NEW ZEALAND AND OUR COLONIAL SYSTEM.

Auckland Times, Volume 3, Issue 135, 9 August 1845, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND AND OUR COLONIAL SYSTEM.

(From the Atlas, March 15.) The discussion on Mr. Soame's motion for additional papers relative to New Zealand, has recalled public attention to our colonial system of government —if system that can be called which has neither settled principles nor uniform practice. The discussion itself was, in every point of view, unsatisfactory. It resembled guerilla warfare, in which irregular troops—half-ban-ditti, half soldiery — annoy an occupying army more for the sake of plunder than of country, and retreat with booty not worth the risk they run, without gaining one tingle permanent advantage. All the debate made apparent was, that New Zealand is, so far as the settlers are concerned, in what lord Bacon calls " a comtniserable condition;" but to whom or to wha. that condition is attributable it left " darkness visible." Mr. C. Builei, Mr. Agiionby, and Mr. Mangles, directors of the New Ze*lan4 Company, damaged Captain Fitz-

roy ; and in return, Sir R. Peel and Mr. G. W. Hope damaged the company,. But on the part of either class of assailants there was an evident indisposition to go into the real merits, say rather the demerits—of the whole question; the company's directors threatened what they would do; and Ministers thi eatened what they could do; but the valiancy of both was of the Copper Captain kind, which exclaims, " Hold me, or I will fight I" There was, to be sure, an interchange of sharp words, but discretion was evidently the better part of valour on both sides ; and the rencontre was clearly conducted on the Hudibrastic principle that— He who fights and runs away, Lives to right auoiber day-

And now that the Colonial Office and the Company have had this preliminary ** tussle," in which neither have gained any credit, fhe bes' thing they can do is, like " Peachum" and " Lockit," to discover " they have both been in the wrong;" and see if they cannot conjointly get the colony out of the mess into which they have both sufficiently assisted in plunging it. For our own part, we, as our readers know, think the company to have acted rashly, precipitately, intemperateiy, and, unconsciously we are willing to believe, fraudulently ; they have, we suspect, been very grossly deceived by their resident agents, and have, consequently, in their turn, deceived, deluded, and ruined, mauy innocent pei sons, their rapacious proceedings have very naturally excited the animosity of the natives ; their wholesale abuse of every one who did throw himself into their arms, and of all who have acted an iudependent part, repelled the co-operation and begot the resistance of those who could most effi-

ciently have aided them; and their monstrous pretensions have enabted the Colo* nial Office to retrieve its original error, and to gain a vantage over them, and have also united the most discordant set of religionists against them, and in support of the ollice. Still, great as their faults have been, the company have added an important colony to the British Crown; have restored to England islands that the Colonial Office threw away. And it they were too sanguine as to the results of their colonizaion schemes; if they did a to force a new colony into premaune greatness by means repugnant to natural laws and sound \ economical principles ; if they djd nay di- [ vidends sooner than th« y we're jusii fled m doing ; and if they have been presumptuous I and intolerant, the service they did in res- I cuing New Zealand from a French Proec ! torate, merits some consideration in the hour

of their distress. And it ill becomes ade partment of the State, so obnoxiods to wedfounded complaints from every point of the compass-so unworthy fom its weakness of the great task confided to it—so blameably negligent and wittingly supine in the affairs of New Zealand, previously to the company's interference, and so irresponsible to parliamentary supervision as the Colonial Office, to act the prude now, and to abandon the company to rack and ruin. Therefore do we, knowing the weakness and the faults of both company and office, preach accommodation and peace between them, mutual forgiveness as to the past, and concord as to the future. And for this purpose we suggest on the one hand the modification of the direction of the New Zealand Company; and on the withdrawal of Captain Fitzroy from the government of the colony, firmly persuaded that both steps are absolutely and indispensably necessary to the future pros peritv of New Zealand. Tlip nn>» n i A, ran ..

torate of the company cannot, we are con vinced, restore trie: dly communications" , with the office, and the part taken by Cap ; - . tain Fitzroy, in our opinion, wholly pre- . eludes him from becoming the instrument l of accommodation. He has, in reference to [ his assignats only, deprived himself of pub- . he toufidence and esteem, and is therefore p unfit for the responsible post he occupies. . In any plan of accommodation we may add, . a representative system for the colony , ought to form part.

