Shipping Intelligence.

Sept. 18—Schooner Elizabeth, Captain Stile, from Sydney; 7 days out.
Sept. 23—Barque B. Island, from the Thames. She brings the Officers of the Buffalo, lately wrecked.
Sept. 23—H.M. Brig Britomart, from Port Nicholson.
Sept. 24—Barque Nimrod, Captain Graves, from Valparaiso, 75 days out. 14 days on her passage. She puts in for water, on her way to Sydney.

SAILED.
Sept. 22—The Harriet, for Hokianga.
Sept. 23—Schooner Elizabeth, for Port Nicholson.

The New Zealand Advertiser, AND BAY OF ISLANDS GAZETTE.

KORORARIKA:—Sept. 24, 1840.

The Sydney Gazette in remarking upon some communications from Port Nicholson observes:— "We have heard the most shocking accounts from that quarter, and from private letters from the Bay of Islands. Affairs do not seem to be much better there." If these remarks be true (and we have no reason to doubt them), Australia shall never have rival in New Zealand. The last remark is only one of the many indications of the great ignorance which prevails in New South Wales on the subject of colonising these lands. The two countries are so entirely unlike each other in almost every point of view, that allowing to each the utmost degree of success, they cannot become cor-rivals—they may aid, but cannot injure each other except by the grossest mismanagement of their natural resources.

It is admitted that within a few months very great depressions in trade have occurred, and that, as nothing has yet been done by Government towards the advancement of trade and commerce, so the want of formal settlement in every department, has greatly impeded the disposition for enterprise which is the very soul of prosperity. For ourselves we may candidly confess, that we could hardly have commenced our exertions at a more unfavorable time, for almost every thing with which we have had to do, has been in such a state of suspension, and uncertainty, that we have been in possession of none of the ordinary means of success. We are not disposed to make things appear different from what they are, but we may venture to say one thing—the injuries which trade has suffered are in no respect the fault of the country or of any particular locality—and therefore, the Bay of Islands, and Port Nicholson, and other places also, may and we feel assured they will—yet become the seats of very great prosperity.

Affairs require to be consolidated—and it is the business of the Government to do this. If our Government prove a paternal one, success must follow. There is not yet a single thing in a state of certainty. We speak of this as not without alluding to its cause. Nothing is yet done, which the Colonists could not have done as well. We are sure that His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor is not to blame for this—the cause rests not with him. But it is a fact nevertheless. Finance agriculture is altogether checked, commerce ebbs and flows with irregularity, prices fluctuate from week to week, police and other Government regulations are ill-enforced or not enforced at all. As we have no court competent to try prisoners, or even to enforce the payment of debts—as in various cases even the Magistrates appear to have no settled principles of judgment—as, in point of fact, we can scarcely be said to have police, prisons, or courts at all. How, we ask, is it possible any man should take advantage of such circumstances to argue that this is no place to encourage the hopes of settlers? Put us in a fair position and we will see.

(To be continued)

We understand that Dr. Johnson and Felton Matthew, Esq., have given in resignations of their respective offices.

The Bakers of Kororarika dropped the price of the 4lb. loaf from 2s 6d, which has been the price for several months, to 2s on Monday last.

Pork was raised to 9d at the beginning of the week. Some beef and mutton have been sold, the former at 9d, the latter at 10d.

Official Notices

For every one hundred words after the first hundred, additional 2s 0d.
For every Certificate granted by Commissioners, of Default, Refusal to answer, or wilful withdrawing of any Witness 5s 0d.
For any Final Report to be paid by the Party or Parties, in whose favour made, when the extent of the Land recommended exceeding five hundred acres 5s 0d.
For every additional one hundred Acres 0s 10d.

And 5 per Cent., above these rates for persons not personally resident in New Zealand, or not having a resident Agent on the spot. Goods, when given to the Native in Barter for Land, to be estimated at three times their selling price at Sydney at the time.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Russell, New Zealand. 17th Sept., 1840.

