New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, May 20, 1848.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 293, 20 May 1848, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, May 20, 1848.

Anong the papers recently received, we perceive that an alteration has been made in the postage of newspapers to and from the colonies, which is to be reduced one half. A notice has also been recently affixed to our local post office, to the effect that all newspapers forwarded to England by ships going direct, will be free of postage. These are all alterations in the right direction ; but they are only instalments of justice. We hope the time is not far distant when the postage on newspapers will altogether be abolished. In this colony we have strong grounds for complaint, as the postage is higher than in any other colony. A penny is charged on each newspaper sent to the different settlements, and the same tax is levied on all papers sent to, and received froni, the adjacent colonies; while, if they are sent to any intervening port, double postage is charged, though the papers have become old and out of date by the consequent delay. 'For example, we generally receive our Adelaide papers by way of Auckland, for which double postage is charged, while the delay occasioned by this arrangement renders the papers perfectly useless. This charge is a

serious evil, it has been repeatedly complained of in the colony, it has been stigmatised as a reproach to New Zealand by the journals of the adjacent colonies, which are exempt from this exaction. It has been adverted to by his Excellency the Governor in Council, as a grievance and injury to the colony, and we take this opportunity, before the next meeting of the Legislative Couucil, to remind his Excellency of the continued existence of this grievance, and of his own expressed opinions, in the hope that he will mak« such representations to the post office authorities in England (if he has no power to help us) as may induce them to abolish the impost.

In the Nelson Examiner of April 29th, are some observations, on a case brought before the Resident Magistrate's Court in that settlement, on which we think it desirable to say a few words. We believe the following will be found to be a correct statement of the facts of the case ;— On Tuesday evening (the 25th), William Champion, the master of the Undine, being in a state of intoxication, or as it is commonly termed the worse for liquor, entered the shop of a Mrs. M'Glashen at Nelson, to purchase some twine ; no one being in the shop at the time he took what he wanted, and, Mrs. M'Glashen returning in the interval, he tendered her a crown in payment, which she changed at the next public house and retaining one shilling, (the amount as she supposed of his purchase) returned him four shillings with which and with the twine Champion went away. On going on board the Undine, Champion throws the twine into his cabin, and twenty-four hours after, to his surprise, is arrested on a charge of stealing it. On being charged by the constables, there is no attempt at concealment, Champion himself shows them the twine and explains the circumstances ; the highest value placed on the twine is seven shillings, the value, as estimated by one of the witnesses is five shillings, the sum paid by Champion, and of which four shillings were returned to him while he was leaving the premises. The following however is what our contemporary is pleased to designate the " naked facts" of the case. " On Tuesday evening last, Mrs. M'Glashen, who keeps a shop on Auckland Point, for the sale of rope, twine, &c, manufactured by her husband, left her premises for a short time, and -walked down towards the Port. While standing nearly opposite Mr. Schroder's (a distance of about two hundred yards from her own house), she saw a man, in the garb of a sailor, come from her door and go into the public-house adjoining. On reaching her shop, she discovered that three balls of cord had been cut away from the door-post, where they had hung with others, and she immediately suspected that the person whom she had just seen leave the house was the thief. Almost instantly, this person returned to purchase a hall of cord, and seeing that he had a respectable appearance, she did not like to tax him with the theft. Having selected a ball of cord, the price of which was a shilling, the man looked at some fishing lines, but did not take any, and then tendered a five-shilling piece in payment for the cord. Mrs. Glashen was compelled to go to the public-house next door to get change, and on her return she found the man standing at her door, and on giving him the four shillings, she told him of the robbery she had just discovered, and remarked, that it was the first time she had ever experienced anything of the kind in New Zealand. The man then went away. Passing through a sort of lobby, Mrs. M'Glashen entered her shop, when she immediately discovered that several fishing-lines and a hank of cord were also missing. Subsequent enquiries acquainted her that the man who had purchased the cord, and whom she suspected of this doable robbery, was the captain of the Bishop's schooner. She therefore, on Wednesday, applied for a warrant against William Champion, the master of the Undine, and two constables went and searched the vessel, and there the whole of the missing articles were found, the principal part being in the captain's berth, and the remainder by the side of his chest." In this account, avowedly made, in part on hearsay evidence, by a person who was not present during the examination, every circumstance tending to criminate the accused is prominently put forward, while all the facts which induced seven magistrates after a patient investigation to decide that " no felony was proved," and to dismiss the case, are suppressed, and, on this exparte statement, — in this attempt to make a mountain out of a molehill, — our contemporary indulges in a violent tirade against the presiding magistrates and the Bishop of New Zealand. Passing over the improbability of a man who has hitherto borne an excellent

character, and who was in good employment at the tirre, committing a petty theft such as that alleged, if Champion had been guilty, he might in the discharge of his duty, the Bishop being anxious "to prosecute his voyage without delay," have got under weigh the next morning, and left Nelson, or, in coming to his sober senses, if he had been conscious of having committed theft, he would have concealed the twine, or thrown it overboard ; but his conduct was that of a man free from any guilty intention, and so from the evidence it appeared to the magistrates who very properly dismissed the case. Perhaps we may be thought to have given undue importance to this paltry affair, but our object, in these remarks, has been to vindicate the character of a married man with a family, who has hitherto borne an unimpeachable character from the imputation thus unjustly attempted to be cast upon him. Tt is admitted Champiun was guilty of an indiscretion, oneffpo common ta those in his line of life, but it is highly unjust because he has committed a folly, to attempt to ruin his character by stigmatizing him with a charge of crime. Our contemporary's remarks about the Bishop may be dismissed in a very few words. We hope it will never be " a novelty" in New Zealand, in any case where a man has been foolish but not guilty, that his employer will give him the benefit of his testimony as to his general character and conduct, and this appears to have been the course pursued by his Lordship on the occasion referred to.