And now let us pause for a few minutes over our system of colonial government, Bin the volumes of Horace Walpole's Memoirs of the Early Years of the Heign of George Ik., already published, that acute observer and faithful gossip—faithful as to things, if not always as to men—writing i,efore the quarrel with our American colonies had grown into a revolution, records the common opinion of his day,—that so long as the old Duke of Newcastle threw the despatches addressed to him by the governors

of those possessions into a closet unread, their affairs prospered ; but from the moment George Grenville and his colleagues began to read and answer the despatches, confusion became worse confounded in the American colonies. The Cdttse of this apparent inconsistency is not obscure. Those colonies had Representative Assemblies, and when unobstructed by home ignorance and prejudice, they governed themselves well; but when their self-government was interfered with, interrupted, and over-ruled, disputes arose, the governors ceased to act in concord with the colonists, a spirit of disaffeciion ivas encouraged, unjustifiable pretensions on the part of the mother-country were formed, and their application to the colonies forced them into armed resistance. And what ought this lesson to teach us? That colonies to be well, must be, mainly, ;eif-gove:ned. That large and liberal representative institutions must be given them. That those institutions must be Jeft to their free action. And that the spirit of freedom therein must be encouraged not repressed. Contrast the backward position of Canada with the prosperous condition of the neigh bouring States of the American Union, and no cause for the mighty difference can be discovered, save the jealousy with which the Imperial Government of Great Britain so long restricted the free action of the re presentative institutions of Canada. And mark, ho«v, now that a rebellion has crushed that jealousy and bestowed elasticity on Canadian institutions, how rapidly that pro* vince is also" going a head." Away then, with the stupid cant that Englishmen in any colony are unfit for that system of representative government they enjoy at home ! Wherever Englishmen are '» gathered together," under their sovereign's auspices, there they are entitled to possess the great privileges they left. Nowhere is it constitutional to rule them by Governors' Ordinances or Colonial Office despatches. Government by such agencies was unknown to our forefathers •, why should it be practised on us, and to our disadvantage ? Every settlement in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, had, as the pre-condition of its formation, a charter, and representation. Crown colonies came into fashion, only when we established penal settlements. They were meant for convicts, ; not for freemen. Of the forty two colonies we possess, scarcely twenty i hare a representative system, but those which have are all our older coJonies. We I deny to the British settlers in Australasia, j what we grant to the " niggers" in the | West Indies, GOVERNMENT'' OV> COLONIES.

(From the Times, of March 13.; So tnng ago as the iß:h of December last,'in'the cotirsf of ceitain observations of ours, made with the hope ot drawing public attention to what was going on in New Zealand with legard to an attempt in that •olony on the part of the Governor to issue debentures iu the nature of a paper cur rency, we express dour opinion that it was not unlikely that such a movement as that undertaken by his Excellency would not receive the sanotion of the borne Government; and we are happy now to learn, froin tbe statement of Sir Robert Peel on Tuesday evening, that our wishes ami anticipations have been fulfilled. fJfV Robert's words were—- " With respect to the debentures, he was ready to admit tbat there was no act of Captain Fitzroy's which he was less prepared to approve of, or of which he would be more really to require some modification. His noble f.tend (Lord Stanley) had otlioial information on that subject, and be disapproved the issua of incontrovertible debentures.'' We on the occasion referred to, tmd ws repeat now, that Lord Stanley is answerable for the acts of those wbora be appoints to govern cuj distant possessions, and who are bound to regulate their acts by hit instructions. It is only a qnese tion of degree whether the conduct of a Governor is bad enough to call for his removal, o. whether a reprimand or even a disallowance of his prott ceediogs is sufficient. It was said on Tuesday lthe il. use,that the New Zealand question it to ha hereafter formally and fully brought belore it ; aoc we Cannot wonder that such should be the case, wheß it is plainly alleged ihat the deliberate reooiiiineuda ion of a Parliamentary oomintiee has been, not only not earned out, but actually evaded by the Colonial Secietary. IVlr, Mangles, in no equivocal terms, charged Lord Stanley, on Tuesday; with gross, deception ; and when a member in Ins place maies such a stat.mei;'j it is du»* to all parties, it is due to the Colouiat Secretary himself, that the facts should be enquired into. Sir Robert Peel a.templed to retort upon the New Zealand Company some of the blame tor the .appointment of the present Governor, and produced a letier from tuat body pfaisisg the selecnob. It is true that that body did at that time approve Captain Fuzroy's appointment, but they did not know (hat be w'aa going out privately to counteract and defeat them ou points on wuioli, rV..m the conversations which they had had with aim, they had every reason to believe bis views coincided with their own. is then a letter, writeu by them under such circumstances, fair «vitdeuce of their apptova*, when it is most roan fest that had the trout beeu disclosed to them, they would have writteu in a very different strain r

