THE DEFENCELESS STATE OF SYDNEY. (From the Sydney Herald, November 11.)

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 262, 2 December 1848, Page 4

THE DEFENCELESS STATE OF SYDNEY. (From the Sydney Herald, November 11.)

THn recent arrivals from England have put as in po«eession of intelligence that in Juno last a ileet of fourteen lam a vessels, apparently ships ofwir, had been desciied fioni the heiplits of Gozo, a small island near Malta; and that the Monette, a French Government steam vessel, which had takui) her departure on the 17th of June from Malta for Toulon, had been reported to ba\e retraced her way durimg the ntubt, and hud been sounding at thebacU p.vrt of Malta, wlurc scatcely any look-out is kept. These rutuouis appear to have had some foundation. No time was lost to meet an invading enemy. The tocsin of ptrparntion for war was sounded. The. Odin steam frigate was placed in the stream, nnd her puns weie daily practised — the btnall-Hrui men of the licet were continually exorcised — nnd bouts with small pieces of ordnance were frujuently ninnravumg in the open sea. Stcret nnd confidential ordeih won; isMied by the nti\al commander-in-chief ; u'ght signals W'io exchanged; pickets and patroh paraded Valtila; person and popeity werepluced under police espionage and the fleet in haibcnu 1 c<. misting of r.n leia than elevcu ships of war were held in reaciiiic^s fur any hostile feiuptise. The prevailing opinion seemed to have been that the mysterious fleet si en fiom Gnzo belonged to the Fieneh navy, an opinion to which seme countenance was given by the rumrur that tho French In d been iipgociating with Ihe Parliament of Pa'eimo for the privilege of constructing coal (store-*, steam dockyard, and woiks for the use of the Fieneh steam packets employed in the Mediterranean; ami by such means were attempting to obt.iin a footing m ►> uly, much nearer to Malta tlmii a»ieiable to the Biiti^h Guveinment. AVehaveno f.nlt to find with the perrantionnry measures winch weie adopted. Malta, li<mi its mao« lated ) ositiou, is the keystone of the Medileiranean. Our poss.ei)i>ion of it is the envy of foieiijn poweic ; its acquisition has been materially eiihamed faincc the establishment of steam communication with India. Its L'tiS'iretto and t|uirantine regulations keep V.ilotla in pdi'tique. Its local position is such that U< foitifi* cations have lendered it almost impregnable. Its complement of tioops extends to five legiment-. of the line, and its siloes of wheat contain sufficient iood to withB'aud a two years "jiei^e. It can hardly be wondered then that the Monette and the fouiteen tail should have been regarded with jealousy, and that John Dull Bhould have I een pieparing to give an invader a wuiim reception there. Let us now contrast the protection the British Government aflbids lo Malta with the miserable means which aie at the command of Sir Charles Fuzlioy for the protect iun of New South Wales. When one of the two regiments stationed in Sydney was withdrawn and sent to New Zealand we hud a njil to expect that' increased protection would have been afforded us in some other shape. We urged at the time on the notice of the Government our defenceless position in the event of invasion. The attention of the Legislative Council wa-> invoked, but the subjfctwasnot fashionable, and received no encouiagement. Our important colony remained neglected because Europe was at peace. Now that liuiope i> in convulsions, our position remains the Bume. Poit Jackson was to ho the naval station of the Southern Pacific. The Ilavannah and Acheiou steamer have jmid uj a Hying visit on their way to New Zealand The Dido is ordered home fiom thence, and the Australasian colonies aie to be under the naval protection ot a couple of vessels hundreds ol miles away. The prospect of steam communication with Singapoic find India h still i emote. And all that we may expect to s^e of the tittvdiinah and Achcion is when they com to Sydney to u j h"t. A mil.tia has been talked about, but neter iomied, and a population little short ot 200,00" continues nuder the protection, if protection it can be called, of one regiment of the line, and a handful of police. But then, it may be said, where is the danger ? The war of Europe will not be fought on the shores of New Holland, the Southern Hemisphere is at peace* and the continental States of Europe will not liouble themselves to wage war at their antipodes ? The antwer is simply this ; thai in time of war states scramb'e for colonies. Th s has been the ose with oui selves — this will be the case with our enemies.. Out ol seventy-one Biitish colonies, thirteen only were formed and established by British emigration, lititish enterprise, and British capital ; whilfet no loss than fiftyeight were either obUincd by conquest or conqusred and ceded by treaty. At the present moment it is essential that the local government should not be idle. We are no alarmists, neither do we nihh to inbpire fear unnecessarily; but the Fieneh Chamber has already entered into thd consideration of the propriety of redlining Tahiti under its Fiotectorate, and if the Protectorate be withdrawn the Ref üblican Government of France u ill not withdraw altogether fiom the Southren Pacific. A French colony will be established near üb. It may be that au attempt may bo made lo engraft a French colony on a Biitish settlement already in exislencet It may be that the seat of the first outbreak between Greut Britain an-1 Republican Fiance will be in Australia. No excuse can be offered if prcpantt'on be delayed when a government is forewarned. The population of the colony is rapidly increasing, and in the direct ratio of its increase so additional protection should be afforded. The wealih of the colony and its hidden resources should be carefully guarded. The city of Sydney should always be prepared for resistance. The natives ot New Zealand are now quiet, and a portion of the naval and military forces might be spared; and with tlie engineciiug talent which the colony possesses the commanding positions of our harbour should at once be itrongly fortified. Now the convict labour is scarce, objections to inciease our security may be raised on the score of expense. Advauta^e should therefore be t^kenat the present influx of labour, and whin wasjes become low woiks of such importance to the exiitenco of the colony should be perfected whilst the means of obtaining labour are at hand. The expense, no doubt, would be considered, but the feeling of perfect security would compen»ate for the outlay incurred.