SYDNEY.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 181, 23 February 1848, Page 3

SYDNEY.

In New South Wales, the publication of Eail Grey's despatch, dated the 31st July last, indicating a change m the Legislative Constitution of | the Colony has been met with loud and general disappiobdtion. This change assimilates closely to that undei which we aio now governed, and to which we in New Zealand 6eem disposed to submit with exemplary quietude. A sort of monster meeting was held on the 19th ult. at Sydney, for the purpose of remonstrance, when two thousand persons* weie pi esent. Meetings were convened and about being held in different other places, all for one common objecl. What seems must distasteful is the pioposal, not oiil> to peipetuate the 6jstetn of di&tnct Councils, which have aheady met with geneial odium, but to make them the exclusive electors of the Legislative Assembly. This some of the district Couucillois themselves arc said to exi'lann against— and Mr. Oakes, (a member of the Paramatta District Council) distinctly came foivvaid at the

S\dney meeliii^, and admitted that although lie maintained lh.it "the l'aramatta disliict Council liad done then duty, yet that the) weienot (it n^ a bod\ to be cntius-lcd with the election of IVlemlicMs of (lie Legi&latme." This Sjdney meeting lei in mated the gencuil adoption of the lollowm^ potidon : — " To the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty. "The humble Petition, of the undersigned Colonist« ol New Sou h Wales, Respectfully showclh — That the publication of a despatch dated the 31st July, IB 17, from your Majesty's principal Secretary of St'ite for the Colonies, indicating a change in the Const tution of tins Colnnv, by which (among other thipgs,) the system of District Councils is to bo perpetuated, und the Legislative Assembly is to be placed, with respect to those District Councils, i" the rcia ion of Reprcsentativr and Constituent, has filled us with the I utmost nppiehiMiMon and dismay. That in consequence of the dispersion of a large portion of the inhabitants of this Colony, .my measure establishing- municipalities similar in principle to the District Councils attempted to be created by the Act of Parliament 5 nnd G Victoria;, cap. 70, would be so repugnant to the wishes, and so adverse to the interests of tins community, that it is utterly impossible that it could ever be brought into effective operation. That the chnnsre in the Constitution of this Colony, proposed in the befoie-mcntioned despatch, would have the i' fleet of depriving us of the Elective Franchise, which we maintain to be our inalienable right as Biitish tubjfcts. That w cannot but be persuaded that by delegating our right to elect our Repiesenlatives, we sire deprived not only of that choice to which we are entitled, but also of that Constituiional conti ol over onr Legislature, without which no people can be considered tree. That we are anxious to enjoy a form of government founded as nearly as circumstances will admit upon the principles of the British Constitution and that the making this colony the subject of a theoretical experiment in legislation is a mtasure, the justice or policy of which we can never admit. " That see we nothing in the erection of Port Phillip into a sepcrnte colony to justify the extraordinary change which is by the before mentioned despatch proposed to be made in the Constitution of the colony. 11 That we feel ourselves en 'i tied to expect that no irapoitunt alteration in that Constitution shall be made without the previous consent of those whose persons and piopcrly it muy be intended to (iff ct. " Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your most Grucions Majesty will not assent to any charge in the Constitution of this colony, which shall not have received the ptevious sanction of the «olomsts at large, and your petitioners will ever pray, &c.

Dtath of Ma. Tlknry MAcnrciiMcrr.— lt is our melanrholy duty,to reooiri the avvful'y sudden d j alh of a well known member of our community, — lately an alderman of the city, nmi who one year occupied the chair of the first magistinte,— Mr. Henry Macdrrmoti. It appears that on the morning of Ist February, he went with Ins son Francis to the bathing bouse, and appealed to lie in as good health as for some time previou-ly. He remained in the water two or three minutes, and got out and went into the dressing-mom without any assistance*; he stood up while hs dried himself, but when he sat down to dress a sudden ( hangi* came over him, as his son described it, — " he kept moping with h s hands ; he had one hand in the sleeve of Ins *hut, and the other at his side ; he hung down his head, *'\vn nisod it up again;" iiis son was al'irmi'd, and spoke to him, but received no answer ; Mr. M.ici/ermott then fell off the seat, when his son called for assistance Dr. Silver was at the baths at the same time, and was immediately in attendance, while -it hi* biygi'Ji'm Mis Macdennott and the uiual medical attend mt of Mr. Macdennott were sent for. All hiiDinn help however, was unavailing, — the spirit returned to God who gave it,— and theiemains were conveyed to the lesidence he had recently quitted, animated with the hopes of returning; health. In the afternoon an in<|U°ht was held on the body, and the verdict of the jury was, " died from natural causes." Tliw interment took place at 9 o'clock on (he morning of Tliur-day, the 3rd instant, in order to enable the ho ids ol di pin lin nts, («c, to attend without hindrance to public business. — Sydney Herald. Wksmcyax Missionary Society. — The annual meeting of the I'.irramatta branch of this socie'y wab held on Monday evening, in the MHcrjuaii^-stieet Chapel, when thir.i was a most numerous attendance. Mr. George Oafcei picsidcd. The Rev. Mr. Chapman read the report, which exhibited most gratifying results as attendant upon the energetic labours of the missionaries. The meeting was addressed by the Ilev. Messrs. Tait, N. Turner, Lewis, Bojcc, Adams, Egglcston, Chapman, and Alderman Allen, ill. C, in moving, seconding, ana supporting reso'utions for tbankfuln'ss for the Divine blessing; that had hitherto attended the society's cxeittons, and for continued cooperation with i!,s future ones. The anniversary sermon; had been prenchedon the ptcvious day by the 11 cv, Mr. E^»leston. — Sydney Herald. New Bisiioi'iiic— Dr. William Tyrrell, Bishop of the newly erected s>ee of Newcastle, inNcw bouth Wales, was formally installed and inducted into possession on Monday, the 31st ult., by the two senior clergymen ol the diocese, Messis. Wilton and Rusden, and afterwards preached his first sermon, rr temporp, taking his text from the Ut and 2nd verses of the 4lh ehupter of Ist. Epistle to the Counthians — " Let u man so «ccount of us as of the ministers of Christ, and Stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in Stewards that a man bu found faithful." Dr. Tyrrell was consecrated under the Queen's Letters Patent, in Westminster Abbey, on the 29th June last, by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Bishops of London, Winchester, Gloucester, Chichester, and Lichfield. XJI2OOX J 1200 was subscribed for the outfit and passage of his Clergymen, and XJ7OOX J 700 per annum for those at icmote districts.