The New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday July 4, 1846.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 97, 4 July 1846, Page 2

The New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday July 4, 1846.

On Wednesday evening the uncertainty and expectation which have lately prevailed, wei'e in some degree relieved by the arrival of his Excellency the Governor in H.M. Steamer the Driver. The news the attack on the camp by the rebels, did not reach Auckland until June the 18th by the Government brig Victoria, and the account which was taken up by the Cecilia some weeks previous, appears to have been communicated about the same time. His Excellency left Auckland the "week following, and owing to heavy weather experienced during the voyage, the Driver did not reach here until the seventh

day after her departure from Auckland. We hope his Excellency has been duly informed of the incompetency and mismanagement from which has resulted the present critical state of the colony ; we sincerely hope that he is by this time aware that both the settlers and the natives look to him alone to relieve them from their present difficulties. It would be premature to inquire if any difimtive plan has been decided upon, or to speculate at present on the intentions of his Excellency in his future operations against the rebels. "We shall therefore briefly content ourselves by stating such arrangements as we have reason to believe are decided upon. The road to Porirua, and that up the Hutt towards Wairarapa, are to be carried on with all possible despatch, and for this purpose his Excellency proposes to avail himself of the assistance of such of the Ngatiawas as may be desirous of engaging in the work. It is intended also to offer employment on the roads to all the labourers who are out -of work in the settlement. — We believe his Excellency proposes to visit every outpost, and to inspect the arrangements that have been made, previous to his return to Auckland. There is a. rumour current that there is some intention entertained of withdrawing the troops stationed at the camp on the Hutt, leaving the district to be protected by the settlers and the friendly natives. We hope this report is not correct, as it is impossible to say what would be the consequences of such a step. % Rangihaeata considers he has a quarrel at the Hutt, and if the troops were to be suddenly withdrawn, it would appear in the eyes of the natives a confession of inferiority, an acknowledgement of defeat. ft his Excellency has ever entertained the proposition, we hope he may be induced to pause before he carries it into effect, as such a step would be fraught with rain to the settlement. It is also reported that the

yresentrJcfensive system of operations is to be persevered in, and that all fresh reinforcements of troops that may arrive in the colony will be sent to Port Nicholson, until the present contest is terminated.

It is reported that his Excellency's stay at Wellington will not be of long duration as he is obliged to return to Auckland for the purpose of holding the Session of the Legislative Council.

In one of the numbers of the New Zealand Journal (Dec. 6.) received by the Ralph Bernal, is a short article referring to the. Minerals of New Zealand, in which our contemporary complains of the supineness of the colonists in not supplying information on this subject, and after stating 1 that cobalt exists in considerable quantities in some parts of the island, recommends "the beach combers of Wellington and Auckland to look out for an article which, when refined, is worth eight shillings per pound, as a more profitable employment than to enact the part of walking pests, bewailing their hard fate, and thus prejudicing new settlers against the colony ; the greatest misfortune of which is having them as residents." We can hardly suppose our contemporary so t&ughtless or so ungenerous as to impute to the settlers as a fault their present forced inactivity, arising out of causes over which they have' no control. So far as they have had the opportunity, the settlers have been earnest and active in the work of improvement, and if the present disturbances were quelled, and the settlers obtained peaceable occupation of their lands; the progress of the colony would be rapid and assured : the settlers would then have leisure to inquire into the mineral resources of the country, and render them available. This is the natural order of progression ; it obtained in South Australia, it will also obtain here : but when we are asking for bread we do not desire to receive a stone.

Official Appointments. — We are informed that J. J. Symonds Esq., has received an appointment as Commissioner for inquiring into some disputed titles to land at Mongaraki, in the Northern district. F. Thatcher Esq., has heen appointed Asssistant Private Secretary to his Excellency.

Major M'Claverty of the 48th regt», who has been appointed Quarter-Mastar General of the Australian colonies, has also been' specially appointed by the Home Government " for the purpose of undertaking the duty of giving his best assistance to the New Zealand Company in their selection of land, to aid in surveying the exterior boundaries of such selections, and to judge of the reasonableness of the terms of any purchase which the Company may make from the natives, with reference to the Company's right to reimbursement in land, in respect of money paid for such purpose." We believe that Major M'Claverty may be shortly expected in Port Nicholson.

When H.M. Steamer Driver was leaving this harbour on her return to Auckland with, his Excellency, one of the -seamen named T. Perkins, who was employed in loosing the foretop-sail, unfortunately missed hishold and fell from the foretop-sail yard on to the deck where he was killed on the spot.

A very heavy loss has heen recently sustaind at the farms in the neighbourhood ""of Lyall's Bay, from two dogs that have worried the sheep and in -a few nights have killed forty-five, and injured twelve more so severely that they are not expected to live. Two boys were in charge of the flocks and they succeeded in shooting one of the dogs, but after the boy who had fired re-loaded the gun, by some accident it was suddeuly discharged, and its contents carried away one of his companion's fingers.

We are glad to report the safe arrival of the Fanny Morris at Newcastle, New South Wales. As the Kestrel brought no tidings of her arrival at Sydney, considerable apprehensions were entertained about her, as at the time of the Kestrel's departure from Sydney, the Fanny Morris had left Nelson 51 days.

The wreck of the Mary Catherine was sold for £420 as she lay stranded at Kaipara, including her stores and equipments. The U. S. barque Noble which was towed into the harbour at Auckland by H. M. Steamer Driver, dismasted, was sold for £200.

There does not appear to be any apprehensions entertained about further disturbances from Heki, the war at the north is considered as put an end to by the iV&t campaign.

We understand that considerable anxiety is entertained about the safety of Captains Wilmot and Nugent, who left "Wellington to proceed overland to Auckland. They were at Taupo at the time the accident occurred by which Heu Heu and his people were overwhelmed, and at the time of the departure of the Driver from Auckland they had not since been heard of. The Bishop of New Zealand had set out from Auckland for the purpose of ascertaining if any accident had befallen them, and we trust his Lordship will succeed in removing the apprehensions which exist on their account.

We extract the following morceau from the South Australian Gazette. We can inform our* contemporary that recent events may hare clouded but they have not destroyed the prospects of .this colony, and that the settlers do not despair, if competent men are employed to carry out the measures necessary in the present crisis. If our contemporary was blessed with a good memory, he would recollect that but a few short years since a good deal of delusion prevailed with respect to South Australia. By an advertisement in the same paper we find that Mr. Fuller formerly of this place, who was branded as^ " a liar of the first magnitude" by the South Australian press, for his account of that colony, in a letter published in the New Zealand Spectator, has made his peace with the settlers there, and has established himself in an Inn m Morphett Street, Adelaide . — New Zealand. — We are requested lo direct particular attention to an advertisement calling a meeting to consider the best means of transpoiting to South Australia the poor deluded families who have been entrapped to New Zealand. We trust it will be numerously attended. — South Australian Gazette.

The Comet, which arrived last week from Twofold Bay, landed the whole of* her cargo of Stock in first-rate condition, not having lost a single sheep or head of cattle during the voyage. We have often had occasion to notice, in terms of praise, the good management shewn by Mr. Dun in his importations of stock, and the success which has generally attended his arrangements.

Wellington Savings Bank. — Mr. George Hunter. Mr. R. Jenkins, Mr. J. Inglis, and Mr. W. Fiuherbert, the Managers in rotation, •will attend to receive deposits at Mr. Ross's office, from seven to eight o'clock on Saturday evening, the 4th July, and at the Union Bank of Australia, from twelve to one o'clock on Monday forenoon, the 6th July.