IN pursuance of the provisions of an Act of the Governor and Council of New South Wales, passed on the fourth day of August, and intituled "An Act to empower the Governor of New South Wales to appoint Commissioners, with certain powers, to examine and Report on Claims in Grants of Land in New Zealand," His Excellency The Lieutenant Governor directs it to be notified, that all persons claiming to be entitled to Grants of Land in the Islands of New Zealand, by purchase from the Native Chiefs, or individuals of the Aboriginal Tribes inhabiting the same, are hereby required to set forth in writing, addressed to the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, the particulars of such Claims with as little delay as possible, in order that the same may be submitted to the consideration of the Commissioners, who are to be appointed under the above mentioned Act.

The applicants should set forth as fully as possible the situation and extent of the land claimed, and every other particular in their power, relative to the grounds of their claim. And all persons claiming to be entitled to Land in New Zealand, are distinctly warned, that under the conditions of the 4th clause of the Act in question, all Claims, except as therein excepted, which may not be preferred to the Colonial Secretary of New South Wales, as herein directed, on or before the fourth day of February next, will be absolutely null and void.

By His Excellency's Command,
(For the Colonial Secretary)
JAS. STUART FREEMAN.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Russell, Sept. 18, 1840.

HIS EXCELLENCY THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR directs it to be notified, that the Sale of Town Allotments at Russell, fixed for the 12th of next month, will be postponed until further notice.

By His Excellency's Command,
(For the Colonial Secretary)
JAS. STUART FREEMAN.

A writer in the South Australian Register and another in the Port Phillip Herald urge, among other Post-office improvements to facilitate commercial and general epistolary intercourse among the Australian Colonies, that the pre-payment of the four-penny postage should be discontinued; and that it should be left to be paid by the sender or receiver. If this style of postage is to be continued after the great improvements in England, we most earnestly plead for the same thing—for people not accustomed to write cannot be made to recollect that if they do not pay, their letters will not be forwarded; to say nothing of mistakes at the post office. And on the non-sending of a letter, of which the writer may be ignorant till several months afterwards—matters of mighty consequence to the individual may hinge.

But we suspect that the whole system of postage in these Colonies demands to be put on a different footing. The system of postage for all these Colonies ought to be ONE, and under ONE SUPERINTENDENCE and control, without any separate laws for each Colony—and then we might have something like uniformity and certainty in the conveyance of letters, which cannot be expected without.

The barque "Anna Watson," having on board, several Officers of the Government, mechanics, labourers, etc., anchored in the Harbour of Waitemata, on Tuesday the 15th instant, and the site for the intended Settlement on its shores having been selected by the Surveyor-General,—on Friday the 18th September, at 1 P.M., the ceremony of taking formal possession in the name of Her Majesty, was duly performed. The whole party having landed, the British Flag was hoisted on a staff, erected on a bold promontory, commanding a view of the entire Harbour. The Flag was immediately saluted by twenty-one guns from the "Anna Watson," followed by a salute of fifteen guns from the barque "Platina," after which her Majesty’s health was drank at the foot of the flagstaff, and greeted by three times-three hearty cheers. The "Anna Watson" then fired a salute of seven guns in honor of His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, which was responded to by three hearty cheers, and one cheer more from those on shore. The party returned to the "Anna Watson," and after partaking of luncheon, a regatta took place between a five-oared gig belonging to the Surveyor-General, and six oared gig belonging to the "Anna Watson," both pulled, in excellent style by amateurs. This was followed by a match for a purse of five pounds between two whale boats pulled by sailors—and by another between two large canoes, paddled by Natives. And thus concluded the ceremony of founding the first British Settlement established under the auspices of the Government, in this part of New Zealand, a ceremony the more interesting, as this Settlement is intended for the future Capital of what we may venture to predict, will, one day, become a mighty Empire. The Officers of the Government present on the occasion consisted of the Police Magistrate—the Colonial Surgeon—the Harbour-Master—the Superintendent of Works—the Sub-Protector of Aborigines—and the Surveyor-General and his Lady. —CORRESPONDENT.

Sydney News.

Legislative Council—The sums of £18,271 10s., were voted for the Church of England; £6,000 for the Presbyterian; £3,100 for the Wesleyan; £850 for the Baptist; and £4,050 for the Roman Catholic.

Import Duties in New Zealand.
The Governor introduced the Bill of which he had spoken on a previous day, relative to the extension of the increase of Duties to New Zealand, and the suspending the same until August, 1841, in order to preclude the possibility of coming into collision with any foreign power on