NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, October 6, 1852.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 749, 6 October 1852, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, October 6, 1852.

We published last week an article from the Times on the Bill before Parliament for conferring a Constitution on NewZealand, in which that measure is visited with sweeping- censure, and is described to be "so complicated, so unsupported'by precedent, and so ' little conformable to the dictates of political science," as to be fraught with the worst consequences to the future hopes and'prospects of the colony. It requires no very elaborate examination of the arguments adduced by the Times to perceive that it does not, in canvassing this measure, exhibit those clear practical views' and accurate information forjwhich that journal is generally so remarkable. In the first of the " very grave and serious objections" which it urges "against passing it into law," it stumbles on the very threshhold. " The first objection" says the Times, "is that it is contrary to the wishes of the colonists of New Zealand," and refers, in support of this objection, to certain party memorials sent from the different settlements. But in this case the Times mistakes a part, and but a small part, for the whole; forso far is the measure from being contrary to the wishes of the colonists, that a very general feeling in its favour has been expressed, and that even most strongly by those whom the Times supposes to be most unfavourable to it. The Times then dwells with. great em-

phasis on the injustice of inflicting « seven Legislatures each with its separate Executive on 26,000 Europeans," and contrasting the scattered population of New Zealand with the concentrated millions that people the mother country, states that according to the same system Great Britain would possess "7,500 Parliaments and disburse £3,750,000 in the salaries of Superintendents," and all sorts' of evils are anticipated from the jealousy and ill feeling, and the continual conflicts which are sure to arise between the Provincial Councils and the Central Legislature. With regard to the former objection we may observe that it falls to the ground because there is no analogy between the things compared. If the population of New Zealand were as gr^eatand as concentrated, and the means of communication as extensive and complete as in the Mother Country, there would be no occasion whatever for Superintendents or. Provincial . Councils. But in order to comply with the wishes of the colonists to have] some control over the management t)f their local affairs, and at the same time td adapt the powers to be conferred to the peculiar circumstances of the different settlements of New Zealand, which are so separate as for the most part to have but little communication with each other, these Institutions are proposed as the readiest way of meeting the difficulty. Great stress is laid, as we have seen, on the mere handful of people on which it is proposed to confer these Institutions, but it must be'reinembered that this is not a piece of extempore legislation designed to meet the passing exigencies of the moment, but destined to last for years, and to become every year more fitted to the circumstances of the country. In twelve years the European population of New Zealand numbers 27,000 souls, within the last five years the increase has been very considerable ; from the numerous emigration about to take placein the Australian Coloniesin consequence of the gold discoveries, and from the advantages to be derived feorn Steam of increased facilities of communication with Great Britain, it would be impossible to predict the thousands that will be added to the amount of the European population of these islands. We may however safely assert that the "handful •■of -people" wiH-speedlly^gi'aw^oi:htnisaTidsj-aye tens of thousands-, -which the same machinery will suffice" to govern; their increasing numbers will not increase the expense of Government, while the Central Legislature, so far from being productive of conflicts and discords, will interfere to prevent the separation of the settlements which in the present state of things is inevitable from becoming permanent as the country becomes more settled, the population more numerous, and" the means of communication more complete, until at length the Provincial Councils, having served the purposes for which they were originally designed, will become mere municipalities,' and the different settle- j ments will be united under a Central Legislature into one flourishing colony. In its animadversions the Times wholly omits to notice the fact that the General Legislature is expressly empowered to alter from rime to time any provisions of the Act so as to render these institutions more conformable to the growing wants and altered circumstances of the colony, a most important proviso by which every care is taken to anticipate and prevent the interminable conflicts .and discords which the Times so confidently predicts. ,_. „ I

We observe in a recent number of the Lyttelton Times a rumour " from authentic private information," of Sir George Grey's approaching departure from New Zealand, and of the probable appointment of Lord Lytteltoh as his successor, a story idluded to also in Saturday's Independent. No doubt, the wish is father to the thought with those who have given currency to the Jstory and would have it received as 'authentic,' but it comes to us in so questionable f a shape and on such doubtful authority, that we cannot place any reliance on it. It will be remembered that about a year ago a similar story was put in circulation with;,, a great deal of mvsterions importance private information," by sqriite' who profess to be the knowing" men ofr displace, and Sir Gaspar Le Marchant rtjjNaict to be " the coming man," but nothing came of it, and, the whole affair proved to be a mare's' nest ; the present story is no doubt as " authentic " as was the previous piece of gossip. -

On Sunday night and during the whole of. Monday the settlement was visited with one of the most violent south-casters, accompanied with rain, that has been experienced for several years. During the gale the Phoebe went ashore near Kai Warra and stove in some planks in hei 1 ■ bottom ; a small schooner, the Wave,

which was at the <H£ads parted from her anchor, but ran -safely into harbour and. got into Kai Warra creek without receiving any further ,damage. •