We have great pleasure in directing the attention of those who take an interest in Horticultural pursuits to the following proposals for a Botanical Union, which have been forwarded to us for publication : — Proposals cor a Botanical Union for procuring Cape Plants. — The plants of Southern Africa are more numerous in species, and more remarkable for the beauty and singularity of their blossoms, than those of any other part of the world. It is there that nearly two thirds of all the bulbous plants, yet discovered, are found inana'urally wild state, and the variety of heaths, proteas, pelargoniums, a'oes, &c, altogether peculiar to this region, seem to be absolutely inexhaustible. For although Botanical Collectots have been settled at Cape Town ever "since the time of Massou, in 1732, yet new and elegant species are annually sent hy them to the different public and private gardens of Europe, and generally upon such (pecuniary) terras as to place the acquisition of these beauties of Flora within reach of most cultivators of flowers. The few species of South African plants yet introduced into these islands, prove that our climate is very favourable both to their growth and rapid increase, particularly those of the bulbous tribes. The magnificent Proteas (of which near a hundred species have already been found at the Cape), grow from seed, and flower luxuriantly, (as annually seen in Mr. St. Hili's garden) while of the heaths not a single species is known to be in the colony, although not less than 430 are described by Botanists as natives of South Africa alone. Now, as all these grow in a light sandy soil, in open exposed plains, the winds of Port Nicholson are precisely adapted to their natural To acquire an extensive collection of different families of plants, it is proposed that a sum, not less than Ten pounds, should be raised by subscriptions, or shares, of one pound each, to be paid at the time of subscribing, and transmitted to an agent in England, through whom all necessary instructions and arrangements will be made with some one of the Botanical Collectors now residing at the Cape of Good Hope. These collections will therefore, in the first instance, be transmitted to Conrad Loddiges, Esq., who will pay for the same on delivery, and transmit the packages to Mr. Swainson, hy the first vessel that may sail for Wellington. Without the disinterested assistance of such an eminent Horticulturalist, the present plan indeed could not be effected. His agency will insure a liberal and faithful compliance with our instructions, on the part of the Cape collectors, and there is no doubt that Mr. Loddiges (from his personal friendship for Mr. Swainson) would do everything in his power to secure tnl safe preservation of the collection, before it was reshipped for these islands, without any charge for his own personal trouble or superintendence. Any gentleman may take as many shares at he pleases, and may confine his portion to one or more particular families of plants — as, for instance, one may desire only bulbous roots and seeds— another only heaths— another proteas, &c, while the majority of subscribers may probably prefer a general collection. The larger the subscription, the greater will be the variety and number of the species to be sent. And although by this plan, no one subscriber will possess all the species, yet, as every one may have something peculiar in his portion pr

share, a mutual exchange between all the subscribers who wish it, may be effected after the first year : and thus, by the addition of the offspring from the original plants, the whole number of species may eventually be possessed by each subscriber. It may be as well to mention, that these Botanical Unions exist in every part of Europe ; some, in Germany, are on a very large scale, (having 4 or 500 annual subscribers,) that they are found highly delightful to lovers of plants, and very beneficial to science. Such gentlemen as are desirous to join in this undertaking, are requested to send their names to Mr. Swainson without delay.

Government Notices. — The following general notices appear in the Government Gazette, published last Thursday. — His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor will hold a levee at Government House on Wednesday next, the 24th inst., at one o'clock, being the anniversary of her Majesty's birthday. The Anniversary Ball* in' celebration of the day is deferred in consequence of the Reception Rooms at Government House not being completed. An Ordinance to amend the Customs' Ordinance, Sess. 1, No. 3, and the Customs" Amendment Ordinance, Sess. 3, No. 6, and an Ordinance to alter certain duties of Customs, passed during the Legislative session of 1846, have been confirmed by Royal authority. The Cattle Trespass Ordinance is proclaimed to come in force in that portion of the Town of Wanganui, situate between the river and Guyton and Churton streets. Five districts in the Southern Province, viz. — the district of Wellington, of Nelson, of Motueka, of Akaroa, and of Otakou, are appointed as Deputy Registrars' Districts under the Ordinance for registering Births, Deaths, and Marriages in New Zealand, passed in the last session of the Legislative Council. The following are the boundaries of the district of Wellington :—: — "All that part of the Northern Island which is included within the Province of New Munster, and all islands on the Northern and Eastern sides of Cook's Strait, shall be called the District of Wellington, and shall be the District of the Deputy Registrar thereof, for the purposes of the said Ordinance." An abstract of the Revenue and Expenditure for the quarter ended 31st March, IS4O, is also published, a notice of which we must defer to another opportunity.

The schooner Scotia sailed for Wanganui on the 18th inst., talcing the remainder of Capt. Young's company 65th Regiment, and will return with the last division of Capt. O'Connell's company, the latter officer having arrived here with the first division of his company from that out-station on Monday last, where he has been quartered for the last twelve months.

Launch. — A new vessel, called the Queen, was launched on Thursday afternoon at Mr. Mathieson's building yard, on the Waiwetu river, She measures fifty-five tons new register, and is very strongly put together, having been built of the hardest and most durable woods of this district ; she is coppered and copper fastened, and no pains or expence have been spared in her construction, and we have no doubt she will add greatly to Mr. Mathieson's established reputation as a ship builder. She was built for P. M. Hervey, Esq., and as soon as she is ready for sea will be employed in the coasting trade, to which she will prove a valuable addition.