AUCKLAND. [From the New Zealander.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Saturday, December 13.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 73, 28 February 1846, Page 3

AUCKLAND. [From the New Zealander.] LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Saturday, December 13 .

The Legislative Council met to day pursuant to adjournment. The bill empowering the Governor of New Zealand to regulate the importation and "sale of arms, gunpowder, &c, was read a third time and passed. The Governor then remarked, that with reference to what had fallen from an honourable member (Mr. Whitaker) yesterday respecting the debentures, he wished it to be understood distinctly that he had no intention of making any alteration in the payment of them. He proposed paying the interest halfyearly, and he thought it probable that the first Tuesdays in April and November would be the days appointed for that purpose. He was prepared, as he had already stated, to take op the debentures to the amount of £9,000 ; .but there not being sufficient specie in the commissariat chest, and not being able to negotitiate bills on the British Tieasury, be was apprehensive that a little delay might arise in liquidating the whole amount of £9,000 : he had, however, sent over to the neighbouring: colonies for a supply of specie, and he trusted that not much inconvenience would be felt from the delay. His Excellency, in continuation, stated that her Majesty's Government -and himself also, when he was appointed to the Go-

vernraent, conceive* that only £15,000 -in debentures had been issued; but the- Council would imagine his astonishment at finding that the issue had exceeded £36,000. He had also been instructed by her Majesty's Government that the expenditure the colony was about £26,000, but on his arrival he found that it exceeded £42,0003 Under these circumstances, which he had not been prepared to expect,he felt that be.hadbut one course to pursue ; and that was, pubHdy- to state that he . would not pay any expensesthat had been' incurred before his assuming the Government. He would at once acquainßhe Home Government of all the circumstances ; and he trusted that no length of time would elapse before he should be in a position to meet all demands against the Government. "Until then, a small rate of interest would be allowed on such sums as he was unable to *pay. He would, however, continue to meet the expenses of the Government establishments as he had found them on assuming the Government,' to' the end of the year ; and as soon ••as he could possibly find sufficient time he would eadeavoui^to reduce the expenditure of the colony to an approximation of the revenue. The Council then adjourned. By a Government Proclamation, dated the 21st January, it is declared that the Queen has been pleased to confirm and allow the following Ordinances : — No. 2. An ' Ordinance to make temporary Provision for the Constitution of Juries. (13th Jan., 1844.) No. 7. An Ordinance for the-Relief of Persons Imprisoned for -Debt. £25th>Juae, 1844.) No. 8. An Ofdinanre'to establish Courts '©f ' Requests for the more easy and speedy recovery of small debts. (27th June, 1844.) No. 10. An Ordinance to amend an <f Ordinance for Licensing Auctioneers." (29th June, 1844.) No, 11. An Ordinance to amend "an Ordidance to facilitate the transfer of real property, and to simplify the law relating ' thereto. (4th 1 July," £844,) * No. 14. An Ordinance to amend an '* Ordinance to provide for the summaTy reemefy of compensation for damage done by Cattla trespassing." (11th July, 1844.) No. 15. An Ordinance to amend "an Ordinance to regulate summary proceeedings before Justices of the Peace." (16th July, 1844.) No. 16. An Ordinance for the admission, in certain cases, of Unsworn Testimony in Civil and Criminal proceedings. (ICth July, 1844.) No. 19. An Ordinance to provide a summary mode of abating the nuisance of Dogs wandering at large in towns. (17th July, 1844.) No. 20. An Ordinance to remove doubts respecting tb 6 legal estate in lands granted" to land claimants. (17th July, 1844.) No. 21. An Ordinance to amend "an Ordinance for regulating the Sale of Fermented and Spirituous liquors. (17th July, 1844.) Private -Ordinance, No. 2. An Ordinance for the Naturalization of certain German settlers in the colony-^jf New Zealand. (16th July, 1844.)

Constitution of the present Council. — The Governor is president, the Governor has two votes if occasion require ; three 'Government officers support him, with the avowed disqualification that they are there to vote and to speak as he requires ; and, finally, the Governor has the power of veto on a hill after it lias passed, if be choose to exercise it. No bill can be introduced but through the Governor, and with his sanction ! ! Was there ever in the history of fact or fiction anything so supremely ridiculous, but worse than this, so downright wicked as all this hypocrisy ; knock down the puppets and leave the despot Governor in his true colours 1 Captain Fitzßoy was not ashamed to display all his power over this mock Council. When he introduced the Militia Bill, he said it was only to see how they liked it, for, though they were unanimous in their wish for it, he should ' certainly veto. The so-called independent members ought to foave got up- and left the room. TJponianother occasion Captain Fitzßoy said, interrupting the debate, that it was no use arguing the case, for he intended the bill to pass as it was, and of course he could make it do so in a moment, spite of all. Such is the monstrous mockery of a Legislature, from which Sir Robert Peel invites us to escape into a Representative Assembly chosen by r the people: and shall we pause and waiver arid' hesitate? No ! citizens of Auckland up and be doing ! meet, agitate, petition through Captain Grey, and re-establish your birthright ! Look, reader, over the list of ordinances, and ask yourself whether a tithe of that contradictory mass of absurdities could have passed a house composed of members elected by the people. The thing is manifestly impossible? nothing but an unchecked egotism could have brought them to birth. Let our cry be A Representative Government, — Auckland Times, Dec, 6.

