New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, July 11, 1846.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 99, 11 July 1846, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, July 11, 1846.

The Zondon arrived on Thursday from Sydney with a cargo of sheeja and cattle. She left Sydney on the 23rd of June, She has been unfortunate with her cargo having lost more than half the stock during the passage. After discharging he; cargo the London proceeds direct to India. The latest English news received in Sydney was 'to the 18th February. Sir Robert Peel's motion for going into committee on the Corn Laws had been carried, but by what majority is not stated. The abolition of the Corn Laws may however be considered certain. In the London Gazette of the 13th February, the appointment of Sir Charles Fitzroy, as Captain General and Governor- in- Chief of New South Wales is announced. In the census -of Sydney for the year 1 846, the population of the city is stated to be 37,203 being an increase in the last five years of 7,230 or 24*12 per cent : the population of the Sydney district is stated to be 49,790, 'feeing an increase 'during the same period of 14,290 or at the rate of 40 per cent ; the number of Protestants was 24,864, the number of Roman Catholics 11,615 — the number of houses has increased upwards of fifty per cent.

Sydney Markets. June 20. — Best Wheat, 7s. 6d. per bushel; Flour, fine £18 to £19, seconds, £16 to £17 ; Bread, 21b loaf of best quality 4|d; Cape Barley, 4s. per bushel ; Oats, os. per bushel ; Maize, ss. to ss. 3d. per bushel ; Potatoes, £3 '15s. to £4 10s. per ton ; Glenlee^Butter, 3s. per lb. other sorts from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per lb ; Fat Cattle, from 60s. to 80s. per head ; Sheep, from Bs. to 10s. per head. The last advices from London quote Sperm oil at £75 to £S9, Black oil at £25 to £29, Bone at £155.

His Excellency's visit to Forirna has been deferred by business and other causes, hat it is believed that he will proceed there in the Driver to-day.

We have been favoured with the loan of a file of the South African Commercial Advertizer to the 15 th April, from which we have -extracted a full and interesting- account of the Battle of Aleeval, next week we shall avail ourselves of the opportunity of making further extracts from them.

In consequence of the intelligence of the attack on the camp at the Hutt which was taken by the Scotia, the Government at Sydney had advertised for tenders for a vessel to convey a hundred and twenty troops to Wellington-

By the Mana we learn that Mr. Sinclair, of Pigeon Bay, left that place on the 10th of May last in a small cutter of about 10 tons, bound for this port. She has never been heard of since, and there is too much reason to fear that the unfortunate vessel foundered the following day in the heavy south-east gale, which oar readers may remember came on very suddenly. Mr. Sinclair was accompanied by his two sons, a nephew, and Mr. M'Lennan, a shoemaker, of Akaroa. He has left a widow and several children to lament his untimely fate.

By the Mana which arrived on Thursday, Ye learn that the Cologne, a French whaler Capt Bourgneuf was wrecked at Peraki about six weeks since. Two of the cre-v were unfortunately drowned, and the doctor and one of the crew who had started from the wreck with the intention of proceeding by land to Akaroa, had not since been heard of. Twelve hundred barrels of oil had been saved from the wreck. At Port Cooper Mr. Greenwood had been robbed of money to the amount of £100 on the 30th ult., by two white men and a man of colour. At Otalcou a whjte man who had long resided on the coast had murdered the native wo-

man with whom he was living; he had been arrested by the natives, who had sent to the Magistrate at Akaroa informing him of what had occnrred. The Mana had met with very roagh weather, and was unable to niake Otakou. The schooner Sisters, belonging to the natives, with provisions and surveying instruments for the survey at Otakou, had been lying at Akaroa for the last seven weeks windbound when the Mana sailed.

The house of Mr. Woodward, carpenter, Porirua Read, was broken open during his nbsence on Thursday, and stripped of its contents. The robbery is supposed to have been committed by natives.

We are informed that the report of the loss of the French whaler George Capt. Casper, off Hobart Town, is without any foundation.

We understand that Mr. Moore, printer, who arrived by the Bandicoot from Hobart Town, is about retui ning to Auckland to resume the printing of the Auckland Cfnvnicle.

In the report made to *a special general meeting of the Proprietors of the Union Bank of Australia, held at the offices of the establishment, 38, Old Broad Street. London, Jan. 22d, it was stated that " the Branches in New Zealand have been greatly reduced during the half year, and may now be regarded rather as small exchange -agencies than as Branch Banks. The inspector has expressed his determination not to allow them to be increased until he is fully satisfied of the security and prosperity of those colonies."

The length and -importance of our extracts of Foreign and English news, have obliged us to keep out a variety of local intelligence.