NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday. August 2. 1854.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 939, 2 August 1854, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND SPECTATOR AND Cook's Strait Guardian. Wednesday. August 2. 1854.

By the Vrima Donna, from Melbourne, and the steamer "William Denny, from Sydney via Auckland, we have received English news to the 9th May, with highly important and interesting intelligence from the seat of war, the chief events of which will be found in the extracts contained in our present issue. The combined English and French fleets had visited Odessa and had inflicted a terrible chastisement on that city for the treachery of the authorities in firing on a boat with a flag of truce belonging to the British war steamer Furious, which had been sent to bring away the English Consul and several English residents. An engagement had also taken place between the Turks and Russians at Kalafat in which the former were victorious. The visit of the William Denny is 3ikely to be productive of important and beneficial consequences to the colony. An arrangement has been entered into by the Superintendent and Provincial Council of Auckland with her commander, who is also part owner, by which the services of that vessel are'secured for twelve months to perform regular monthly voyages between Sydney and Auckland, and to carry the mails between those two ports, for which services her owners are to receive the sum of £5.000. A similar arrangement has also been entered into with Capt. Mailler by the Superintendents of Wellington and Nelson under which it is agreed that for the sum of £6000, a steamer of the same class as the William Denny shall ply between Melbourne and Sydney and Nelson and Wellington for twelve .months to carry the Government mails, the port of arrival in this colony to be alternately Wellington and Nelson, and the port of departure to be Nelson. By this means two lines of monthly communication will be kept up between New Zealand and the Australian colonies, and this colony will at last derive the full benefit of the steam communication established between Great Britain and

Australia, while the Nelson- steamer will connect the other Provinces with these lines and complete the chain of steam communication. We think the Superintendents deserve great credit for having entered into this arrangement which is a liberal and judicious measure, and well calculated to promote the progress and prosperity of the Colony. Its" effects will be speedily manifest in the increase of the trade and consequent increase of revenue, and the increase of population of the colony. If" the means of improved communication are only provided, an increase of population and prosperity foliows as a necessary consequence. By these arrangements New Zealand is now placed on an equal footing as regards Steam with the Australian Colonies, and they scarcely leave anything further in this respect to be desired. In the House of Representatives at Auckland the Committee appointed to enquire whether or not in justice the Province of Auckland should be released from bearing any portion of the New Zealand Company's Debt, had reported in favor of Auckland's being relieved from this burthen ; the Committee on Steam Communication had also brought up its report. Several long discussions had taken place on the Waste Lands Bill into which Mr. Wakefield had proposed the introduction of several important clauses. The Revenue Bill had been read a third time and passed.

The fine new iron screw-steamer, William Denny, arrived yesterday morning from Auckland which she left on Friday night, having performed the trip in three days and a half. On Sunday she experienced a heavy gale from the Southward, and passed a brig hove to near Hawlce's Bay. She sails this day at two p.m. for Nelson, and Sydney or Melbourne.