Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 674, 23 April 1859, Page 4

Colonial.

NEW SOUTH WALES,

Our latest date from Sydney is the 6th April. The news of the period since our previous advices is ready prepared for us in tho ' Herald' of the 4th in which we find the following :— '

NOTES OF THE

Saturday, 2nd April. After repeated evasions the Assembly has at length come to the division upon Mr. Plunket's resolutions concerning the case of Dr. Harris, and the censurable leniency of the Government in'dealing therewith, but Mr. Cowper, having got together all his supporters, secured a majority of four—the final division showing ten for, and fourteen ao-ainst, the proposed vote of censure. This result may be safely relied upon as foreshadowing that of the debate on the circumstances attendant upon. Mr. Owen's appointment to a district Judgeship, and his memorable vote on the question of Ministerial arrangements. The merits of the question upon which Mr. Cowper obtained his majority last night pointed so clearly to an opposite conclusion, that there can be no doubt of his getting a similar majority, under any circumstances, in the present state of tlie House, when the question at issue is one involving any direct censure upon his administration.

The Cowper Ministry has, however, sustained a most heavy loss—a loss for -which no small victories such as we have just recorded can afford much consolation—a loss, too, for which the whole country will share in the deep sorrow which Mr. Cowper and his remaining colleagues cannot but feel:— Robert Campbell is.dead. Whatever may have been said or thought of his ministerial capacity, his personal character and his sterling honesty were beyond criticism. No man stood higher in the com nn unity or was more generally beloved by all classes than the late Colonial Treasurer. Such a man was naturally a tower of strength to a cabinet so formed and so sustained as that of Mr. Cowper. It will be hard to supply his place. It has been understood for some time past that Mr. Campbell contemplated retiring from office. Nothing, however, has been declared officially upon this point, and if Mr, Campbell had been spared, he.would have doubtless remained the-nominal head of the Finance Department until after the prorogation: of Parliament. As it is, the almost immediate appointment of a successor will probably become necessary. The Minister of Lands and Works declared yes. terdav, in answer to a question from Mr. Rotton, that " it was the intention of the Government, at the meeting of the new Parliament, to bring: in a Land Bill—(that was, if thfcy should hold office at that time). He had no objection to state now what the principles of that bill would be. They would be generally in accordance with those of the bill introduced in 1857; but with certain differences, including the addition of provision for the sale of land without competition and without delay, under certain conditions of residence and improvement." It was further stated, however, in answer to a question from the same member; .that tbe bill in question had hot yet been drafted. News reached Sydney a short time since of another of those wholesale massacres of which the unchristianised islands of Polynesia are so frequently the scene. The captain (Prout) and most of the crew of the Maid of Australia, a Sydney vessel, had been murdered, it was reported, in; cold blood, by the natives of Malicola or La Perouse Island, one of the New Hebrides. The vessel, however—to capture which this deed of blood was doubtless committed—escaped, and arrived, under thecharge of the mate, at New Caledonia.' The French author rities at the latter place would have started a steamerrto investigate and punish on the spot; but the Styx, the only vessel on the station suited to this service, happened- to be under repair.' But the Maid of Australia, like the ill-fated Gazelle, was a Sydney vessel, and the Sydney Government was appealed to as soon1 as this" intelligence arrived. More prompt attention, has been paid on this occasion than on that of the Gazelle massacre at Woodlark Island. All the appeals for redress in that case were disregarded, and; year after year was suffered to elapse. When, at length a vessel of war was sent to the spot, so long a time had passed away that her action was useless, This action, too, was far from what it ought to have been, and as to the truth of one long prevalent rumour there-was apparently no fenquiry at all. The _ rumour; we allude to was that of white men being detained captive among the natives. . If there were any thus unhappily situated, they, were left to perish in their misery. It has been announced, however, in the Assembly, that a mau-of-war—probably, the Cordelia—will ;be sent to Malicola, so soon as the j senior naval officer on the station can be commu- ; nicated with.

