NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, May 8, 1852.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 706, 8 May 1852, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, May 8, 1852.

We have received our usual files of Auckland papers by the Government Brig but we do not observe in them much local news jwe s are glad to learn that our northern neighbours are pursuing a quiet prosperous course, and that the diggings have ceased, to distract their attention. The John Phillips arrived at Auckland, April sth, after a passage of 101 days, witli English news to the 22nd December. The Gwalior sailed for Auckland ten days previous to the former vessel. The New Zealander states that another company of Pensioners for the Northern 1 Province would be despatched by the Inchinnan which was to sail about the 10th January. The Southern Cross in alluding to the rumour of Mr. Fox's appointment as Agent of the. Canterbury Association, in the place of Mr. Godley, condoles el with the Pilgrims in their disappointment," and observes — " Mr. Fox is clearly as unscrupulous as he is untruthful, at least, if we may judge of him by his published writings respecting Auckland. — His furious hostility to Sir George Grey never was any '' recommendation to us. We have ever considered him the mere creature of passion, prejudice, and selfishness." We may add that the feeling against Mr. Fox at Canterbury was greatly increased by his late work on New Zealand, which is justly regarded there as a tissue of falsehoods. The prisoner Bowden * convicted ■of Murder at the last sittings of the Supreme Court, was to suffer the sentence awarded to his crime.

In Wednesday's Independent is a long article professing to be a vindication of Mr. Chapman, but which is only a tirade of coarse and vulgar abuse of Sir George Grey and the Editor of the Spectator. As far as Mr. Chapman is concerned though the Editor of the Independent has taken six weeks to labour at his defence, he does not in any way help him, for he.dpes not offer any answer to what we have advanced. Our statement (contained in our article of March 27} was to the effect that whereas Mr. Fox in his recent work, speaking of the Intestate Estate Fund, asserted " that about three years ago Governor Grey took these funds, which according to the original practice were in the safe custody of the Court aiid under the control of the Judges, out of the hands of the Registrar of the Supreme Court against the protest of ,one \pf the,. Judges ; " the original practice (as we showed most conclusively from published documents) was altered by a Itule of Court, signed by both the Judges, -in October, 1845, before Governor Grey had even left South Australia } and*that-Mr. Fox in making this assertion was guilty of a wilful and deliberate' falsehood. In incidentally alluding^ to Mr. Chapman, we asked — " Why did not Mr. Chapman — whose name, together with that of the Chief Justice, is appended to the new rule — publicly contradict what his friend Mr. Fox" had said about the new rule having been brought into existence •' against the protest of, one at least of the two Judges." Mr. Chapman could not have forgotten that he agreed upon thef^new.rule before Sir George Grey even arrived in New Zealand ; and yet he leaves the colony for his appointment in Van Diemen's Land, preferring, it would seem, that the falsehood should remain uncontradicted, than that he should in\any way be the cause of damaging his friend's reputation. • This charge remains unanswered for it rests on established facts which cannot be contradicted. Whatever the Independent may-choose to assert, it is pretty generally known that Mr. Chapman's removal to Van Diemen's Land was in consequence of his repeated solicitations to the Colonial Office for promotion, and that the change' .was regarded by him as a pis aller rather than a piece of preferment. As to the

assertions of the Editor of the Indepen-] dent, about the ,_ influence exercised by Government over the Spectator/ we nesed. only repeat what we have previously said' with reference to his other statements; that they "are not only unfounded falsehoods, — falsehoods notoriously such to the rest of the community, but notoriously such to himself as he deliberately writes them, we can therefore only treat with contempt the statements of one so thoroughly dishonest and unscrupulous and regard them, with any , personal abuse from the same quarter, as. the effusions oi, one who is himself a disappointed^ placehunter. ~ ' A ' "' ' '-'

It is with sincereregret we have to record the total loss of the Brig Sisters, Captain Clark, at Turanganui, in Poverty Bay, on the afternoon of Good Friday! Captain Clark -was about' to proceed to Ahuriri, and was on the point of getting under weigh when he. was suddenly caught -by a violent South-East . gale and in spite of every exertion he could use to save the vessel, was driven by the gale on the rocks. The.long boat was launched,, and all, with the exception of the mate and two hands who remained on boards got safe to" shore. " Capt. Clark thenpreparedto return ; but the long boat was half filled from the sea breaking over her, and hhre r was pjbliged to make a signal to those on board to leave the vessel" which they safely accomplished in the jolly boat. The Sisters shortly" afterwards Avent to pieces, and the cargo on board was entirely lost. The Sisters has for several years been a regular trader to this port, and Capt. Clark for the last twelve years has been a constant trader to New Zealand. Captain Clark and the crew of the Sisters arrived yesterday by the schooner Dauntless, which left Poverty Bay on the 22nd ult. , We understand the Benlomond, a small coasting vessel of 30 tons, from Auckland, was subsequently wrecked near the same spot.

Coroner's Inquest. — An inquest was .held on Thursday at the Gaol, ,by Dr. Fitzgerald, Coroner, on the body of H. Hopwood, formerly sergeant of the police force, but lately confined as a lunat'c. The evidence shewed that the deceased died from natural causes, and a verdict to that effect was returned accordingly