New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1846.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 86, 27 May 1846, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1846.

We have received communications from some correspondents finding fault with us for not giving a full account of the negligence and fatuity which caused the catastrophe of the morning of Saturday before last, and telling us that no blame attaches to his Honor the Superintendent, because he is not the com-

manding officer of the district. We cannot absolve his Honor in this off-hand manner, as although Major Last is the senior officer in command, and although the Superintendent cannot interfere, in a strictly military sense, beyond the limits of the town, where martial law pievails, still, as regards the settlement, he represents the Governor, and to him all points, whether military or civil, or being a mixture between the two, must be referred. Besides, his Honor has intervened in the direction of affairs. In one sense of the word, he cannot indeed be said to have acted, for he has done nothing, or rather has neglected to do what any man of common intelligence and foresight must per force have done ; but in another sense, he has been all action, by approving of hesitation, delay, and supineness, by neglecting the plainest warnings, as well as by rejecting proffered assistance, before the mischief took place ; and ever since it happened, by giving credence to every idle alarm, and harassing the whole population from morning to night, and from night to morning. We think, therefore, that instead of deciding that the Superintendent is blameless on the narrow ground taken by our correspondents, he stands convicted of his usual incompetency throughout the disastrous period during which soldiers have been surprised, the settlement put in jeopardy, and its progress retarded for years. We are not, however, ignorant of the faults of others besides the Superintendent. We believe that the scheme of the Governor for protecting the settlement and ultimately settling the Maori question has for the present been frustrated by the conduct of all those entrusted with its execution, and we conceive that it has happened thus. After getting rid of the Maories on the Hutt, his Excellency decided on bnilding a block house and maintaining a post of a hundred men somewhere about Mason's section, considerably in advance of the picquets surprised by the natives. Instead of this being done, the Superintendent and his coadjutors objected to the amount of the tenders for building the block house, and the Governor yielding to them, the soldiers fell back to Boulcott's barn, where they were attacked. We know that this movement was looked upon by the natives as indicative of fear, and they cried out that the soldiers had retreated. More than this, Capt. Hardy who was appointed to command at this spot, was removed to the Stockade at the Bridge, and a subaltern officer was sent to take the command in his place ; the number of the men at this post being at the same time reduced. Thus there were only 42 men under a subaltern, instead of 100 under a Captain, as the Governor had arranged. Co-existing with this arrangement was established a post at Porirua of about 150 men, which Major Last commanded ; and as it was intended to effect important purposes, the senior Field Officer ought not to have quitted it. One purpose of the post at Porirua was to keep the road open, but the great one was to watch, and, if necessary, to annoy Rangihaeata. The Governor's scheme no doubt was to prevent the fighting taking place on the Hutt or near Wellington, and he conceived that if the officer commanding the post at Porirua harrassed Rangihaeata on his side, and the Captain in command of 100 men were alert at the upper station on the Hutt, this object would be effected : the town he considered would be safe with 100 soldiers, the militia, and the Calliope frigate. Now what took place very soon after his Excellency had quitted the settlement ? As we have stated, ' Capt. Hardy was removed to the Bridge, and the post at Boulcott's was reduced to a subaltern's command ; and a few days previous to this arrangement being made, Major Last quitted his post at Porirua, and came to reside in Wellington. The mischievous effect of these irregular changes of position will be appreciated by any one considering the position of Rangihaeata. He was situated on a spot where, his provisions having been exhausted, he was forced to go or do something. The post at Porirua prevented his getting out in

that direction, and therefore he decided on making his way to the Hutt. He was like a rat in a drain with a brand at one end of it. If, however, Major Last had remained at his post at Porirua and kept him in play, fear would have made him quiet, and if the post had not been removed from Mason's, or if that at Boulcott's had been strong enough, and the bush cleared around it, no attack would have taken place there. So much for the mismanagement of Major Last, from which has resulted the loss of six soldiers killed, four wounded, and one settler dead of his wound ; but this is a trifle, lamentable as is the loss of life on the occasion, compared with the wide spread effects of rhe disaster. Its occurrence has shaken the settlement to its foundation, by causing the outsettlers to leave their land as well as by inspiring every inhabitant with alarm, of which the injury by reverberation, from England and from wherever New Zealand is known, will be felt for years. Notwithstanding the faults committed by those intrusted by his Excellency the Governor, we believe the opinion of the public to be that he himself, after the first movement against the Maories by which they were driven from the Hutt, allowed himself to be impelled hither and thither by those around him, so as to have no decided plan of action, and quitted the settlement with great anxiety because he had not perfected the work he had so vigorously commenced. Of this at all events we are quite sure, that Wellington and its neighbourhood are more in jeopardy than it has ever been since its foundation, and that unless something decisive be done with the rebels, the result of Capt. Grey's proceedings will have been exceedingly disastrous to this settlement.