The Press and the Bah. — An amusing trial is pending on the western circuit, in which the bar mess are plaintiff's and the bar reporter* are the defendants. The bar mess principally consist of gentlemen who do not

report for -the (London and the defendants of those who do. The plaintiffs sit in the Court without briefs, and read newspapers ; the defendants have but occasional briefs, and write for the newspapers. The Unemployed cannot earn their dinners, while the employes of the paper* earn them and their wine to boot. This is the sole distinction ; > for the counsel whose brief existence is marked by golden-opportunities have notyet discovered ; that the occupation which has been followed by some of the greatest ornaments of the bar and the bench is degrading, and objectionable. The law reports Quoted as authorities before •the judges, have all, or very nearly so, been supplied by barristers — their legal knowledge enabling them to give the points of the case in a few lines 4 while the mere reporter^ however shrewd he may be, would find half-a-column insufficient for the purpose, and if he mistook the points at issue, would do a serious injury to his employers and the public, and invalidate the authority of precedents. The ,s>lea of the occupation being degrading is ridiculous, because the labour is intellectual as well as mechanical, and its object that of making- known the law, and providing materials for the instruction and guidance of the practitioner. There are few of the mess who make the objection who would sciuple to receive a fee for getting a pickpocket or any other rogue out of a mess, and if there be degradation at the bar at all, we should rather impute it to the defender of a scoundrel than to him who reports his exposure. The legal reporter must be a man of intellect, and is 'therefore the more likely to be a gentleman 4 a mere messman is not required to have any intellect as all, and may therefore have no to the character. Numbers of I young-men at the bar have no privatejproperty, ; -and, until they have acquired a standing iv their profession, find an honourable and profitable resource in reporting-; take this means away from them, and they may be driven to expedients which would not reflect .oredit upon their profession. Tke bareness is in the wrong, and the sooner they rescind the resolution of excluding legal-reporters from their table, the more inclined the public may be to suppose -there may be some talent after all -among the many gentlemen who rejoice or languish under the designation of the ** briefless barristers of the western c\tcu\t" -Hampshire Advertiter.

Ardennes Hams. — The means of living at Dinant are worth a passing comment. Noi thing can equal the richness of the milk, the bread -and butter are both excellent, the water is delicious, and the eggs and vegetables are plentiful and cheap. The Meuse and the many streams that water &c valleys produce abundance of fish — trout, grayling, and perch ; and for those who are fond of them, the ditches yield crawfish of an enormous size, the largest being sent to Brussels, and often sold in the market there for twenty francs each. Hares, partridges,. .pigeons, gr-eves, and geliaottes are abundant, and of exquisite flavour ; the mutton of the Ardennes vies with its venison, and for the epicure there is one dish that is incomparable ; this is thzjambon de Baeiogne, which we found so good that we begged the chef to give us his receipt for curing it, and here it is ; — "'The ham is cured in a brine of salt, saltpetre, and aromatic herbs, viz, a few hay leaves, wild thyme, and a handful of juniper berries, and a little garlic. It is steeped for about six weeks, and then dried in the smoke of the chimney, over -a wood fire. Whan wanted for dressing it is -buried in the ground for twentyfour hours, and then boiled with the addition of the same aromatic herbs, in the water. After boiling, the bone is taken ©at, and the ham is pressed under a heavy weight." A.s a corollary to the dressing, it may be added that it often happens that the ham, when produced at table, disappears at one sitting.— CosteUo't Tour. The butler of a lady at the West End lately } requested that she would look out for another, I as he was about to retire from " service." Being pressed for his reason, he said, " Why, ! ma'am, I have been rayther fortunate in railways ; I have made 400(&" ** But how could you make so much V* "Why, ma'am, I dates my letter from your house, and it being a werry swelly situation, I gets my shares; for, if they make inquiries, you know, ma'am, T answers them myself."

I Advertising. — There is but one way of t attaining * business ; publicity — one way of | gaining publicity ; advertisement — tbe newspaper is tbe fly-wheel by which the motive power of commercial enterprise is sustained, and money tbe steam by which tbe advertising is kept going.— Blachcood's Magazine.

