New zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, August 22, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 423, 22 August 1849, Page 2

New zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, August 22, 1849.

The Pilgrim, from London direct, arrived on Monday, after a favourable passage of 112 days, having left the Start Point on the Ist May. She has passengers for Wellington and Auckland. The Cornwall left Deal for Wellington and the other Southern Settlements six days previous, so that she may be daily expected. She has a good many cabin and steerage passengers, the latter we understand are chiefly for Otago. The Enterprise was also laid on for Wellington, and was advertised to sail on the Ist June. The news of the earthquakes in Wellington had reached England, but it does not appear to have caused an unusual degree of alarm. The subject of emigration and colonial affairs continued to occupy the public attention, and a strong feeling existed among intending emigrants in favor of New Zealand. We are informed that Mr. Cowell, the New Zealand Commissioner, whose despatch on the subject of the disputes ..between the settlers and the New Zealand Company obtained for him an unenviable notoriety, has resigned, and a 'Mr. Coxe has' been appointed to the vacant office. ; The h'etp Zealand Journal of April 22, ! contains the regulations of <the New Zealand Company for the future sale and lease of lands in this Province. They are pf considerable length, but as they are of ge* neral impqrtance we shall take an early opportunity of republishing them, ariel of offering a few observations on the subject.

By the Jane Catherine we have received Auckland papers to the 3rd instant*—Themost important intelligence they contain is the account of the opening of the General Legislative Council of New Zealand, whichr commenced its sittings on the Ist of August. In his opening Address to the Council his Excellency states that his principal reason for calling them together was for the purpose of passing " A Bill for quieting titles to Land in the Province of New Ulster," by confirming the validity of the Crown Grants which had been issued, and for the general settlement of the, land question in that Province. A bill to regulate the occupation of Crown Lands in the Province bf New Ulster had also been introduced, and it was intended to pass a bill for the appropriation of the , Revenue v for the ensuing year. In addition to Mr. Merrfman and Mr., Barstow, Colonel Hulme, Major Matson, and Mr. S. Kempthorne had been appointed non-official members of the Council. We have published from the New Zealander, the proceedings in the Council, and also the -draft of the bill for quietiag titk* to Land. i„ . . , '-

The judgments of the Chief Justice and Mr. Justice Chapman had been given in the case of the Queen v. Taylor (on behalf of theKawau Company) in favor of the defendant, establishing thereby the validity of Captain Fitzroy's grant, and the defendant's title to the Island of Kawau. The Bishop of New Zealand sailed on the 31st July in the Undine on a visit to New Caledonia and the Isle of Pines. From the published Returns in the Government Gazette, it appears tbat during the last quarter 99 persons had emigrated from Auckland to California.- The value of the exports from Auckland during the past quarter, according to the same authority, was £1850 9s.

The brig Bee sails to-morrow for Port Cooper. _ Upwards of fifty Maories, under the superintendence of Mr. Compton, proceed in this vessel (which is under charter to the New Zealand Company) to Port Cooper, to be employed by the Canterbury Association asjabourers in making roads, and in opening up the country. These natives hare been previously employed under Mr. Comp ton on the works on the north road, and have proved themselves efficient labourers. We mention the above as a gratify ing proof of the rapid advancement in civilization of the natives in Ibis Province, and of the great benefit resulting from their employment on the roads constructed by Sir George Grey's order. These natives have voluntarily entered into an engagement with the pakeha to be employed at a distance of some hundreds of miles from their homes as labourers. This is the first example of what we hope will hereafter become a matter of frequent occurrence ; but before the commencement of these roads such an event could Hardly have been anticipated by the most sanguine believer in the improvement of the native race. No doubt the readiness shown by the natives to enter into this engagement must, in a great measure, be attributed to their great confidence in Mr. Compton from their previous experience of his kindness and good management. j

Curious Erratum. — Under this head, we gave, a short time since from Punch, an instance cf the editor of a country paper de.scribing the masses, by a typographical error, as them asses. By an equally unfortunate mistake, in a recent number of the New Zealander the editor, while indulging in an elaborate dissertation on colonial subjects, instead of mututo nomine is' made to speak of a mulato nominee, a strange perversion of the author's meaning.