New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, October 27, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 234, 27 October 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, October 27, 1847.

The last Report of the New Zealand Company, with the correspondence between the Secretary for the Colonies and the Directors is now before the public. The terms granted by Lord Grey to the Company are sufficiently liberal, — the use of £236,000 for three years, without the payment of interest, and the exclusive use of «the Crown lands in the Southern Government of this colony to be confirmed to them by act of Parliament, if at the end of that period, after the experiment has had a fair trial, the Company should find itself in a condition to carry on its operations without further assistance. And these terms Lord Grey professes to grant not so mi?ch out of favour to the New Zealand Company, although he admits it has established a claim on the Government, as from a desire to restore the prosperity of the existing settlements, and by making New Zealand the seat of an extensive and thriving colony, repair the injuries inflicted on the great body of enterprising settlers, — " injuries more to be deplored even than those to which the Company has been subjected." The Company, by the liberality of the Government are once more placed in a position to renew their operations : the settlers are to derive their compensation from the prosperity to be caused by the renewal of emigration under the Company's auspices, and from " the efficacy of free institutions" [in preventing future misgovernment on the part of our rulers, and future mismanagement on the part of the Company. If these free Institutions, of which so much has been said, but which still remain in abeyance, are really to be. efficacious, they must give the settlers the power of exercising a wholesome check on both the Government and the Company, to prevent the recurrence of those evils which they have had so, much reason to complain of. They have waited with ex-

emplary patience, and it appears quite time that the present provisional arrangement should be superseded by a permanent and settled government according to the Royal Instructions lately issued. ' What may be the future policy of the Company must remain for the present a matter of speculation . We hope the lessons of experience which have been so dearly bought and from which the settlers have suffered so severely will not be' thrown away upon them ; in commencing anew they.ought to remodel their plans and endeavour to modify them to the peculiar circumstances of the country aDd the requirements of the settlers. Above all we hope they will not fall into the fatal error of taking for granted that because they have been liberally dealt with, that therefore the settlers ought to be satisfied : there are several points which still remain to be adjusted, several causes of, irritation which require to be removed, and the Directors will consult the best interests of the Company by satisfying the reasonable demands of the settlers before they enter into fresh engagements or form new settlements. By such a course they may hope to secure their hearty co-operation and gain the confidence of the public. But they cannot Aoo often be reminded of one lesson the past has taught in a manner not to be mistaken — that it is not in the number but in the prosperity of their settlements that they will prove themselves useful instruments of colonization — and they will make' an infinitely better use of the means placed at their disposal in giving vigour and stability to the settlements already in existence than in evincing an immoderate haste for founding new ones.

The Avon arrived last ni-ht from Sydneyafter a passage of thirteen days. She has brought 126|head of cattle, -400 sheep, and three horses. The Star of China sailed for Nelson two days before the Avon. The Eleanor Lancaster had also sailed for Twofold Bay to take in stock for Port Nicholson. Neither the Bee nor the Comet had arrived" at Sydney previous to, the Avon's departure.

An invitation to a public dinner was forwarded to Capt. Stanley, R.N., by the tradesmen and mechanics of Port Nicholson, 01; the occasion of his leaving this settlement ; but in consequence of the immediate departure of the C alliope, Capt. Stanley was reluctantly obliged to decline the intended honour.

On Monday evening there was a very numerous meeting of the friends of the Temperance cause at Thorndon. The meeting was held in one of the buildings forming part of the new barracks lately built by Mr. Mills. The chair was taken shortly after five o'clock by the Rev. J. Inglis, 'who, with Messrs. Woodward and Harding, severally addressed the meeting. The attendance was unusually numerous, there being upwards of three hundred persons present. Through the kindness of Colonel Gold, the band of the 65th regiment was in attendance, and played a selection of popular airs during the course of the evening. A considerable collection was made at the doors, and after paying the necessary expenses of the meeting, we understand the remainder will be added to the fund now forming by the members of the Society for building a Temperance Hall. Among the persons present were Lieut.Col. M'Cleverty, Lieut.-Col. Gold, Capt. O'Connell, Capt. Sotheby, R.N*, and several other patrons and well-wishers of the Tempei ance cause. The meeting broke up shortly after nine o'clock. , . -•*

Native Hospital. — Through the kindness of Dr. Fitzgerald we had lately an opportunity of inspecting the Native Hospital on Thorndon Flat, which has been some time completed and open for the reception of patients. On the ground floor there is a large surgery, opposite to which is another room used as a sick ward, with convenient offices : on the first story is a large ward the length of the building, with vapour and other baths. It is eventually intended to add two wings to the present building, containing four wards capable of affording accommoda-' tion for sixty additional patients. When we visited the institution it was the dinner hour, and three of the patients were sufficiently convalescent to sit down to dinner. Each patient on admission receives a warm bath and is afterwards .placed in a comfortable bed with blankets, sheets, Smv -On being sufficiently recovered to leave his bed the patient is supplied with warm clothing until he is pronounced by the medical officer to be well enough to be discharged. Any one who has seen a maori pah and is acquainted

with the native habits cannot fail to be struck with the contrast presented by the patients in this institution to their former way of living. The comfortable and well ventilated rooms, the cleanliness, regular diet, and warm clothing, to which the great majority of natives are unaccustomed must contribute no less to their speedy recovery than the care and medical assistance which they receive. Nor does the good end here, for we are persuaded that after having for some time been partakers of these advantages, on leaving the Hospital they must feel anxious to acquire thepermanent enjoyment of those comforts which so materially contributed to their reeefrery, and thus a powerful incentive is created for the adoption of civilized habits, which operates as a stimulus to their industry in order that they may have the power of gratifying these desires. The care, too, that is taken of them while in the Hospital cannot fail to excite in their minds feelings of gratitude towards the settlers, and dispose them to live peaceably. There are at present half a dozen Natives in the Hospital, chiefly from Waikanae and Otaki ; one of them is the native chief who lately had a tumour removed from his back, of which we gave a short account, and who will be sufficiently recovered in a few days to leave the Hospital. The benefits of the institution are not confined to the natives, several settlers having since the opening of the Hospital applied for and received assistance.,

Wellington Savings Bank- — Mr. J. M. Taylor, Mr. J. Varnham, Mr. J. Wallace, and Mr. Fitzherbert. 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 30th October 1847; and at the Union Bank of Australia, from twelve to one o'clock, on Monday forenoon, the Ist November. The Superintending Committee will meet at Barrett's Hotel, on Monday evening next, November 1, 1847, at 8 o'clock.

Programme of to-morrow's Performance by the Band of the 65th Regiment : — 1. Overture — Figaro Mozart. 2. Scottish Song — The Lady of the Lake.. Bishop. 3. Quadrille—^OstafF Balfe. .4. Cavatina, F&rse me Destino — Parisina Donizetti . 5. Lucrezia Borgia Waltz Tutsch. 6. God Save the Queen, with variations. . Weber. 7. Regatta Gallop Labitsky. 8. Mahabourgh Polka Smelling.