THE RIGHT OF REVOLUTION. (From the Spectator.)

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 249, 18 October 1848, Page 3

THE RIGHT OF REVOLUTION. (From the Spectator.)

A part of the Irish people, represented by the Jury in Smith O'Brien's case, has refused to recognise English law, and has thus helped more distinctly to place the issue between the Revolutionary party in that country and a Government on a trial of strength. The Jury declines to co-operate with the Government in enforcing the law, evidently because Jurymen belong to the same Revolutionary party Of which the prisoner was a chief. Among the arguments used by the prisoners' counsel before the Jury was the unqualified admission of Mr. O'Brien's belief "in the right of an oppressed nation to at sert their liberties by arms." "1 he right of an oppiessed nation,'' said Mr. Butt, Q.C., " to assert their liberties by arms, is the admitted theory of the British constitution, which recognises the right when government tiausgress the rule of law," and in support of this doctrine he cited ihe influential authority of Plunket, Saurin, and Bushe. It may be observed that Mr. Butt trebly begs the question in order to apply the maxim to his client : thai the maxim is admitted as the theory of any " constitution," — it being indeed nothing more than the theory of revolution,, a very different thing ; that Ireland is " an oppressed nation," a term for which there is not the shadow of a pretext f and that the " governors" have " trans-

Taking it for granted that :i people liave a light to vindicate ihcii liberty by arms ne mint oDscrve that the plea is not admissible in a court oflaw, The light of revolution is denied and not to be recognised within the authority of the old government, which was to have been deposed It could only be ndtnitted and recognised by a new revolutionary government, which was to have been established. 'I o secuie the warrant for revolt, the insuigents should ascertain that they are backed by the most powerful section of the people, and that they will be able to institute that new government before which to cany their plea; it being a pie i quite in accordance with the existence and power of the new government. But it is antagonistic to the action and very existence of the old government, winch must lepudiate it, and alltnbunals acting under the authority of the old government ought to lcpudiate it. The use of this plea, before a court under the old government, is tantamount to pleading guilty to the chaige of treason. The easy huironr in which it was permitted by the Irish tribunal, does not say much for the acumen or constitutional soundness of the practice in Dublin ; tho way in which such aigumcnts were practically sanctioned by the Jury shows how thoroughly the political seme of the people has ocen depraved by their agitators and conspirators, from Ribandmen to Confederates.

Past and Present. — We recollect very well one fine summer day, in the year 1812 or 1813, of taking a walk down to the Broomielaw to see the shipping. It was no difficult matter then to walk to the bottom of the .quay ; and at the extremity of it on that day there lay a sort of toy, a small steam vessel, named the '• Comet." which every body laughed at, which the sailors jeered at ; and the maker, Heniy Bell, was talked of as a " hnlf.daft, crazy man," for producing such a foolish affair in the face of day. Nothing daunted with this, as tha vessel was about to tail, we took a pas-age to Greenock in that little craft, the precursor and the germ of all the splendid steam ships which now move alonij the wateis in every sea. The " Comet" was the subject of merriment to the sailors and the spectators as we smoked out of the harbour — in fact, she was always so, whenever shu smoked; and the indignant saying of the old "flyboat" captain at the time, namely, that '"he had the pleasure to sail with the Almighty's wind, and not with the dcvil 1 * reek, 1 ' may serve as a sample of the feeling which vvns entertained at the outset of the new inven» tion. The ' Comet' had an engine ot three horse power ! with a raised deck like the canal passage boats. To have ventured past Greenock at that period, and for a coniiderable time after, in a steam boat, would hare been accounted a tempting of Providence, On the 20th April, 1848, we again took a walk to the Broomielaw, but such a change ! The quays on both ■ides extended as far as the eye could reach, and the harbour was filled with, leviathan ships from every quarter of the globe. The place of the little ( Comet' of three horse power was supplied by dozens of magnificent Liverpool steamers and Dublin iteatneis, aud ships of war, and ships from China ; — and there is the Niagara just ready for sailing. How we do wish for a light of the 'Comet' of 1812, alongkidc of thisir-len-did floating palace of 1800 tons buituen, and 7CO horaa power !— Glasyoxo Cotulimtional.

