New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, July 16, 1851.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 621, 16 July 1851, Page 2

New Zealand Spectator, AND COOK’S STRAIT GUARDIAN. Wednesday, July 16, 1851.

From a paragraph in the Naval and Military Gazette it appears that the Acheron is to be retained on the New Zealand station as a tender to the Calliope. On referring to a despatch of Sir George Grey which we recently extracted from the Blue Book on New Zealand lately received, we should be almost disposed to infer that the British Government, in compliance with his Excellency’s request, had placed the Acheron at the disposal of the Colonial Government in place of the Government Brig. We should be sorry, however, should our surmise prove to be correct, as the Acheron is not precisely the sort of vessel required, m the first instance for establi steam communication between the different settlements of New Zealand. For this purpose a much smaller vessel is wanted with great power, shallow draft of water, and nearly new ; and the Acheron, from its size, would be disproportioned to our present wants, and unfitted to enter the bar harbours of New Zealand, and would entail a h eaw expense without an adequate corresponding advantage. While on the subject of steam we may confess our desire to see an address from the Legislative Council to the Crown, praying that the communication by steam between Great Britain and her Australian colonies should be by way of the Isthmus of Panama. Already the question has been agitated in England, and the advantages to these colonies are seen to be so decidedly in favor of that route as to make it almost an even question, while we may hope that the recent discovery of gold in New South Wales may hasten the arrangement for the introduction of steam communication which has been so long in agitation. The Panama route holds out the advantage of being thequickest.most direct and cheapest route by steam communication for the colonists of these dependencies with the mother country. But to New Zealand it affords this farther advantage, that the steamers would call first at some port in these Islands, most probably at Wellington, en route to the other Australian colonies, while the same port would also, probably, be the last of departure. With these con-’ siderations, no representation should be neglected which might in any way influence the decision of this question in our favour while it yet trembles in the balance, and we conceive that an address of the General Legislative Council of New Zealand to the British Government might have considerable influence in deciding the question.

Resident Magistrate’s Court.— A case of a grave and serious nature has recently been brought before the Resident MagisNnrth A W ? man named Rosanna Maria North, better known by the soubriquet of the Bommer, and her son Richard Turton Hq? u.„ nder y ea y 3 ’ were barged before H. St Hill, Esq., with having robbed and violently assaulted David Muir. The plaintiff had recently left Mr. Guthrie’s employ at Castle Point, and had taken his passage to Hobart Town in the Munford, when fn w ednesday last he was invited by the fe-

male prisoner to accompany A, house. He went with her andl • 0 by her to have something to drink him a glass of grog, which had stupifying him, when she robC twelve sovereigns. On partially ? hlla # he was attacked by the woman with hawk, the child urging his mother? him with the tomahawk.” Mai* t 0 three wounds on the head and o'" cheek, which were of so serious* 16 that he was unable to leave the h & give his evidence until Monday wA 0 he was sufficiently recovered to aft j Resident Magistrate’s Court. Both ners were committed to take their h? 0 ' the sittings of the Supreme Court 11

A partial eclipse of the moon occurs Sunday night. The night was so”/? fully calm, and the sky so clear and ol? ' less, that the eclipse was seen to iL/' vantage. seala <l-