New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, December 22, 1847.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 250, 22 December 1847, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, December 22, 1847.

The Comet arrived yesterday from Sydney, after a passage of seventeen days. Through the kindness of Capt. Cork we have received a Sydney Morning Herald 1 of December 3, containing English news to the 24th August via Batavia, from which and from our files of Sydney papers we have extracted all the, news of importance. The event of the greatest interest was the dissolution, of Parliament, which took place on the 23rd July. The elections for the new Parliament were over in a majority of places. Among the elections most worthy of remark; are those of Baron Rothschild for London, Mr. Gladstone for Oxford, Mr. Macgregor, Cdl.'PL' Thompson, and Mr. F. O'Connor ; amongst the rejections are those of Mr. Macauley from Edinburgh, Mr. Hawes, Under-Se-cretary for the Colonies, from Lambeth, Sir J. C. Hobhouse, Mr. Fitzroy Kelly, Mr. Manners; Sutton, Mr. Fielden, and Mr. Roebuck. The New Zealand Bill had received the Royal assent ; the debates in the House of Lords on the second and third reading will be found in this day's Spectator. The Sydney Morning Herald announces that before the end .of the year a portion of the five thousand immigrants applied for by Sir Charles Fitzroy, would probably arrive at Sydney, and that three ships a month would be dispatched in order that a large number of emigrants might be sent out from England before next winter. From copies of official correspondence originally published in the South Australian Journals,and re-printed in those of Sydney, it appears probable that in a few months an experiment will be made to connect the Australian colonies with the Mother Country by steam. We shall recur to this subject in our next number.

H. M. S Inflexible was still at Sydney when the Comet sailed, she was to leave the day following for Auckland.

By the late arrivals' we have received an Inverness paper, in which we observe that the freedom of Dingwall was presented to Capt. Bethune, of the 9th Regiment (brother to Mr. Kenneth Bethune of Wellington), and a public dinner, which was attended by upwards of seventy persons, was given to him by his fellow- townsmen on the 'occasion of 2 his return from India to his native town.' W. Stewart Mackenzie, Esq., of Seaforth, occupied the chair, . supported by Sir Evan Mackenzie, Lieut.- General Sir Hugh Frazer, and the principal persons in the neighbourhood, who united in welcoming' to his " native Highland home" one of the heroes of Moodkee and Sobraon.

Medical. — Surgeon Pine, late of the 58th Regiment, has been appointed to the 4th Dragoon Guards. — Syd. Morn. Herald.

Survey of the Coasts of New -Zealand. — We are very glad to find from the following official communication, that this important work is to be undertaken immediately by officers appointed by Government. It will be a most important benefit conferred! on the commerce of New Zealand, and will materially promote systematic colonization particularly in the South Island, of which our present knowledge is very imperfect :—

Copy of a Letter from the Secretart of the Admiralty to the Secretary of the New Zealand Company. " Admiralty, sth July, 1847. "Sir, " I am commanded by ray Loj^s £ommwr, : sioners of the Admiralty to acquaint yob]! I 'for' the information of the Deputy-Governor and the Directors of the Neyr Zealand Company, that two Officers have been appointed to survey the Coasts and Harbours of that Colony, and will shortly proceed there. "lam, Sir, / " Your obedient Servant, ' ' (Signed) " H. G. Ward. T. C. Harington, Esq.