Th« Army.— Chatham Barracks, 2Qth May.— The head quarters, consisting ot four companies of the 28th Regiment, arrived at these barracks this afternoon , under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Msssiter, and the following officers, viz. i — Capt.iu Alpm, Lieut. • and 1 "Adjutant Webh, Lieutenants Cotton and Bomgardner, Ensigns Aplin and Cotton, and Dr. Young; haying disembarked from the ship Emperor, from, Bombay ; three men and one child died on the voyage. The Malabar, having on hoard the remainder of the regiment, under the command of Major Adams, ha» been signalled in the Channel, aad is expected at Gr&vesend every tide. A daring American projector propones an electric telegraph from the Atlantic to the Pacific ! It is already carried from the Atlantic to St. Louis, in the ralley of the Mississippi. The distance from St. Louis to the Pacific is 2000 miles, nnd the ettimate is that the line could be formed for 30 J, 000 dollars.

To the Editor of the New Zealander. Sir. — As the late fire at Government House, like that of old at Drnry Lane, will form a good subject for a Prize Address from English and Colonial Literatii I send you the following one in prose, in anticipation of that which we may expect from a well known author in England. I will only put the initials of his name trusting that my humble imitation of him may help your readers to fill up the blanks. I remain, Sir, your's &r> . IMIT4.TOH.

On the destruction of Government House, Auckland, by Fire, in the month of June, 1848. It was a cold, bleak, wintry night and the clocks had just struck four; no witching hour that, when you may expect to meet tender lovers and uncomfortable ghosts. Oh! no, they are far too good judges of waun beds, whether above or below ground — for it was just the hour when Night has outlived .ill her youthful charms, and when she jealously puts on her blackest and fro<tiest looks at the expected approach of her rival, Dawn, as if trying to frown and chill the unwelcome intruder into flight. Dark, heavy clouds lay shapeless monsters in Heaven's Ocean, and, more obviously to the feeling than to the sight, loomed over head in sullen torpidity. You might have stood — or rather, if you had taken my advice, as the temperature was too severe for stationary meditation, walked— in the town of Auckland, and imagined yourself in the city of the Dead, with the knocker ot life muffled up and mankind not at home, thouu'h such an imagination you would soon havo found quite contrary to the fact. The streets were repulsively cold and silent enough for a cemctaiy. The houses were the gigantic tombs, and a little more light would have enabled you to perceive that among them, as is the case with tombs, a distinctive appearanceof show, proportioned to the quality and wealth of the proprietors, prevailed. On one side, a stone mansion, caged in with iron bars and carefully kept free fiom stain of dirt, and profanation of strange touch — on another, woodea dwellings, exposed to public approach, dingy, and ricketty in the extreme — interspersed among winch lie tenements of clay— apt emblem of their contents — grass grown, hollow sided memorials oi dissolution. — Scattered here and there, apparently in the daikness at infinite distances, lights, some, perhaps, the spectators ol drunken levelry, or the lonely solace of sickness, fitfully glimmered, and seemed to hold speechless con - verse among each other, mutually telegraphing mysterious winks communicative of much seiious and interesting import. Occasionally was heard the crow of some premature cock, unable himself to sleep, and . therefore revengefully eager to awake his moie ibi.unate brethern; o'hmvise, the silence of night — .mil what silence is more heartfelt in the solitude of the chamber and in the more lonesome soliUide_oi _j_de^_

Government House on this night, and at this hour— nml it must be particularly borne in mind that my narmtiveonly relates to this exact period— by judging j from outw.ird appcannce. for I will not go so far as to asseil that it had not an inward consciousness of danceI __in a sense of perfect security. Around its base was spread the verdant sward, beauty-spotted with flower hedi and luxuriantly cropped with evergreen shrubs that seemed in the obscurity sleepily crowded together and swollen out, poultiy fashion, lor the sake of warmth, now and then rustling in gentle mutmuis, ai living beings, when asleep, arc sometimes wont to do. On the broad gravel walk could be heard the crunching step of the vigilant sentinel, as like an ani« mated pendulum, tracing and retracing his accustomed course, he periodically ticked that all was well. "All's well ."—pleasant sound for slumbering inmates 1 redolent of peaceful satisfaction ; suggestive of watching cherubs peculiarly careful of" poor Jackg ;" soothing lullaby, to which the sympathetic grunt of a just conscious doze approvingly responds, — and then, with folded band* and heavy eyelids, for more »Uep, cosily, cosiiy. "All's well!" Hark, listen to ihat crackling noise ! See those eddying wreaths of smoke, that ghostly shroud of a fatrd victim. There, again, again, again, forked yellow flames jut out and cast the tinge of jaundice over the cable p»U of night.— Fife ! Fire I Caught from the voice of sentry to sentry— home on the alarm of bugles from banacks tobanacks, through the town .street and alley, into the lofty mansion through the fastened shutter, into the lowly hut through the broken pane, beside the couch of down, beside the coverlet of raps, mingling with the drearcn, and startling the ears of affrighted ileepers, diffusing terror in its flight, swiftly spreads that t'eiuful shout— l'lre! Tire! ' Gleaming lurid light on the pale cheek, flashing reflected brilliancy from the excited eye, mocking tue human skout and tcream with the fierce bellow and rapid muttering of mysterious triumph, glaring m the sky, rampant along the ground, snake-like wund Us prey— in shrouds of smoke, in jets of flame—there waving its blood-red bannet over a fallen foe, rages the victorious elemeut-"Fire ! Fire! The grey calm face of dawn gradually revealed itse'f over this dreadful scene. The fiery blaze, flushed with conquest,had now subsided and left to view the black eneu frowns and ashy sneers of a total ruin. Half-dressed individuals rushed frantically to and fro; hot, anxious faces, noisy tongues and busy hands, prevailed on ei ery side. A chaos of rescued furniture lay at a ihort distance. Scotched shrubs, with withered branches, stood as funereal mutes around the melancholy spot wheie the house oDce stood.— There a ragged parapet of a surviving brick foundation hung toppling over sepulchral cellars, which stared, with open-mouthed astonishment, at a sky they had not seen for years. A bigi inky drop seemed to have fallen on the landscape. One felt the lon of a familiar face, and a Death s Head was left as a substitute. All bespoke ruin and desolation in terms that could not be misunderstood. C. D.

