New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 3, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 357, 3 January 1849, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 3, 1849.

We take no note of time Save by its flight. At the close of another year, the ninth of our colonial existence, we shall according to our wont indulge in a brief retrospect, and pause, if it be but for a moment, on the threshold of the coming year, to note. the principal events which give a character to that which is past. In matters affecting j our social condition and prospects during the past year there has been a gradual and progressive improvement, unmarked perhaps by events attracting unusual attention, but which has been not the less certain. -The past year has been free from disturbances, and the natives appear to have settled down into peaceful and industrious habits. The land question at Wanganui has been finally and satisfactorily arranged, and extensive purchases hare been made by the Government in the south island") so as to secure^ tp'^the Crown nearly the whole of that portion of New Zealand, The arrangements for the purchase _of the ' "Wairarapa are proceeding favourably, % and' the^ natives are anxious to dispose^ of-tbJe districts^ between Ma||irau and Wanganui to the Local Government. Another settlement, Otago, has been, formed to the- South, which, appears "to be daily . rising / in 'importance,^ , and from the-Jncreasihg number, of fts iphaihftants, adds .to the value and v - weight of the Southern Settlements. . Another (the Canterbury)" settlement* is projected* on a still-

0 mo^exterijnv'e' scale? and cannot fail greatly \ to/ influence our future fortunes. The re'ceht establishment, by the u Governor-in-Chief, of a Legislative Council in this Province, allows the settlers the opportunity of promoting, by their local experience, their best interests, and of assisting the Government in the arrangement of those details and preliminary, measures which must precede the establishment of- Representative Institutions; but we have discussed this question so recently and so fully that we , will not do more than refer to it on' this occasion. , i The number of early settlers, "whose ranks had previously been .thinned by misfortune and the pressure of the times, has, during the past year.* been further reduced by death ; many of those who started- with us, the companions of -our early pilgrimage, have one by one been left behind ; in the busy haunts of men, in the intercourse of private life, we miss their familiar faces. In any 'retrospect, however brief, of the past year, .we cannot fail to notice this circumstance, or refuse the passing tribute of a sigh to the memory of those who were so lately *of us and amongst us, but whose place, alas ! knows, them no more. The last circumstance which gives a character to" the past year, in its effects , on our fortunes and future prospects, and which will cause the recollection of it to deeply engraven on our minds, is the succession of earthquakes that have caused so much alarm, and occasioned the destruction of so much property. But in this, as in all the previous misfortunes which have befallen the settlement, its inhabitants have shown their indomitable energy and perseverance, and' have set to work steadily to repair the damage which has been caused by this visitation. The ruins have been cleared away, and substantial wooden buildings are rising in the place of those that have been destroyed, and in a very short time, no external traces' will remain of the injury which the settlement has sustained. This fact, it affords the most honorable evidence of the energy of character of the settlers, offers ample proof of the substantial prosperity of the settlement, in the comparative ease with which it has recovered from the effects of this calamity. The exertions of the settlers bear witness of their British origin, and prove them to be not- unworthy the stock from which they have sprung, Inde durum sumus genus, experiensque laborum Et documenta damus, quo sumui origine nati.

Owing to some alleged informality at the j previous election, a meeting of the , subscribers to the Burnham Water race course took place on Saturday evening, at Barrett's Hotel, for the purpose of electing a committee for conducting the ensuing races, and it was generally reported that an attempt would be made by the faction to exclude two gentlemen, from the committee, on the ground of their being members of the Legislative Council, of as they (the faction) are pleased to designate them "Government nominees," and that this attempt, if successful, would be followed up by similar ones, to exclude " the Nominees" from the Horticultural Committee, the Savings Bank Committee, &c, on the plea that they had, in accepting office, forfeited the confidence of the public. .. So .arrogant an attempt to dictate to the.- community, and to introduce the bitterness of political differences and party, spirit into our social amusements, naturally excited a strong feeling of disgust, and caused a numerous attendance of subscribers. We are happy to say that it met with a complete and signal defeat, so much so -as <to cause one or two of the prime movers of this notable scheme Jtp retire from the Committee themselves. We cannot animadvert too strongly on the intoler^bt arrogance of these persons, on the offensive pretensions of these "great toes of this assembly" to b6 its head. We hope the lesson of last Saturday will, be useful in teaching them their^proper,- place, and if they are determined to exert an exclusive spirit,, it, will at least serve as a- hint to them to begjn'-by 1 excluding thetDselVeSjJ The result of : Saturrfay'soineeting ought w convince them u Jth^' Jthey/do ,:not' represent,; the intelligent part of the-community, andcqnsediiently itheir'assertions to that'; effect must be taken, at precisely what- they are worth. Since'. writing the above, we observe a handbill has been circulated, signed J. Dorset, cayfag.^/iPftblic Barrett'* Hotel, on Friday evening 1 , to make