The letter proves at once that tbey had no preju-j dice against Captain fitzroy at the outset, and that they were misled as to what they were to expect at his hands. It appears from the debate, that the Governor ot New Zealand, who previously held a civil appointment, and had a seat in the House, wa« not without influence, and is not without friend* and relatives, in Parliament; and so far as he has acted undpr Lord Stanley's instructions, we know he may make sure of Ministerial protection, Ooe of his relatives (Sir W. James) thought proper to call Mr. C. Biiller's a " newspaper gp?ech,' founded upon newspaper reports;" bat Sir Robert Peel, in vindicating his noble friend from official ignorance, was obliged to admit the correcting of the newspaper report, and to declare tbat Lord Stanley had official information of the issue of the incontrovertible debentures, ibis ground of exception, therefore, being takeu away from Sir W. J noes, we recommend him to prepare himself for a substantial defence of bis absent friend, upon, tbe facts aud meiits of th* case. We are roost willing to concede to Cspt'iin Fitsroy all the aroia able qualities in private life which his friends asciihe to him, aod of whtoh their zeal in hi* cause is some evidence, so far a* it goes; the • question, however, is not with the gentleman of private life, but with the Governor of the province —with one on whom much of tbe happiness of our fellow subjects, far removed from the seat of Government, depends, When a certain Duke, who' united in bis own august person the unusual combination of General aud Bishop, was reminded of his latter character on a particular occasion, on which be was indulging in a few superfluous oatbs, he, being less reverend than gallant, observed, that he swore in his military, and not his clerical, capacity. It was replied, "But wbeo ths General goes to a certain place, what will become of th** Bishop?" So, in the case of a Governor of a Colony, if he should, on fair and full enquiry.be found to have mismanaged bis high office, we say, let him be recalled, even though the colony should be obliged to part with an amiable gentleman at the tame time.

It may be said that the Colonial Secretary jould not foresee the course whioh his nominee would afterwards take ; but he ought to have been careful in ascertaining beforehand his ability and qualifications for the office, and, if he had been so, he would have known what be whs capable of doing. At ail events, there ha 3 been warning now, and such an excuse will not avail when repeated, la December, we hinted at the working ot the Colonial Office under one bead ; and when we contrast the prompt check which Lord Ellen-, borough received from a body, with the license taken, if not given, in tbe present instance, we think it only natural that the opinion should continue to gain ground that our widespread dependencies require the supervision of a Coloniti Board, rather than that of an iodiffireutly wellinformed nobleman, dependent almost entirely upou irresponsible subordinate!'for his knowledge ot the duties of bis office.

