For Sydney Direct,

THE “BRIG BEE,”

D. M'FARLANE, MASTER.

WILL sail in a few days. For Freight
or Passage apply to the Captain on
board.

Bay of Islands,

10th June, 1840.

THE NEW ZEALAND ADVERTISER,

AND

BAY OF ISLANDS GAZETTE.

KORORARIKA:—JULY 16, 1840.

In another column will be found a letter
from “An intending Settler” on the Land
question, which we insert chiefly for two
reasons—first, to shew that we are not
endy, whenever it is necessary, to
enter on important public questions—and,
secondly, to furnish us with text for
some remarks on the subject, which our
Readers may understand. It is decidedly
necessary that a public Journal should be
open to temperately written communications. We beg our correspondent to excuse our not publishing his postscript,
which struck us as “more” like a question addressed to ourselves than as a suitable remark for the public eye at present.

We will preface what we have to say
by observing, that our correspondent is
mistaken if he supposes we have not been
ive to the Land question, or that we have
intended to evade it altogether. Our defence is simply this—It appears to us in
the present stage of the affairs of this Colony, scarcely possible to judge accurately
of this question, and we are not disposed
to hazard the doing any party unnecessary
injustice. And although part etu is a maxim
of which we let the force, and the fear of
violating it has thus far kept us silent. We
are full well aware that the difficulties
which beset the constitutional colonization of this country are exceedingly great,
and we are disposed to admit that parties
who legislate respecting it—parties, too,
who have no apparent inducement to act
unjustly in the matter—will keep as far
from designedly or undesignedly injuring
any person, as possible. There must be
decided evidence of obliquity in their intentions before we shall feel it safe to
impeach them. It is true that, inadvertently,
they may err, but in this case we can
point out their error without any impeachment of their integrity:

Our correspondent is rather too vague
on one or two points. What Government
does he think to blame? Is it that established here, or that of Sydney, or the
British Government of which he thinks it
right to complain. We do not suppose
it is the first, because he must be aware
that His Excellency has nothing to do in
this matter but to execute decrees put into
his hands. With regard to the measures
or intentions of the Sydney Legislature,
it remains to be seen what they will do,
but we acknowledge our indisposition at
present to think that any injustice is intended, or will be eventually felt. Morrow. they can scarcely legislate but in
accordance with instructions from home,
and, therefore, the chief part of whatever blame may arise must rest with the
Home Government. But the instructions
to His Excellency, which we this day
commence to publish, bear no appearance
of unjust intention. What the action may
be is yet to be seen—we can prove nothing
from the plot.

We have persuaded ourselves that all
will ultimately be well. Our conviction
is strong that those whose interests are temporarily deranged will be glad of the transition from insecure New Zealandic usage,
to that of competent British authority. Of
course the demonstration is in the hands
of time. Will our Readers with us wait
to see its issue?

Our Sydney contemporaries argue the
subject at length, and, as might be expected, in various ways. Our limits will not permit us to fall into the error of prolixity.

The resumption of all lands by the Crown
is indispensable to impartiality; but it does
not follow that parties who before held
lands of independent Chiefs, will certainly have their possessions taken away
when these Chiefs sign away their independence. We feel assured that this
change will not, of itself, involve any
such consequences, and if not, no one can
justly complain of it. There are claims,
doubtless, which will be overthrown by
the transition, but they are such as will
not stand in the court either of public morality or of conscience.

There are other points involved in our
correspondent’s letter, which demand notice. The term ‘illegal’ is not happily
chosen to express the circumstances to
which he refers, but we must defer our
views on this point to our next, when we
may touch on one or two other bearings
of this great subject.

The Australasian Chronicle of the 23rd
June contains the Queen’s Speech on the
opening of Parliament on the 16th January, and the Naturalization Bill of
Prince Albert of Coburg and Gotha.
The first topic introduced into the
speech is the Royal marriage. The next
is the general friendship of Foreign
Powers. The Northern provinces of
Spain are mentioned as in a state of
tranquillity. A renewal of hostilities in
the Levant had been prevented by the
concord of the five Powers. Persia did
not appear to be yet quite reconciled to
Great Britain, and the British relations
with China had been for time interrupted.
Parliament is congratulated on the success attending the military operations of
the Governor-General of India. The affairs of Canada, the Municipal Corporations of Ireland, and the measures recommended by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners of England respecting the established church, are recommended to the
deliberations of Parliament. The penny
postage is alluded to, and the Speech
closes with reference to the general
Commercial embarrassment which had
been experienced throughout the world,
and the spirit of insubordination which
had broken out in many parts of the
country.

