NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, July 13, 1853.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 829, 13 July 1853, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, July 13, 1853.

Want of room obliges us to defer some observations we had intended to make on the coming Elections.'

Wellington Athen^um. — A meeting was held yesterday evening at the Wellington Athenseum, of the members, of the Institution, J for the purpose of considering and adopting an address to his Excellency the Governor, as President of the Institution, on the occasion of his leaving the colony for England. The chair was taken by Mr. Lyon, Vice President. Mr. Seed, the 'Secretary 'of the Institute, then read the following Address. May it please your Excellency. We, the Officers, Committee/ and Menbersof the Wellington Atnei.ieurai bd| most respectfully to express our deep sense of 'the benefit our Institution has received from your countenance and support, and out regret that We should be deprived — even temporarily — of 'the advantage of your presidency, Established among the first of the public Institutions of this settlement, it has always been the aim of those who have had the management of the Mechanics' Institute to. keep it before the public in such a manner as to develop its capabilities ior aiding in the self-culture of its members, aud the improvement of the social feeling of the entire community ; and it is, therefore, matter for grateiul acknowledgment that during the period in which your Excellency has presided over us, we have beeit enabled to take a better position than we ever occupied befoie ; whilst by the additions you hive personally made to our Library, and the generous aid yon have otherwise afforded, our Institute now offers to its members other and more solid advantages. Permit us then-^at the same time that we express the hope we cbrrish that we shall again see your Excellency, and your" amiable lady amongst vs — to assure you that our warmest wishes accompany you, and that were our power equal to our desire, our wishes would' TOake your future career as bright as we believe, and a3 happy as we hope, that it will be. - Mr. Moore Vice-President/ moved the una- ! nimous adoption of the Address, and dwelt in forcible terms on the important assistance which on all -occasions His Excellency, as President, had rendered the";. Institute,' the deep interest he had always lifcaken in its concerns, and the great benefits lie had conferred upon it. (Hear, hear,) Mr. Allen seconded the motion, and said he cordially concurred in the Address. Mr. Duncan referred "to the subscription list in 1848, for building the~Hall, which had been headed by His Excellency; to whose deep personal interest in the undertaking he traced the successful result. ,o& their exertions. He alluded to the Grantc-of £200," which through the recommendation, of His Excellency had been voted by thS legislative Council, and which had materially contributed to the efficiency of the Institution ; and referred to the conversaziones given by their President, which was a perfectly new feature in the Institution, and had afforded much enjoyment to the members and their families, and had been productive of much good. He would there fore warmly support the adoption of the AdI dress. (Applause.) The Address was then unanimously adopted. A subscription was entered into for the purpose of having a portrait of His Excellency painted, which should be preserved in the Institute, and the list we observed was rapidly filling up.

A subscription has been entered into by the working classes, to present a Medal to His Excellency the Governor, as a mark of respect, and in appreciation on their part of the benefits the Colony has received from his adminis-

tration of the Government. The subscription which is limited to small sums already exceeds twenty -two pounds.

Last Monday's Government Gazette (besides the extracts in another part of oar present number) contains a Proclamation by Sir Charles Fitzroy under the Passengers' Act ; a reward of £100, or £10 each for the appre-> hension of 10 convicts (whose descriptions are given) escaped from Norfolk Island; a list of seventy-one Government scrips now reaf y for delivery at the office of the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Wellington ; Tables of the Exports and Imports of Nelson for the quarter ending sth April, 1853s and of the coastwise trade during the same period ; a return of the Immigration to Otago for the March quarter, total number of Immigrants 230 ; and a Recapitulation of the Population, Cultivation, and Live Stock Returns of the Colony for 1851. The total amount for Wellington in 1851 was — of population (including military) 7,300, acres in cultivation 4,896, sheep 64,009, cattle. 11,407.

His Excellency the Governor returned to Wellington on Monday evening, having walked overland from Porirua. The Government Brig left Nelson about eight days ago ; she encountered a heavy S.Easter in the Straits, and being unable to weather Cape Terrawite, she lay off Mana, and on Monday landed his Excellency at Porirua.

By the Shepherdess we have received Auckland papers to June 4, and the Taranaki Herald to June 22 ; but they do not contain any local intelligence. The Auckland papers are filled with discussions referring to the approaching election of the Superintendent of that Province.