New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, October 6, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 228, 6 October 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, October 6, 1847.

The press of matter received by the late arrivals compels us to be exceedingly brief in our remarks. Our files of Auckland papers are from the 4th of August, including the debates in the Legislative Council, which we intend to republish in their order. We may in the mean time present our readers with an epitome of the proceedings in the Council. The Spirits Bill, the Impounding Bill, the Savings Bank Bill, and Slaugh-ter-house Bill, have severally passed the Council. In the Savings Bank Bill a clause had been introduced, by which the Government consented to guarantee the interest to the depositors. A bill for registering births, deaths, and marriages, a marriage bill, a bill to enGourage fencing of land, a bill to pro. mote education, and a bill to secure the payment of the debentares out of the general revenue of the colony, have been introduced into the Council. The Paper Currency Bill appears to have met with strong opposition; the merchants and traders in Auckland had presented a memorial to the Council against it, the Attorney- General had also opposed it, and intended to vote against it on the third reading ; in the mean time the memorial from Wellington would reach Auckland, which would probably decide its fate.. It has undergone several modifications, the clauses 33 and 34, and 40 to 44 inclusive, have been struck out, and the following clause has been introduced by the AttorneyGeneral :—: — "And whereas the Union Bank of Australia, has fot some time been carrying on the business of banking, and issuing its own bank notes in the colony of New Zealand. Be it enacted, that it shall be lawful for the Governor to appoint Commissioners, who shall proceed to ascertain the average amount of the bank notes of the said back, which were in circulation during the period of the two years preceding the first day of July, 1847, and the said Commissioners shall certify under their hands to the Manager of the said Bank, the average amount when so ascertained as aforesaid ; and it shall be lawful for the said Union Bank of Australia, to continue to issue its own bank notes to the extent of the amount so certified, until a day to be fixed by the Governor in Council, of which twelve calendar months notice shall be given in the Government Gazette." The settlers at Auckland were entirely engrossed by the question of the Land Claims under Captain Fitzroy's ten-shillings-an-acre and penny- an-acre proclamations. A despatch had been received from Lord Grey on the subject, which had been laid before the Legislative Council, and a plan for their final settlement had been proposed by the Governor, which it was supposed would be ultimately accepted. A private despatch from his Excellency the Governor to Mr. Gladstone (which we have extracted from the Southern CrossJ on these claims had been published at Auckland, and appears to have created a sensation. The barque Macquarie, of Hobart Town, had been seized at the Bay of Islands, and the master fined £300 for having sold firearms to the natives. His Excellency had remitted £100 of the penalty, and had directed the vessel to be given up on the payment of the remainder of the fine. v No official intimation appears to have arrived by the Racehorse respecting the new constitution, which still remains in abeyance, and it is rumoured that it is not intended to put it in force ; we shall take an early opportunity of adverting to this subject.

Through the kindness of Capt. Hamhn of the John Fleming, we have received a Sydney

Herald of Sept. 4, containing the latest English news, copious extracts from which will be found in this clay's Spectator.

A Meeting was held on Monday evening at Barrett's Hotel, for the purpose of adopting the necessary arrangements for giving a Public Dinner to Captain E. Stanley, R.N., on the occasion of his leaving this station, as a mark of respect from the settlers towards him, and as a testimony of the high estimation in which they hold the services he has rendered the colony. W. Fitzherbert, Esq., having been moved to the chair, the following resolutions were carried unanimously : — Proposed by J. Smith, Esq., seconded by C. Clifford, Esq.— • That a dinner be given to Captain Stanley, R.N., of H.M.S. Calliope, on the occasion of bis leaving the station ; and that William Fitzherbert, Esq., be chairman on the occasion, and Kenneth Bethune, Esq., vicechairman. Proposed by G. Moore, Esq., seconded by J. H. Wallace, Esq. — That a managing Committee be appointed to arrange the details of the dinner. Proposed by R. Stokes, Esq., seconded by G. Moore, Esq. — That the Committee be requested to drawup an address to Captain Stanley, expressive of the good wishes of the settlers towards him, and their regret on his leaving the colony. A vote of thanks was then given to the Chairman, and the meeting was dissolved.

A Penny saved is a Penny gained. — It is reported that the sum of Fire Thousand Pounds in bills of £1000 each drawn by the Governor-in-Chief, on the British Treasury, have been sent by the Racehorse, in aid of the Government of this Province. The discount on these bills at the rate charged by the Union Bank of Australia is 5 per cent, or £250 ; but if they had been drawn for smaller amounts — say ten bills of £100 each, instead of one bill of £1000 — they would have been readily disposed of by the Treasury to the merchants and others requiring to make remittances at 2% per cent, discount, and a saving to that extent effected by the Government as well as by the persons requiring them, besides a further saving to the latter of the premium charged by the Bank for their bills on Sydney and London.

Through the kindness of a friend who has recently established a rain guage in Wellington we are enabled to publish a monthly account of the quantity of rain fallen, commencing with last month. Quantity of rain fallen in the month of September, — 7 in. 6-10.

Programme of this day's Performance by the Band of the 65th Regiment : — 1. Overture,— Fidelio Beethoven. 2. Grand Selection, — The Crusaders . . Benedict. 3. Chinese Quadrilles Jullien. 4. Duetto,— Quando di SangueTinto, "I 2) owlztf #j — Belizario J 5. Thalbergien Waltzes .Keonig. 6. Introduction & Aria. Cujus Animatn \ »„.„•„/ Stabat Mater J 7. Gallop Breptsant. 8. Royal Polka Jullien.