{From the Evening Sun, of March 14 ) To judge from the official acts of Captain Fltx<>\ toy, which are of an eccentric extravagnnce, ou tha etatenients of these gentlemen (Mr. Buller and Mr. Agiionby iu the House), we are left tn> hesitate under what phrase of intelligent retpect« ability we are to c.insider him as acting. We> must not oall him a conjuror—we do not believe him to be one. But he seems as profound an adept in hazarding measures of suicidal temerity t>g the "medioine man" iu a camp of iMandan or Scionx Indians. It was well observed that the , qusstion of New Zealand was that ot our colonial' government at large; its history on.y a striking illustration of tbe entire ignorance of the whole subject of colonial government, which pervaded the wh«le colonial admioisiratiou abroad aiid at home. And what can be the cause of this singular administrative anomaly in a Government generally of so much intelligence and sagacity as our own ? We answer that it is mainly the result' of the very defective system of edocationvvbicb' prevails in our Uuiversilies aiid public schools*' Captain Fitzroy, it must have been imagined,' was, by descent arid family connexion, a bom legislator. His blunders are onl., oue more example to prove the rule of favouritism and party connestons in the bestowal of such appointments, and to illustrate their nielaiioholji but inevitable consequences. Now and then a man like Stamford Waffles starts into place without any of these adventitious advantages, and establishes the em. pne of his oounfry's political force and renown in Java, or gives marvellous concentration to rbe commercial energy and grealuess at Singapore* He is only a "practical" man, of no connexion, but great natural talents, expanded by observations shaipened by necessity, aud mature 1 by experience, into statesmanlike wisdom He is a brilliant exception; but one of such note aud mark as should at once override tbe rule. We might ia that event look for Colonial Secretaries appointed r only in virtue of their ex ensive knowledge of colonial affairs, their dispassionate judgment, temper, aod patriotic disregard ot peisoual prepossessions or prejudices. We might then hope ' for colonial governors, nimiUated on account ouly or their talents for administration, their local knowledge, their ability to reconcile the legitimate ciaims of individual interests with the paramount d< minds of the public good ;—men distinguished afks fot being conversabt with the business of' government, aud gifted with a knowledge of the human charaoter. On this last point we are pleased to avail ourselves of tbe implied reflection on tbe mistaken policy whioh inexdettenoe or ignorance of the character of the New Zealaud' Abongiues has induced Eoglbb functionaries of all'kiuds in that islaud to adopt, that was conveyed in the remark of an Hon. Tory Member, with whom it is saiely our fortuue to side. But we od acquec, to the letter, in these observations by Sir Rob ft Ingiia:—•'* From the moment that we thus recognised them, all our proceedings in reference to tuein should have proceeded ou tbe foot-< lag of equal rights, not of equal power, lor that' wasuot possible."

NARRATIVE OF THE WRECK OF THE BARQUE «« MARY/'-May 20, ' 1845.

(From the Morning Chronicle) The Mary sailed from the Heads of Port Jackson, on Monday morning, the 19th of May, and the wind being unfavourable for New Zealand, Captain New by coasted to the south, and 'attempted the passage through Bass' Straits. After doubling Wilson's Promontory, the wind veered to the west, and the captain fearing that at the advanced season of the year, the wind would continue for a length of time to the westward, resigned all hope of going home by the Cape of Good Hope, and putting about ship, made for New Zealand. He expressed regret at the disappointment he had met with; as from the leaky state of the ship, which made six inches of water per hour, he wished to keep near the land as long as he possibly could—the rigging also being very defective, and not having a second set of sails on board.

