New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, December 1, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 244, 1 December 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, December 1, 1847.

Tub official announcement of the Governor's intention to give immediate effect to the new Charter appears to be understood by some persons in a different sense from that which the plain meaning of the words convey, — they suppose that the Charter will still be indefinitely postponed and that delays will intervene to prevent its active operation. We must confess that we do not labour under this apprehension, but conclude from the terms of the announcement it is intended that the provisions of the Charter shall take immediate effect, and that this is the object of his Excellency's expected visit to these settlements. A good deal is to be done in the interval ; the necessary proclamations defining the number and boundaries of the several boroughsj the regulations prescribing the manner of registration, the time, place, and mode of conducting the annual elections of the municipal bodies, and the elections of the Provincial Assemblies, the rules which are to govern their proceedings, and all the other details connected with this important subject still remain to be adjusted. We have on several previous occasions discussed the general principles of the new Charter, on the publication of the details to which we have referred, and which on the arrival of the Inflexible from Auckland will doubtless take place, a convenient and fitting opportunity will be afforded for considering their practical operation. Another important question materially affecting the interests of the settlers will also be then determined ; we allude to the issuing of Crown Grants for this district, which it is reported, will taike place before the end of the present year. This appears to be a necessary preliminary to proclaiming the New Constitution, as it is impossible to conceive how municipal institutions can be brought into beneficial operation while the settlers remain without a title to their lands. Thus the close of the present year is destined to witness the occurrence of two of the most important events connected with the interests of this settlement ; — the separation of New Zealand into two Provinces distinct from, and neaily independent of, each other,and the issuing of Crown Grants for this District. The former of these will tend to place the Southern settlements on a more equal footing with the North as far as the administration of the Government is concerned, and will give the settlers the opportunity which has hitherto been denied them of taking a practical part in the management of their own affairs, the other we may hope will have the immediate effect of proclaiming that in the districts for which Crown grants will be issued, tranquillity has been permanently established, and we trust the progress of improve ment in Port Nicholson will be more than commensurate with the time that has beenlost.

The Scotia arrived on Monday with Captain Hardy, Lieut. Hay, and sixty-four rank and file of the 58th regiment, from Wanganui, which she left on Saturday last. All was quiet at Wanganui when the Scotia sailed. The day before her departure, one of the men of the 65 th regiment, who was bathing in the river, having ventured out of his depth, was unfortunately drowned.

Thb performance of music by the Band of the 65 th regt.,which was prevented by yesterday 's rain, will take place at Te Aro, on Friday.