(From the New Zealander, October 18.)

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 347, 29 November 1848, Page 2

(From the New Zealander, October 18.)

By the Cornelia, which 'arrived from < Port Nicholson on Sunday, we have intelligence to the 30th ultimo. There had been no further fntelligence, from England ; but the filar-

riett Nathan had returned with a cargo of cattle from Port Albert. .We regret to perceive that an ill feeling continued to exist amongst the leading,supporters of the rival addresses, to hjs Excellency tbe Governor-in- Chief, "on' the subject of representative institutions. A communication, signed by thirty-five persons, had been presented to Mr. Stokes, the Editor of the Spectator, complaining of " a most gross, unprovoked, and unjustifiable attack' upon Mr. 1 Fitzherbert," contained in the letter of "A Settler,"' published in the Spectator; and requesting the name of the writer to be given up. To a demand, savouring so grossly of intimidation, Mr. Stokes could give no other than one reply — a prompt aud peremptory refusal, which he accompanied with, what to us appears to be, a fair and moderate explanation of the motives that induced him to give currency to the letters fiercely stormed. Mr. Stokes disclaims " anonymous slander," and "any disposition to permit personal attacks," but he claims, and we think reasonably too, the right both (or himself aud his correspondents, to review the public acts of a public man in the columns of-a public journal. ' To be brow beaten into surrender of a principle and a privilege, at the, cry of. numbers, would indeed be to cry Craven- — to show Mr. Stokes unworthy of his position, and Ao degrade that press whose freedom it is the boast of Englishmen to uphold unscathed. Both, parties were heated with their subject, and hard words were bandied on both sides of the question. "With these each should be satisfied. We would only put it to tbe requisitionists themselves, and ask what they would think of the independence of a journal which could be brought to give up its correspondents upon dictation ? The Spectator of the 30th, has an article upon representative institutions. After the recent conflict on that point, the article smacks somewhat of- the sour grapes. It is a just and sensible article, nevertheless, and a very befitting requiem for the suspended constitution.