New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, July 21, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 206, 21 July 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, July 21, 1847.

Br the Wanderer we have received Sydneypapers to the 30th June. The Glentanner had arrived at Sydney Jane 18th, after a passage of 132 days, with Mr. Eyre the Lieutenant Governor of New Zealand, who would proceed immediately to Auckland in the Pestonjee Bomanjee. The English news relating to New Zealand (which we have extracted from the Herald,) is of the- most important nature. Ministers had determined to afford effectual protection, and in addition to the Veteran battalion raised for the defence of this colony, strong reinforcements of troops may be immediately expected from England in the Malabar line -ofbattle ship and another vessel of the same class.

The barque Dyson, Captain Crocket, arrived in port last night. She arrived in Cloudy Bay on Wednesday last, (being her fourteenth day from Sydney) with 1149 sheep out of which she lost only 39. She has no cargo with the exception of 40 tons of coals for the Commissariat. The Carbon has also arrived from Massacre Bay with, coals.

Messrs. Johnson and Moore have just made an extensive shipment in the Waterwitch of Mairi, Totara, and other ornamental woods for China. We are informed that there is a very great demand for ornamental woods in China, for cabinet making and furniture, and if this experiment should prove successful it may lead to very important results.

We are glad to find that the authorities have adopted the suggestion thrown out in our last number, and have resolved to put the road along the beach, which from the late wet weather had become well nigh impassable, into a thorough state of repair. We believe it is also intended to increase the width of the roadway, commencing from Mr. Lyon's store, to sixty feet, which the increased traffic has rendered absolutely necessary, and which may be done at a comparatively trifling cost by using for this purpose the loose earth continually thrown down by the winter rains from the high bank under Wellington Terrace. At the selection of the town lands an arrangement was made by which the owners of the two sections immediately south of Kumutoto, (one of them an absentee) engaged to make the road in front of them of the requisite width, on their being allowed to include the road as originally laid out in their sections. The road has been incroached upon, but the other part of the agreement has been forgotten.

Wellington Savings Bank. — Mr. Robert Stokes, Mr. Suisted, Mr. Tankersley, and Dr. Featherston.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 24th July, 1847, and at the Union Bank of Australia, from twelve to one o'clock on Monday forenoon, the 26th July.

Review. — " The Southern Settlements of New Zealand: comprising Statistic information from the earliest period to the close of the year 1846 ; together with a summary of the Local Ordinances, Proclamations, fyc, #c, #c, from the most authentic sources. By S. E. Grimstone, Esq." This work makes its appearance at a seasonable juncture, at the period of the approaching division of the co'ony into two separate Governments, ; the information it contains is brought down to the close of the year 1846, and gives an interesting account of the progress of these settlements during the first seven years of the establishment of British authority in this country. The information appears to have been collected with great care, and from the most authentic sources, and the work will be found very useful as a book of reference to those who desire to become acquainted with the early history of this portion of the colony. The work commences with a brief description of the respective settlements. Under the head of Finance, is given an Abstract of the Revenue collected in each settlement during <

the last seven years, and the expenditure during the same period, with a detailed statement of the receipts and disbursements of the past year. Mr. Grimstone may perhaps be thought too sanguine in his anticipations of the probable amount of revenue to be derived from the Southern Settlements during the present year ; from the returns already published we do not think the total amount of revenue of the Southern Di vision this year will greatly exceed £ 1 8,000. This, however, will be a larger amount of revenue to begin with as a separate Government, than the whole amount collected in the colony during the first two, we might almost say the first three years of the existence of the Government ; if these settlements should happily continue under a wise and prudent administration, strong enough to preserve peace, and sufficiently careful to conciliate the natives and direct their energies into useful and productive channels, and to develope the resources of this division of the colony, another term of seven years may show still greater results than have already been obtained, which by comparison may throw our humble beginnings into shade. This is the great value of a compilation such as the work before us, it collects into one view the results of many years, and though to the toil worn travellers who have passed over the road and have been well nigh exhausted with the difficulties in their way, in overcoming which so much of their strength has been wasted that but little progress appears to have been made, yet here are certain proofs afforded of what has already been done in the revenue collected, in the land cleared and brought under cultivation, in the amount of stock introduced into these settlements, and in the value of the exports, to show that these settlements have slowly but surely expanded in their growth, so that in looking back we have sufficient reason to take courage and prepare for renewed exertions. To the Finance succeeds an account of the Duties, fees of Public Offices, and Returns of the Population, European and Aboriginal. Under the head of Agriculture, Trade, and Commerce, is an account of the land cleared and in cultivation in each district, the Imports and Exports, distinguishing the amount in each year, and other useful information; thusin 1842 we find only 5 tons of flax were exported, in 1 84 6, 1 00 tons ; in 1 843, 91561b5. of wool were exported, in 1846, 53,596 lbs. and 75 bales, or more than six times the amount, by thus looking back we are enabled to form reasonable anticipations for the future. But if proper encouragement be given to the introduction of capital to pastoral pursuits in this division of the colony, and the Government are in a position to grant leases to those desirous of forming new stations, the increase in the exports of wool in the next few years will be in a very much greater ratio. Under the head of Administration of Justice, besides other useful information, a short account is given of the Ordinances passed during the different Sessions of the Legislative Council. Their history is instructive : it shows to what crude legislation the settlers have been exposed without the possibility of helping themselves, what a tissue of blunders and inconsistencies the ordinances have for the most part consisted of. Out of the first twenty ordinances, the fruits of this legislative wisdom, all but one have either been amended, repealed, or disallowed, by the Home Government. The exception to which we have alluded but more strongly illustrates and confirms the rule, the ordinance to which we refer is that "to render certain marriages valid," which so completely failed in its object that it became a dead letter from the moment of its enactment : and therefore we presume it was considered a work of supererogation to repeal it. We recommend these Ordinances to those, who under the new order of things aspire to be legislators, as examples to avoid, and whatever faults their inexperience may commit, they can hardly be guilty of more signal failures . Co ntem plating this result of the learned Attorney General's labours they may parody Michael Angelo's exclamation — "Like thee we would not, worse than thee we cannot."* An account of the Proclamations issued by the Governors of New Zealand, of the Military and Naval Forces, and Militia ; a short account of Wairarapa and a Meteorological Register for Wellington for the past year complete the work. The above sketch of its contents will, we doubt not, stimulate the curiosity of our readers, and render them desirous of possessing the work ; we may add that the list of subscribers is a sufficient proof of their appreciation of the author's labours.

* It is stated that Michael Angelo, when he set out from Florence to build the dome of St. Peter's, turned his ho.se round on the road to contemplate, once more, that of the cathedral, as it rose in the gray of the morning from among the pines and cypresses of the city, and that he said, after a pause " Come te non voglio, mcglio di te non potto."