New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, July 10, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 203, 10 July 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, July 10, 1847.

In the Twentieth Report of the New Zealand Company the Directors strongly recommended the Shareholders to dissolve the Company, as they were unable to discharge any of their functions as a colonising body, and were only uselessly increasing their liabilities. They suggested indeed that if selfgovernment were bestowed on the colony they might be induced to continue their' labours, and seemed to labour under the delusion that the proposed dissolution of the Company would be the signal for the breaking up and dispersion of the southern settlements. What a mistake !—lt! — It is said that a story maybe so often repeated that the narrator will at length persuade himself" of its truth, and the Directors in Broad Street have so long endeavoured to make the public believe that they are absolutely necessary to the prosperity of the southern settlements, that we may charitably suppose they must have some faith themselves in their own story. But alas ! good seldom comes of good advice, the recommendation to dissolve has not been acted upon — like promises of amendment on a sick-bed, which are forgotten when the patient becomes convalescent — in aa evil hour -for the settlers, instead of giving the Company the coup de grace, the Ministry appear to have indefinitely prolonged their precarious existence — so they have taken heart and thought, better of it. At least in their Twenty First Report, dated 30th September, 1846, we find them acknowledging the hopelessness of their condition without their Tieing allowed to appfo-

priate nearly " one-third of the loan of £100,000 which was to call them once more into active existence, to the payment of their Debentures. This assistance was granted them, and this is the last we have heard of them. But if the Directors would really know their true position in relation to the settlers, if they desire to be informed, not how useless they are, but what positive injury the existence of the Company causes the settlers, let them send a deputation of their body to collect facts for their next Report. They may distrust information which reaches them through other than their accustomed sources, but their ignorance of the real state of the colony shows what little reliauce can be placed on those sources. But if they will only consider well the fact they have so distinctly admitted, — that they are and have been for the last four . years unable to discharge any of their functions as a colonizing body ani^'for '"any g"ood J *th'ey have done; these settlements, have been practically defunct, — their fears as, to the effect of their dissolution become perfectly absurd. The only fears entertained . are — not that they will be dissolved — for that were a consummation devoutly to be wished — but that their ricketty existence may be prolonged, and their pretensions be allowed to operate prejudicially to the settlement of the various questions connected with the land, which, if I they had received their quietus, might long since have been adjusted by the Government. But if they still cherish the delusion of the necessity of their existence to the prosperity of these settlements, let them but consider the alarm created by their modest proposal, that the Southern Settlements should be committed to their delegated authority ; and it will be sufficient effectually to dispel the delusion to which we have adverted. But if all these warnings are insufficient to produce co nviction, if the Company still cling to their delusion, we imagine that the first session of any Representative Assembly in these settlements, which" shall express the sentiments of the body of settlers, will effectually rouse them from their present dreamy state of existence to the^ realities of their situation, and convince them that they have hitherto only imposed on others and themselves. Tried by the test of experience, the Company have signally failed in realizing their professions, — in carrying out a plan of colonization suited to the peculiar nature and exigencies of the country. They have uniformly sacrificed principle to expediency — and the result has been, as it ever will be — complete failure.

The Lady Leigh, which arrived onWednesday from Hobart Town, has brought papers to Bth June. They contain English news to the 29th January, received by the Lady Howden. The Lady Leigh sailed on the 10th, and has made a long passage, having had for the most part a succession of strong contrary winds.

By the Supply we learn that Mr. Bell jun., had arrived at Nelson with some of his father's cattle. While engaged with another settler in collecting the cattle together at Wanganui, they were suddenly attacked by a party of the rebels, who took his companion prisoner, and Mr. Bell jun. himself narrowly escaped the same fate.

We beg to call the attention of those interested to the advertisement in this day's Spectator from the' Netscn Examiner, announcing the sale of the remaining portion of the cargo saved from the wreck of the Louisa Campbell. We understand that this is the earliest intimation of the sale received in Wellington by the Supply which arrived yesterday : the notice was expected by the Ann and Sarah, which sailed previously to the Supply, but which has not yet arrived.

Fire. — On Thursday afternoon a fire broke out at Mr. May's brewery; the fire originated in the malt-kiln, where some malt was being prepared for brewing porter, which requires a much greater heat than in preparing common malt, and the wind blowing freshly, the flames burst out with great violence, and at one time threatened the destruction of the whole of the premises ; but owing to the great exertions made by Mr. May's neighbours, and the assistance promptly rendered by the detachment of the 99th regt. stationed at Te Aro Barracks, who, at the summons of Major Last, repaired to the >pot immediately, the

were confined to that part of the premises where the fire broke out, and were ultimately subdued with comparatively trifling damage.

On Wednesday, Kanae with his wife paid a visit to the Calliope, and remained on hoard until the following morning. It is hut a short time ago that Kanae with Raupartlha and Charley were released from their confinement on board the Calliope; bn\ while every precaution was taken during ihe term of their imprisonment to prevent their escape, they were treated w.th such humanity and kindness by Captain Stanley and the officers of the vessel, as to cause them to leave the place of their captivity with regret, and as in this instance to take an early opportunity of paying their benefactors a visit-. We would recommend this incident to the Editor of Chambers*, Edinburgh Journal, when next he borrows an illustration of the Law of Kindness from occurrences in New Zealand. - '

Vessels. . lons. Men. n wards from beyond Seas direct 8 930 68 ' Coastwise 53 1240 128 Total Inwards 61 2i70 196 ' hitwards (o beyond x Seas direct 8 735 66 Coastwise 54 1402 162 Total Outwards 62 2137 228 John Macartht. Wellington, 9th July, 1847.

pout, ojr vthji number anil tonnage! of, vessels that bay* . entered Inwards and cleared Ontwards at this Port, for the Quarter ended July sth, 1847 :—