The royal Marriage was celebrated on
the 10th inst, at the Chapel Royal. His
Serene Highness was dressed in a Field
Marshall’s uniform. Her Majesty wore
a magnificent lace robe and veil, of the
most exquisite workmanship. The only
ornament on her head was a wreath of
orange flowers, and a small diamond pin
by which the nuptial veil was fastened to
her hair. Her train was of white satin,
with a deep fringe of lace. The Queen
Dowager, the Prince’s father and brother,
and all the principal Nobility of the land
were present. At Buckingham Palace a
splendid wedding breakfast was prepared for the bridal party, after which they
set out for Windsor.

The last clause of Prince Albert’s Naturalization Bill enacts, that her Majesty
may confer on him any rank or precedence
she will.

Will not her Majesty, empowered by
this clause, give to her illustrious husband
the dignity of King Consort.

Her Majesty was graciously pleased to
reprieve the Newport rioters, Frost, and
his companions. It was expected that
they would be transported for life.

We learn with deep regret that the
Rev. Mr. Bumby, Wesleyan missionary,
of Hokianga, has been drowned, with
12 Natives, in an expedition Southward, but the particulars have not reached us.

George Cooper, Esq., Collector of Customs, has taken up his residence at Victoria, at the house of Mr. Busby, the late
British Resident.

We are informed that large numbers of
Emigrants from New South Wales and
Port Phillip may be shortly expected in
New Zealand.

At Norfolk Island on the Queen’s
birth-day, the prisoners were permitted to
range at large; and were treated with
lemonade, with a small mixture of rum.
Great credit is due to Captain Maconochie, for the effects which his system of
discipline has produced upon these men,
supposed to be incorrigible. Out of more
than twelve hundred prisoners at perfect
liberty on that occasion, not one behaved
in a riotous manner.

Publican’s Licenses.

Ata meeting held at the Police Office
on Tuesday last, before C. H. Robinson,
J. Johnson, and G. Mair, Esquires, the
following persons obtained Licenses:—
George Russell, Russell Hotel, Kororarika; Samuel Allen Wood, Wood’s Hotel ditto; John Johnson, Duke of Marlborough, ditto; Robert Edney and George
Hemmings, Fishery, ditto; Robert Evans, Commercial Hotel, ditto;
Thomas Nolan, Mason’s Arms, ditto;
David Mason and James Stewart, Sailor’s
Return, at the Pa; William Tibbey,
Russell Hotel, ditto; James Stiles, Eagle
Tavern, ditto.—

To the Editor of the New Zealand Advertiser & Bay of Islands Gazette.”

Sir,—In common with many of your
Readers I have been surprised and disappointed by your silence upon a subject of
such vital importance to this community
as the question of land claims now in agitation at Sydney. Permit me to remind
you, that the duty of the Press is not confined to the publication of the mere domestic news of the day, but that it may be
considered to have betrayed the public
whose organ it is, or ought to be, when
it permits its best interests to be overwhelmed by the oppression of Govt., without exerting its energies in their defence.

Whilst a Bill is before the Council of
New South Wales, in which it is sweepingly declared that all the purchases of
land which have been made in this country
at so great a risk of property and even of
life, on the faith of a solemn declination of
its independence by the British Government, are illegal, while that solemn recognition of the independence of New Zealand is denied, and tortured into a tacit
admission of it, “sub silentio,” and when it
is proposed from the assumption of this illegality (which, by the way, is ably and strenuously denied by two of the most
eminent Barristers in Sydney) to strip
Englishmen of their possessions and confiscate them to the Crown by the unjust
and unconstitutional means of its own
Commissioners, it certainly behoves the
voice of the people to make itself heard.

I am, Sir, your’s, &c.,

An Intending Settler.

Intelligence.

ARRIVALS.

July 1—The ship Diana, Captain Robert Milne, 20 tons, from Sydney:—Passengers—Captain and Mrs. Nagle and
child, Captain Besnard, Captain Watson,
Captain Arinis, Captain Leathart, Captain
Beckham, 28th regt., Dr. Gammie, 80th
regt., Messrs. W. C. Heureil, R. Schultz,
H. Crofts, J. B. Gilmore, J. Sharpe, R.
Wigmore, C. Cretniy, R. Leathart,
Porter, Mr. and Mrs. Houston, Mrs.
Davis and child, and 20 in the steerage.

July 3—The Alexander Henry whaler,
Captain Sans, from whaling expedition.

July 10—The Narwhal whaler, Captain
Brind, from the whaling ground.

July 11—L’Aube, French man-of war
of 50 guns, Commodore Lavaud, in 101
days from France.

July 11—The cutter Eager from the
Thames with His Excellency on board.

July 14—The Prince Eliza, Sydney whaler.

MANIFEST

Of the “Diana” from Sydney :- 6 bhds,
gin—Minimum 30 hhd—, 21 engines &c.