AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 126, 14 October 1846, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

Court Martial.— The sentence of the court, which sat some months ago upon privates Lane, Morris, and Bailey, of the 99th regiment, who deserted from her Majesty's forces to joiu the ranks of the rebel chief Kawiti, having been approved by Sir Maurice O'C'onnell, was pronounced upon them on Tuesday last. Richard Shea, also of the 99th regiment, was subjected to the same penalty foi striking Lieutenant Johnson, at Porirua. All the prisoners are sentenced to transportation for life. -NewZealander, Aug. 8. Cleanliness and Comfort. — We really hope that the Legislative Council, when it is convened, will take into consideration the filthy state of some of the minor thoroughfares leading from Shortland Street towards Chancery Street, with a view to the adoption of tome remedial measures. The whole of the back part of ithe town, immediately behind Shortland Street,' is one mass of mite aid dirt ; drains there are none ; and the disgraceful practice of slaughtering animals in

the town being still tolerated, the nuisance is heightened by the offal and refuse, washed from the higher to the lower ground, that accumulates in this neighbourhood. If some improvement is not effected, we shall not be surprised if ere long some contagious disease breaks out amongst the inhabitants of this quarter. —l 6. We have often trembled for the fate of Auckland, when standing on the rising ground at the back of the town, and looking down upon the closely-packed houses, we have figured to ourselves the awful rapidity with which a fire, if once it broke out, would convert the town into a heap of ashes. Kauri wood is at all times an ignitible material, and the houses are now so thoroughly dry, and the chimneys, many of them at least, suffered to remain so foul, that the danger of conflagration is materially increased. Is it not the bounden duty of the authorities to adopt some precautionary measures ? A fire-engine ought to be procured, and arrangements made for a sufficient supply of water, in case of need. We trust the Legislative Council will take this subject into consideration at the earliest —Ib.

opportunity. The Weather —On Wednesday morning we experienced an unusually heavy gale from the north-east, accompanied by torrents of rain. The fury of the wind was most violent just about the time of high water, which occasioned a very heavy sea, doing considerable damage to the small craft anchored in shoal water. The wharf in front of Mr. M'Donald's house was entirely washed away, and the foundation of the house itself undermined to a considerable extent. The Government surveyors were employed the day before in taking levels for the proposed improvement in Fort-street, and we hope this occurrence will have the effect of hastening their proceedings, as another such gale would do immense injury to the valuable property contained in the stores on the beach, if it should happen before some improvement in the present embankment is effected. The ships in the stream rode out the gale in perfect safety : we did not hear of any accident. The harbour master and his boat's crew were actively engaged in endeavouring to save the boats, &c, on the beach from destruction. —lb. t A.ug. 15. The good people of Auckland are beginning to evince a little uneasiness about the Governor and his future plans. Not that any fears are entertained for his Excellency's personal safety, but some of our worthy quid nuncs axe feeling anxious about the convocation of the Legislative Council. " His Excellency," they say, " is proceeding in rather an unusual manner; be is acting entirely upon his own responsibility, and it appears as though he would never condescend to go through the motions of taking advice from hte councillors. Surely he is not a-going to establish a militaiy dictatorship, and govern us by his single ipse dixitP Peace, good friends ; there is no occasion for alarm. The Legislative show will be reopeaed again in due course ; the official nominees will soon amuse us as usual by playing at Parliament, though it may be some time before we are allowed to exercise our legitimate rights, and make real anti-automaton independent legislators for ourselves. We are fortunately endowed with a considerable degree of patience ourselves, and we advise our prurient electors to cultivate this virtue. The right of electing their own legislators will not be a whit the less obvious because the recog1 nition of it is delayed. Representative go- ' vernment is our birthright, and we shall soon pass our minority, and be in a position to demand it. At a proper season we will pursue this subject, —lb., August 22.

[From a Correspondent.] Evangelical Alliance. —During last year a great association has been formed, under this name, of all evangelical protestants. Its first general meeting was held in Liverpool in December last. 216 delegates, ministers and laymen, representing 19 different denominations, met and deliberated on the objects of the association. This meeting was preliminary to another and larger meeting of delegates from all the protestant churches in the world, to be held in London in June last. The Liverpool conference appointed four committee's, to meet respectively in London, Liverpool, Dublin, and Glasgow, and make preparations in their several localities for the great meeting to be held in London. • The Evangelical Alliance is not a union of churches as - such, but a union of individuals holding evangelical sentiments, to attain as far as practicable the following objects : —A greater amount of mutual affection, a greater display of manifested unity, and a greater amount of common effort in opposing Popery, infidelity, and immorality, and in advancing the common interests of Christianity throughout the world. The conference at Liverpool was characterized by great cordiality of feeling and unanimity of sentiment, and the proceedings of the Association are exciting the most lively interest throughout Great Britain and Ireland.