Thb following, we believe, is the present disposition of the military force stationed in this settlement : — 100 men of the 58th regt. are at the camp under Capt. Hardy (who has resumed his former post) and Lieut. Page, and 43 men of the same regiment are under Lieut. Herbert at the Stockade at the Hutt Bridge; 78 men of the 58th regt. under Capt. Laye and Lieut. Pedder, and 74 of the 99th regt. under Capt. Armstrong and Lieut. Elliott are stationed at the camp at Porirua, who are under the command of Major Arney. In addition to the above force there are 9 of the Royal Artillery under Lieut, the Hon. A. Yelverton, and 25 of the Royal Marines from H.M.S. Calliope under Lieut. Fosbrooke, also at the camp at Porirua. There are also 34 of the 58th regt., and 29 of the 99th regt. under Capt. Russell at Jackson's Ferry at Porirua. The remainder of the force is in Wellington under Major Last, the senior officer in command.

On Saturday evening a Meeting was held of the Tliorndon Volunteers, Mr. Tomkies in the chair, when the following gentlemen were unanimously elected as officers of the corps : Capt. Sharp, to act as Captain A. de B. Brandon, Esq. . . Lieut. Mr. Spinks, Ensign The ahove nominations have been forwarded to the Superintendent for his approval, and have been confirmed by him.

Yesterday Morning, at 7 o'clock, the Te Aro ~Vo4unteers had their first general muster, when a hundred and twenty men assembled on the parade ground. They already number one hundred and fifty strong, and it is expected their force will be increased by further additions to their corps. It is intended to form them into two divisions, each division to niuster on parade ground every morning alternately during the week, and the whole force to assemble on Sunday morning. They are divided into companies, under the command of sergeants, each company keeping guard over the district to which it belongs. The force was formed into line and went through the various evolutions in excellent style. The number of militia at present enrolled is one hundred men.

On Friday last a meeting was held of the Magistrates of this district, when it was unanimously agreed to address a letter to Major Last, urging the adoption of active measures. The letter of the Magistrates, with the gallant Major's reply, will be found in this day's Spectator. An address has been issued by Major Richmond stating that in the event of any alarm iwo guns will be fired. The guns at Thorndon Fort have been put in order and placed in charge of a gunner from H.M.S. Calliope. The carriages of the two guns at

the head of the bay will also, by the di-ection of Capt Stanley, be repaired by the carpenters of the Calliope, an.l the guns will be rendered fit for service. A pirty oftheTe-aro natives returned yesterday afternoon from the Hutt to their pa. They report that the rebels had returned again to the Hutt. Their fires were seen on the hills on Monday night. Epuni on Sunday arrested a native formerly in the service of Mr. Molesworth on the ch;irge of being a spy of the rebels. A good deal of uneasiness existed in the town yesterday from the various reports in circulation of the intention of the rebels to attack the outseltlers.

The news of the attack on the camp by the rebels was taken by the Cecilia, which sailed on Wednesday, the Captain having promised to ride overland from Kaijiara to Auckland, a journey of two days, with the despatches. Mr. Perry also promised to proceed in the Uncle Sam, which sailed the following day, from his station on the East Coast to Auckland with despatches \ so that we may reasonably calculate that in the course of next week his Excellency the Governor will be apprized of what has occurred.

Last Sunday being the anniversary of the biith-day of ber most gracious Majesty, si royal salute was fired at 12 o'clock in honor of the occasion from H. M. S. Calliope, and the British colours were displayed from each mast head of the vessel. On Sunday Queen Victoria completed her twenty-seventh year. The following day (Monday) was kept as a holiday at the Bank, Custom-house, and other public offices.

