AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 562, 21 December 1850, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

The complete files which we have received from the Southern Settlements by the Government Brig do not add much to the intelligence which, by the kindness of the master of the Adelaide and other friends, we were already enabled to lay before our readers. We have a fuller report of the correspondence, arising out of Mr. Godley's identification of himself with the Wellington Auti-Govern-ment "Settlers' Association," and his special adoption of the allegation that every man who had accepted a seat in the Legislative Councils of the Colony had thereby "inflicted a most serious and irreparable injury on the colonists of New Zealand," and had made himself " undoubtedly the puppet and obedient servant of the Governor ;" and, moreover, those who withdr&o from that position did so under the very equivocal impulse of having at length found their " moral instinct revolting against the degradation" to which they had previously voluntarily submitted themselves. We find nothing to induce us to depart from the conclusions which we have already expressed on this subject, and which we here take leave substantially to repeat. They were, and are, First, that — whatever may be the merits or demerits of that Nomineeism — which is now about to be abolished by Sir George Grey's almost ultra-liberal Representative Institutions measure — Mr. Godley has, in the heat of his political partizanship, libelled the gentlemen who have, from time to time, occupied, however temporarily, seats in Council, by including them all, without a single exception, in his sweeping condemnation. The plain, ■common-sense, interpretation of Mr. Godley's words involves an insult to every individual who at any time accepted a seat in Governor Grey's Council. Many of our readers do not need to be informed that there are amongst those gentlemen some whose views of Colonial policy never altogether accorded with those of Sir George Grey, and who, indeed, in and out of Council were and are the opponents of some of his measures. Mr. Godley might have waited to learn a little more of the facts, before he rashly pronounced a wholesale censure applying so palpably to men whose political opinions perhaps substantially agree with his own, and who regard themselves, and are regarded by their fellow-colonists, as not inferior io independency of spirit or of action to the newly-arrived gentleman who has arrogated a right to pronounce such severe judgment on their motives and conduct. Then, secondly, we repeat the expression of our opinion that Mr. Godley has been imprudent in connecting himself, immediately

on bis arrival in the colony, with a violent party ; and, we mast add, — for we believe it to be the truth, — unfaithful to the long known and well known principles of many of the leading men in the 'Canterbury Association,' as whose Representative he came to this colony. Many of those prelates, clergymen, and Church of England laymen, make loyalty — (in which they include respect for their Sovereign's Representatives a* well as for the Sovereign herself) — part and parcel of their religion. They never contemplated sending out a "Principal" Agitator here. They thought, in their confiding simplicity, they were only sending out a " Principal" Agent, for the transaction of the proper business of their settlement. Has Mr. Godley ever read his "Instructions?" Or is it necessary that an Auckland newspaper should remind him of their import? It would, we rather think, require some hitherto unheard of rules of logic to reconcile the directions respecting the course which he (as the Agent of the *' Canterbury Association") was enjoined to observe towards the Colonial Government, with the course which he has actually pursued since his arrival in the colony. — New Zealander, November 20. Phormium Tekax. — Within the last few days Mr. Robinson, of Remuera (who as many of our readers know, has been for some years engaged in experiments on the capabilities of the New Zealand Flax, and on the means of making it an available article of export), bas submitted to our inspection a number of samples grown and prepared by himself. He bas, we learn, invented a machine for preparing it, the operation of which he expects will supply the grand desideratum hitherto experienced as to the removal of the gummy matter which has proved the principal obstacle to its universal employment. As we are not entrusted with his secret we cannot ourselves pronounce a definite opinion on the subject ; but the specimens we have seen are very excellent ; and we invite attention to his plan, on the principle that every effort to make this — the gold mine of New Zealand — available, merits at least impartial investigation. His object, as we understand it, is to form a Company to prepare the Flax for exportation according to a scheme which he anticipates will be sure to prove abundantly remunerative. A few specimens of the Flax as prepared by Mr. Robinson have been left at our office, which those who wish to judge for themselves cau see. — Ibid. Resident Magistrate's Court, — Yesterday, a person named Obedth Smith, otherwise Yankee Smith, and having perhaps some other aliases whicb have not been reported to us, was charged with a breach of the Customs Ordinance, in having tobacco illegally in his possession. The name of " Smith" is undoubtedly a very convenient one to try twisting and wriggling with ; but the Resident Magistrate most properly determined that the Smith who was the Smuggler, let him prefix what cognomen to himself he may, should be fined £100, and pay the costs. -Ibid, Nov. 16.