AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 940, 5 August 1854, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

We learn from the Otago Witness, of June 6, that difficulties have occurred between the Superintendent and hi 3 Council. These appear to have arisen partly from circumstances of a local nature, upon which it would be exceedingly unfair to offer a decided opiniop, without fuller knowledge of facts, from both parties,, than we

are able to obtain in Auckland, fiat, confining ourselves to that which i« of a public nature, the state of the cn*p appears to he aca c follow : — The Otago Council consists of nine member? — a number very tnfach. too "mall, be it observed en passant, for either sourd or harmonious legislation — three of whom constitute what is called " the opposition." Two of the tninisterial party, being members of the Assembly, are in Auckland ; two others appear to have been absent for some time past ; and accordingly, the opposition found themselves in a majority. It would have been more chivalrous, in our opinion, to have abstained from taking? advantage of a chance position ; they resolved, however, not to let slip the opportunity, and passed a resolution, backed with a formal report, by which, if acted up to, the Superintendent would have been deprived of his executive powers. One of the ministerial party befng in the chair, the resolution was carried by tHree to one. The Superintendent, a stout-hearted old soldier, of j the £eter Stuyvesant type, made no more ado, but at once prorogued the Council. — Southern Cross, July 18. By the Osprey from the Ray of Islands, on [ Friday last, we learn that considerable anxiety is manifested by the settlers at Russell (Kororarika) in consequence of a native chief, n successor, nnd one of the principal men of Kawiti's tribe, having demanded payment for the \ site of Russell. The particulars, so far as we have been able to learn, are as follows :—Tahua (George King), the same native who.commenced robbing the settlers during the last war in the North, has demanded the sum of £4000 as a second payment for Kororarika, and has written to the Governor by the Osprey for the utu (payment) ; holding out threats to the setlers, that if the money ii not forthcoming, he will take payment from them. The reasons alleged by the natives for making this demand are, that it was Kawiti's dying request that they should do so ; and that, as other natives who sold lane) to Europeans had been paid for the land again by the Government, they ought also to he paid a second time. — Ibid. Steam Communication with Sydney. — We have to congratulate our fellow colonists upon this great desideratum being at last accomplished. Since the arrival of the William Denny, a very general desire has been manifested to secure the services of that fine vessel as a regular trader between this and Sydney. To pave the way for this object, an application was made to the Superintendent and Provincial Council for a grant in aid which wa^ at once responded to, and tha sum of £5000 for one year was agreed to be given, on condition of the steamer performing regular monthly voyages, carrying the mails between this Port and Sydney. A large subsidy having, however, been held out by the Southern Provinces for a similar service, it became necessary, in order to secure the preference for Auckland, that a certain amount of the ownership of the vessel should be taken up by parties here. To carry out this object, it was suggested that a local com pany of shareholders should be formed under an Act of the General or Provincial Government, to be obtained for limiting the liability of the shareholders to the amount of their subscribed capital. A meeting called at an hour's notice by a few of those taking an active interest in the undertaking, took place at the Exchange Flotel yesterday forenoon, and from a few persons at first, soon grew into a large meeting. The parties seemed to vie with each other in the interest and cordiality with which they entered into the subject. Ver\ few explanations were required, the general feeling being to get steam communication established almost at any cosl. It was considered desirable, in order to secure the necessary control of the vessel, that half the ownership, amounting in value to £12,000, should be taken up here, to be divided into shares of £10 each, with tlie view of securing the interest of as large a number of persons as possible. Before the meeting separated, between 400 and 500 shares were taken up, and nearly as many more in the course of the Uay. — Southern Cfocs, July 28th.