Wb are sorry to state that Serjeant E. Ingrain, who was wounded in the late attack on the camp at the Hutt, died of his wounds on Monday morning at 4 a.m. He was buried yesterday with military honours in the Public Cemetery. The coffin, on the top of which were placed the cap, sword, and sash of the deceased, was borne on the shoulders of four soldiers,- and was preceded by the firing party with their arms reversed. Four seijeants supported the pall, and a company of the 58th regt. under Lieut. De Wintou, and a party of the armed police, followed the body to the Cemetery. After the funeral service was concluded, three vollies were fired over the grave. The funeral service was impressively performed by the Rev. R. Cole. Hail Storm. — On Saturday evening about five o'clock, the town wasvisited with a heavy hail storm accompanied with thunder and lightning. The lightning was very vivid, and from the loud crashes of the thunder it appeaied to burst immediately over the town. Some of the hailstonps which were picked up measured nearly an inch in circumference. There had been frequent heavy showers of rain throughout the day. This autumn has been unusually wet, and there have been more thunder storms during the last two months than have occurred at any previous period since the f utidation of the colony. In connection with the late changes of the weather, we may mention that on Monday the hills on the eastern side of the harbour were covered with snow, as were also the hills at the back of Wade's Town. The Tararua range appears also to have received its winter covering of snow.

Enormous Pumpkin. — A very large pumpkin grown in Mr. P. Wilson's garden, was brought by the Katherine Johnstone on her last trip from Wanganui. Its girth lengthwise is four feet three inches, its girth transversely is four fee 1 , the circumference of the sialk is six inches, and it weighs sixty pounds. It lies for the inspection of the curious in horticultural matters at Mr. Wain's store.

Our readers may remembei our having given an account last November of a robbery committed by a Spaniard named Emanuel, who stole two horses from Wellington, and proceeded with them to Otaki, where he robbed Thompson the son of Te Rauparaha of 83 sovereigns, with which he contrived to escape in the Bee to Sydney. He has lately returned to New Zealand, and was apprehended at Akaroa by order of Mr. Watson the Police Magistrate on the 17th Feby. last, on board the French whaler Manche, and having been put in irons was placed in confinement in the blockhouse. He contrived however to effect his escape two days afterwards through a hole which he worked uuderneath the foundation of his prison, and though every possible search was immediately made, no tidings have since been heard of him. A good deal of property was found in his possession, which is in the hands of the Police Magistrate at Akaroa, but no money, and he denied ever having heard of such a person as Te Rauparaha.

Theatricals. — Owing to the present unsettled state of affairs, the performances advertised in last Saturday's Spectator are postponed for the present.

Wellington Savings Bank. — Dr. Featherston, Mr. James Dun, Dr. Fitzgerald, and Mr. 11. Hart, the Managers in rotation, will attend to receive deposits at Mr. Ross's office, from six to eight o'clock on Saturday evening, the 30th May, and at the Union Bank of Australia, from ten to twelve o'clock on Monday forenoon, the Ist June.

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator. Sir,— l am directed by the Magistrates of this district to lequest you will have the goodness to give insertion in your paper of the following correspondence for general information. I am. Sir, Your obedient Servant, R. S. CheesemaN, Clerk to the Bench. Police office, May 25, 1846.

(Copy.) Police Office, Wellington, 22d May, 1846. Sir, — It having been rumoured that the troops under your command are to remain on the defensive, I am deputed by the Magistracy of this district, to represent to you their unanimous opinion that active measures should with the least possible delay be forthwith commenced against the insurgent natives, so that their pa may be invested and the operations of the force be confined to the neighbourhood of Porirua. The Magistrates are convinced that unless such measures be immediately taken to restrain the incursions of the hostile natives, the friendly tribes will lose all reliance on the s-ipport of the military, and will soon become disheartened. Any further delay will moreover doubtless increase the number of the insurgents, and give them confidence in their strength. _ The Magistrates hesitate not to declare their assurance that the Militia, the Volunteer Corps, and Armed Natives of this district, will cheerfully afford their aid and co-operation in any way advisable for the accomplishment of the above named objects. I am desired further to add, that should the forward movement now recommended be put in execution, the Magistrates feel satisfied that the arrangements at present made for the security of the town will be perfectly efficacious, and that no attack on it will be attempted. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, (Signed) Henry St. Hill, P.M. Major Last, 99th regiment, Commanding the Troops, Wellington.

