New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, November 9, 1850.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 550, 9 November 1850, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK'S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Saturday, November 9, 1850.

His Excellency the Governor- in- Chief and Lady Grey arrived on Wednesday from Auckland in H.M.S. Fly. His Excellency landed on Thursday morning under a salute from the Fly, and a Guard of Honor of the 65th regt., under the command of Captain Newenham, was drawn up in front of the Government Offices near the landing place to receive him, the band playing the National Anthem. His Excellency, we are glad to observe, is looking exceedingly well, and appears to have quite recovered from the effects of his former illness. It is reported that he intends to remain several months in the Southern Province. The occasion of his Excellency's visit is one of great importance — the granting of Representative Institutions to New Zealand. With the view of diffusing as widely as possible a knowledge of its contents, we have published in our present number the Draft of the proposed Ordinance ; its provisions in many respects, particularly as, to the qualification of electors and of members, are so liberal as to leave nothing further to be desired. It will be necessary to hold a sitting of the General Legislative Assembly in this Province for the purpose of passing this Ordinance, and we suppose the opportunity will be taken to enact other laws affecting the general interests of the Colony. It appears that shortly before Sir George Grey's departure from Auckland a report was current that he had recommended the removal of the seat of government to Wellington, and that he intended to confer Representative Institutions on the Southern and to withhold them from the Northern Province. This rumour, more particularly the reported removal of the seat of Government, seems to have caused an agony of apprehension which nothing could allay but the positive assurance of Sir George that he had not recommended such a measure to the British Government, and to have brought out not a little of the old leaven of jealousy, the Southern Cross reviving many of the exploded and refuted slanders about this Port. For our part we believe the Southern settlers, (however uneasy and apprehensive their Northern neighbours may feel) regard the question of the removal of the seat of Government with absolute indifference, looking at it merely as a question of time, which the formation of new settlements in the Southern Island and their rapid growth and increasing importance renders absolutely certain. How else, except the seat of Government be fixed at Wellington, are Otago and New Canterbury to be governed ? Has any direct communication yet taken place between Auckland and Otago since the formation of the latter settlement ? However disagreeable the prospect to our Northern neighbours, the growing prosperity of New Zealand and the extension of colonization in the Southern Island will inevitably cause the seat of Government to be fixed in the most central and convenient si-

tuation, and their efforts to prevent it will be as ineffectual as were those of Dame Partington to resist the Atlantic Ocean.

We regret to announce the death, after a short illness, of Dr. Best, of Manawatu. Dr. Best was one of the original settlers in that district, whose enterprize has contributed materially to its prosperity, and was universally liked for his promptitude and attention whenever his professional services were required.

Intelligence has been received from Wanganui by the Governor Grey of the arrival of the Eden at Taranaki about a fortnight since. She has since proceeded to Nelson, and may therefore be daily expected.

On Tuesday evening a half-yearly meeting of the members of the Mechanics' Institute was held to receive the report of the Committee, and to elect the Officers of the Institution for the ensuing six months. The result of the ballot (by a manoeuvre of the Faction, who used every effort on the occasion) was to throw out the most effective and zealous members of the Committee, ■who were in fact the Mechanics' Institute, those who by their efforts -to obtain subscriptions to the building fund, by their gratuitous services in superintending the erection of the building, by their assistance in delivering lectures, in fine, by their unremitting exertions have advanced the Institution to its present prosperity, and to replace them by members, the majority of whom are only known as violent political partisans and members of the Faction. We fear the effect will be seriously to injure the interests of the Institution.

Launch. — On Wednesday last a vessel of 58 tons, the Flora, was launched atPorirua. She has been built by Mr. Walker for R. Waitt Esq., is coppered and copper fastened and is, we understand, an excellent specimen of Mr. Walker's skill in shipbuilding. She is expected from Porirua in about ten days time, and will be employed in the trade between Wellington and Port Cooper.

Among the passengers in the Government Brig to Auckland, was Thomas Rauparaha, son of the famous Te Rauparaha, who intends proceeding to England with the Rev. Archdeacon Williams. His chief object in making this visit, which he does at his own expence, is to inform himself by personal observation of the wealth, power, and grandeur of that country which has extended its beneficent power and influence over New Zealand, and after having drunk at the fountain head of civilization to return to the land of his birth and impart to his fellow countrymen, inclosed In boundless oceans never to be passed, the knowledge he has acquired. We understand that before leaving Otaki he made his will by which, in the event of his death, he has bequeathed to his wife, who remains in New Zealand the bulk of his property consisting of land, houses, stock and money, sums of money to his cousin Martin, to his poorer relatives and friends at Otaki and other places, and to the school at Otaki under the trusteeship of the Rev. Archdeacon Hadfield and the Rev. S. Williams.

The Southern Cross has published the following list of the .Auckland contributions of articles of New Zealand produce or manufacture to the Grand Industrial Exhibition of 1851, which will be sent to England by the Fairy Queen. Specimens of prepared New Zealand flay, and of rope of different sizes made from New Zealand flax by J. Robertson ; of leather and skins, and of bark by J. M'Vay, of soap by J. A. Smith ; of cloth and hat, the former manufactured by a native lad 1 7 years old from wool grown, cleansed, carded, spun, and wove at St. John's College, and died with native woods, the latter manufactured by N. Cod, pensioner, Howick; of basket work made of mange mange, and kareao, by J. Megher, pensioner, Howick. Specimens of Lignite from Tamaki ; of coal from Makatana, and Waikato ; of copper ore from Kawau and the Great Barrier, and Manganese from Kawau ; of iron sand, Auckland ; and sulphur from White Island, Bay of Plenty. Specimens of pumice stone, of kauri gum, and different descriptions of building stone, limestone and roman cement stone. Specimens of shark's fins, suited to the China market, of flax seed for oil, and fish oils. Specimens of New Zealand furniture woods ; — kauri, rimu, hake-hake, hake-rautangi, matai, kahikatea, rewa rewa, pohutukawa, wairangipirau (New Zealand sandal wood), manuka, totara, kake-rautanga, kohe, hinau, tanakaha. Specimens of maori wheat and flour, and maize. A reticule made by Miss King of New Plymouth of New Zealand flax— and a model of a New Zealand war pah by Lieut Balneavis, H. M. 58th regt. Miss

King's reticule is highly praised by the New Zealander as an elegant and tasteful production. A description is given by the Southern Cross of Lieut. Balneavis' model, which we intend transferring to our columns.

The Santipore is expected to sail this day for Twofold Bay, having been chartered for a second trip with cattle f9r this colony. This ship is highly spoken of in regard to her qualifications for the conveyance of stock, and has, with her sea going qualities, the additional advantage of being fitted up with Gilmour's Patent Ventilators, consisting of a long tube leading into the fore and main hatches ; they are fixtures, the upper part moving on an axis, so that they can be trimmed to the wind ; that in the fore-hatch being so adapted as to permit an immense volume of cool air to descend 'tween decks, especially if it were necessary to close the hatches from rough weather. In this case an ample quantity of air would be supplied to the cattle ; the large ventilator which passes direct through the cuddy allows the hot air to escape, and by these means the proper temperature of the 'tween decks wherein is generally the greatest mortality is kept up. The Santipore takes about twenty tons of New Zealand hay, we believe the first shipment of the kind. It is believed that if the hay were hydraulically pressed it would be equal in every respect to that of Van Diemen's Land, and would be as much used for stock vessels, the price being about the same as in the sister colony.