New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 2, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 461, 2 January 1850, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, January 2, 1850.

The barque Thames has been laid on for California and will sail in a month's time for St. Francisco. We understand she has been chartered by Mr. Revans who intends loading her with a full cargo of scantling and boards for that market. Mr. Revans deserves great credit for his enterprize, which we hope will.prove the beginning of a lucrative trade between the two countries, as New Zealand wood is much better adapted for the Californian market than the wood of the Australian colonies. Such an export will furnish abundant employment to the country settlers and the natives many of whom, while working on the roads, have become ejrpert sawyers. We hope this speculation may prove the commencement of an export trade, which cannot fail to be highly beneficial to New Zealand, and that hereafter not only the woods of New Zealand but the flour and salt provisions of this country may be profitably exchanged for Californian gold.

Otxa. contemporary the Nelson Examiner, who has reprinted the gross attacks on the Government Officers that have lately appeared in the Independent, (which are understood to have been the production of Mr. Fox the New Zealand Company's Principal Agent) affects a desire to republish our reply to them, but attempts to excuse himself on the plea of its being " an unbecoming" attack on the supposed authors. Such a miserable affectation of impartiality is not likely to deceive any of his readers, while the obvious reluctance of our contemporary to publish anything which exposes the political vagaries of one who, while at Nelson, was believed to be a frequent contributor to his columns, may be readily accounted for.

Ybsterdat being the first day of the New Year was observed in Wellington as a general Holiday. The Custom House and other Government Offices were closed, as was also the Union Bank of Australia and the different stores in the Town. The weatKer was very favourable for those who were bent upon excursions of pleasure, it being a fine genial summer's day. The Hutt district seemed the centre of attraction for the Holi-

day folks, at an early hour carts and vehicles of every description might be seen in different parts of the town being made ready for those who with their families had resolved upon having a day's excursion in the country, and-during the day the road from Wellington to Petoni was crowded .with vehicles of all kinds. " The lads" of Kai Warra played at their national game of shinty in the afternoon at Thorndon, and several games were played with various success.

The following paragraph is extracted from a Port Phillip paper. It appears to be rather premature. We think if there were any foundation for the report, it would have reached New Zealand, the colony most interested in the truth of it, quite as soon as Port Phillip :— Nbw Zealand. — R. Wallace Dunlop, Esq., who arrived in this Province about two months since, by the Anna, from Liverpool, is, we understand, likely to receive the appointment of Lieutenant-Governor o.f^the..^ Free Church Colony, at Otago, New" Zealand.

Programme of the performance by the Band of the 65th Regt. at Thorndon Flat, on Wednesday, January 2nd : — 1. Overture — Le Barcarolle Auber 2. Second selection — Maid of Honor. . Balfe 3. Standard Bearer Quadrilles Jnllien 4. Catatina — Perdona O mia Dellatal „ „. . L> Sonambula } Belhm 5. Thalbergian Waltz Koenig ' 6. Cavatina — O Luce di quest Anima "I _ ... —Linda Chamouni } Donmzetti 7. Vienna Galop Strautt 8. Annen Polka Labitzky