The New zealand Spectator AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Satuuday, June 30, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 408, 30 June 1849, Page 2

The New zealand Spectator AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Satuuday, June 30, 1849.

The Legislative Council of this Province have brought their labours for the present Session to a close, the Council -having been adjourned sine die on Thursday. The report of their proceedings published in this Journal, which we have endeavoured to give at as great a length as our space would admit, has enabled our readers to form an estimate of the value of their labours. Of fourteen ordinances which have been brought in during the present Session, one (the Bread Bill) has been thrown out, the others have been passed, and await the approval of the Go-vernor-in-Chief, and the final confirmation of the British Government. Besides the discussion of these ordinances, the Council have been usefully engaged in committees," ii considering several subjects of importance, namely, in committees on education, on reprinting and arranging the ordinances now in force, on the claims of certain settlers at Wanganui to compensation for losses during the disturbances in that district, on the the Dog Nuisance Ordinance, and for considering the best mode of levying Customs Duties. On some of the most important of these subjects we have freely expressed our opinion, particularly when, as on the subject of Education, our opinions were at variance with those entertained by the Council, r The* bills-, -that have been -passed are of a local nature, and mostly of a useful character, particularly that for repairing the streets in the Town* In the bill for repairing roads in the country districts, one of the i last introduced during this session, we re- j gret that a land tax was not adopted instead j of attempting to provide funds by means of tolls, which, we think, must necessarily ] prove a failure. The true principle is to i throw the charge of making and repairing the roads in the several districts on the owners of the land, who are most benefited by them. Wherever roads are made the land immediately becomes valuable, and is eagerly sought after, while those districts through which no roads have been made remain neglected and unoccupied. As the law stands, the absentee proprietors, who own the great proportion of land in the districts through which roads have been made, and who receive a considerable annual amount in the rents arising from the increased value

given to their sections by means of the roads' made by the Gove nment, do not contribute in any way to their repair, the whole expense being thrown on the colonists. - This we consider to be unjust in principle,' and calculated to inflict a great "injury oiHhe colony, while it tends to perpetuate the v evil of absenteeism. If the classes were separated indeed, the colonists and the absentee proprietors being each in separate districts, the case would be somewhat altered, but while the properties are intermingled, the colonists have to make or keep in repair so much fhore road than they require according to the extent of the sections belonging to, the absentees. We are convinced that a tax of sixpence per acre for making and repairing roads would be cheerfully paid by the settlers, and would operate most beneficially by obtaining a considerable amount from those who have hitherto never contributed to these objects.^ "T" ?' ■ '?^-

Ashley and Lavender who were convicted at the last sittings* of the Supreme Court for the attempt on Mr. Christian's life, and whose sentence has been commuted to transportation for life, were put on board the Fair Tasmanian yesterday* to be sent-to Van Diemen's Land. On Thursday evening, Barry, the gaoler, whose vigilance had been redoubled by the previous escape of the three prisoners reported in our last number, had his suspicions excited by the noise in the cell of these convicts, and on entering into it found they were busily engaged in attempting to file their irons. They were therefore removed from their insecure cell and placed for the night under the safe custody of the military guard.

Two of the prisoners who escaped from the gaol on Tuesday night, were retaken on the Porirua Road last Thursday by Floyd (the late gaoler) and some settlers, and delivered over to the police. Neal the third prisoner, who was with them, escaped at the time, but towards the evening, had the boldness to return to Wellington, and was immediately recognised and apprehended by the police about seven o'clock on Thursday night, within a short distance of the police station at Kumutoto,

During the past w^ek we have >had succession of very heavy rains with a total absence of wind. So exceedingly calm has it been, particularly during the last two days, not the slightest breath of air stirring, that the Mazeppa and Ennerdale have been unable to leave the harbour, while the Government brig, which has been off the mouth of the harbour since Thursday has, for the same reason, been unable to come in.

Mr. Thomas, the Principal Surveyor and Agent for the Canterbury Association, proceeds to Port Cooper in the Fair Tasmanian with the first change of wind, with a party of surveyors and men for the purpose of commencing the surveys for the , new settlement.