New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 12, 1848.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 256, 12 January 1848, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 12, 1848.

The Inflexible arrived on Monday night witK his Excellency the Governor and Mrs. Grey, Major General Pitt the Commander-in-Chief, and other Government officers, together with a detachment of the 58th and 65th regts. His Excellency left Auckland on the 3rd inst., and proceeded to the Bay of Islands, where he remained until Friday morning, when he left for Wellington, coming by the East Coast, instead of previously visiting Taranaki and Wanganui as at first proposed. If is reported that his Excellency's present visit will be short as he intends visiting the Southern Island in the Inflexible, and also the Chatham and Auckland Islands. This trip it is supposed will occupy six weeks, when the Inflexible will proceed to Bombay to undergo repairs, and will be replaced on this station by the Medea. The New Constitution was proclaimed on the 30th November, to come into operation throughout the colony of New Zealand on the Ist January, 1848, and accordingly on that day Captain Grey took the oaths as Governor-in-Chief of New Zealand, and the members of the Executive Council took the oaths of office under the New Constitution. A beginning has been made, the first step has been taken under the new order of things, but much more must be done before any beneficial results 'can flow from this measure. Until the detaJfsK are? arranged, until the constitution . has been brought into practical operation, and its provisions have an influence on the conduct of Government, it will exist only in name. To bring the New Charter into operation as a mere form is but •♦ To keep the word-of-pronaise to oar e«r*-' And break it to our hope." We may therefore take it for granted that previous to his Excellency's departure to the southward the requisite arrangements will be made with the Lieutenant- Governor for giving effect to the new Constitution y in the Southern Province, and that 1 as soon as Mr. Eyre returns from Wanganui he will' be duly installed in office. At Auckland^the new Constitution appears to have been received with indifference, and the arrangement of the necessary details an£ the municipal elections are postponed until the return of the Governor from the Southern Province. Te Ripa' and other northern chiefs with a number of their followers have come in the Inflexible. Te^ Rauparaha has also been permitted to return, and we believe w.ill be allowed to go and live at Otaki. After having stayed for so many months at the North, we could have wished him to have remained there altogether, and are sorry

that at this juncture he has been brought back again. It is difficult to believe that one whp through a long life has been proverbially treacherous and intriguing will now become peaceable and" quiet, and apprehensions may be reasonably entertained that his return may become the signal for fresh disturbances.

His Excellency and Mrs. Grey landed yesterday morning, and will remain during their stay at Government-house. In the course of the day his Excellency visited the Hospital on Thorndon Flat, and expressed himself very much pleased with the general arrangements.

The following" Ordinances, passed in the Legislative Council in 1846, have received the Royal confirmation. An Ordinance to authorise the importation of wine duty free " for military and naval officers serving in the colony of New Zealand ; and an ordinance to provide for the prevention, by summary proceeding, of unauthorised purchases and leases of land. The Ordinance to prohibit the sale of spirits to natives has been brought into operation by proclamation in the Northern Province, and is to be brought into immediate operation in the Southern Province.

Importation op Stock. — The Flying Squirrel arrived yesterday morning from Port Albert, Gipps' Land, after a favourable run of 10 days, with a cargo of cows, bullocks, and sheep, which have been landed in excellent condition. The cattle, particularly the cows, are of a fine large breed, and offer an opportunity to country settlers desirous of purchasing stock which does not often occur.

His Excellency Major-General Pitt, accompanied by Colonel Gold, inspected the barracks at Te Aro and Thorndon yesterday.