(Copy.) Police Office, Wellington, 22d May 1846. Sir, — I have the honor to enclose for your information, at the request of my brother Magistrates, a copy of a letter addressed by me to the Officer commanding the troops in this district, and to earnestly solicit your support of the course we have thought it our duty to recommend on the occasion of the present circumstances of the settlement. I have, &c, (Signed) Henry St. Hill, P.M. His Honor the Superintendent.

(Copy.) Wellington, 23d May, 1846. Sir, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of yestei day's date, representing the opinions of the Magistracy of the district, to the effect " that immediate active operations should be commenced against the insurgent natives, and the operations be confined to the neighbourhood of Po-irua, and unless means are not immediately taken to restrain the inclusions of the hostile nath es, the friendly tribes will soon lose all reliance in the support of the military, and will soon become disheartened," together with other opinions and valuable advice relative to this important object, for which I beg to thank them. It is always satisfactory to rece've information from those acquainted with the localities of the country and native customs, but at the same time the movement of the troops must be left entirely to the judgment of the person who is responsible for lm actions to higher authorities, viz. — the officer commanding the troops. I have the pleasure of informing you that I went yesterday to the Hutt, and at Boulcott's farm had an interview with the native chief Epuni, whose advice I have taken into consideration. He and his followers appear in good spirits, and busily employed locating themselves. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, (Signed) Edward Last, Major 99th Regt., commanding troops Southern District. Henry St. Hill, Esq., &c. &c. &c, Police Magistrate.

South Australia. — The rumours which have been long prevalent respecting the imposition of a " Royalty" or tax upon the produce of mines, have been confirmed. Governor Robe has issued a s-t of regulations under which, in all lands to be hereafter alienated, one fifteenth of the produce of mine? is to be the property of the Queen, but is to be expended for the benefit of the colony. The opinion of the Attorney and Solicitor General of EnglancUhas been taken as to the proposed course, and they consider the tax may he legally enforced. The colonists appear to be exceedingly annoyed at these propositions, and a rqeeting was to be held to petition the Queen on the subject. The great demand for labour at the mines has had the effect of reducing the quantity of land in cultivation.

The Spectator in an article on the recent disputes between the Bar and the Press, has the following excellent observations :—: — "There are as many branches and classes in

the newspappr as in the legal profession ; newspapers as we]] as the law have their sneaking pettifoggers and their shameless Old Bailey bullies. But the newspaper business has become a separate profession, as distinctly maiked out — as permanent as that of merchant or lawyer, and embracing within it as many different classes of industrials. The newspaper combines the character of a daily (or weekly) register of events, and a machinery for the more advantageous publication of pamphlets. The leading articles of newspapers have almost superseded pamphlets. The newspaper business is not a purely literal y, but still less is it a mere mechanical one. To succeed in the profession a man must combine, with no inconsiderable powers of precise and extempore composition, and with considerable tact in selecting topics, discrimination of character, judgment of events, and some skill in mercantile and private financial concerns. In England at least, the writing of a newpaper is subordinate to its management. The managers give the tone to the newspaper press : and prudence, if no higher motive, impresses such habits on them as commands respect from men of average conventional morality ; for they are protected by no exclusive privileges, and are exposed to rivalry and competition from all quarters. This is the character which the managers of newspapers must assume, if they have it not naturally ; and all who hope to rise in the profession must do the same. The newspaper is a necessity of social life : and in our youngest colonies, our provincial circles, as well as in the metropolis, to be connected with the press lends a man influence and respectability, provided he conducts himself like a gentleman, and understands his true position. The amount of capital invested in the business, and the peculiar character and talent required to manage with success, warrant its perpetuity. Though not incorporated into inns of court or guilds, the newspaper interest belong to the great educated capitalists' class, and are the equals of the bar in society. "