arrangements for the ensuing Fete; and requesting the public to withhold their subscription^' 1 Wtil after the meeting. The violent 1 partizanahip recently exhibited by this gentleman may be taken as an index of the spirit likely to actuate the meeting, and will > induce most moderate persons, we ■ should imagine, to stay away.

The Nominees. — We understand that a sure method of getting rid of these pests of society, without cost or scandal, has been devised by two medical gentlemen — > ' Et cantare pares et respondere parati, in the cause of independence, virtue and polite conversation. The wretches are not to be destroyed by any means known to the PBarmacopseia ; death caused- by any such means would be too quick, and utterly disproportioned to the enormity of their crimes. They ' are to die slowly — by starvation. The process is easy. Call a Public Meeting, and pass a resolution that any tradesman supplying any of the persons called " Nominees," readily known by the brand of " rogues, fools, and liars," very recently put upon them, with food of any kind, shall be deemed a public-enemy ; and any man, woman, or child, may insult the tradesman so offending with perfect impunity.

We have received by the Dolphin the first number of a.new Journal published at Dua* edin every alternate Wednesday, called the Otago News. . It is rather more than half -the size of the Spectator, and contains three columns in each page. It is very neatly and carefully got up, and promises to become a useful addition to the New Zealand press. We regret we can find no extract referring to local affairs of sufficient interest to furnish our readers with " a taste of its quality," but we must be content to bide our time, since we are assured better things are in store — " There's pippins and cheese jto come."

Quantitt of rain fallen during the month of December, 1848 — 2in.

Cricket. — Last week the return match between the 65th Regiment and the Officers of the Havnnnah came off, and proved an exceedingly interesting and closely contested match. At the end of the first innings the 65th had considerably the advantage ; but in the second innings their opponents recovered their lost ground, and eventually won the game by fourteen runs. The conquering match was played yesterday, and was entirely in faypur of the 6 5 iti Regiment, who won easily, having right wickets to go down. The fielding on both sides, particularly on that of the 65th Regiment, was excellent. The following is the result of yesterday's match, Navy and Departments., Ist innings 59, 2nd innirgs 65; totals 124. 65th Regiment, Ist innings 109, 2nd innings 16, and eight wickets to go down. Subjoined is the score of the two first games ; yesterday's score will be published in our next number.

H.M.S. "Havannah," A*ri> Depaktmfn'ts. Ist Innings. ' 2nd Innings. Payne c. Valentine 12 c. Thelwall 7 Hannant b. Thelwall 1 c. Thelwall 0 Milner b. Holdroyd 1 run out 3 Hamley b. Holdroyd 10 b. Holdroyd 13 ! Dawes b. Thelwall 0 -c. Valentine 2 Mills c. Valentine 0" c. Dixon 4 Cull not out 0 b. Thelwall 39 i White b. Thelwall 3 c. Holdroyd 20 Perciyal c. Stamp 0 not out 9 Clayhills std. Nicholls 0. b. Thelwall 0 Simmons c. Holdroyd , . . 1 b. Thelwall 11 Byes 8 Byes 7 ~~86 115 Total 151.

Thk match between the 65th Regiment and the Civilians came off on New Year's Day, but the latter from want of practice proved unequal to their opponents, who won easily, with six wickets to go down. The return match will be played on Tuesday next, the 9th inst. The following is the score of the match on Monday : —

Thk Cook's Strait Almanack for the present year was published on the Ist January. It contains several important improvements and additions to the amount of local information usually contained in this work, viz. the scale of fees charged at the different public offices, poundage rates, the standing rules of the Legislative Council, &c. ; directions for restoring suspended animation, and rules for ascertaining the weight of cattle, have also been added to this year's Almanack.

