New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, January 12, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 464, 12 January 1850, Page 3

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, January 12, 1850.

In a recent number, the Nelson Examiner reminds the colonists of that settlement that though their roads are now in a tolerable state, unless advantage is taken of the dry weather to effect the necessary repairs, when the winter sets in the communication between the country districts and the town wili be greatly interrupted by the impassible state of the roads, and our contemporary urges the settlers there to make some use of the Ordinance passed in the last session of the Legislative Council of this Province to raise the necessary funds for putting them in repair. The same advice would not be altogether out of place here, for though the Porirua and Hutt roads are in very good condition, yet the Karori road, from which district a good deal of timber- is 1 brought into Wellington will, on the approach of winter, be in its usual impassable state unless some steps be taken in the mean time to prevent it. A good deal of firewood re-quired-for the use of the town might also, from the increasing scarcity of this article, be supplied from this district if the road during the winter months were in a tolerable state of repair. The same may be said of the Beach road and some of the other principal thoroughfares in the town. A few timely repairs effected now would be of material benefit in making them passable during the winter, and this, from the increasing traffic, becomes the more necessary the lonarer the work is delayed.

The Camilla arrived from Hobart Town on Wednesday, her cargo consists chiefly of timber purchased on account of the Agent of the of the New Zealand Company, for the settlement of New Canterbury, whither she will shortly proceed. Thus, while a private colonist (Mr. Revans) is at his own risk attempting to find a new market for New Zealand timber, and make it a profitable article of export by chartering a vessel for California to be loaded chiefly with timber from this settlement, the Principal Agent for the New Zealand Company does all he can, in these flat times, to discourage the use of New Zealand timber in the colony, by purchasing what is required for the use of the Company in Van Diemen's Dand. We say nothing of the profitable employment which would have been given to the country settlers in Wellington and Nelson, and the assistance in clearing their lands, if this money, amounting to some thousands of pounds, bad been spent in the colony instead of being sent out of it, for this is obvious to every one ; it must be equally obvious that by this arrangement Mr. Fox has done all he can to inflict a heavy discouragement on the timber trade of the colony, by an act which seems to imply the inferiority of the New Zealand woods to those of the adjoining colonies. The New Zealand Company first sell to their settlers lands, and ten years elapse before they can give a title to them, and when an opportunity occurs of lending a helping hand to their purchasers in clearing these lands, they are left in the lurch, and the money is spent in another colony. We may thus form some estimate of Mr. Fox's anxiety for the prosperity of his fellow settlers, by comparing his professions with his practice.

Coroner's Inquest. —An Inquest was held on Wednesday last at the Ship Hotel, Te Arc, before Dr. Fitzgerald, Coroner, on the body of the late J. B. Selby, Esq. The deceased had been for some time past living at Wairarapa, but being in a very bad state of health, had left that district in a whaleboat on Monday for the purpose of obtaining medical assistance. Before the boat could reach Wellington, however, Mr. Selby expired. The Jury returned a verdict of " Died by the Visitation of God."

Robbery, — On the evening of the 26th ult., a robbery was committed by two soldiers of the 65th Regt., named C hristopher Martin and Charles M'Divelt belongirfg to the detachment stationed at Paramatta, who contrived to enter the house of Mr. George Betts, a shipwright living near Paramatta Point, Porirua, during his absence, and stole forty-two sovereigns. After having committed the robbery they deserted from the regiment ; they were however apprehended on the 2nd January at Mr. M'Kaine's public bouse on the Porirua road, and brought before Major Durie the Resident Magistrate of that district, by whom they were committed to take their trial at the next criminal sittings of the Supreme Court. We believe the money was found in their possession r