At about a quarter past eleven o'clock on Saturday night, the alarm of the ship being in danger, was given by Captain Newby to the cabin passengers, who were all in bed, aud he desired them to dress and hasten on deck. The cabin passengers were—Mrs, Newby, her three daughters, and servant; Mrs. Turnbull, Mrs. Collins, four dauglvters and one son at the breast, two maid servants and myself. We had scarcely left our berths when the ship struck on the reef, and the crushing noise of the timbers was heard above the roar of the breakers, and in less than three minutes th'j water lushed violently into the cabin as high as our knees, when she struck a second time. The mainmast then sank through the bottom of the ship, its main'op and topmasts heing supported by the maindeck. The same shock that caused such devastation, forced the cabin door, which opened and shut in a slide, to close nearly on us, the ship at the time being so much en her starboard side, that it was doubted whether she would not capsize. Fortunately, I perceived the door closing in sufficient time to introduce my hand into the open space so as to push back the door, and with the utmost difficulty I then succeeded in gettting mi deck all the passengers. This was scarcely effected when the bottom of the ship separated from the sides, carrying away she lower cabin deck, which We had just left—the tuns of oil dashing against the reef, and the breakers washing over us with tearful violence. The only boats that were available, were the whaleboat on the larboard quarter, and the long boat on the main deck. Some of the passengers were put into each of these boats, sand 1 had just placed Mrs. Collins in the long boat, when I heard Sarah calling for me to take the boy from her, as she was unable to hold him any longer. I, with g eat difficulty reached her, and put a rope into her hand, which I desired her to hold by until I put the child into the boat, when 1 would return for her and my two &ir!s, Augusta and Kate. I had scarcely left her when a breaker broke over the deck, carrying me with great force against a water butt. I effected my way to to the long boat; and while I was giving the child to its mother, the maiutop-mast fell overboard, crushing the whale boat, which was lying upon the skids alongside of it, and immediately after the fore and mizenmasts, with all their sail set, also fell overboard on the starboard side, on which the deck righted ; but the rigging of these masts all lying across the main deck, intercepted the communication fore and aft.

I was searching for my two daughters, Augusta and Kate, and the maid servant Sarah, when I met the captain, who informed me that he had just put them with his family, a moment before, in the whale • boat on the larboard quarter, where they were all safe; that the deck was about breaking up, and if I valued my life I would follow him. He wished to have returned to the whaleboat, but the deck beginning to separate, he made immediately for the longboat, which we contrived to reach. The breakers continued to wash over us, and the masts being gone, we had no power to launch the boat, and no visible means then presented themselves, to save us from the fearful dangers that thus accumulated round us. At this critical moment, when ail hope of saving life had nearly abandoned us, the deck suddenly parted between the main and foremasts, and the long boat pitched stern foremost into the sea, and notwithstanding the quan-

tity of water and people in her, she quickly righted. We found the water gaining on us : and then discovered that both the plugs were out, on which one of the men tord the sleeve off his shirt, and by is aid partly succeeded in stopping the water. With the aid of boots, shoes, and hats, we continued to keep the boat afloat, but having only one oar, we had the greatest difficulty in avoiding the numerous casks aud broken wreck which threatened us upon every side. From the time the ship struck until the deck broke up, only seven minutes had elapsed. While we were surrounded by the floating pieces of the wreck, a huge wave dashed a cask of tailow over my head against the inside of the starboard side near the stern, and carried away eighteen inches of the gunwale and upper streaks; a tun of oil followed the course of the cask of tallow, striking off my hat in its passage, but the cask of tallow having already made a considerable breach in the side of the boat, it met with no resistance, and passed into the sea, deluging the boat with oil. One of the sailors, named Todd, swam to the boat from the wreck with an oar, and we then got into smooth water. The sea outside the reef, as well as the wind, being uearly calm, we heard the voices of some sailors, which we supposed to be the men in the whaleboat, and we steered in the direction the sound came from. On nearing these men, they stated the whaleboat had foundered, and that Mrs. Newby was the only person saved, Her escape was effected by her catching a r ope alongside the broken deck in the water, when one of the men hauled her on deck. The piece of the ship that was afloat was the quarter-deck, on which we found twelve men and Mrs. Newby. We obtained six oars more, and two tubs: the men also found a cask of brandy, and asked whether they should drop it into the boat, but the sailors, noble fellows, were unanimous in rejecting it, from a sense of the evils it might cause. Nothing could surpass the undaunted selfpossession which characterised the conduct of the captain and crew throughout this most fearful night; and the men we rescued from the wreck waited there in the most collected and steady manner, until each was called by name, when he dropped quietly into the part of the boat assigned to him. The little wind there was, about , a two knot breeze, being favourable for the ' land, which we saw indistinctly some twenty miles distant, we tied some calico I together, which served as a sail, and steered ' for the land, which (the captain thought) was Flinders' Island. The ladies and children were sitting up to their waists in water and oil, and the boat was stove in three places. The large breach made by the tallow cask, the carpenter had contrived partially to repair with his coat and some tallow he found, and the broken pieces which he picked up. In this wretched state, the water gaining on us whenever the least interruption took place in baling the boat.Jwe continued for nine hours and a half, and at half-past eight o'clock on Sunday morning, we landed on the island, about eighteen miles distant from the reef struck by the ship. Mrs. Collins was without shoes or stockings, had merely her night gown and petticoat on, and my great coat, which I gate her when we were free from the wreck. Mrs. Newby and the other females and children were similarly situated, and I landed in my shut, trowsers, and shoes; the only articles we were able to put into the long boat were five pumpkins. On reaching the shore, those who were piously disposed returned their grateful and unfeigned thanks to the Almighty, for the miraculous interposition he had been pleased to manifest, in so signally preserving us from the numerous dangers that had threatened us. The wonderful deliverance he had vouchsafed unto us will appear the more evident by a short retrospection of some of the events that took place. In the breach made in the side of the long boat by the cask of tallow, we expected at the moment that it would lead to the loss of the boat, but the protecting hand of Providence was here signally conspicuous ; for had the cask not made the breach, so as to allow an uninterrupted passage for the tun cask of oil, the latter mu3t have torn away the whole side of the boat, and every soul must have inevitably perished. The very rottenness of the ship in the end, insured our safety ; for had not the bottom separated from the sides, and the deck broken up, we could not have freed the long boat, and we should probably have died from hunger, or been crushed

