NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, December 4, 1852.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 766, 4 December 1852, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Saturday, December 4, 1852.

THKotrGH the kindness of Mr. R. J. Duncan we are enabled to publish- in our present number English news to August 12th, received via Syeney by the William to Wanganui. The William left Sydney on the 16th ult., on which •day the Sydney Mail Steamer from London via Port Phillip arrived, with a very large English mail. The Vimeira, arrived in Sydney on the morning of the 16th, with English dates from Plymouth to the, 9th August, and Melbourne to the 12th ult. She also brought the welcome news'of the" safe "arrival of the monster steam ship the Great Britain^ which was entering the Port Phillip Heads as the Viineira was leaving them. The Sydney, 'which left Melbourne a iew hours after the Vimeira, brought no further intelligence of the Great Britain beyond her arrival, no communication having taken place from that vessel with the shore. The latest news received in Melbourne from England was not known in Sydney up to 4 o'clock of the day the schooner William sailed fpr Wanganui. The Great Britain was expected to arrive in Sydney two or three days afterwards ; very great interest was felt by the inhabitants at her arrival, which was justly considered to be an event of considerable importance, marking the increased consideration in which the Australian colonies were held in the mother-country, when such a vessel had been sent out at the sole risk, of a>private commercial firm in England ; it . was supposed she would be visited by great numbers x>f persons both at Melbourne and Sydney.

Flour at Sydney was nominally £40 per ton With a limited demand, and the markets generally were ; much the same as per last advices ; exhibiting, however^ in almost all articles an inclination downwards.

The schooner William, Captain Taylor, arrived at Whanganui, from Sydney, on Monday last, the £9th November, having left on the evening of the 16th. She had .a pleasant run of twelve days to the land, and got into the river -next morning early. The passengers were Mrs. Taylor and three children, Miss Small, Dr. Kebbell, and E. J. Duncan, Esq.

We are glad to bring before the notice of the public an accurate drawing of the Town of Wellington, which has been lithographed by T. S. Ralph, Esq., copies of which are on view and may be had at our office. We are pleased to find that many of them have been printed on letter paper by means of which persons corresponding with their friends at home will be enabled to give them an accurate picture of Wellington. This is an early day for the colony to bring out subjects like these, and we hope an extensive. sale of the drawing under notice may induce the talented artist to publish a series of views of Wellington and its neighbourhood.

We understand that Te Rauperaha has returned to New Zealand, being -a>.passenger by the Stains Castle. Shortly before leaving England he had the honour of being presented to her Majesty by Sir John Palrington, the Secretary for the Colonies, at a Court held on the 30th June. This will be an epoch in Te Rauperaha's life, and no doubt the splendour and magnificence of the English Court which he witnessed on that occasion must have filled him with the highest notions of the greatness of that nation, to the presence ' of whose Sovereign he was introduced under such favourable circumstances, and have produced impressions not readily to be effaced, while his lengthened residence in the capital of the world will have convinced him how much the New Zealanders have gained by becoming the subjects of so powerful a nation.

The Scotia arrived on Wednesday from Otago, bringing intelligence of the arrival of the Slams Castle at that port three weeks previously. Owing to the negligence of the Post Master at Otago the mail of the S fains Castle was not forwarded by the Scotia, which has occasioned considerable inconvenience, and general dissatisfaction ; and this omission becomes the more important, as it is probable the official despatch containing the New Constitution may have been forwarded by that opportunity.

St. Andrew's Dat. — The usual dinner in celebration of this anniversary took place on Tuesday evening, at Mnnn's Royal Hotel, K. Bethune, Esq., in" the chair, J. Telford, Esq., croupier. The arrangements were in the usual style of excellence of this establishment, and a numerous party sat down to the good things prepared by " mine host ;" and national songs heightened and prolonged the convivial enjoyments of the evening.