the opinion promulgated when the colonization of New Zealand was first seriously talked of, namely, that it should be tried in those parts where there were few or no natives, has been signally and frightfully vindicated. To the attempt to coionize in the very midst of the aborigines we owe the upholding of the system of protectors, fraught with countless evils, to which have been lately added war with all its startling horrors. Can it be expected that all, or any p'*rt of these reasons for establishing the capital in Cooks's Straits, should be impressed upon a new Governor by Aucklandites, resident in Wellington, whose occupations will be gone the moment Auckland ceases to be the seat of government ? The settlers must therefore be prepared to inform the coming Governor upon this and other important subjects. They must be ready to point out the mischiefs apart from the cost of maintaining a hive of drones like the officials in the southern district. One mischief, arising from the idleness of these sinecurists, is their constant railing at the settlers, by calling them radicals, revolutionists, and so forth; but no matter, for their days of office are numbered, and they themselves, we think, must entertain some horrible suspicions on the subject. The stereotyped smile, which, like the government seal, is used by them all, has degenerated into an hysterical giggle. In another week it will have become a fixed and bitter grin. The continued existence of this useless body will of course be considered by a new Governor, together with the whole expenditure of the colony, so thoughtlessly increased by Captain Fitzroy. Amongst other things, we trust that the extravagant expences of administering the law will attract his notice. At the late sittings of the Supreme Court at Auckland there was not a single case, either cj v il or criminal; and at the late sittings at " ML

Nelson only one civil case, from the preceding sittings, and one or two petty criminals. Ought the colonists to pay nearly £2,000 per annum for Judges' salaries only during such a state of things ? The hest rule to follow is that of Captain Grey in South Australia, which was to cut down the expenditure to the level of the income, and no sensible man will have undertaken the governorship without full power to do all that is necessary^ to accomplish this object. Thanks to Captain Fitzroy's folly, the income to Government cannot amount to more than £10,000, and his successor must cut away with an unsparing hand to bring down expenses to this sum. There is, doubtless, plenty of room for retrenchment at Auckland, where several sinecures were created by the late Governor. At this place he also appointed a Superintentendent at £600 a year, with a Secretary at £250 ; and an Interpreter, who speaks nothing but English, at £90, without delegating power sufficient to get the Custom-house boat new painted. The old settlers know that when there was a vast deal more business for Government offices than there is now, that is when Mr. Murphy was police magistrate, that he did the duty of half-a-dozen of the present places, and did it better than it has ever been done since, at a salary of £250. We shall watch very closely what may be done by Captain Fitzroy's successor on this point of economy, for there is no better test of the fitness of a colonial Governor than his behaviour respecting it. If a useless place exists it must be abolished, or if above the limit, its occupant must be suspended until the Queen's pleasure be known. The system called the Protectorate has been, and is, a source of infinite mischief, but we have not space for the discussion of it today. It is a gigantic evil which demands and shall receive adequate exposure.. Upoi this subject, however, as upon all others, our efforts must be of little avail unless supported by the voice of our fellow colonists. As soon as Captain Fitzroy's successor arrives, he should, by means of resolutions passed at public meetings, be informed resIpecting the past and present state of affair^, and be advised as to the future. There is talent and intelligence among our fellow colonists fully equal to any that may be imported from England, together with an amount of experience which would be invaluable to a stranger. Let the talent, intelligence, and experience of all classes be combined and brought to bear without delay. God knows, we have suffered enough from Captain Fitzroy by deferential waiting for Government measures : let us this time recommend our own.

We have received many complaints of the general inaccuracy, and to say the least, the occasional unfairness of the reports of legal proceedings which have been inserted in this paper. It is of course impossible that we should maintain a reporter, and we have necessarily been dependent upon the accuracy and good faith of the party from whom these reports have been derived. Believing that such complaints could not have arisen unless they had been well-founded, we have determined upon receiving no more reports from the same source for the future.

Theatre, — On Wednesday evening last theatrical performances were exhibited for the second time this season, at the Britannia Saloon, The house was well filled, and the performers acquitted themselves very creditably ; and the audience appeared highly amused with the evening's entertainment.

On Saturday night there were illuminations in Wellington in honor of the joyful news of Captain Fitzroy's recal; and several bonfires •vere lighted in different parts of the Town. On Monday night the Governor's effigy, after being paraded through the Town, carried by three Maoris, was burnt in a large bonfire, and other unequivocal demonstrations have been given of the joy the settlers feel in having been relieved from Captain Fitzi'oy's rule. Every one appears to be satisfied that the worst is past, and confidence and hope are rapidly reviving.

New Zealand Staves. — The casks shipped by the Nelson were inspected on their arrival in London, and approved — the leakage not having exceeded that of the best oil casks. But it is stated in a letter to a firm here, that the Canada and Baltic staves are now imported so low under the new duty,' tha* oqr sttrei

«tnnot compete in price with them. They will still, however, be an important article of export to the neighbouring colonies, and in great request for our own consumption.

Stock of Wheat in Van Diemen's Land. I n t he Geelong Advertiser of 24th July is an estimate of the stock of wheat now in Van Diemen's Land. The result is 450,000 bushels; consumption of 70,000 persons, 350,000 bushels : but from the purchases madfe for Sydney and the Cape, it was expected there would be 100,000 bushels short in February next.

We have been favoured with the following extract of a letter from a commercial firm in England, dated 14th May. 1845, to their correspondents in this place : — "You will perceive that the Colonial Minister has recalled Capt. Fitzroy, and we understand prompt and energetic measures are forthwith to be adopted for the relief of the colonists, but who is to be the new Governor is at present all conjecture. One thing, however, is pretty certain, that affairs generally are likely to recover with you, and that very soon, and there is now an evident" move for emigration ; and if people are satisfied with the new Governor, and what Government mean to do, it will be on a very extensive scale."