by the casks, &c, which the breakers dashed about in all directions. The day was mild aud warm, and we commenced arrangements for our future conduct. We found a small spring of water on the beach, and determined to build a small bower to shelter us. The only tool we possessed was the carpenter's axe, the edge of which had been broken in endeavouring to cut away the masts, &c. of the ship. Some of the party went for shell-fish along the beach, but only succeeded in picking up a few limpets which were divided iuto equal portions, with a small piece of pumpkin to each person. On reckoning the number landed, we foiitid that fortytwo persons had been saved, and seven teen drowned. On the evening of that day we were more successful in collecting limpets and a lobster which was divided among the females. Dujing the night it rained heavy, and we were thoroughly wet, as well as the ground oa which we sat. On the afternoon of Sunday Captain Newby, with five of the crew, left us in search of the settlement, as we knew Government had a station on Flinders' Island, but we were uncertain that the island we were on was the same. The only food the party took with them was one slice of pumpkin each. All Monday passed over, the ladies and children began to sink, despair was expressed by many, and fervent were our prayers to God for aid. Never did the words of the Lord's Prayer appear to me so impressive as they then did, " Give us this day our daily bread," Bereaved of two of my children, and those saved honrly sinking before me, calling repeatedly for bread and nourishment, which I was unable to give them, my wife endeavouring to nurse her infant boy, herself famished and tortured with excessive thirst, almost naked, and exposed to incessaut rain, which fell all Tuesday and continued during the night. On the morning of Tuesday, the third day, my eldest surviving daughter, near seven years old, showed great symptoms of debility, and death seemed stamped on her countenance ; I had succeeded in collecting some limpets and was entering the bower when 1 heard a cheer, and in a few minutes a strange man and boy, with a havresack, made their appearance; the man said he brought supplies of food and clothing, and that Dr. Milligan would send more in the course of the day. Two of the men who had accompanied the captain now made their appearance, and an abundant supply of bread and roast mutton was spread out before our fain ished eyes.

