Sydney Legislative Council.

Auckland Chronicle and New Zealand Colonist, Volume 2, Issue 25, 24 January 1844, Page 3

Sydney Legislative Council.

(From the Australian, December 28, 1844, ) The labours of the maiden Session of the Legi* lative Council of New South Wales, terminated* last evening, and the merely formal ceremony <>f, proroguing the House, remains to be gone through to-day. The proceedings of yesterday will be read with interest, particularly the debate which ensued on taking into consideration His Excellency’s Message recommending the amendment of the Schedule o! the Tariff Bill. The scale of duties which the Council had determined upon, was recommended by His Excellency to be altered in the following manner, namely : The duties on imported flourfand meal, as fixed by the Council at 2s. 6d. duced to Is, 3d. § The duty on imported wheat, as fixed at one shilling per bushel, to be reduced to six-pence. The duty ou unrefined sugar, as fixed at one farthing per lb., to be raised to 3s. 6d. per cwt., or fd. per lb. The duty on refined sugar, as fixed at three farthings per lb., to be raised to six shillings per cwt. The duties on wine, coffee, and tea, to remain as the Council bad already agreed upon. After an animated debate, chiefly remarkable for the reiteration of Mr. Bland’s favorite Utopian theories of Land occupancy, and the application of free trade dootriues to perfect the delectable system ; and Mr. Wentworth’s masterly exposure of his lion, colleague’s fallacies ; the whole of the Governor’s proposed amendments were negatived, and an Address to His Excellency was agreed to, apprising him of the inability of the Council to comply with his recommendations. The Governor has assented to the Insolvent Ao Amendment Bid, and, albeit we must repeat our objection to the anomalous delay which defers the operation of the 24th clause until March next, we are happy to congratulate he people of New South Wales ou the recognition by the Executive Government of the principle laid down by the r Representatives, that tbe horrible remnant of barbarism, “ Imprisonment for Debt” shall he altogether abolished. In the early part of the evening, an interesting conversation occurred with reference to the reviv.it of Emigration, and the employment of the * starving labourers’ now out of work. The Cylonial Secietary read some extracts from letterr‘he had received from Moreton Bay, whither son>* of these ‘objects of charity’ had been sent a‘ the eXpence oi the public ; and we think ad right-thinking persons must join with the Colonial Secretary, in expressing their indignation at the audacious impositions ic which the Government have been subjected by individuals, who, under the cloak of distress, have availed themselves of a free passage to Moreton Bay, and then set up iu business for themselves, or refused, iu the most insolent terms, the libefai wages offered to (hem. The ‘ starving labourei' cry, which has been raised amongst us by some would-be agitators, is beginning to be tolerably well understood, and the statement of the Colonial Secretary will dissipate the slight veil with which the delusion is disguised. The Governor prorogues the Counoil to-day at one o’clock,on which occasion, as was very gallantly intimated by Dr. Nicholson and tbe speaKer, it is expected that a galaxy of beauty and fashion will occupy the seats of our senators in the body of the Chamber.