NELSON.

Taranaki Herald, Volume I, Issue 15, 10 November 1852, Page 3

NELSON.

We have the Nelson Examiner to the 9th ult., by the " Shepherdess," which arrived here from Wellington on Wednesday last, after a passage of 1 2 days. The Examiner of the 11th September contains the following : — ) "The government brig arrived fiom Wellington on Thursday cveniorr, bringing Sir George and Lady Grey. The object of his Excellency's visit to Nelson is, we understand, to constitute an Arbitration 1 Court, to settle the claims of absentee laud

purchns'rs to compensntion. The opinion giv^ii by counsel that the resolutions of 1847 were a contract, which bind the Government as they di.l the New Zealand Company, is n virtual overthrow of llie Land ClaimantsnJrdinancp, which assumed the power to settle the claims of absentees by enactment, when they could only be disposed of by an arbitration. The courso now to be taken is perfectly unobjectionable, and, pioviJed thn court is constituted properly, no- person will object to the compensation awarded, whatever may be the amount." The settlement of Nelson appears ro-havo accomplished a very desirable improvement in llie shape of a regular fortnightly communication with Wellington, which will probably be extended to the other settlements: — " We nre glad to be able to announce •hat nn arrangement has been concluded between the owners of the ' Henrietta* and the local government, by which this vessel Ims engaged f >r the next six months to run to and from Nulsoa and Wellington once every fortnight." We trust, therefore, to receive our valnab'o contemporary more frequently than heretofore. Like the other settlements Nelson appears to have been much taken up with the _ now bygone elections for the Provincial Councils, on which subject it has the following observations, setting at rest the question of the assembling of the Council ■ " It is not the intention of the Governor, we understand, to allow the elections for Provincial Councils to proceed. While we are glad that this worse than useless Ordinance is frustrated, we cannot fail to bo struck with the light woik which Sir George makes of Acts of Parliament and Acts of Council, when it suits his purpose to set them aside." This paragraph appeared in the Examiner during the sojourn of the Governor in that settlement, and is, we presume, to be depended on. Thsre appears to have been a report current that gold had been found in Massacre Bay, but it wants confirmation. Our sister settlement shows a step in advance of us, and boasts a Philharmonic Society. The first public rehearsal was held on the 2d ult, at which upwards of 150/ persons were present. The room was tastefully decorated with drapery, flags, flowers, shrubs, &c, and the pcrfoimance appeared to afford great pleasure to all preseni. The humanizing influences which such re-un'.ons exercise over a people make 'hem every way d.'airab'e in places lacking the material* of intillectual amusement. Our contemporary appears to be generally favourable to the new institutions in store lor the settlements, but suspends his judgment pending the alterations possible aiirt probable beloe their becoming a law. T/ie same paper contains the following interesting account of the discovery of a new harbour : — "The Government boat sent in search of Scctt and Williams discovered another fine harbour in D'Urville's Island, with which no one previously seems to have been acquainted. After an unsuccessful search for the missing men in Acheron Harbour (the harbour discovered by her Majesty's surveying steamer Acheron, about midway between the French Pass and Pott Hardy}, Mr. J. Sharpe, who had charge of the boat, coasted/back along die shore of D'Urville's Island towards the Pass, on approaching I which, near the south-west extremity of the island, he observed what had the appearance of the mouth of a harbour, which he accordingly entered, and found within a reallynoble and commodious harbour, easy of ingress and egress, and affording the most complete shelter."