AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, January 31,1846.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 69, 31 January 1846, Page 2

AND COOK'S STRAITS GUARDIAN. Saturday, January 31,1846.

During the last twelve months we have repeatedly demonstrated that the effect of placing the seat of Government at Auckland, at so great a distance from the principal amount of population, has been practically to leave the settlements in Cook's Straits without any Government at all. Until this monster grievance is removed, it is in vain to hope for any permanent improvement in our condition ; the Southern Settlements will still continue to be the victims of Capt. Hobson's original mistake; their energies will, as heretofore, be wasted in contributing to the necessities of the Government settlement, and in supplying the means of prolonging its precarious existence. The following facts will fully bear out our asser- . tion, and will serve to shew the intolerable evils of the present system. Since the arrival of the Government brig Victoria, Nov. 13, bringing news to the Ist Nov., the only arrivals we- have had from Auckland are the Elizabeth; and the / don't know, the latter bringing a- stray newspaper of Nov. 22d, by which we were accidentally informed of the arrival of our new Governor in New Zealand, but of this fact the settlers in Cook's Straits have" as yet received no official intimation. During this time several events have occur-

red at the North materially affecting the interests of the Southern Settlements, hut we have been informed of them only through Sydney, from which there have been five arrivals at regular and convenient intervals, four of them subsequent to the last arrival from Auckland. During the same period four vessels have sailed from this port for Auckland, three of them subsequent to the last arrival from thence. So that, as we have often before taken occasion to observe, for all practical purposes, we have more intercourse and are more intimately connected with Sydney than with the present seat of Government. There are now at least two English mails for this settlement, if not more, lying at Auckland waiting for an opportunity to be forwarded to their destination ; these have been sent from Sydney, according to official routine to the capital, thereto grow stale and out of date, to the serious injury and interruption .of business, to say nothing of the disappointment and anxiety felt by the settlers in general at not receiving their letters, -while, as we have shewn, repeated opportunities have occurred of their speedy transmission, if they had been sent direct to Wel.lington from Sydney, instead* of 'by way of Auckland. It is impossible to imagine any establishment more useless to the Southern Settlements' than'the Post Office according to «the present official arrangements. The overland mail has been discontinued through caprice, or wantonness, and all the English letters by way of Sydney are sent to Auckland instead of being forwarded to Wellington direct. And >yet it would be very easy for the local Government to remove these inconveniences, and in doing so to confer a substantial benefit on the Cook's Straits settlers. In like manner the settlers' have learned that, in obedience to instructions from Lord Stanley, which were set aside by Capt. Fitzroy, an attempt has been made by Gapt. Grey to remedy the mischiefs caused by onr former vitiated and inconvertible currency, and to restore the circulation toe.' sound' and healthy state. A proclamation has been/issued by which the ' Debentures are recalled and certain terms are for .their redemption. The amount of Debentures in circulation is stated to be £36,000, and at least j£IO,OOO or nearly a third of this amount was in circulation in this settlement. But the settlers only obtain this information which more or less affects the interests of every man and depreciates his property, through the casual receipt of an Auckland newspaper. Debentures at once fall to a considerable discount, and if taken at all are received at one-fourth less than their nominal value. They are refused at the Custom House, -although no officialintimation oftheir withdrawal has been received: and while the authorities . repudiate the Government paper they have no means at their disposal to carry out the proclamation, and withdraw the Debentures from circulation. The salaries of the Government officers are unpaid, all demands on the Government remain unsatisfied, then* creditors are told to wait, the Government is placed in a state of bankruptcy, and its machinery, as. far as regards money matters, stopped, solely on account of the seat of Government being placed at so great a distance from the great body of settlers. Again, we learn in the same -indirect and casual way, that fresh reinforcements have been received, and that the war is renewed with increased vigour. An attack was to be made on the rebels on a certain day, all sorts of rumours are rife, and the settlers are placed in a most painful state of anxiety and suspense, from which there seems no present prospect of then- being relieved. We bear that Pomare, the faithless, treacherous Pomare has deserted from the British camp and sided with the rebels. This Chief is connected by affinity or relationship with all the principal chiefs in the southern district, and his example may have considerable weight in determining their future conduct, for aught the local Government may know to the contrary, but no measures of precaution are adopted to guard against any mischief that may arise in this quarter.

