NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, June 14, 1854.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 925, 14 June 1854, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday, June 14, 1854.

The Auckland papers by the Nelson's mail (forwarded by the Spray) give a report of the proceedings on the opening of the General Assembly, which will be found in this day's Spectator (extracted from the New Zealander), together with the address of the officer administering the Government from the Government Gazette. The address is of considerable length; after adverting to his peculiar position as the temporary holder of office, and therefore restrained from entering on any decided course which might embarrass the policy of the permanent Governor of the Country, His Excellency suggests as the chief object of the labours of the Assembly such' a^systeriTof^legislafrve v action as would unite the different Provinces into one great country, subject to one general authority. The statement of the financial position of the Colony is of a highly satisfactory nature. The Customs revenue for last year amounted to nearly £70,000. The general revenue of the Colony for the current year is assumed to be £95,600, the territorial revenue tobe£lo4,6Bl,makingtogether£2oo,2Bl, of this amount the sum of £86,227 has been appropriated by the different Provincial Councils leaving a sum of £114,054 at the disposal of the General Go^ ernment. The expenses of the Supreme Court, Post Office, and other Departments under the jurisdiction of the General Assembly arc estimated at £30,437, the expences connected with the General Assembly at £3000, and a sum of £26,000 on account

of the New Zealand Company's debt. The balance, it is suggested should be disposed of as follows, a sum of £10,000 in permanent works, for improving inland communication between the respective chief towns of the different Provinces, a sum of £800t) towards the encouragement of steam communication between the Provinces, and the remaining £36,617 for Immigration and Public Works. With reference to the appropriation of the Revenue it is recommended that an Act be passed providing that the revenue derived from duties of Customs levied under any Colonial Ordinance shall, for the purposes of the Constitution Act, be deemed to be duties levied in virtue of an Act of the General Assembly. The necessity of improving the means of communication between the different Provinces and of securing a uniform system of legislation throughout the Colony are two of the principal topics in the address. With a view to the attainment of this latter object it is proposed that one general enactment should be passed defining and regulating the powers of the Superintendents of the different Provinces, and that on other subjects, as well referring to matters connected with government, as to those relating to general economy, on which the Provincial Councils have legislated, it may be found expedient for the General Assembly to substitute one general law, embodying the provisions of the local laws, and by this means prevent a useless multipli- j city of enactments. The question of dis- I posing of the wastelands is another topic referred to at some length, and it is left for the Assembly to decide whether they would delegate to the Provincial Councils the power of legislating on the mode of disposing of the waste lands of their Provinces, intimating however that such an Act would be reserved for her Majesty's assent. It is recommended that the administration of the waste lands should be vested in the Executive of each Province subject to the charges imposed by the Constitution Act, and to the terms and conditions now in fotce for their sale and occupation, and that the Superintendent, or some other authority in each Province, should be empowered to execute conveyances of waste lands on the part of the Crown to obviate the delay arising from the necessity of refcriag- 1« the Governor for this purpose. A reference in strong and pointed terms is made to the question of the New Zealand Company's debt; it certainly is to be earnestly hoped that such measures may be taken by the Assembly with reference to it as may have the effect of strengthening the representations which we have no doubt will be made to the Home Government by Sir George Grey, and that in the end the colony may be relieved from this most unjust imposition, or at least that the severity and unfairness of the terms now prescribed may be considerably abated. A reference is also made to the present state of the law for regulating marriages, and to the necessity of establishing some system of secondary punishments in consequence of the abolition of transportation ; — these form the leading topics of his Excellency's address ; one topic, — the most important — the establishment of Responsible Government in the administration of the General Government of the colony, has not in any way been alluded to, but there can be little doubt it will be one of the first questions which will engage the serious attention of the General Assembly.

The Nelson arrived this morning from Nelson and lias brought on the Munford's mail. The English news received by this s opportunity is to the Bth of March. Hostilities between England, France, and Russia, had not absolutely taken place, but a considerable body of Iroopshad sailed from England for the Mediterranean, and others were on the point of departure. Ten large steamers had been taken tip for this purpose. Lord Baglan had. I een appointed to the chief command of the expedition, and the Duke of Cambridge, assisted by General Brotherton and the Earl of Cardigan, had also received a command. A Fleet consisting of fifteen large line-of-battle ships, and fifteen frigates of the first class, were about to sail for the Baltic under the command of Sir Charles Napier. A large augmentation of the army had taken palace ; among other regiments mentioned the 58th and 65th were to be increased from 850 to 3000 men.

We understand the Nelson will eail punctually on Friday morning, at 10 o'clock, for Port Cooper and Otago, and return thence to Wellington, when she will proceed to Nelson and Manukau.

The steamer Nelson after leaving Taranald during the night of Sunday the 21st, ar-

rived off Manukau on tliQ afternoon of the 22nd u]t. After waiting in vain for a pilot, Captain Martin on the following morning steamed into Manukau by the aid of Captain Drmy's chart without a pilot. The Nelson was delayed on her return for two or three days by the Government for the purpose of conveying to the Southern Provinces despatches and copies of His Excellency's opening address to the General Assembly, and left Manukau on Monday, reached Taranaki on Tuesday, and arrived at Nelson on Wednesday, 31st May. The Government Brig made a very long passage to Auckland, after calling at Taranaki she passed through Cook's Strait, and after a passage of sixteen days arrived at Auckland the same day as the steamer.

The Molus left this port on Saturday morning for Melbourne, but was obliged to put back yesterday morning from stress of weather. When in the Strait near Cloudy Bay, a portion of the wreck of a vessel was observed drifting past.

Ik the Spectator of the 26th April we noticed the entertainment Mr. Dickens had been giving to the public of Birmingham, by reading to them his Christmas Books ; his "Carol" being especially reserved for the members of the Mechanics' Institute. The "intense delight" this reading is said to have afforded them, has no doubt produced the advertisement which appears in our paper of to-day, announcing that a similar reading will be given to the members of the Wellington Athenteum to-morrow evening. We hope to see a full audience, and feel confident they will en* joy a highly intellectual treat.