The Express.
London, England, 1864-02-15 00:00:00

AMERICA-

The Boston Advertiser of January 30 states that
the Secretary of the Navy has ordered a court of
inquiry to assemble at Boston for the purpose of
investigating the charge against the master's mate
of the Vanderbilt for shooting Mr. Gray, of the
Saxon, after the capture of the vessel. All officers
and men who witnessed the occurrence are ordered
to attend the trial The perpetrator says that the
affair was accidental.

NEW COLONIZATION SCHEME IN NEW
ZEALAND.

By the last &dykes from New Zealand, we learn
that the Lad belonging to the insurgent natives is to be
coafinestsd, and that about eight million acres are &heady
considered to have been forfeited. The government pro-
poses to turn this land to advantage at once
by establishing ape it 20,000 military settlers.
Every native, moreover, who comas in of his own nixed,
awl loyally Bahrain to the Queen's authority, is to
have a crown grant of 100 acres of good land. The military
settlers will each receive fifty acres of good land and an
allotment of one acre in the nearest government township.
The net of the laud will be sold to defray the cost of the
war. By these means it is hoped that the country
will be rapidly pacified and. Nettled ; that the political
power of the Maoris. will be eatirely destroyed, and
that the 11•061 IS themselves will become gradually
absorbed into the political system of the colony. Ageets of
good positioct are to be appointed to promote the scheme in
&mimed. The New Zealand parliament his already passed
the aaosisary measures for carrying out this important pro-
ject. Ow of these memoirs empowers the government
to borrow 3,000,0001. on the security of the gene.
ral revenue of the musky. Of this 1,000,0001. is
to be expended ill suppreesiag the rebellion ; the remainder
is to cover the half million' lima of 1852, sad to be spent
also in the establishment of the military settlemeuts, is
surveys, the construction of roads and bridges, and
other permanent works, and in the imtrodnetio• of
the 15,000 military settlers with their wives and flUaille.
An electric telemsph is also to be laid doing
at the met of 150,0001., !tom Dusedia, Otago, through this
Middle island, and under Cook's Strain. These under-
takings are to be charges against the forfeited land, except
the first and last named. The Act of Confiscation has been
passed by the New Zeeland legislature, and now awaits the
senction of the Imperial Who:intim

M eraoroixra.n Toma.—A bill stands for second
reading in the House of Common to-day, to extend the
term of the acts relating to the Archway and Junction.
roads, and thus continue the most obooxious turnpike. in
the metropolis foe another period of twenty-one years.
Thew two roads, the main thoroughfares to Fierdiley and
Baron for the whole of the north, east, and amain of
Loudon, enable persons to avoid Highgate-hill, and conse-
quently ire most patronised ; moreover, they are the
direct route, avoiding the bill, for the • of fneerals
from the greet parishes of St. Pawns and to and
from their onnetense at Plnchle • and it is a remarkable
fact that, although tolls on funerals on " any turnpike
nada" have been abolished sines July, 1858, still, upon
the plea that these reeds were private trusts, these tolls
have been exacted, and the question has not bee. tried.
The same scheme was tried at the outset on the Whetstone
Trust, now defunct, which put up a gate specially to catch
the funerals going to the above.inetitioned cemeteries, just
on the other side of but which, after the paw-
ing of the act of 1856, was abandoned. The act with respect
to the Junction and Archway roads expires in June next,
when the turnpikes will be roc/weed, unless • t
charities to stultify itself by renewing the pro act for 21
years longer, a continuance to which the trustees have no
right whatever. They entered into • contract originally with
the legislature to make the road, on cooditioa of receiving
the tolls for a stipulated fixed period. They have re.
osived the tolls, the period will soon expire, and the
road ought now to be thrown open. Not only is the
exorbitance of the tolls a monstrous grievance, twopecas
being charged for every brew or other beast drawing • car.
siege oe the Junction-road, and sixpence on the Archway-
road ; but with regard to the Junction-road power is give.
to remove the turnpike to the very entrance of the Jaw-
tion-roed at Kentish.town so that Fortees.terrace sad
Bellina-villas would be beyond: the gate in awe "any other
road shall be made breaching from Junction-road into
Maideselane," which will on become a fact. Not only
will this hill receive the opposition of the trustees of Si,
John's College and other parties resident in the vicinity,
but the vestries of St. Pancras and Islington have had their
attention directed to it, and will give the renewal of such
a bill their determioed oppositioa.—Oteerne.
POLYTECHNIC INsrrrtrrioN.—The ordinary annual
general messing of the shareholders in this institution was
held on Saturday, at the office in Regeotatreet ; the Rev.
J. R. Owen in the chair. The report of the con-
gratulated the shareholders upon the wino of t e cow-
-1 pany, owing in • great measure to the attractions of the
Muslim patent, which was now protected by the decision
of the Lord Chandelier. The receipts for the past year
had been 13,001.4, as against 10.000/. in the Exhibition
year. The directors recommended a dividend of 5
per cent. for the half-year, being at the rate of
10 per cent. per annum, 10 per cent. to be written
otf from stock and plant, and 5 per cent. from leasehold.
The report then referred to the high morel tone of the
amusements produced at the iestitnhoe, and concluded by
'Laing the great success of the evening clams, under the
superintendence of the Rev. Mr. Mackeuzie. The financial
statement showed the gross receipte for the bell- year, in-
cluding a balance of 1,8071. is. Id., to be 9,249/. Ils. 4d.,
and the expenditure, including 910/. written off for stock,
plant, and leasehold, 4,8111. Is. 10d., leaving a balance of
4,026/. 18s. fed., which, after payment of dividend,
would leave 3,347/. I Is. 6d, to be carried forward to
next account. —On the motion of the Chairman,
asoonded by Mr. Cresson, M.P., the report was adopted.
Mr. Mayhew moved, • That the directors be empowered to
purchase the lease of the large theatre for 2.5C3/.. at the
reduced ground rent of MO/. per annum." Mr. Thomson
Hankey, M.P., seconded the resolution, which wan agreed
to after some discussion. The dividend es recommended
was thee declared. On the motion of Mr. S. Morley it was
resolved that all Wares not paid up by the let of May
shall be declared forfeited. The meeting was then made
special, and a resolution was agreed to that the institution
should foe the future be called the " Royal Polytechnic
1 ustitution."
_ _

A.—tfO3IEWARD AMERICAN MAlLS.—There are three
steamers dee at Liverpool this week with the mails from
America sod Canada. The City of New York. with dates
from New York to the irth Met., may be expected at
Queenstown in the worst of Tuesday, ud the North Ame-
rica°, from Portland ma the 6th MA., will no doubt reach
Loudoaderry on Wednesday. 0. Siturday nest the Cussed
steamer Australasia", with dates from New York to the 10th
instant, will uo doubt reach (tateenstows.
CRYgTAL PALACE. HALT-A-CROWN DAY.
SATUSDAI, Foe. 13.—Admissions os paysmmt, 477 ; ditto
by season tickets, 1,973; total, 2,410.