NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, April 6, 1853.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 801, 6 April 1853, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, April 6, 1853.

We understand that the motion in the Injunction cause Dorset v. Bell which was to have been heard yesterday was adjourned to Thursdaynext in, consequepc* n^jtXJ?uJlgpojs^n of his llfenor the Judge. It stems to be/rotf general opinion that the promoters of this case have not taken much by their move, and that the Injunction will not be sustained. In fact the whole affair can hardly be regarded in any other light than that of an electioneering manoeuvre. The gtoeral tenor of Sir John Pakington's despatches and of his instructions to the Governor can hardly be mistaken. The 79th clause of the New Constitution Act, as we liave before shown, /authorizes the Queen to delegate the powers conferred upon her by that Act for "the regulation of the sale, letting, disposal and occupation of waste lands" to the Governor either " by instructions under her Majesty's Signet and Sign Manual, or signified through one of her Majesty* principal Secretaries of State." Six John Pakington in his despatch of the I6th July, forwarding the Act to the Governor, informs him that those powers are for the present delegated by her Majesty to his Excellency, and .in his subsequent despatch on the New Zealand Company's Land Claimant's Ordinance, after referring to the 72nd section of the Act, which after vesting the management of the waste lands of the Crown in New Zealand in the . General Assembly provides, " until the General Assembly shall otherwise enact, for their management by the Queen, he says : — " And the proviso contained in the tame section" (above referred to) " ttktn conjointly with the 79th section, declare! that, until other* wise enacted by the General Alterably, the tame powera thall^e exercised by the Crown, or the Governor, if duly authorized by the Crown. It follows th«t under the authority conveyed to you in my detpatch of the 16th intt., encloabig the Constitutional Act, you will he at liberty to make such regulations generally throughout New Zealand for the disposal of land daring the short interval which may elapse until the assembling of the new Legislature as you may think advisable ; nor can I foresee any legal difficulty in regard to the mode of dealing with Crown lands t which these very large powers uiU not enable you to overcome." But, as we have said, the move is a failure; for if the Injunction were confirmed the Governor is not thereby restrained from selling Crown land at 10s. an acre at Canterbury, arid^ unless Mr. Sewell can prevent the demesne! lands of the Crown near that settlement from, being sold at If ss than- £3 per acre, he gamsnothing. As for those who affect on " Constitutional" grounds to approve of these pro ceedings, their hostility to the Land Regulations is excited mainly from their popularity, and the fact that the Governor in them has anticipated and satisfied the general wishes of the colonists, and that when the General Assembly meets, as far as the land is concerned,

there will be nothing left for them to do. Bat though we can understand the disappointment of these persons at finding that the Governor's regulations would settle this question so effectually as to leave nothing for them to try their prentrce hand upon, they seem to take for granted what is by no means so sure as they reckon upon, and when they talk of what they would do in the General Assembly, it may be as well to remind them that they must first be elected members of it.

In our last number we recorded the trial of Panapa for robbery and other offences committed at Rangitiki, we subjoin a few particulars connected with this case. This native has for some time past, we understand, caused considerable trouble and annoyance to the settlers at Rangitiki from his conduct, and several attempts were 1 made to apprehend him but without success, until Mr. M'Lean, who was instructed to inquire into these disturbances, crossed the country from Hawke's Bay and took a party of Manawatu natives with their chief Taratoa to apprehend the delinquent. This was done entirely by the native* without any European interference further than the instructions and directions of Mr. M'Lean, who explained to Panapa's tribe the grounds for apprehending such a troublesome character, and advised them to give every assistance and support to the Government whenever it became necessary to put the law ia force against such delinquents. The Governor-in-Chief directed that the Manawatu natives should receive a reward of £50 for the readiness evinced by them in apprehending Panapa, and the prompt-manner in which this was done is likely to have considerable effect in preventing any similar attempts at plunder, or annoyance in future. With these facts before us, we are at a loss to understand the complaint of the Grand Jury in their presentment, that no notice was taken by the Government of & robbery committed by Panapa at Captain Daniell's station. The particulars of the rob* bery, the taking we believe of some tobacco and other articles, were we understand forwarded to Captain Daniell by the person in charge of his station, and instructions were requested aa to what course he was to pursue. As no information was laid before the Magistrate by the person in Captain Daniell's employ, it may be fairly presumed he received no directions to take any further steps in the matter. We have seen the exertions made by the Government in the apprehension of Panapa who has been convicted of two offences, on the prosecution of the Government, for which he has been sentenced to twenty-two years transportation; if any neglect has occurred it appears to have been on the part of Captain Daniell or his agent in not laying aa information of the robbery, which was necessary to form the groundwork of any subsequent legal proceedings. During Mr. M'Lean's last visit to Rangitiki, a native named Manuka was brought before him on charges of depredations committed some time since at different stations ; we are SftfonHed that Se pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to three months imprisonment and hard labour at Wanganui. Some little excitement was occasioned among the tribes at Rangitiki in consequence, but it speedily passed away.

Church op England Schools. — Yeßterday being the anniversary of the opening of Thorndon School, the children of the different Church of England Schools in Wellington, namely the Thorndon School, the two Sunday Schools, and the Military School of the 65th Regt., were assembled at the Thorndon School Room, and regaled witii tea and cake. The number of children present was about two hundred and fifty in an equal proportion of the two sexes, varying in age from five to fourteen years, though the great majority appeared to be between eight and twelve years old. The large School Room was supplied with tables; and completely filled with children, whore merry countenances gave abundant indications of enjoyment ; one of the two class rooms was used for making tea, in another was placed a microscope of very high power, with other scientific and And philosophical instruments, while the walls of the rooms were decorated with several firstrate engravings. The day was very rough and boisterous, but this did not prevent the attendance on this occasion of the ladies who have always kindly taken such interest in the management and welfare of the schools, or of other friends and visitors. Altogether we believe it was the largest gathering of children of any one religious denomination that has taken place in Wellington, and the friends of education must have been highly gratified at witnessing so pleasing a sight, and still more gratified to know the amount of good that has been effected by the Thorndon School under Mr. Wadsworth's able management* and -of the Sunday School* attached to the two churches, and of the high estimation in which they are held by the working chpses, as evidenced by the great number of their children who regularly attend them. f>

'A Vovmt has recently issued from the press of the" Spectator office, containing the New Zealand Constitution Act, with the several Despatches of Sir John Pakington the Secretary for the Colonies, and the Governor of New Zealand, referring .thereto, and the various Proclamations published by His Excellency'determining the boundaries of the respective Provinces, the number of members for the Kepresentative Assembly and the Provincial Councils, and other details connected [frith the New Constitution, including also !she New Land Regulations. The whole ijbrms an octavo volume of about one hundred jtod thirty pages, and contains all the official documents in any way connected with the •'New Constitution.