THE NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, January 2, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 149, 2 January 1847, Page 2

THE NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, January 2, 1847.

The year 1846 has been brought to an end — its tale . belongs to the early history of the colony. The events of the past year have been of no ordinary interest or importance In their- influence-on the -.progress of*. New Zealand ; the coming changes which are indistinctly, shadowed forth promise to exercise a still more important influence on its growing fortunes. The past year, as regards the southern, settlements, peculiarly, belongs to our present Governor's administration ; this will be a convenient occasion then to indulge in a brief retrospect, to consider our prospects under our present Governor, and how these prospects will be affected by the changes which are apprehended. The task of reducing to order the jarring and discordant elements which existed on Captain Grey's arrival was admitted _on all hands to have been so extremely difficult, that it was thought even by Earl Grey, who has always declared that the colony could only be ultimately rescued from its difficulties by allowing the settlers to govern themselves, that the necessity of the case absolutely required the appointment of a person of high rank and established reputation who for a time should be invested with unlimited power. Captain Grey, however, undertook the task, and if we may form a conclusion from what has been done, there can be no reasonable doubt that, if he were permitted to remain Governor of New Zealand, aided by representatives elected by the settlers, his measures would have been attended with such brilliant results, as to have entitled him to the glory of having been the founder of the colony, the preserver and civilizer of the native race. In his undertaking his Excellency was jobliged to rely entirely on his own unaided 'resources, the highly paid an4Jr.£Qsa^t£n^j!teer^j^ his Government, being all committed to a policy directly opposed to that carried out by his Excellency, were not merely of no assistance, they were a positive impediment to the proper execution of his plans. With unwearied industry and patience, however, his Excellency addressed himself to the difficult task, and, instead of obtaining information through the distorted medium of official sources, by carefully examining for himself and visiting the different districts of the colony he was able to arrive at correct conclusions, and to acquire such an intimate knowledge of the wants and wishes of the settlers as to adapt his measures to the real interests of the colony. This was the only method by which any satisfactory or permanent results could reasonably be hoped for, but it was a course which required time. The settlers, however, reposed in full confidence in the tried judgment of his Excellency, and patiently awaited the issue. The abolition of the Protectorate, the expulsipn o,f the rebels from the Hutt, the capture ofT-e* Rauparaha, the execution of the rebel chief at Porirua, the fixed determination at all times exhibited by his Excellency to uphold the Queen's authority and to repress the turbulence of the disaffected, ceJfevinced both races that the reign of cant and specious hypocrisy was at end, wh-le the employment of the natives in opening the country by means of roads, the establishment of hospitals for their use, and other measures for the amelioration of their social condition satisfied them that his Excellency had their welfare at heart andinspired them with confidence and affection for their friend and benefactor. We appeared to be on the eve of obtaining all that we have so anxiously waited for. There can be little doubt that the object of his Excellency's late visit to Wellington was finally to settle the different questions which have for so long a period embarrassed our« position and impeded our progress, and to make the necessary preparations for the .di-j vision of the colony into two Governments,*and the establishment of representative Jnstitutioas. But his Excellency is suddenly stopped in the execution .of Jus plans, the progress of improvement p arrested,

and if we may beli&te^^^^^^^^^H port, it is possible hb sucra^^^^^^^^H his way to relieve him. No^^^^^^^H ly conceive a greater misfortt^^^^^^^H colony at this particular crisis h^^^^^^H of Governors. His Excellencyl|^^^^^H dent and vigorous administration^|^^^M quired the respect &nd confidence v^^H classes of the community, for the iraf|t^H rage, of a few disappointed and nnsespt^| landsharks at Auckland, hardly deserves r^H he considered an exceptiou to the gend^H feeling. The settlers were satisfied t««| Captain Grey was really both anxious awH able as far as any Governor could be to pit s right what before was wrong, and they only desired that he might carry out his planS| the fruit of his matured labour and reflect tion, to enable them to enjoy -that prosperity! which would hav^ifeei^ their certain result:^ The misfortune of this change^ is attributed to the influence of the New Zealand Company. However able his successor may be, at the best he can only do what Captain Grey would have done, but until he has obtained the requisite local information to enable him to acV.the settlement of the different questions affectjngthe prosperity of the colony is indefinitely postponed, and everything must remain in abeyance. In such a case the change must be for tbfworse. But there is too much reason to fear that Capt. Grey's successor will arrive prepared to carry out the visionary projects contained in the New Zealand Company's Twentieth Report, the dreams of an outside territory and of leaving the natives to be a law to themselves, ' which would destroy all that has been accomplished by Capt. Grey at so much cost to the British Government, and at the expense of so much blood and individual exertion,— dreams, the realization of which would again affect the security of !ifo and property, and render the colony uj> t for the habitation of the settlers. And lor what object are these changes to be man. ♦ For the good of the setters ? However their daimsCTgy r< be Pii^fqr|yarjL gfegn 2C f . is to !;e gained, their interests are the last to be consulted in these arrangements- The real end appears to be to place every thing under the exclusive domination of the New Zealand Company, and the settlers are harrassed with the prospect of fresh struggles against this delegated authority, which iviil be chie3y exercised to procure the means c f providing a good dividend for the shareholders in the Company, out of those resources which ought to be devoted to the improvement and advancement of the colony.

Yesterday being New Year's day, the Public Offices and Bank were closed, and fh« day was generally kept as a holiday- :u: u Wellington.

The following, we believe, is a correct account of the last Black Mail levied by Rangihaeata and his followers :—: — "When the two shepherds who were dviv ing Mr. Dun's sheep to Wanganui reached Ohau, a native came galloping from the opposite direction, and on coming ahead of the sheep, proceeded to turn them back, and called to the shepherds to return with them immediately, or the whole would be slaughtered by Rangihaeata. The two, men in v consequence turned the sheep off the beacb to feed, while they sent on a messenger to Dr. Best's station -»v Jhe Manawatu, to Jba^ form^kffrDufn of what liaSUccairdd! T DrT Best, who possesses considerable influence over the natives, immediately started, apcompanied by one chief, -and two sons bf another chief (all resident in. the Manawaiir district), to pass the sheep to Manawatu, when they would be considered beyond Rangihaeata's jurisdiction. In doing so«. they .passed abontj twenty of Rangihaeata's men in a body, armed with muskets and cartouche boxes, of whom they took no notice, and drove on without interruption. After this was completed, the chief Teratoa demanded a fee for himself and Rangihaeata's men, about the amount of which, as might be expected, there was some dispute. On Dr. Best remonstrating with' Teratoa* about the payment, something was said to displease that chief, when one of Rangihaeata's leadingjn'en (several of whom followed the sheep as farads Rangitiki) informed Dr. Best it waf too ,ba& of him to shame Teratoa, or refuse to pay him well, because, without^His intgr^f ferepce the sheep would not have been aJlowaqL to pass. When the payment waa arran°#& the sheep were allowed^) pass oa to WjLsranui without farther mowatijOQ.

Wellington Savings Bank. — Mr. T! Nqrthwoad,Rev. J. P. O'Reilly, Mr. C.Perry. *tid Mr. C. Sharp, the Managers in rotation, ■will attend to receive deposits at Mr. Ross's office, from seven to eight o'clock on Saturday evening, the 2d January, 1 847, and at the Union Bank of Australia, from twelve to one o'clock on Monday forenoon, the 4th January. f We are also requested to give notice that the monthly meeting of the Superintending Committee will take place at Barrett's Ho,tel, on Monday evening, the 4th January, mt eight o'clock**