New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 10, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 359, 10 January 1849, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 10, 1849.

On the departure of a vessel for Sydney, which is now our ordinary medium of communication with England, it is within our province, as public journalists, to notice the position in which, from peculiar circumstances, the inhabitants of the Southern settlements are placed with respect to their private correspondence. There are four English mails, namely, those of June, July, August, and September, now due. The two first, those of June and July, were put on board the Calypso for this port, and from the time which has elapsed since that vessel sailed from Sydney serious apprehensions are entertained for her safety, and it is probable these mails will never be received. Although, at the latest dates from Sydney, English news had been received to the 10th of September, the August Post Office Packet had not arrived. By some mismanagement, the Post Office Packets appear to be proverbially the dullest sailers, and a circumstance of, this kind so materially affects the interests and convenience of so , many settlements, by the interruption or delay of their commercial and private correspondence, that it should be brought strongly before the Post r office authorities at home, 'and a remedy' applied to the growing evil. .By the present Post-office' arrangements, all letters' intended for these set^ements (except otherwise marked) are sent by^the monthly^ Post-office packets to Sydney, so that we lose the advantage which the renewal of a direct communication with England would otherwise confer, the vessels from' England .direct having generally

brought but small mails for New Zealand . This might be remedied in some degree, if j those who correspond "with New Zealand were generally advised to endorse their letters, per first vessel. We trust to the English portion of the Press connected with New Zealand frequently to repeat this useful piece" of advice and to impress on their readers that its adoption may save many wearisome delay's and prevent much needless anxiety. If ■ this plan had been generally followed, the Susan would have brought answers to the correspondence per Woodstock, the chief part of which remains unanswered.

Serious Accident. — On Monday last as one of Mr. Mills' men aad two boys were engaged in pulling down the old store at Messrs. Bethune & Hunter's Stockyard, the roof fell on the man, named M'Clenan, who was only saved, from being completely crushed by a piece of scantling which lay on the ground close to where he was standing. He was immediately conveyed to the Colonial Hospital and examined by Dr. Fitzgerald, who found that the left shoulder, was dislocated, with a fracture of the right collar bone, that two or ~ three of the ribs were fractured with other internal injuries. The dislocation was immediately reduced by* Dr. Fitzgerald, and the fractures otherwise attended to, but from the severity of the internal injuries the poor man lies in a very precarious state.

A Public Meeting -was held on Friday evening last at Barrett's Hotel, for the purpose of electing a Committee for conducting the ensuing Anniversary sports, The Meeting was very numerously and respectably attended. On the motion of Mr. Rhodes, Mr. Dorset was called to the chair. Mr. Lyon proposed a long list of persons to act as a General Committee, from which the non-official members of the Legislative Council appeared to be studiously excluded. This was objected to by Mr. Moore, who showed that Messrs Bannatyne, Hickson, Hunter, and himself were on the Committee for last year; and for several previous years, and moved that their names be added to the list proposed by Mr. Lyon to which otherwise he had no objection. 'An attempt was made by Mr. R. Davis to get rid of Mr. Moore's motion by proposing that the names of the Committee should be submitted to the Meeting seriatim, which led to a long discussion anJ occupied a considerable portion of the time of the meeting./ Ultimately the names of the gentlemen above-men-tioned were proposed lo the Meeting, when they were elected by an o\erwhelming majority. A forest of hands was held up for Mr. Moore, and a loud and hearty cheer at the result of the proceedings afforded the most satisfactory proof that public feeling is decidedly opposed to the attempts made by a few violent individuals to divide the community by their political agitation. Mr. Moore deserves great credit for the way in which he has stood forward on. this occasion, and put down this attempt at dictation. When we compare the sayings with the doings of the Faction, their arrogant threats in the name of the public with their utter impotence, we are forcibly reminded of the old adage — Parturiunt montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. We understand that Mr. Dorset has since resigned the office cf Treasurer to the Anniversary Sports.

A Meeting was held yesterday, pursuant to advertisement, at the Stores of Messrs. W. B. Rhodes & Co., Te Aro, for the purpose of considering the propriety of petitioning the Home Government to obtain a Parliamentary Grant for the relief of the sufferers by the recent earthquakes in Wellington and its vicinity. It was moved by Mr. W. B. Rhodes and seconded by Mr. A. Hort, that Mr. Hickson be requested to take the chair. The following resolutions were then carried unanimously :—: — Moved by Mr. W: B. Rhodes and seconded by Mr. Boddington : That a Memorial be prepared and transmitted to the Principal Secretary of State' for the Colonial Department- requesting that he will be pleased to apply to Parliament for a grant of money for the relief of the sufferers by the recent earthquakes ; and that ;i such Memorial be forwarded through his Excsllency the -Governor in-Chief with a request that he will cordially support the prayer of the Memorial. Moved by. Mr. Boddington and seconded by" Mr. D. Scott : ' r ■ ' That a Committee consisting of the folio-wing Gentlemen be appointed to carry out' the' foregoing resolution, viz. — Mr. Hickson, Mr. Hort, Mr.-Rhodes, Mr. Hervey, Mr. Loxley.. Moved by Mr. D. Scott and seconded by Mr. Tankersley : That the Committee , be^ authorised to incur any necessary expense to carry out" the object

of the Meeting, and that such expense be paid rnteably by the persons signing the Memorial. The Chairman having left the Chair, it was moved by Mr. Boddington and seconded by Mr. Langdon, that the thanks of the Meeting be given to the Chairman, for his conduct in the Chair.