NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, May 1, 1852.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 704, 1 May 1852, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, May 1, 1852.

The intelligence contained in the Sydney papers is so important and interesting, particularly with reference to the revolution lately effected in France, that we have endeavoured by copious extracts to put our readers in possession of the principal facts connected with these events. The late attempt of Louis Napoleon to seize upon the supreme power in France appears from the tone of the leading English journals to be viewed with coldness and distrust ; and his conduct has been so strongly marked by an utter absence of all principle and honesty as to lead to well grounded fears as to the future. He has succeeded in his attempt by a union of force and fraud, while the wanton and cruel massacre of the citizens of Paris, which appears to be one of the principal features in this coup tfelat, must inevitably produce a reaction, and render his tenure of power exceedingly precarious. The future arrivals from England cannot fail to possess great interest, as from the present condition of France, and the unsettled state of the Continent generally, a European war appears to be by no means an improbable supposition, and should such an event take place it would exercise a serious influence on Colonial affairs in general.

By the Fly we learn that the Oriental, Tory, and Duke of Roxburgh, had arrived at Lyttelton with stock, and would call at this Port on their return. The Perseverance from Sydney arrived on Tuesday at Lyttelton. • By an advertisement in the Lyttelton Times, April 24, we are informed that it is proposed shortly to publish a new Paper in that Settlement to be called The Guardian and Canterbury Advertiser, intended to furnish the settlers with a " recognised Political organ of sufficient weight and influence to meet the growing demands of the settlement," which, according to the Prospectus of the Guardian is universally admitted not to exist at present. The attempt to establish another paper affords strong evidence that the settlers are not content that Mr. Godley's organ should be taken as the exponent of their opinions. " The Lyttelton TiMes in feferring^to the issue of Crown grants in this Settlement, makes the following observations : — " For our jown part, as we said before, we cannot understand what is the use of issuing illegal and invalid grants. His Excellency's issuing grants .does not make them legal. They will have to be made legal if they are issued. Why not wait till there is legal authority to make them valid. If 7000 persons had signed the petition instead of 700, the case would not be altered. This is not a question with which public feeling has anything to do. It is a question simply for the applicants for Crown Grants to consider. If they are not satisfied that their grants are worth, anything- in law, of what consequence is it whether Tom, Dick, and Harry sign a petition or nou" No one supposes there is. "any use in issuing iavalid grants," nor . has any argument yet been put forward to shew that the Grants the, Governor is about to issue' will be either invalid or illegal. The mere assertion on the part of the Lyttelton Times, or of any one else, that they are illegal will not make them so. We have^ in a previous number shewn that the Land" Claimants Ordinance, as far as the issuing oflthe Crown Grants is concerned, is not repugnant to the Act

of Parliament but auxiliary to if. In fulfilling the contracts of the New Zealand Company in respect of land, the Crown must convey, certain lands to certain persons entitled thereto under the Act. The grant to be issued will convey nothing to the grantee but what the Governor in the name of the Crown can lawfully convey to him, and will not interfere with any right of any subject of the Crown. It will therefore be perfectly legal and valid. As far as the few objectors in this settlement are concerned, their ready acceptance of the grants will be the best proof that they have no faith whatever in their objection which they urge for merely factious purposes. That those purchasers, who want nothing more than their own, will be perfectly satisfied with the Grants, we have no doubt whatever ; no more doubt than we have, that nothing would satisfy those who, not content with the mismanagement of their own affairs at Canterbury or elsewhere,ridiculously aspire to the control of all the world beside.

Military. — Captain Barry's company returns to day from Porirua, being relieved by the C. ' company of the 65 th regiment under the command of Lieutenant Tr afford.