The following is an Extract from a letter written by a former resident in this colony, who is now at Mount Alexander ; it contains many useful hints, and vrill no doubt be perused with interest. " I did- not clear much when digging on the Turon in New South Wales, but the reason was I paid too heavily for claims. The diggers here seem to imagine the ' gold is running out, but the fact is all do not get it so plentifully as at first, and some not' at all, but some knowing people who have come out from England to establish companies, 'who have' been managing the Rio del Rey mines, &c, say they . will be quite content if Government will grant them a lease of the ground that has already been dug; in this I fully concur' with them that it would pay well, for there has been an abundance wasted, and I ana certain that every creek where people have been washing would pay well to turn the course and wash the bottom of it. " I hear that has come with a cargo of New Zealand produce ,which I should imagine will pay -Kind well. You can encourage the settlers in New Zealand ; for good potatoes, onions, in- fact, any/'tßin'giri thatway will repay, for 'sending ; flour, is a speculation, when I arrived here the other day it was £20 per bag of 200 lbs. : to day 1 ;could buy plenty at £10, and I expect it will be lower still,' for about 400 drays are coming "overland from Adelaide loaded.' The people from that part of the country seem to be most patriotic, for all the lucky ones have gone back to purchase land and are erecting good houses, &c. : land here has risen considerably in value, and good prices are always maintained. Wool growers find it rather difficult to keep, shepherds for any length of lime, for as soon as they get sufficient to start upon they go to try their luck at the diggings, the unfortunate ones taking their place, but the population consume all their spare stock, mutton being 6d. per lb!, beef do. I think most of the New Zealand settlers that I have seen and spoken" to intend returning to that colony when they have made sufficient to start upon and be comfortable." J

The following is a summary of yesterday's GoA sale of land reclaimed from the sea at Lambton Quay is appointed to take place on the 30th inst., upset price £6 per lineal foot. 1. K-T4tt&nson'arid A. Alexandfr/TSsquTres, of" Ahuriri, have been appointed Magistrates cf the Southern Province : Mr. H. W. Read and Mr. J. J. Harris have been appointed Poundkeepers at Lyttelton and Christchurch : and J. E. Smith, Esq., has been apointedKDeputy ReI giatrar of the Supreme C ,urt, an'J DeputyRegistrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages for the district of Wellington. A Government Land sale is appointed to take place at Nelson on the 23rd instant — e'ghty-one lots in the town of Nelson are offered, seven suburban lotsan the Wakatu District, 3 ditto, in Waimea East, 1 ditto, in Waimea South, and 30 sections of rural land. Eighty-three Crown Grants to purchasers under the New Zealand Company inthe Nelson District are declared to be ready for issue at the Nelson Land Office. A return by the Treasurer shews the sum of £360 has been received 'dnring the last month for the sale of land, at Lambton Quay, ! The quarterly return from Otago for June shews the amount of immigration to that settlement to be six persons, and of emigration eleven persons. The following is the amount of the notes of the Colonial Bank of Issue in circulation on the 18th ult., being the close of the four preceding weeks : — £5 and upwards Under £5 .... 8,609 £10,429

Coroner's iNQUEST.-r-An inquest was held al the Royal Hotel' on Saturday before Dr. Fitzgerald, Coroner, on the body of Henry Hall, late Barman of the New Zealander, who was found dead at Evans's Bay that morning. The following evidence was given :—: — * Robert JenMns, svyorn — I am the proprietor ofcthe Ne^^ealandeO have been acquainted with the deceased, Henry Hall,, on .whom this inquest is now sittingvfof about, twelve years; he was in my employment as barman ; about 1 o'clock yesterday, liuOctober, I saw him last, he had been lying down for .about five hours, he had been away from the house repeatedly during the last fortnight day and night ; after getting up he walked to the front door, and I asked him what he was going to do, he replied going away for a short time to take a walk, I said you are looking very unwell, you had bet- ! ter have some medicaLadvice, he said no he was ] all right, I said you /had better take care of yourself, I expect you^will shortly hare a fit if j you carry on in this way, he said oh, no ; I reminded him that he was subject to epileptic fits, and recommendedTiim to go to bed again, he turned round and "ssaid, I'm off, I will see you again bye-and-bye ; he appeared to me to be suffering from something like delirium tremens, I did not see anything more of him ; his not returning last night made me send- round the town two men to make enquiries* but they could hear nothing of, him'; I have seen the body and recognize it to be that of Henry Hall. Witness being. recalled, stated— The deceased has been in' the habit of walking to my country place, round the beach, into Evans' Bay ; it was a regular walk of .his.- He has had several very serious fits during the time I have known him.

Robert Henry Huntley, sworn — I am School Master attached to the Catholic Mission 'of this' place ; as I wasout walking this morning with, some of my boys,- round the Beach on the opposite side of the harbour, near the point at" Evaus's Bay, about a quarter before Eleven, one of the boys, George Gratehead, being a few yards in advance, cried out that there was a dead body on the beach, I went up to it and saw the body of a man lying on its face, the same body on which this inquest is now sitting ; the body was lying between' two large rocks, the face was resting on some sharp projections of rocks ; the tide was leaving at the time ; the feet were towards the sea, and the head towards the land ; the feet were in the water ; at high tide as far as I could tell, there would be about three feet of water, where^ the body was lying ; the place where the body lay was off the path a little ; Lcould not raise the body ; I left the boys with it, and went to inform Mr. St. Hill. The Jury returned a verdict of "Found Dead."