The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 292, 17 March 1849, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Be just and fear not: Let all the ends tliou ainis't at, be tliy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1849.

By the " Maid of Erin," which came into port on Wednesday afternoon, our files of Sydney papers are rendeied complete, from the 7th to the 27th ultimo. Several emigrant vessels had arrived from England, and more were on the way. There is little of particular importance in the general intelligence beyond what we have already been enabled to give, although there is much of interesting detail which we shall furnish as fully and as speedily as possible. In England, trade continued dull : — and the enormous amount of capital locked up in railways, taken in conjunction with the absolute stagnation of all continental traffic, had cast a shadow of gloom, almost of despondency, throughout the country. With a decreasing revenue and an increasing expenditure, it is clear matters must speedily attain & crisis ; and, in assurance of such a climax, a coalition ministry, with Sir Robert Peel and Lord Lincoln as leaders, is confidently spoken of. We are more than half inclined to question the success of such a combination. Concessions, and liberal concessions, to public opinion must be made. The old machine of government is " used up." Class legislation has reached its limit : — the people have long been barely able to stagger beneath their yearly accumulating burthens. PATRONAGEhas worked for its equivalent, until it can create nothing more to confer, until nothing more is left to grind. To quote The Nonconformist, — " Civil rule must proceed from one or other of these three basis — Foree — Fraud — or Justice. The first is now impracticable— the second is becoming ruinous — the third is at once easy, cheap, and efficient." Parliament was further prorogued till the middle of December. We formerly alluded to the sensation created by an excursion of some seven or eight hundred of the French National Guards to London. Their delight at the utter absence of passports, octroi, and other impediments of free passage, are declared to have been unbounded. Honest Bull seems to have lionized them to their hearts content — so mnch so, that in its very fullness, these heroes of the barricades paid a visit to Claremont to offer their respects to the Count de Neuilly (Louis Philippe), and to condole with him on his altered fortunes ! Intelligence of the Californian gold discoveries had reached England where it was attracting considerable attention. The precious ore is said to have heen found not only near Melbourne, but likewise in the neighbourhood of Berrima. A large piece of ore was undoubtedly sold to a jeweller of the Port Phillippian capital, but although the locality of the mine, at the foot of the Pyrenees, was announced, the presence of the metal appears to be more than questionable. Cases of Cholera continued to occur, but they were of a much milder form ; and much less alarm and excitement prevailed than upon its visitation in 1832. Edinburgh appeared to be the most afflicted, the mortality amounting to about seven daily. In two hundred and ten cases there were a hundred and eighteen deaths. The faculty have pronounced an opinion that the disease is not infectious. The affairs of continental Europe continued to wear a most unsettled aspect. Peace was looked upon as much more than doubtful. In France, a fierce struggle for the Presidency was apprehended. The moderates hoped for the election of Cavaignac or Lamartine ; but there was a strong party in favour of Louis Napoleon, and if the Red Republicans threw their interest into his scale, his return was considered certain. If beaten, an insurrrction would in all probability, be the result. The Danish and German quarrel is still unsettled. Italy is unsubdued. Sicily has been granted breathing time ; but a victorious Neapolitan fleet and army is ready to repeat upon Palermo, the scenes enacted at Messina. The mediation of France and England has been refused, and Sicily appears to have no alternative but extermination or submission. In Austria, matters are in a most deplorable cond'tjon. Not only are the component states oi that once mighty empire ranged against each other in hostile conflict, but the Viennese and Imperial troops have encountered in san-

quinary and relentless strife. Murders of the most ruthless savagery had been perpetrated ; and after a blockade, converted into a siege, Vienna had fallen. Many of the insurgents, continued, nevertheless, to occupy the University, which had been strongly fortified and well supplied with artillery and the other munitions of war. Spain is not behind the other continental kingdoms in martial essays, Cabrera and several Carlist chiefs cutting out ample employment for the opposite party. There are rumours in circulation as to the sanity of the Queen. Her mind, it is said, is seriously affected. If so, the Count de Neuilly, will not have juggled altogether in vain. " We" have news of the English markets, (writes the Sydney Christian Standard of the 22nd February,) via Port Phillip," to the 9th of November, 1848. "They manifest much firmness. No fresh sales of wool had taken place siuce the last accounts received ; but the cloth factories were in full work, with low stocks. The papers also state that a great number of vessels were either laid on, or about to be laid on, for this colony, with emigrants, so that we may prepare ourselves for a regular influx of labour, and as far as can be ascertained, with no small amount of capital — as many parties, with from £200 to £300 each, are known to be amongst the number. " Business has been very steady this week, amounting to briskness with those connected with shipping — prices, however, have not rallied. Neither of the lotteiies appear to be making any progress. They are matters of importance, as seriously operating on our finances, and as such require to be watched." Calcutta papers, to the middle of November, had been" received in Sydney. Extensive preparations for another campaign were on foot, and an " Army of the Punjaub," numbering upwards of eight and thirty thousand combatants of all arms, was about to take the field under Lord Gough. Sir W. R. Gilbert, Sir J. Thackewell and Colonel Cureton were to be appointed to divisional commands. The Bengal contingent consisted of some nine thousand European, and one and twenty thousand native troops — that of Bombay, of two thousand three hundred Europeans, and five thousand seven hundred native troops. Hl.H 1 . M. 80th Regiment were to embark for England, upon arrival of the 96th.

