AUCKLAND. [From the New Zealander.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 199, 26 June 1847, Page 2

AUCKLAND. [From the New Zealander.]

By the government brig, which arrived on Thursday, we have Wellington papers to the 29th May, and we have read with pain and sincere regret the accounts from the South,

which will be found in another part of this paper. Manawatu abandoned — Oturua pillaged, and partially burned — Wanganui shrunk into a stockade ; the winter campaign of the natives, so often predicted, now fairly opened, and small hopes at present of its ending with the spring. The worst feature in the case is the union of rival tribes, and the desertion of seveial of the so called friendly tribes, indicating a deep seated feeling of hostility against the settlers ; some cause more provocative of hatred than mere sympathy with the spleen of Rmgihaeata and his few personal followers. The cry in the South is still for re-inforcement of the troops ; and we say, let them have it. Let them have every man that can any ways be spared, even though we in Auckland be left without one. We are at peace, and ought to be strong enough to hold our own ; we are not so selfish, for the mere sake of military I expenditure, as to grudge our countrymen the aid required for their immediate protection and preservation. But upon what shoulders is the blame of these calamities to re^t? There is little division of opinion about the matter ; every man competent to form an opinion must see that the original fraud and sin of the New Zealand Company is being visited with its long expected retribution. His Excellency seems to have been taking pains to win their good will — for he is too old a diplomatist ever to make an enemy where nothing is to be gained by it — but he must and does know that their land purchases are at the root of all the mischief. Acres for Jew's-harps is no fair exchange ; the natives know it ; and if they cannot get their lands again, are at least resolute to have their revenge for having been taken in. And the southern settlers, who, to their credit be it spoken, siood out as long as possible for those unt'er whose auspices they sailed, have been made to know it likewise, and driven reluctantly to confess it. They are the sufferers, though not the sinners. Let us take this opportunity to remark upon the altered tone or feeling now displayed by them toward ourselves. That rivalry, or even jealousy, so long shewn against their sister settlement of the North, seems to be fast fading away. Is it not then for us, on our part, at once to come forward, and meet them in the same spirit, returning to a kindly and mutual interest in each other's welfare? Let byegones be byegone. There has been no unpardonable offence given on either side. We have never imputed to them the abuse so un- , ceasingly he.iped upon us in the London pages of the New Zealand Journal, r.or of its systematic manufacture of untruths ; we were always aware that they emanated, not from Wellington, or Nelson, but from Broad-street — from men whose tongues were as unclean as their hands. Neither can we see where any provocation worth uamitig was ever given by ourselves, unless it rest in a few newspaper articles, lauding up our own port and our own productions, with a partiality, perhaps, even with a vanity not unnatural to men well pleased with themselves and their adapted home. If our neighbours should have spied out any thing more personal therein, we beg them to suppose that we were acting the patt of a careful friend, like Falstaff to Prince Hal, " dispraising them before the wicked, that the wicked might not fall in love with them." The old bone of contention — the government expenditure, will be no longer snarled across, for "we are about to enjoy a bone apiece. Our interests can hardly be said to clash ; our rivalry remains without a field, save only in display of our respective charms for the allurements of newcomers ; and if these late occurrences should determine the tide of immigration away from the southern shores, let it be remembered that we, so far as that, are not to blame.

New Zealand Charter. — We decline reprinting from the Sydney papers such portions of the instructions sent out to Captain Grey as relates to the lands, at present belonging to the natives. We think it of the highest present importance that they should * not be assured that a breach of faith was ever contemplated towards them ; that, however a vague report upon the subject may reach them they should not at least be able, when reasoned with by their teacheis, to point to the columns of a newspaper, (as many are now capable of doing), and answer, There it is. If we could persuade ourselves for one moment that such instructions would be acted on, we should of course feel no such scruples; on the contrary, we should feel bound to make all public, that missionaries, and others, residing up the country, might, prepare for the coming storm. But we are so convinced that His Excellency will lend himself to no such measure, that our chief regret is his temporary absence, owing to which those who possess the confidence of the natives are as yet unable to assure tharo, on authority, that their lands are as safe to them as when they were first qua- * ranteed by treaty I

We are perfectly aware of the private disadvantages of this forbearance to the interests 0/ the New Zealunder; of the possibility that some of its subscribers (we hope, not many), mi°ht find fault with the omission ; though we are loath to think that any would postpoie the public good to private curiosity : and of its interlerence with our wish that this newspaper should remain a complete and trustworthy record of everything bearing upon the history of this colony. But these, and many other considerations, fall at once to the ground before the conviction that it is our duty to take no share in the spreading abroad of any report so mischievous. The knowledge may ooze out at last, and probably will ; but at all events, the evil is delayed, while time is allowed to allay suspicion, or soothe irritation.

Arms Ordinance. — On Monday last, a small coaster, belonging to Mr. Spencer, was to have cleared for Kawhia; but as two dozen hatchets, or tomahawks, appeared on the manifest, the Customs refused, under the authority of the Arms Ordinance, to clear the vessel fiom Manukau, until a license should have been procured from the Resident Magistrate, under the piovisions of the Act. The order was applied for, but refused ; nor was the vessel suffered to depart until the obnoxious articles had been delivered into the custody of the police at Onehunga. In the present exciting times, strictness in construing the Ordinance cannot be complained of; yet, were the act a little more specific, some inconvenience miglu be avoided. We can easily suppose thai a tomahawk, such as is used by sailors in boarding, is a warlike weapon ; but such is very different, both in shape and use, from a simple hatchet, such as these appear to have been — an article, in this country, of necessity. The Attorney-General has, we believe, given an opinion on the subject, which, at least, might be made more generally known.

■R. M. 58th Regiment. — Lieut. Petley, and 20 men of the gallant 58th have arrived in H. M. S. Racehorse — the welcome precursors of the restof our old friends. The Thomas Lowry, and another vessel, have been taken up to convey to Auckland that portion of the lesiment which is now at Sydney.

Taranaki. — The cutter Fisherman, from Nelson the 28th May, called ai Taranaki on her way to this port. The natives in that district were perfectly quiet: and the agricultural produce of last season had been very abundant. The Fisherman's cargo from Taranaki consists 132 bags of flour, 23 bags of oats and a quantity of but tor, haras, potatoes, and wheat. We are sorry to have to record the death of the Rev. W. Bolland, S.C.L., at New Plymouth, which took place, after a brief illness, at Taranaki, on the 29th May.