Conquests and Colonies. — No special revelation is needed to foretell what is about to happen in India. The Nizam's territory is about to be incorporated into the British dominions ; which are, moreover to be rounded off by the annexation of the Punjaub. John Bull is nerving himself for this increa>e of propeity with the most exemplary resignation. " The Lord'b will be done," says John, while he sighs to think how many sleepless nights await future India Directors and Boards of Control. This coming event presents in strong relief an anomaly of human nature. Speak to almost any of our public men about founding a colony, and he looks grave at the idea of extending our already overgrown dominions. He will ulk in this strain of the little territoiy of Natal." But remark to him that another movement must be made towards the acquisition of the whole Indian peninsula, and he scarcely mutters a remonstrance. The two things are seen through such different media. Of colonising he heais from quiet, industrious men, who wish for lands to till ; it is with them a matter of business, and no concern of his. He cannot bring himself to take an interest in it ; the scheme has no place in the conventional categories of a routine politician. But of Indian conquest he hears from soldiers, and officers of civil government, and diplomatists. He has all his life been accustomed to any business transacted by them as necessarily political. Conquest is an affair of vast importance to the State ; colonising, a mere vulgar trading speculation. He listens willingly to amateur philanthropists, who talk of the injustice of settling industrious Europeans on miles and miles of country which only half-a-dozen savages visit when hunger or humour leads them ; the good men are only talking of matters that any man can understand. But if the same amateur philanthropists talk of the injustice of occupying by conquest territories densely peopled by tribes having permanent homes and laws of their own, he turns a deaf ear to ihem, for they are talking about politics which he cannot comprehend. And thus John Bull is burdened with dependencies which he must hold by armies, instead of being supported by colonies which could help to govern themselves. — Spectator.

The Chemical Farm-yard. — We lately visited one of the scenes of our youth. It was formerly a farm-yard. We found it strangely altered. At a distance we took it for a factory : where stacks of hay had stood formerly, there were now only stacks of chimneys, and ricks were replaced by gasometers. A dense cloud hung over the spot ; and on our nearer approach, instead of the old familiar cackling, quacking, crowing, lowing, and bleating, we heard only the hissing of a steam-engine ; except a f^w cries of animals, apparently in a state of suffering. We missed even the sound of the flail ; but, as we soon found^ there was little' corn Jo thrash. The place had been converted into a chemical farm-yard. On entering the pre-

mises, once redolent of other matters, our nose was assailed by a strong smell of chlorine. This, we found, was occasioned by an experiment which was being tried in a neighbouring out-house, on some black sheep, for the purpose of turning them while by the bleaching properties possessed by the gas in question. Where the horsepond was formerly we observed a large tank, which turned out to be a pneumatic trough. Under what used to be a cow-shed stood a galvanic battery of monstrous size, which a rustic, who would evidently have been more at home in feeding pigs, was supplying with buckets full of blue vitriol. " "Now, then, Jem," said a man apparently the bailiff, who was standing by, to another labourer, " put them there wires into that water: woot?" The other instantly seized both wires of the battery at once, and received a shock that nearly dislocated his shoulders, " There, now," exclaimed the bailiff, "Doesn't thee know better nor that? One at a time to be sure, thee Mozus!" Then, applying his hands to his mouth by way of a speakingtrumpet, he bawled out to a fellow crossing a field about half a mile off, "Hollo! I say there. Where best thee a goun' to w' that die zulvadalirae? We had never heard such a word before in a iarm-yard, nor yet, exactly, in a lecture-room, but we guessed that the substance so denominated was sulphate of lime. Similar eries — as, "Where's them Catbnutts?" "Lave alone they phosfoots, there," and " Come 'ather wi' that are oxhide," resounded in all directions. Hearing a great thumping in a barn which had been still left standing hard by, we ventured to look inside, where we saw a dozen ploughboys at as many mortars, pounding away with all their might. They termed the substance they were operating on "zilax." We begged to know what zilax was, whereupon they burst into a hoarse laugh and said, "Why vlint stowans, and pebbles ; what else shouldst think?" On enquiring as to the results and mode of farming, we learned that the cropshad last year all Tailed, owing to a slight mistake in the composition of some experimental manure, but that the quadruple produce confidently expected the next would make ample amends for that misfortune. We iound the stock of poultiy very small, and extremely sickly. They had been fed on medicated grain for the purpose of fattening them, but the grain had been over-medicated, and too much of a good thing had killed most of them, and made all the rest ill. The cattle and sheep had likewise undergone a course of medicine, as was plainly indicated by their appearance. — Punch's Almanac.