Without meaning any disrespect to the naval authorities, we cannot but think that the local Government ought to have the right of demanding a service of this nature. Promptitude, is everything in such There are often causes of complaint against the white man, leading to these bloody scenes, which can only .be ascertained by immediate and careful inquiry. Mere vengeful retaliation on the one hand, or impunity to the coloured man at the expense of the white trader on the other, are worse than useless. Either course is criminal. The facts should be searched out, and punishment administered to the guilty, whether white or black, with a prompt and, firm hand. If the vessels of war on the Australian station ore not to be used for services of this nature as a necessity arises, of what use are they in these waters? What other kind of colonial service, properly so called, are our Naval Estimates meant to provide for?

Some news has also been received in reference to the loss of the Sea Belle, over two years ago. Among the passengers by this vessel were a Mr. Leith Hay and a Mrs. Harley, the latter having two'children with her. From the account given by some of the aborigines, it would seem that a boat, containing several men, with a woman and two children, arrived safely at Curtis Island, on the north coast of Australia, but the men were all murdered by the natives. Among the slaughtered men was one who offered great resistance—and this, it is supposed from the description given, must have been Mr. Hay. The woman and children wero spared, and the description of the former answers to that of lira., Harley. The woman, and at least one of the children, are said to be still -alive, although in captivity. Captain O'Connell, although somewhat doubting the truth of this story, sent a boat and a few men to Curtis Island, but they returned without obtaining any intelligence. As, however, they had not landed, being afraid, ami very naturally so, of the blacks, this proves nothing. The story is, at all events, sufficiently probable in itself mid sufficiently well attested to demand thai its ttuth or falsehood should be determined m an actual search and inquiry on the spot- ■ This^ doubtless, will be granted...- ; ,_;,.,.„,;..... . Two homicides liave, we regret to say, been rev corded in the Sydney journals of the past weefc. One of these was a 'murder, of. the., most foul anu deliberate kind. > It occurred1 near ;Dubbo; tte victim was a shepherd named Flood, Vightysi2 years of age, He was killed by repeated blows GO the head and neck from an axe. andhis ,pooW»

*nbsequently',rifled. A man named Davis has been committed upon circumstantial, evidence to take his trial for this murder. The other case was one of a -different character, and occurred in Sydney. A •fireigner named Giovanni Domechini quarrelled, through jealousy, with Mary Ann* Evans, a woman of the town, and struck her. For this he was liirii_Blf assaulted and knocked down by one Robert Forbes. A- blood vessel was ruptured and death ensued, but how fur this is' to be exclusively attributed to the blow from Forbes is not quite clear. The latter has, however, been committed for trial upon the charge of manslaughter. A further meeting has baen held; for the purpose of protesting against and [resisting the sewerago rates, at which ti series pf resolutions have been formally adopted, not only denouncing the .mpost a* illegal and unjust,but pledging those who subscribed to them to a determined insistence. This meeting was held on Thursday; at the Lyceum On the afternoon of; the same day a meeting was held at the Exchange, at which preliminary steps were taken for tlie establishment in Sydney of a Sailors' Home. Such an institution has long been much needed. In fact, it is far from ■creditable to its that a port like Sj'dney has not had its Saijors' Home for many years past.' i • Tliei negotiations for the purchase and breeding of the alpacas, imported by Mr. Ledger, through the j medium of a joint-stock ' company, have fallen •entirely through. •• Reducing the thing to a question ; of mere com-ercial speculatioh-^-of ...pounds, shillings and pence—rit was not easy, it seema-, to see_ how it could be made to ""pay the projectors an interest ■upon the outlay at all propditioaate to that which 'they have been accustomed to realise by sheepfarming. Viewed, on the other hand, as an outlay; of money for public benefit alone, the demand upon the purses of individuals was found too great. Although, therefore, the Government offered a grant -of £7500, upon: condition of a like sum being raised; hy private contribution, even'this amount was not procurable. . ' The municipalities of Randwickahd : Wollongong: have been fairly started into existence, by the election of their respective Councils. :,i ' ;

Mr. Jjustfce Milford has'ruled, in the case of "VV". Gibbes, that a second and compulsory sequestration may take effect' against an uncertified insolvent, unless the latter can prove that he has no assets.