New Zealand Spectator, AMD COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, October 13, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 230, 13 October 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AMD COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, October 13, 1847.

In our Police Report is a case which , deserves attention, as some of the circumstances connected with it afford a striking indication of the improvement which is taking place among the natives. From the report referred to little more is to be learned than the bare fact that a Maori had been committed to take his trial for the murder of another Maori. The following particulars which we have obtained from other sources may supply this deficiency. It appears that some time since, possibly three or four years ago, Rangita Piripiri, the native accused of the murder,went to bring home his wife, who was living in criminal intercourse with the man who was murdered. On this visit a quarrel ensued, in which the prisoner received a slight wound from the other man,and though subsequently their differences were arranged, the desire of revenge for this injury rankled in the breast of the former until an opportunity offered for its gratification in the beginning" of last month, when the two natives were crossing the river together, and the prisoner, who was the stronger and more powerful man of the two, succeeded in drowning his adversary. The prisoner has been arrested by hisfellow-countrymen on his own confession, and handed over to the proper authorities, though we have been informed he has since retracted his statements. We have no desire to prejudice the case by the few observations we deem it necessary to make, our object is chiefly to draw attention to the remarkable fact of the prisoner having been handed over to justice by his own countrymen. Before the colonization of New Zealand "In the olden time, ' Ere human statute purg'd the gentle weal, Aye, and since too, murders have been per form ' 4 and in these cases, one crime has been revenged by another leading to a succession of murders, or else the offenders have escaped punishment altogether. But in this act we have an unequivocal admission on the part of the natives of the superiority of oar laws to their barbarous customs, of their confidence in our administration of the law, and of their desire to "live under its protection. For as this is a case entirely between natives, according to the Royal Instructions recently issued, it might be left to be decided according: to native customs. And we may rest satisfied that those who are thus desirous? of the protection of our laws will be careful to yield a ready obedience to their ccmmands, so that the effect of the increasing civilization of the natives will be to insure the tranquillity of the country. And the more the natives are employed on the roads and other public works in which their labour is available, the more the facilities of intercourse and communication with the settler* are increased the more these desirable ends will be promoted.

We republish from Saturday's Government Gazette the quarterly statemtnt of the Revenue and Expenditure of this settlement. The Customs forms the principal item in the account and shews a considerable increase : as compared with last quarter the increase amounts to £1,060 ; compared with the corresponding quarter of the previous year the difference is still more striking, the increase amounting to £2,054. For the two last years the improvement in the Customs has been rapidly progressive witlrevery indication of this improvement being sustained; And when the roads now forming by the Government are completed, andcultivation is extended, we have no doubt the increase of the revenue will be equally progressive and satisfactory. Among the announcements

in the Gazette we observe a notice for Tenders for the purchase of drafts on the British Treasury, drawn by the Governor-in -Chief 'for sums of not less than One Thousand Founds each. If these drafts, as we before took occasion to observe, had been drawn for smaller sums they would have been disposed of to advantage, but their large amount places them beyond the reach of general competition.

Sale of Stock. — Yesterday the stock imported in the John Fleming from Twofold Bay, were sold by Messrs. J. Smith & Co., at Messrs. Rethune & Hunter's stockyard. The cattle averaged £8 per head ; the sale was numerously attended.

Port of Wellington. — An account of the number and tonnage of vessels that have entered Inwards and cleared Ontwards at this Port, for the Quarter ended 10th October, 1847 :—: —

John Macarthy. Harbour Master. Wellington, llth October, 1847.

Statement of the Wellington Savings Bank July 5, to October 4, 1847 :—: — Number of accounts brought forward.. 99 „ „ opened during above period 19 118 Number of accounts closed during abo\'e period 12 Carried forward 106

E. and O. IS. J. Woodward, Actuary. Wellington, Oct. 4, 1847.

Wellington Savings Bank — Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Northwood, Rev. J. J. P. O'Reily, and Mr. Fitzherbert, the Managers ia rotation, will attend to receive deposits at Messrs. Johnson & Moore's store, from seven to eight o'clock on Saturday evening, the 16th October 1847; and at the Union Bank of Australia, from twelve to one o'clock, on Monday forenoon, the 18th Oct.

