New zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, August 18, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume v, Issue 422, 18 August 1849, Page 2

New zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, August 18, 1849.

Evert now and then tbe Sydney Morning Herald professes to edify its readers on the subject of New Zealand affairs by retailing the stale gossip with which it is industriously crammed by ikp^gobp' mpucKep who practice on its unsuspecting 'credulity!. Nothing is too gross, too palpable for its belief, and it retails with unhesitating faith all |*the weak; inventions oYthe enemy." The last dis'eoveiy it has <J i^ppls Somewhat 'startling — nothing lessan^shtfffctthan Sir- George j Grey's critical, position fqr/waptj .Demeans, to -carjy, on hi.s, Government,,^-that t|xe Treasuries' or botli Provinces are empty/and unable to meet the demands against them, and | " the Judge" is somewhat unceremoniously

dragged in to vouch for the state of the Exchequer at Wellington. We should think his Honor will he rather annoyed at the liberty thus taken with his- name, he can owe to no friendly hand this attempt to mix up bis name with the politics of the settlement, and to make it the vehicle by which currency is to be given to a story invented for a party purpose. As for the Herald, its feajs may be quieted, its apprehensions may be relieved, as far as the Southern Province is concerned, by the information that the Treasury at Wellington is able to meet all demands upon it, and that there is every reasonable probability of its continuing to'do so.; that- the sutlers in any contrast they ean J fonn between Sir George Grey's government and that of his predecessor have reason to congratulate themselves on the change which has taken place, in being restored from a state of utter prostration to one of prosperity ; and that there is*ri6Vthe most remote' prospect of the depreciated currency which, under the name of Debentures, was forced by Captain Fitzroy on the unwilling colonists being ever issued again in New Zealand. We may charitably hope when next our contemporary speculates on New Zealand politics, that he will try and obtain his information from more trustworthy sources, if he expects any importance to be attached to his lucubrations.

We are sorry to learn that the Neptune, a schooner of 40 tons has been wrecked off Long Point, in Hawkes Bay, during the late heavy gales. The intelligence was brought by the Henry which arrived on Thursday morning. Fortunately all hands were saved. Portions of the wreck of the Hoturangi have also been washed ashore at Long Point.

On Friday, the 10th instant, one of the crew of the Mary Ann fell from the bowsprit of the vessel and was unfortunately drowned. The vessel was lying at the time inside the bai at Manawatu wind bound.

Last Saturday, the 11th inst., as Mr. Jillet, with John Grotto his shepherd, were removing five head of cattle from his station at Kapiti to another part of the island in a large boat, when about 300 yards from the station the cattle became restless, and one of them broke adrift, and threw himself across the gunnel of the, boat, when she commenced to fill. , Mr. Jillet succeeded in cutting three of the beasts adrift ; the other two being secured to the boat were drowned along wi h the shepherd, who was not able to swim. The next day withth_e assistance of the whale boatsj the boat and the body of poor Grotto were recovered. The deceased was about 52 years old and has left one son to bewail his loss.

Last" Monday Te Ahuru, a native of Rangitikei, was convicted at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Waikanae, of larceny, having robbed Rawiri Puaha, the chief of Porirua, of a considerable sum of money on the Ist instant. The prisoner was captured at Horowhenua, a few days afterwards, by Puaha and a native policeman ; but in consequence of the former not wishing to put on the handcuffs, the prisoner escaped to Rangitikei, but was immediately brought back by his own brother Paura, who as soon as he heard him confess that he had robbed Puaha, s-aid, "Thou shalt be utu, and I will bring you to justice;" Paura at the same time added, " this puts me in mmd of the Scriptures, which say one brother shall prosecute the other." He also said, " this is the hand that shall take you to justice, and if Puaha will not prosecute you, he shall have your body as , payment- ibrvthe ten pounds." The prisoner was sentenced to pay four times the amount, or 12 months' imprisonment. Although the Court w|t& full of Rangitikei natives, no one would become his security. At Jast his brother nobly came forward, and said, if' the Court would give him reasonable time he would pay the penalty, which was accordingly agreed upon.

Robbery. — On Wednesday night, shortly after nine o'clock, a robbery was committed in the house of G. "Wood, Esq., of the Commissariat, during the temporary absence of his servant. The drawers in the room were opened, and the different articles contained in them scattered about. The thieves took away- -with them a writing desk belonging to Mr. < Wood, together with the medals he received in the Spanish service, and several private papers of consequence. The thieves 1 an entrance into the, house through the^kitchen window. ' '

WB.,recently adverted in strong terms of reprobation to Sir W,. jDenison's plan of ridding Van Dienden's Land' of " t'he worst part of its population" by grafting tb convicts conditioual pardons ,note available in that -Colony.' Wear* glad "ta find that' the. Austrahan' Journals concur in our view or this.ojshonest evasion of the law.'^The Melbourne Argus In^igpsntly .^oiidecins Jke .pjro^ding, and

states that a meeting was to be convened for the purpose of urging the Executive Government to remonstrate against " Sir W. Denison's infamous expedient." The following observations are extracted from \ the M ait land Mercury :—: — v • - . v Cannot our government adopt some measure to counteract tins impudent manoeuvre 1 If it be competent to the local authorities of Van Diemeu's Land to except that colony from , the operation of conditional pardons, cannot our Legislature pass an Act to prevent parties holding conditional pardons from locating themselves here. The Council have refused unanimously to consent to the renewal of direct transportation on the terms last offered by Earl Grey. They are therefore bound, not only in justice to the commnnity, but for a regard to their own consistency, to resist this nefarious scheme for converting Van Diemen's Land info a mere conduit through which large numbers of the criminals of the United Kingdom can he passed into this colony, subject to no restraint, and unaccompanied by the slightest equivalent of any kind. Earl Grey's latest directed transportation scheme' is a desirable measure compared wjth this plan for compelling expirees to transfer themselves to this colony after they have paid to the Van Diemen's Land government sufficient to defray < the expence of their passage thither. TJuder Earl Grey's measure we should 'have an exact knowledge of the number of prisoners arriving ; the men could be sent to any part of the colony the authorities might think best, and would be subject to peculiar restrictions for certain periods ; and there would be some money equivalent accruing to the colony towards the promotion of free immigration. But under this Vandiemonian expiree scheme 1 we shall get the evils of transportation in about their worst form, and without any, compensating advantages.