New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, November 28, 1849.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 451, 28 November 1849, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, November 28, 1849.

From the files of Auckland papers received by the Victoria, and extending to November 20th, copious extracts will be found in our present number. The principal topic engrossing the attention of our fellow colonists at the North appears tp be the news from California, of which we have given some interesting particulars from the Southern C ross. Fifteen vessels had cleaned from * Auckland for San Francisco, loaded with goods and passengers, and six more, the I Pilgrim, Kiwi, Maukin, Avon, Pembroke, and Enterprise, were to follow shortly. The principal exports to California from Auckland were sawn timber and boards, which obtained a very remunerating price. A despatch from Earl Grey to the Governorin- Chief on the subject of sending exiles to this colony satisfactorily sets this question at rest, by explaining that the despatch which had created so much anxiety and alarm was only intended as a circular, and that the introduction of convicts in any shape into this colony would not be attempted by the Home Government without the full concurrence of the colonists. The General Legislative Council was to be reassembled for the enactment of a Marriage Amendment Ordinance, a draft of which had been published in the Government Gazette. It was reported that the Governor-in-Chief would visit the Southern Settle* ments in the course of the present summer. We are glad to find the Phormium'Tenax is occupying the attention of the Northern settlers, and some plans are spoken of which are so far successful in preparing the Flax as to render it a remunerative article of export to Sydney. Neither the Thames nor Richard Dart had arrived at Auckland previous to the sailing of the Government Brig.

Since the publication of our last number, we have removed the materials, &c, of the Spectator to more spacious premises which we have lately erected in a convenient and central situation on Lambton Quay. We take this opportunity of returning our sincere thanks to our friends and the public, for the steady support they have afforded our Journal, and of acknowledging its increasing circulation in the number of new subscribers; a satisfactory proof, if any were needed, of the prevalence of moderate opinions in this settlement.

Information was received last night in Wellington of the death of Te Rauparaha at Otaki. He was attacked last Sunday week with Influenza, which has been very prevalen along the coast, and of which it was thought at one time he would recover, hut his illness increased within the last few days and he died yesterday morning at four o'clock, being as it was supposed upwards of eighty years old. Thus peacefully amidst his kindred and tribe has ended the eventful career of this extraordinary man.

Fatal Accident. — On Wednesday evening the 14th instant, a native of Uruhi named Ko Lota, with several others, was fishing for snappers along the beach ; he waded up to his knees in order to throw out his line, when he suddenly trod upon a Wai or Stingaree which struck him in the leg with its tail; from the poisonous nature of the wound the poor fellow died in a quarter of an hour.

Notwithstanding the limitedaccommodation in the Colonial Hospital; 'since the Ist of January, 1849, there have been admitted of freak patients 147 Natives and 17 Europeans, making in all 164 ; of this number there have been only six deaths, four of these were natives in the last stage of consumption, and two natives from inflammation of the lungs, one of the latter was so near death when brought to the Hospital that he died the following day. Some of the incurable consumptive patients begged to be allowed to remain to die in the Hospital rather than return to their friends. In addition to the above there have been 172 oat door patients.

We extract from the New Zealander the following criticism which, referring more especially to an article that appeared in the /«- dependent, headed " The Convict Rush/* applies generally to the tone and character of the writings in that publication. We thought it unnecessary at the time to bestow any notice on so disgusting a production as that referred to by our contemporary, because it outraged ail sense of propriety and good feeling, and earned its own condemnation, with it. But though we were silent, its pubJication was not suffered to pass without the indignant reprobation of some of the set* tiers here, as recorded in their communications to this journal ; while our contempor ary the New Zealander, for the character of the Colonial Press of which he is a member, feels it necessary, in addition to the observations we have quoted, further to assure his English readers that "the New Zealand public is not sunk so low as to regard with any other feeling than unmitigated disgust such loathsome trifling with one of the deepest tragedies in the annals of human crime." The Spartans used to make their slaves d. unk, and exhibit them in thi» state before their children, that they might imbibe a salutary aversion to this vice from thus witnessing its degrading effects. But the learned, editor of the Independent and his satellite pfostitute the Freedom of the Press by their licentious and scurrilous personalities, and low abuse of those who differ from them in opinion, and inspire the public with deep disgust, when they see these Helots of the press, drunk with party rage and maddened by personal rancour against their opponents, thus voluntarily make so degrading an exhibition of themselves ; — men who are not without some tincture of education, and who claim to be considered gentlemen : — "The Independent has been in the habit cf amusing its readers, and castigating the objects of its dislike, by enveloping attacks and sarcasms in articles which from their headings and first sentences would seem to treat of some topic of general interest, and so entrapping into the perusal of them readers who might otherwise have treated them with contempt or indifference. Although we saw much in these articles from time to tine which was marked rather by personality and coarseness than by either wisdom or wit, we did not think it within our province to criticise them ; but, as having some stake in the character of the New Zealand press, we must record our indignant censure of an editorial article in the Independent of the 6th, which would be more in plact in one of the most degraded of the journals that pander to the depraved taste of a London mob than in a paper that ought to be respectable."