lu the reduced state that we were then, and at a time when all were sinking through want and misery, such an unexpected supply overcame the most stern natures, aud truly grateful were the prayers addressed to the Great Author of all good for the merciful aid he had been pleased to afford us, and in having preserved us from the appalling death that until then was impending over us. 1 received a very kind letter from Dr. Milligan, who assured me that every aid in his power should be quickly afforded us. The distauce from the settlement was twenty-five miles, and the road impracticable to delicate females and children. The wind was unfortunately adverse, aud we determined to await the return of the captain, who arrived in the middle of fhe night. The next morning, the wind being still against us, the Captain sent off all the crew and passengers, capable of travelling by land, to tbe settlement. The rain continued to descend in torrents, and the wind remaining unfavourable and strong, the communication with the settlement, both by land and water, became impassable for two days, only the females and children receiving any allowance of food. On Saturday the weather became more moderate, the rain ceased, and we received a fresh supply of provisions. On the following morning, the wind being favorable, we, on the eighth day from our landiug, got into the long boat, and proceeded by water towards the settlement; we had some difficulty, owing to the current, in doubling the first head land, when the captain proposed to beach the boat, and walk about seven miles to the West Beach, where Dr. Milligan had sent a boat to receive us. This part of the journey was comparatively easy, the country being generally clear of scrub. The children were carried by the men,

and having dined on the Second Beach, we embarked in Di. Milligan's boat, and arrived at the settlement at about halfpast ten o'clock that night. Our kind host has been incessant iu his attentions to us, anticipating all our wants, and affording us every aid in his power to giant.

I cannot conclude this record of our sufferings, and of the Almighty's most gracious mercies to us, without again bearing testimony to the noble and chivalrous conduct of the captain and crew (with only one or two exceptions), and to their kind and humane attention throughout to the females and children. Not one of them had time to save anything beyond the clothes on their backs, which were almost torn to pieces by the time they landed. Shirts, shoes, trowsers, &c, have been liberally supplied by Dr, Milligan to the crew and passengers, so as to obviate the immediate inconvenience; and he was also so good as to furnish the ladies and children from his private stores with all necessary apparel ; and I trust a humane and high minded community will cheerfully testify their admiration of the noble and gallant conduct of their countrymen by a beneficent subscription, which may enable them to fit out for another voyage. Captiin Newby has not only lost ail his children, but the whole of his property ; and he is thrown, with an amiable wife, penniless on the world, Seven hundred pounds will not cover the loss of property that I have sustained by the wreck. The steerage passengers consisted generally of families who had hoarded up their wages, and had hoped to have returned to their native land with tolerable competencies. They are most utterly destitute. Dr. Milligan has kindly promised, as soon as the weather will permit, to send for a vessel to convey us from hence to Launceston.

List of cabin passengers drowned : Three daughters of Mrs, Newby, the eldest nine years old ; one servant, named Mrs. Turnbull; two daughters of Captain Collins, the eldest eleven years old ; one servant maid, named Sarah Fowkes. Steerage passengers drowued:—Six children of Mrs. Evans; Mrs. Heather aud two children ; Mrs. Gray.-Total 17. It is evident, from the manner in which the old rotten bottom separated from the sides, which were comparatively new, that the Mary would have foundered in the first gale of wind ; at all events she could not be reasonably expected to double Cape Horn. The very circumstance of the mainmast sinking at the second strike through her bottom, proves the reasonableness of this assertion. No bell to strike the hours, nor log line, wera provided for this doomed ship, although the captain had requested to be furnished with them. It was impossible to carry on the duty of the ship with any regularity under these circumstances, and the incessant pumping was sufficient to wear out any crew. In one instauce three and a half feet of water was in the well. Independent of ,my communicating at Sydney with the owners of the barque Mary, I also called upon Mr. Ashmore, Surveyor to Lloyds, who assured me that he had carefully examined her that she was perfectly seaworthy—and that he had given the owners a certificate. An old master of a ship, now resident in Sydney, who had assisted in the survey of the Mary, also declared to me, and to others who I can call upon, that she was peifeelJy »ou»d. How these gentlemen could arrive at such a conclusion, in contradiction to the proofs of her thorough rottenness, it is for them to explain. The current being stronger than the wind, the ship refused stays when the order was given to put about, and laid with her starboard side against the reef, when her sides crushed in like an egg-shell, A sound ship might have forged a-head, and got iuto clear water. lam satisfied that from the facts which have been latelyelicited, an inquiry is inevitable; and trusting that due measures may be taken, at least in the Port of Sydney, to prevent the lives and property of British subjects being jeopardied in rotten or brokenbacked ships,—l have the honor, &c, J. G. Collins, Late Captain 13th Light Dragoons,