New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, May 15, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 499, 15 May 1850, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, May 15, 1850.

The article in last Saturday's Independent, intended to reflect on Sir George Grey's character, is so poor and lame a performance as hardly to deserve any lengthened notice or detailed refutation. It possesses no claim to novelty or originality, since its statements are merely a reiteration of former assertions unsupported by facts, and have been so repeatedly exposed and refuted as to require some assurance on the part of the writer to bring them forward again. It seems — the latter part of the article especially — a thing of mere shreds and patches worn threadbare, diligently culled from previous articles on the same subject published in that paper, — an ebullition of personal spite eked out by dashes and repetitions, the unfailing resource of this writer to hide the poverty of his ideas. We are informed by him that " the large Parliamentary grants given for the express purpose of making roads have been squandered by Sir George in providing snug sinecures for friends and proteges," And yet it is notorious that a larger amount has been spent in the construction of roads, and a greater extent of roads has been made by the Government in this Settlement than in any other in the colony. It is equally notorious that these roads have operated most beneficially in opening up the country, in promoting the spread of settlers in the different districts, in civilizing the natives, and in teaching them habits of industry and the use of Eu-

ropean implements of labour. In Captain Russell's concluding report it is incontestably shewn that these roads have been executed at a cheaper rate than any roads in the Australian colonies. By the formation of these roads the timber in' the * districts in the vicinity of Wellington is rendered available not only for the use of the settlers, but also for exportation to the neighbouring colonies and to California, and the numerous well loaded drays, which these roads have called into existence, daily entering the town with timber and other country produce show how usefully the money has been expended for the interests of this Settlement. It is amusing to ob« the inconsistency of this writer and his party, how they blow hot and cold in the same breath. They accuse Sir George of squandering in sinecures the money granted for making roads, and yet when these roads were completed, they were clamorous about the flatness of the times caused by the cessation of the Government expenditure. Again, the dishonest fallacy so often exposed is repeated of contrasting the Govern* ment of this Province with the more moderate establishment in this settlement under Major Richmond as Superintendent, and attributing the increased cost to Sir George Grey's lavish expenditure, when it is notorious that the successive changes from a Po* lice Magistrate as the representative of Government in Wellington to a Superintendent, the subsequent division of the colony into two Provinces, and the establishment in Wellington of a separate and to a certain extent independent Government, — not exclusively for this settlement, but for the whole Province, — have all been made in consequence of the repeated representations of the settlers, and in compliance with their earnestly expressed wishes. But what can be expected from one who in so simple a matter as a reference to an article published in the previous number of the paper in which his statements appear, and which we may suppose to be lying before him while he quotes from it, continually mistakes the Morning Chronicle for the limes? It would be a waste of time to argue with one whose perception is so confused on so plain and simple a fact, that he who runs may read; — we must therefore leave him to collect his scattered senses, if he has any, — and be content to appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober.

The following notices and proclamations are contained in yesterday's Government Gfozette: — A notice that a Levee will be held by his Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor at Government House, at one o'clock on Friday, the 24th instant, being the Anniversary of her Majesty's birthday : Proclamations by the Governor-in- Chief notifying the Queen's allowance of the Paper Currency Ordinance, and appointing a Colonial Bank of Issue at Wellington. Godfrey J. Thomas Esq., has been appointed Manager of the Branch Bank established at Wellington, and A. Domett Esq., Colonial Secretary, Hon. H. Petre, Colonial Treasurer, and Godfrey J. Thomas Esq., Auditor General of this Province have been appointed Commissioners under the provisions of the Ordinance to ascertain the average number of notes of the Union Bank of Australia in circulation during the two years preceding the Ist. July 1847 -" so far as relates to the JBranch of the said Bank in the Province of new Munster." There is also a Proclamation by his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor by which the 14th clause of the Country Road Ordinance passed during the last Session of the Legislative Council, which enacts penalties for injuries to roads, bridges, drains &c, for causing obstructions, for riding on carts &c. without proper drivers, for not driving on the proper side of the road, for furious driving, and for cattle trespassing, is brought into operation on the road from Wellington to the Silver stream in the upper valley of the Hutt, and on that part of the north-wes-tern road which extends from Wellington to the Sea Beach at Pakakariki ; and another proclaiming a Building used as a lock-up in the Town of Dunedin in the District of Otago to be a Public Gaol of the Colony. Notice is given of the next sittings of the Supreme Court for the despatch of Criminal Business on the Ist June, and a notice prohibiting the cutting of Timber on the Town belt. Mr. William Pulham is also gazetted commander of the Government Brig,

Tenders., to be sent in on the 17th inst., are also advertized for supplying bread, pork, and tea for a Maori feast to be held on Thorndon Flat on the anniversary of the Queen's birthday. The amount of Revenue received for the quarter ending 31st March, 1850, is stated to be £3,169 9s. Id.

We regret to learn the loss of the schooner Eleanor, about a fortnight since, at the north-eastern entrance of Queen Charlotte's Sound. The vessel, having fouled her anchor, was driven ashore and became a total wreck ; the lives of the crew and the cargo were fortunately saved ; the vessel belonged to the Maories.

Haxf-teakly Inspection of Troops. — On Monday, the 65th Regiment were inspected onThorndonFlat by Lieut.-Col. M'Cleverty, commanding troops, Southern District. The weather proved unfavourable for the occasion, which accounted for the small number of persons assembled to witness the imposing military spectacle. The troops went through the usual evolutions with a precision which showed the efficiency and discipline of the corps, and elicited the commendations of the commanding officer.

Programme of the performance of the Band of the 65th. Regt., at Thorndon Flat, on Wednesday, May 15th :—: — 1. Overture — Eliza c Claudio Mercadante 2. Selection — Maid of Honor Balfe 3. Masaniello Quadrilles Jullien 4. Cavatina— Pardona Qmia Bellatta 1 Be jj ini — Sonambula J 5. Die Maitraume Waltzer. . . . Prince Metternich 6. Cavatina-Eserbato a guesto Ac)^.^. ciara — I Capuletti « ) 7. Gescbwind March Watch 8. Coquette Polka D' Albert.

Thb following account of the Treasurer of the Wellington Athenieum shows the cost of the erection of the new building to the commencement of the present month :—: —

R. J. DCNCAN, Honorary Treasurer. Audited by Godfrey J. Thomas. R. D. Wallace. Wellington, May 6, 1850.

SJLt L 849. Dec. 11 — To cash paid for excavations, as per orders from the Building SubCommittee 7 2 0 Lug. 25 „ „ Foradvertisements Wellington Independent 1 4 0 „ „ „ Foradvertisements New Zealand Spectator 13 8 , »o 0 5 6 iept. 7, to March 25, 1850, to cash paid to sundry orders in favour of Mr. J. Reed, builder, from the Building SubCommittee 234 16 8fHay 6— To balance 4 25£ £248 14 4 Cr. 849. Fan. I—By1 — By balance in the Savings Bank 21 12 7 „ 15 — Net proceeds sundries sold at auction by Messrs. Bethune & Hunter 2 6 0 Fune 18 — Cash received from Mr. Fitzherbert for timber sold to him from the former building 1 4 0 Dec. 31 — Bank interest to this date . . 19 3 850. Hay 6 — Cash received, subscriptions to tbisdatc 222 2 6 Mem. — Amount subscriptions promised ..., 244 17 6 Amount paid 222 2 6 Not yet received 22 15 0 £248 14 4

The Building Fund Account or the Weilingtjtft athbw.bum and mechanics' institute, in Account with the Tkeasuber.