New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, March 17, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 170, 17 March 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, March 17, 1847.

His Excellency the Governor returned to Wellington in the Inflexible on Saturday morning from Taranaki and Nelson. At Taranaki the Governor had several inter* views witl^jfcthe natives of that district ; many of them appeared desirous of complying with his wishes, but those residing at Waitera, and another party of natives were unwilling to enter into any arrangement, prompted chiefly as it subsequently appeared by the advice and secret influence of

William King, the chief at Waikanae, who was severely rebuked by the Governor for his mischievous interference. His Excellency afterwards visited Nelson, and while there the exhibition of the Nelson Agricultural and Horticultural Society took place, which his Excellency attended, as well as the dinner given afterwards, both of which passed off with considerable eclat. The Inflexible entered the harbour at Nelson, with which we are informed her Commander was much pleased, a trial was also made on board the steamer of the Massacre Bay coal, which we are informed has been very favourably reported on. It is reported that his Excellency intends shortly returning to Auckland.

The Calliope returned from her cruise yes • terday morning to Wellington. After a stay of twenty four hours at Wanganui, she crossed over to Port Hardy, where shu remained a short time, and then went to Kapiti to water ; she left Kapiti on Monday afternoon.

The Gcrland Grove arrived yesterday morning from Sydney via Twofold Bay with a cargo of sheep and cattle, which have been brought down in excellent condition. The Garland Grove has made the passage in fourteen days. By this opportunity we have received our files of the Australian to 20th February, containing English news to sth November, extracts from which will be found in another part of our paper.

We understand that on Monday last Mr. Dun disposed of the whole of his live stock in this settlement consisting of about 400 head of cattle and 600 sheep, the largest number of live stock ever disposed of in one lot in New Zealand.

We regret to announce the sudden death at Taranaki of Mr. Richard Barrett of apoplexy. Mr. Barrett will be long- remembered in connection with the early history of these settlements, as having- been employed by Col. Wakefield on bis first arrival in this colonyjn assisting him in his negociations with the different tribes for the sale of their lands. On the establishment of the settlement at New Plymouth, Mr. Barrett went to reside there among his wife's relations where he remained until his death.

We are very sorry to hare to reoord the death by drowning of William Cook, aged 23 years, a stead)' industrious young man, who resided with his parents on the river Hutt. He had borrowed a canoe belonging to Mr. Trotter, which was found the next day (Thursday) near the creek flowing from the Hutt into the second river, and his cap was also found in the course of the day. Immediately on hearing of the sad accident, Capt. O'Connell ordered out fatigue parties from the detachment stationed at Fort Richmond to assist the settlers in their search for the body, but although every exertion was made the body was not found until yesterday morning near the creek where the canoe was upset.

Scarcity of Labour. — We daily hear complaints of the difficulty of procuring labour, even at rates of wages the agriculturalist and the flock master can ill afford to pay, leaving for themselves reasonable profit for their ou'.lay of capital, and as remuneration for their own services ; nor is there the slightest prospect that relief will be afforded by immigration at any early period. It becomes necessary therefore that European labour should be economised as far as possible, and as a means to that end it should be an invariable rule with the flock master and agriculturalist never to perform any service at a station or a farm which the native can be induced to undertake — thus several of the stations raise grain and fence land with European labour, and we think these services might always be procured by native labour. We are aware it will be said it amounts almost to an impossibility to get the natives to work, but their steady industry on the roads is the best answer to this general opinion, and we feel convinced .that if the effort to bring the native labour to bear upon stations be steadily persevered in. a satisfactory issue will be seen to be the consequence at no distant date. Besides, the Governor has, by employing native labour so largely on the roads and public works, and in the police, established native norrral schools for the acquirement of steady habits of industry and the adoption of European clothing, and from these sources a large number of useful instructors will be hereafter dispersed all over these districts — men who will be able and willing to work for the Europeans and whose example will be seen to make steady industry among the native population a habit not much inferior to that existing among the whites. On the '

other hand, with the same two-fold purpose, we would suggest to his Excellency the advantage of carrying on the roads and public works as far as possible with native labour : adopting this as a rule would be attended with mitigating the scarcity in some degree of white labour, and augmenting the number of natives destined to become invaluable to their countrymen as instructors.

Wellington Savings Bank. — Mr. Langdon, Mr. Levin, Mr. Loxley, and Mr.M'Donald, the Managers in rotation, will attend to receive deposits at Messrs. Johnson & Moore's store, from seven to eight o'clock on Saturday evening, the 20th March, 1847, and at the Union Bank of Australia, from twelve to one o'clock on Monday forenoon, the 22d March.

The Postage on Newspapers. — The following sensible observations are taken from the Melbourne Argus. The subject was alluded to by his Excellency in the last session of the Legislative Council, and we hope that he will not be content with a bare allusion to it, but make such a representation to the Postmaster General as will have the effect of removing this opprobrium from the colony. The tax presses witli peculiar severity on the Proprietors of Newspapers in New Zealand, who pay for every newspaper they receive as well as those they send by Post, and whenever the papers for these settlements were sent by the circuitous route of Auckland, double postage was charged :

New Zealand. — Our New Zealand exchange journals which reach us generally l>y the overland mail from Sydney, invariably bear the stamp of " one penny postage" paid at Wellington or Auckland, as the case may be. We hope and trust that with Captain Grey as Governor, tliis tax on information will be speedily abolished, From every other quarter of the globe wheuce newspapers reach us, they are forwarded free of postage, ev^ja the as yet demi-savages of the Sandwich Islands forming no exception. Surely the free British Colony of New Zealand can have no reason for continuing the impost.