Charles Knight, Auditor Geneial.

Expenditure, Auckland. £ s. d. £ s. d. Civil Establishments His Excellency the Lieut.* Governor and Estabmnt. 48 7 9 Colonial Secretary's Depart. 423 0 0 •« Treasury 215 0 0 Audit Department 112 10 0 Customs, includ.drawbacks 2,092 1 10 Post Office 152 9 4 Total 3,043 8 11 Judicial Establishment and Police Supreme Court 340 0 0 Law Officer 115 0 0 Kesident Magistrate, and Police 998 10 11 Sheriff and Gaol 1236 2 11 Coroner 4 5 6 Registry of Deeds, &c. 114 18 10 To t a l 1,808 18 2 Land and Surveys Survey Department 467 10 8 Land Claims Commission 197 19 10 Awards for Land surrendered 508 18 3 Land Purchases 405 7 7 Total . 1,579 16 4 Public Works and Roads Public Works 1,043 19 11 Roads 1,725 1 5 Total 2,769 1 4 Miscellaneous Medical 263 10 'J Relief to Sick and Destitute 36 1 7 Aborigines 73 5 11 Printing and Stationery 136 16 8 Postages 45 8 0 Chaplain 50 0 O Incidents 29 7 10 Total 634 10 7 Harbor 166 19 5 Government Schooner 61 10 8 Total .. 228 10 1 Military Charges Militia 18 8 0 Total of Auckland £ 10,082133 General Chargeß The Governor-in-Chief & Establishment 785 15 3 The Bishop of N. Z. 150 0 O Civil Secretary's Department 127 11 1 Interpreter to Genl. Officer Commanding Troops 53 0 O 1,116 6 4 Government Brig 133 12 7 Schools and Educational purposes 1,311 0 O 1,444 12 7 Charges on Receipts in aid Interest 67 7 2 Payments at Auckland on account of other Stations— Hokianga 24 0 0 New Plymouth 1 5 0 Wellington 1 18 0 Nelson 31 10 0 58 13 0 Total ... £12,769 12 6

Return of Revenue and Expenditure of Auckland, daring the Quarter ended on the 30th September, 1848.

Revenue. Auckland. £ s. d. £ s. d. Ordinary Revenue CustomsSpirits 2,455 13 9 Cigars and Snuffs 81 9 6 Tobacco, manufactuied 979 3 6 Ad Valorem 1-935 1 7 Arreais 1,910 11 1 . 7,411 19 5 Post Office 295 7 4 Licenses- Publicans' 30 0 0 Fees, and FinesSupreme Court 13 2 6 Police Courts 170 5 * y Fees— Shtriff 6 16 For Registry 61 12 10 ■ ■ i ~- - ■ 67 14 4 Recovery for Gaol Rations to Military Prisoners 21 15 ° Incidental receipts 44 13 10 Total Ordinary Revenue 8,054 17 9 \ Crown Land Revenue FeesCrown Grants 35 8 7 Waivers of Pre-emption 244 10 8 Timber and Occupation Licenses 46 0 0 Proceeds of sales 662 5 1 Total of Land Revenue 988 4 4 o^V mt^t Receipts in aid of Revenue Parliamentary Grant 4,625 0 0 Debentures lor issue to Land Claimants 400 6 3 Total of Receipts in aid 5,025 6 3 Total £14,068 8 4