1 Governor -and Establishment -1,248 4 6 2 Col. Secretary & Printing Estab. 1,412 19 10 3 Law Officers of the Crown . 447 18 4 4 Colonial Treasury . . . 889 611 -5 Geuncil -Office . . . 353 17 6 -6 Audit . . . • . 253 16 6 5 7 Customs . . . 1,757 13 10 8 i Superintendent of South-Division 582 S 11 9 Judicial: — Supreme & Coroners 2,138 11 3 10 Sheriffs and Gaols . -. .'1,864 710 11 Magistrates and Police . . 4,917 4 H -12 Survey Establishment . .1,716 11 0 13 Public Works, &c. . . 2,205 -I 3 44 Colonial Vessels ... 1,430 4 2 '35 -Harbour -Establishment . -. 908 17 3 16 Ecclesiastical and Schools . 365 0 0 37 Medical . . . . 31 3 0 IS Aborigines , 1,837 8 6 £24,360 15 3 49 General Contingencies — Land Claims Commission . 1,776 9 6 '- Local Courtt . . . 970 15 2 Registry . . . . 252 10 0 Imprests .... 3,784 17 6 Refunds of Customs dudes . 666 16 4 „ Property rate . 10 40 0 Bills drawn on British Treasury, and not accepted . - 723 8 7 N. Z. Company's settlements 429 8 3 Survey of Manukau Harbour 416 8 3 Interest on Debentures . 141 5 0 -Relief to destitute persons ♦ 282 10 4 Native Trust . . . 210 15 0 Purchases of land . . 99 11 3 Parkhurst^boys . . . 40 3 0 Gunpowder from the JDon'4 <<Knov> „ . . 31 1 3 Presents to aborigines acting with troops . . . 395 9 6 Stationery and fuel . . 183 7 6 Postages . . . . 103 14 3 Militia 306 5 3 Passages on public service . 105 16 0 Boat hire for troops . . 119 810 Freight of vessels . - - 180 0 0 Arms and rations . - 34 5 6 Defences at Auckland, Sec. . 339 9 4 Miscellaneous . . . 24 17 6 "- — - — £35,769 18 10 I Balance for service of next quarter 15,213 0 81 £50,982 19 6|

Revenue. £ t. d. Balance remaining from 1844 . 4,421 2 9 Actual Receipts. 1 Customs .... 3,335 15 >«6 2 Property rate . . . 1,457 11 2 3 licenses — £ •*. *£. Publicans' . '997 0 0 Auctioneers' - 954 9 8 1p951l p 951 i 9 € H^Fees and Fines — Supreme Court . 340 2 -2 Tolice Court . 376 6 6 Local Courts . 224 IS « Lattfl titles & dcefl 427 15 0 Registration 86 15 2 Waiving preemption 19 3 7 1,475 1 2 1 ~-G Sales of Crown lands . -. 227 7 2| 6 -Occupation-license * . . . 20 5 O 7 Sales of stores 123 5 0 S Sales of printed papera . . 23 9 8 9'Jllent of- Powder Magazine . 5 16 JO Imprests repaid . . -2,648 10 4 11 Surcharges - . . ♦ 18 18 7 12 Debts due from individuals . 316 13 4 13 Crown's moiety of a seizure . 19^11 6 14 Bills on Hobfcrt Town . . 82 0 0 15 Miscellaneous - . - . . . 14 12 2 Auxiliary Receipts. 1 Debentures — Interest, 8 p f cent. £l,sso o*o „ 5 „ 21,448 0 O Without interest 2,203 5 0 25,101 35 -0 2 Parliamentary grant . . ,7,913 -40 0 3 Bills on British Treasury, for -N Z.. Company 's settlements 1,737/10 0 4-50,982 19 6

Expenditure.

Liabilities* Debentures. £• -»• «• Total amount of issue £46,591 4 4 Withdrawn from circulation 9,776 5 0 -J 36,814 19 4 Bills drawn on British Treasury, re« feeed acceptance outstanding this day, exclusive of interest '. . . . 400 0 0. Draft-on Sydney unpaid, exclusive of interest WO 0 0 Amountof salaries&c, of Northern District in warrant for payment . 1,400 4> 0 Balance due to her Majesty's Go-on-accoynt of advances for immigration, civil services,&c. aaper annexed statement ..13,321 13 10 £58,939 13 -2 Assets. Amount of specie in the Treasury chest .. .. .. 227 9 4 Sums due by private individuals, exclusive of the debt due to the Crown by the late Collector of Customs .. ..£575 0 0 Deduct doubtful or bad debti 303 0 0 272 0 0 j&&9 « 1 .. ..53,440 4 1 £53,939 13 2

A'STATBMEtw of the Assbts and LutMiroiM of the Colonial Treasuiit of New Zealand, on the 15th November, 1845.

Returk of Revenue and Expenditure for three Quarters, commencing Ist January and ending 3<M> September, 1845.