[From the Government Gazette, October 9, 1847.] j Statement of all Monies received by Peter Dods Hogg, Esquire, Sub-Collector of Her Majesty's Customs at the Port of Wellington, from the Sixth day of July, to the Ninth day of October, 1847, both days inclusive :—: — Spirits 7429 i palls., at 55. £1857 8 2 Cigars 33 libs, at 2s. 33 2 0 Tobacco, manufactured 97661b5. at Is. 488 6 0 „ unmanufactured.. 1431lbs.at9d. 53 13 3 Ad Valorem Duty 1720 4 1 Total Amount of Duties ... .£4152 13 6 P. D. Hogg, Sub-Collector. Custom House, Wellington, 9th October, 1847.

Programme of this day's Performance by the Band of the 65th Regiment : — 1. Overture — La Dame Blanche Boieldieu. 2. Original Polonaise Jullien. 3. English Quadrille Jullien. 4. Selection from the Stabat Mater .... Rossini. 5 Le Bouquet Royale — Valse Jullien. 6. Cavatinaand Chorus — LaMiaLetizial Infondere — l.Lombardi AllaPrima V Verdi. Crociata .., j 7. Military Gallop Labitaky. 8. Drawing-Room Polka Jullien.

Vessels Inwards from beyond Seas direct 18 Coastwise 66 Is. ! Tons. 3<)65 2481 Men. 241 227 Total Inwards '84 6446 468 Outwards to beyond Seas direct 15 Coastwise 68 3365 2031 224 220 Total Outwards . . 83 5396 444

58 accounts have been opened b} r individuals (seven of them being aboriginal natives of New Zealand) which 58 accounts now amount to the sum of £751 4 8 40 accounts have been opened by parties i<i trust for others in the sum of 208 10 3 8 accounts have been opened fur publicfundsin the namesof friendly and benevolent societies, &c, in the sum of „ 288 16 7 106 £1218 11 6

Debentures on band bearing 8 per cent, interest, reckoned at par. .£1242 3 9 Cash in Union Bank of Australia . . 192 14 6 £1434 18 3 Deduct liabilities as above ..1248 11 7 Nominal balance in favor of the Bank £186 6 9

Assetts of the Bank.

Balance Sheet of the Wellington Savings Bank for the quarter ending Oct. 4, 1847.

us. To balance of deposit* as per last report „ amount of weekly deposits received as under: 1847. July 12, -week endthis day „ 27 5 6 19 „ „ 7 10 6 26 „ „ 24 18 0 Aug. 2 „ „ 0 8 6 9 „ „ 12 17 0 16 „ „ 43 8 6 23 „ „ 59 4 0 30 „ „ 25 8 6 Sep. 6 „ „ 18 0 0 13 „ „ 33 5 0 20 „ „ 2 8 0 27 „ „ 0 5 0 Oct. 4 „ „ 610 6 Interest added to varions amounts withdrawn ... 3 8 0 1178 16 11 264 17 0 1443 13 II To balance of interest as per last report Less amount added to accounts withdrawn 316 0 3 8 0 0 8 0 £1444 1 11 ~"~~~~~^~~~ t Cr. By amounts withdrawn as under • IM7J July 26, week ending this day 22 2 10 Aug. 2 „ „ 134 16 S 16 „ „ 1 10 0 30 „ „ 3 0 0 Sep. 20 „ „ 11 3 0 Oct. 4 „ „ 22 10 2 195 2 5 Noml. yalue. Coit. By funded debentures i-n band as per last report 1342 3 9 1150 0 0 Less 2 deposited in Colonial Treasury against cash received by authority from the Governor 100 0 0 100 0 0 1050 0 O By charges, paid Actuary Iqr 6 5 0 fiycashin Union Bank of Australia :.. 192 14 6 £1242 3 3 £1444 1 11 (Signed) Geo. Mooke \ Auditor . Geo. Hvutem. S Audltorl -