New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, April 24, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 493, 24 April 1850, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, April 24, 1850.

The Lady Nugent arrived on Sunday evtn - ing, bringing English news to 6th December. The principal intelligence of a public nature is the demise of the amiable Queen Dowager, who closed her exemplary career on the 2nd December. The news connected with New Zealand by this vessel is of an

_ _. __. . _- — — „— encouraging nature. The Canterbury Settlement will, we are informed, be carried on with considerable energy ; Mr, Godley, the Agent of the Canterbury Association, is a passenger by the Lady Nugent, and the first body of settlers, it is reported, will leave England in considerable numbers, in September next, so as to arrive in New Zealand by the close of the current year. If the Canterbury Settlement proceeds with vigour there can be little doubt that it ' will have a material effect in hastening the introduction .of local steam communication between the Southern Settlements, a measure of the utmost importance to their future welfare. The Times of December 4, contains an advertisement by the Directors of the New Zealand Company for tenders "specifying the rate of bounty in consideration of which parties will undertake to provide during ti period of three years, steam'TOmmunication between the settlement of Nelson, and other places in New Zealand, and Sydney in New South Wales, if required." The Times of Nov. 30, has also an interesting article on the subject of steam communication with Australia and New Zealand by the Isthmus of Panama, which we intend republishing in our next number.

Thk Lady Nugent left Gravesend on the 7th December, and Plymouth the 13th, but did not lose sight of land till the 18th. She arrived at Otago after a favourable passage March 26th, and sailed April 6th for Port Cooper, which she left April 15th for this Port- Mr. E. J. Wakefield has returned to the Colony in the Lady Nugent. The Constantinople, the next vessel for the Southern settlements, was advertized to sail the 20th December ; the Company also propose that a vessel shall be dispatched for the Southern Settlements on the first Monday of every alternate month.

Yesterday afternoon Oxenham.'one of the Police force, who had been sent in pursuit

of the three men charged with the murder of Ellis, on board the General Palmer, returned, having succeeded, with the assistance of the natives, in capturing them. Jone was the first one taken, about eight miles on this side Messrs. Northwood & Tiffen's station, on Sunday night, April 7th, this induced Oxenham to push on to the station of those gentlemen, which he reached at daybreak the following morning and captured Good and a deserter of the 65th Regt. in bed. Oxenham then sent on Mournen, a native chief of some influence in that district, towards Ahuriri, where he arrived the following day, (the 9th) and apprehended M'Auslan. It appears that the three men had quarrelled, which accounts for their being taken separately. A purse and a pair of boots belonging to the deceased were found on the prisoners. Yesterday afternoon Oxenham and his party reached the Heads and crossed the mouth of the harbour in the Pilot's boat, and got to "Wellington about three o'clock, when the prisoners were safely lodged in the gaol. Great praise is due to Oxenham and his natives for the energy displayed in the apprehension of the prisoners. Oxenham did not meet with Burgess Sayer and his party until the 14th, on his return with the prisoners.

Programme of the performance of the Band of the 65th. Regt., at Thorndon Flat, on Wednesday, April 24th :—: — 1. Overture — Alessandro Stradella .. ..Flo tow. 2. Selection — Crusaders Benedict. 3. La Post Quadrille Schubert. 4. CaVatina — TuTedrai la Sventurata — - ■> I Puritani Bellini. 5. La Fuchsia Valse Barrett. 6. Son Vergine Vezzosa — I Puritani . . Bellini. 7. Geschwind March Walch. 8. Vienna Polka Reichter.

Panorama op New Zealand. — There is do subject which so fully occupies the attention of a large body of our countrymen at the present juncture as emigration. Impelled alike by the gnawings of present necessity and by the, in many cases, exaggerated prospects of colonial wealth and prosperity, thousands are daily rushing from their native shores to dare the perils of protracted voyages and to encounter the fortunes of distant lands in the vague hope of bettering their condition. By many this hope is fully realised ; but to how large a majority does it prove a mere Will o' the Wisp, luring them on to want and misery ! And why is this ? Mainly because they neglect as an : absolute "preliminary to gain that knowledge and information touching ernigrational affairs and the distant emigrant home they seek, which can enable them to cope will, the difficulties and guard against the dangers which they prepare to encounter. To the emigrant, above all men, " knowledge is power," the want of it a fatal weakness. As an emigrant colony, New Zealand is fast rising in importance, and it therefore affords us much pleasure to be able to direct the attention of our readers to a means whereby they may attain a clear, practical, matter-of-fact view of that country and its resources. We refer to the Panorama which was opened on Monday at the Town Hall by Mr. Brees, formerly the principal engineer and surveyor to the New Zealand Company. This is a large well painted Panorama, devoted principally to Poit Nicholson, the totfn of Wellington, and the Hutt district. It gives accurate views of the localities in that neighbourhood, the varieties of country, the principal building's, illustrations of " the way of life" among the colonists, the manners and customs, rites and superstitions of the natives, the principal animal and vegetable products of the country, , and all such matters of note as are most calculated to gratify the curiosity of a stranger relative to a distant country. This is accompanied by explanatory remarks. Mr. Brees, from whose drawings, taken on the spot, the whole has been prepared, is the exhibitor. Great amusement and- instruction' aie to 'be derived from a visit. — Brighton Guardian, November 28, 1849.