We ' have thus noted a few facts wlkicte tend most strongly to shew the baneful effect Ihe remote position of the seat of Government has on the southern settlements. We refrain iirom making any observations on these facts, they speak for themselves, — they are of every day occurrence, and illustrate the working of the present system. The more the Southern Settlements increasein number and influence, the more intolerable this effect will become. And there appears to be no other remedy for this injustice than either at once to remove the seat of Government to Wellington, where it ought originally to have been established, or to sever the connection with Auckland, and erect the Southern Settlements into a separate and independent colony.

Wx have omitted to notice the establishment, on Lambton Quay, of a Russian Vajpour Bath, from which many of our fellow colonists have derived extraordinary benefit.. iThis Bath has been erected more than a month, and many persons affected by Rheumatism and other complaints having resorted' to it with success, have given us information on the subject, which want of space has hitherto rendered us from laying before our readers. The following account of the mode of cure, and manner of taking the Bath is extracted from a foreign work : — "These Vapour Baths are inestimable as a sure remedy for numerous diseases, by their equalising and increasing the various secretions. These. Baths may be used at any time of the year, the time of day is equally indifferent, but they ought never be taken immediately before or after a meal.' It is advisable to Bathers not to take any wine, spirituous liquors or other heating beverage before the Bath, but a glass of fresh water, water and sugar, 'lemonade, or weak tea is recommended. The patient ought to walk gently to the Bath, that he may not arrive •there in a heated state. After you have undressed yourself in the ante-room, you open the first door to the bathing room, enter it and close it carefully behind you before you open the second door, through which you then enter into the Vapour Bath, shutting the second door -also carefully behind you. To avoid any unpleasantness from the sudden change of incline your head downwards and walk to the shelves and lay yourself down on the lowest one, where you remain for a minute or two, after which you ascend to the second shelf, keeping your head as well as your whole body as much in a horizontal position as the act of moving will permit. Here you remain, inhaling as freely as you can, the hot vapours, until you are in a profuse perspiration. Then you descend to the floor where you Stand upright ; take one of the whisks, rub on it some soap, aud with it whisk your body well, raising the whisk repeatedly into the highest Vapours to fetch them down as hot as -bearable on your body, and particularly on those parts affected. This exercise, as well as the friction caused by the whisking on the skin, having now increased the heat of your body to an excessive degree, you walk under the shower bath, pull the wire, and expose every part of your body to the shower, which highly refreshes you, and at the same time cleanses your body from the soap and little leaves of the whisk. You now ascend to the second shelf, and a few minutes afterwards to the third, if you can bear its temperature until your body is thoroughly heated, then descend, walk to the inner door, pass in, and shut it carefully behind you, before you open the second door, through which you pass quickly into the ante room, shutting the second door also carefully behind you. Then jump into your own blankets, spread on a mattrass, wrap yourself well up from head to foot, call out for the attendant, who will then cover you, up with as many blankets, as will keep you; in full perspiration, to which you are here subjected for about half/an hour. After which period, having gradually cooled down, you get up, rub your body dry with towels, dress youi self quickly and leave the Bath." For ourselves we can only say, that several persons having used the Bath, have assured us that they Eave experienced immediate relief from it. We understand from them that the prevalent idea that people are apt to catch cold after using it is altogether unfounded, and that at all events, it has a negative recommendation not always possessed by novelties in medical treatment, that is, that if it does not immediately cure a patient, it never does him any harm. The feeling of elasticity pervading the whole body on leaving the Bath is particularly agreeable, and lasts for some time afterwards. This is succeeded by a great appetite and an inclination to repose, which insures a light yet sound sleep during the night. We recommend all persons wishing to get rid of aches

»dpains,andtogenerallyenliYenthe system, to try this Bath. The Attorney General might experience great benefit from it. ,