Free Church of Scotland.. — This church now numbers upwards of 600 ministers

and 800 congregations. In the short space of two years it raised £700,000 for religious purposes. In order to secure a comfortable manse for every country minister, it was resolved to raise a fund of £150,000. In December last, at a public meeting held in Edinburgh, it was announced that £80,000 of this sum had been subscribed in the course of a few months, and that there was every prospect of the whole being obtained in a short time. The Marquis of Breadalbane, the only nobleman connected with the Free Church, has contributed about £5,000. The Test has all been in sums of not less than £5, the whole payable in five years. The disruption of the Church of Scotland, and the subsequent movements of the Free Church, have had a happy effect in quickening the activity of the other dissenting churches in Scotland. A new era of activity, in pecuniary matters at least, has commenced. The Scotch seem to be remembering the words of one of their old national bards — " Gowd maks the sodger feeht the fiercer, Without it preachin' wad be scarcer." It is next to certain that in a very few years there will not be a dissenting place of worship in Scotland on which there will be a penny of debt, a circumstance which will tell powerfully in behalf cf missionary, educational, and other philanthropic institutions.

Switzerland, Canton ©c Vaud, Disruption in the Established Church. — In December last a disruption, similar to that which occurred in Scotland three years ago, took place in the Established Church of the Canton de Vaud. The government in Vaud is radical and infidel. For some years past it has been making many unwarrantable aggressions upon the liberties of the Church. Latterly, these restrictions became no stringent and unsupportable, that of the 200 ministers connected with the Established Church in that Protestant Canton, 100 resigned their charges and their livings, and for consciences' sake have thrown themselves and their families upon the bounty of Providence for support. The government is continuing to act towards them with relentless tyranny. In Lausanne they are prohibited from Meeting for public worship, and it is feared the same course will be followed speedily in the rural districts. The likelihood is, that a number of the ministers will be obliged to banish themselves to other countries. This disruption has caused a great sensation, and called forth a great amount of sympathy throughout Britain, but especially in Scotland. Since the days of Calvin and Knox, Switzerland and Scotland have reciprocated moie or less closely in religious matters ; and of late years their mutual intercourse has been greatly on the increase. The principles of religious liberty are spreading on the Continent of Europe.

The Extinction of a Church. — The Church of St. Bennet Finks is as cosy and pretty a little church, inside, as can be imagined. It is just the thing for one of the little City parishes — for a congregation in the days -when people lived in the City. The area is an oval, with an organ gallery in a recess at one end, a corresponding recess for the altar at the other, and a roof rising into concentric opals rising on a ring of pillars by arches. A screen of carved oak behind the pews keeps out the cold air. A dim religious light pervades the building — but that may be owing to uncleaned windows. In this snuggery successive generations may have worshipped, as we learn from the date on the painted glass above the altar, since Anno Domini, 1695. True Blue Churchmen have worshipped here, as beareth witness the slab that covers the mortal remains of Nathaniel Colleston, avouched by his pithy epitaph, composed in the critical year of 1713, to have been for sixty years * a true protestant and sincere friend.' Here, then, have assembled families who sympathized with the Seven Bishops. With its paintings on either side of the altar, it must have been a fine thing in its day, though dust has now settled thick on its glories. But St. Beunet Finks will soon belong to the things that have been ; the new Exchange is shouldering it out of, the way. Its door stands open, but not for those who come to pray. The wainscoting and carved screen are chalked * Lot I.' and ' Lot 11/ The very pulpit and reading desk are to be divorced by the auctioneer. The organ is gone. Moses on one side of the altar, and Aaron on the other, are put up as separate lots. Nay, the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Table of the Law, are all sold separately. The area is thronged, but with curious inspectors of the wood work, to ascertain its soundness. One individual, with much the air oi a denominational minister, entered the pulpit as if to see whether it would fit him ; and his affectionate helpmate followed him. In fact, the buyers and sellers in this temple comported themselves with as little decoium as the peddling artists and book-makers who desecrate the tombs and temples in Egypt with their tricks of trade. The tomb of the ♦ true Protestant and sincere friend' was trod-

deb under foot with as Htftle of sentiment as if he had been a King Rameses ; and Moses and Aaron may be parted to figure in other Museums, divorced from every associated object that gave them meaning and interest, just like the young Memnon in the British Museum. So soon have even the ' True Protestants' of the Revolution aera died away from human thoughts and sympathies.