We have received half a dozen numbers of the " China Mail" (published at Hongkong) to the 23rd November inclusive. A lengthened inquiry —leading to a series of yet more lengthened comments —had taken place on occasion of the death of several Chinamen, killed on board a lorcha. , It appears that a boat with some Englishmen, who had been dining on board the " Tarn O'Shanter," passed, on their way to the shore, a couple of lorchas hauled close together for mutual protection. Mistaking the character of the boat, the Chinese began to talk loudly. The English boat hailed with an insolent shout, and was answered with a volley of stones. The Englishmen landed and preferred a complaint to the police, whose boat went off, and was pelted, but the superintendent did not think himself authorised to fire, and returned to the shore. Other police boats then Went off, and were fired at, but whether with blank cartridge the Serjeant in charge, M'Lean, could not tell —"nothing struck his boat"« —it was then dark. The superintendent of Police, however, appeared to think the matter a perilous one, and solicited aid from H. M. Ship " Cambrian." Commodore Plumridge, who was in bed at the time, sent for Captain Mor- I ris, who proposed to take a boat or two, but the gallant Commodore ordered all to be sent, manned and armed, and " had the ship's guns trained aft, leady to fire, in case the junks attempted to get away." Six boats, with sixtyeight seamen and thirty marines, were sent to reinforce the police boats; and with this formidable force, which gave no indication of its true character, the unfortunate lorchas weie assailed and carried, the crews and passengers running below or leaping overboard, where, whilst struggling with the waves, they were deliberately fired at and shot —others having their tails wantonly cut from their heads. Two Chinamen were killed and several severely wounded, and one Indian policeman was killed. The following is the finding of a coroner's verdict: —

Verdict.— That U-afoo and Niu-achiu, Chinese junkmen, came by their deaths between Sunday night and Monday Morning, the 15th and 16th of October 184*8, from gun-shot wounds inflicted by certain sea. men and marines unknown, acting under orders of their officers, who were instructed by the Senior Naval Officer on this station to aid the police in capturing twojnnks anchored in-shore in the harbour of Hongkong, the crews of which junks had been alarmed by boats coming alongside after nightfall, and resisted the authorities and others, under the impreesion that they Were thieves ; and such resistance as was offered on this occasion appears to the jury to have been justified by the necesiity for trading junks protecting themselves from being boarded by strangers aud pretended policemen, as well as by the existing regulations of the Hongkong Government issued to junks anchoring in the harbour. The jury have considered It to be their duty to pursue the inquiry into several matters not immediately connected with the deal ha ,of these two men, but the investigation of which may tehd to prevent the reCiiirence of such disasters, and seems of importance to the reputation and prosperity of the colony. And. Shortkede, F u reman. N. D«E. Park.br, John Cairns. Coroner, Joutf Q, Morison.

In commenting upon a transaction not likely to cover Commodore Plumridge with laurels, the " Mail" observes — These inVestigations have created comiderable interest both in the community and in the Government— the former being in general more latislied than the l»t« ter. It is said the junkmen mean to demand redresi, which we should like to iee granted without resorting to a court of law ; and it is also said that the Inquestg had somefhingjto do with the Commodore's sudden departure, leaving the harbour without a vessel of war. fhe gentlemen composing the Jury in the first case had a loni? interview with the Governor on Monday last, but the particulars of what passed hare not transpired. Betides Ilia Excellency and the Jurors, the Attorney General was the only person present. Sickness appears to be rather prevalent in garrison, the deaths having attained to fiftyfour in a month — forty -seven of which occurred in the 95th Regiment. The ships "Sir Charles Forbes" and " Clifton" were hired, and that corps distributed on board of those vessels. The experiment proved a most beneficial one, the mortality having abated to seventeen men in the" following month (Sept.) Although the change of season was not Avithout e&ect, the change of quarters was productive of more. This was conclusively demonstrated by an aggravation of sickness immediately upon the debarkation of the soldiery — not, indeed, in the95th, but in the' Ceylon Rifles, whose sick increased from fifty -three to seventy two.

H. M. steam sloop "Medea," some time since reported as being under orders f»r the New Zealand station, was reposing quietly in' the China waters on the 23rd November. Mr. F. B« Quin, one of her Lieutenants, died at Whampoa, on the 13th September.

Flour. — A scarcity of this essential article exists in our market, at present : — so much so that prices are said to have advanced to from 18 to £20 per ton.

Ganison or Hongkong. Sick. Forcu Aug Sep Ocf Oct Oct Oot , , , 19th 30th 7th Hth 21st 2lst. Royal Artillery 9 5 2 3 8 60 Sappers and Miners 2 3 2 4 2 37 Gun Lasers 12 8 7 7 8 89 95th Regiment.... 170 5l 33 39 46 560 Ceylon Rifles .... 101 53 64- 65 72 699 294 120 108 118 136 1415

We copy the following tabular statement : —