Ist Innings. 2nd Innings. Thelwall run out 5 not out 1 Holdroyd b. Clout 13 c. Clout 9 Timms b. Clout 6 b. Clout 0 Nicholls run out Ob. Ashmore 4 Mason not out 2 b. Clout 0 Bracken b. Clout .' 1 not out 0 -Dixon c. Baker 17 not out 0 Valentine b. Clout 0 not out 9 Greenwood run out 28 not out 0 Stamp leg before wicket . . 14 not out 0 Elliott b. Bromley 12 not out 0 Byes 10 Byes 2 113 , 25 Total 138.

65th Regiment.

Civilians.

Ist Innings. 2nd Innings. Ashmore b. Holdroyd ... .17 not out 82 Wintringham c. Valentine 12 b. Elliott 11 Clout b. Holdroyd 3 b. Holdroyd 8 Bromley c. Elliott .... 8 b. Elliott 3 Dawes b. Holdroyd . .' 5 c. Nicholls /. . . 1 Dodds b. Holdroyd 5 b. Elliott 2 Catchpool c. Elliott 0 c. Holdroyd 4 Young b, Elliott ". . 0 c. Valentine. ... 7 Beuge not out 2 c. Dixon 1 Moore b. Elliott 1 b. Elliott 0 Baker b. Holdroyd 0 c. Stamp 0 Byea 5 Byes 8 58 77 Total 135.

Ist Innings. 2nd Innings. ' Thelwall run out 14 b. Hamley .... 3 Barton b. Hannant 0 " b. Hannant .... 1 ' Bracken b. Hamley 21 b. Hamley 2 Dixon b. Hannant 4 c. Hamley 0 i Holdroyd b. Hannant .... 0 b. Hannant .... 10 Timms b. Hannant 27 b. Hamley .... 0 Talentine c. Hamley .... 19 c. Hamley . . . ." 8 Mason b. Hannant ...... 5 std. Payne .... 0 Nicholls b. Hamley . : 2 b. Hamley 0 Stamp Y. Hannant' \ .' '. . .'. 11 b". r Hamley 0 Wood not out '. . :\ . .-. . .''."^-l H6t 0ut; .%...'.. 0 ,y- o i,jilr << 104'^" -'''' 33 ','" '" ' Total 137. "'"

Ist Innings. 2nd Innings. Hannant c. Nicholls 2 b. Holdroyd . . 12 Payne b. Holdroyd 3 b. Nicholls .... 82 Milner b. Holdroyd 11 b. Holdroyd . . 0 Hamley,b. Thelwall ....10 c. Valentine ..15 Stevenson not out 4 std. Thelwall .. 1 Dawes b. Thelwall 1 c. Holdroyd . . 1 Dull run out 0 b. Holdroyd . .10 White c. Valentine 0 c, Nicholls .... 0 Edwards c. Thelwall .... 9 c. Nicholls 2 Simmons c. Valentine .... 4 Not out .8 Percival b. Thelwall 17 c. Mason 5 r Byes 20 Byes 4 81 ' , 90 { { Total 171.

H.M.S."Hav\wnah," and Departments.

RETURN MATCH. 65th Regiment.

Jbt Innings. 2nd Innings. rhelwall c. Hamley 2 b. Hannant . . . . li Barton c. Stevenson 1 Bun out ( Dixon b. Hamley 3 c. Hannant .... I loldroyd b. Hannant ... .20 b. Hannant . . . .li ?icholls b. Hannant 4 c. Dawes I Valentine c. Payne 16 c. Hannant .... t Stamp b. Hannant 0 Not out < rimrus run out. .' 8 b. Hamley . . . .3i kfason run out 8 b. Hannant . . . . 1! flood not out 1 c. Payne I loward run out 1 b. Hannant . . . . < Byes 7 Bye 9 i 71 10: Total 172.

FIRST MATCH. 65th Regiment.