The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 295, 28 March 1849, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Be just and fear not: Let all the ends thou aims't at, be tby Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1849.

The barque, " Thomas Henry," from Sydney, with sheep and horses, the 12th instant, arrived in port on Saturday morning. She brought colonial letters and papers, but no London mail, although that for November had arrived. It was, nevertheless, peremptorily refused to Captain Jury, who applied for it, and intimated that his ship was then about to be towed to sea by a steamer, and would proceed for Auckland direct. We have culled for extract the few memorable incidents in the Sydney journals before us. These, will be found in another page. We are delighted to perceive, that the outrageous injury — a matter seemingly of the most apathetic indifference here — offered to New South Wales by Earl Grey, in his infamous desire to refelonize her, in conjunction with all the Australian colonies, has called forth a spirit of indignant and manly resistance. A colony once rescued from wallowing in the fetid depths of penal pollution, must have much too sensible and sensitive a recollection of its demoralization and its disgrace not to denounce the atrocity of the man who would again plunge her into such an unhallowed abyss ; and, accordingly, we find Earl Grey and his crime huckstsrings, the theme of universal and generous resentment, and stigmatized with every disgraceful epithet due to the promoter of, and pander to so vile a system. Earl Grey has laboured long and anxiously for colonial notoriety, and verily, an odious and undying colonial reputation he appears to be certain to achieve. In his paction with the Legislative Council of New South Wales, the felon bargain was

one much too clear and too conclusive for even an Earl Grey to slink out of. It could not be explained away, after the clumsy manner in which his lordship strove to get rid of the odium, caused by what he has since been pleased conveniently to designate the colonial misrepresentations, of his famous instructions relative to the Treaty of Waitangi. His Exile compact, however barren or ungrammatical the language, presented no such fortunate loop-hole. The agreement was a positive and a peremptory one, on his part dishonourably and dishonestly shirked. To quote from the manly and masterly speech of Mr. Lowe, one of the members for the City of Sydney. "In the very recital of his dispatch, Earl Grey was guilty of both fraud and falsehood! ! To take advantage of the REMOTE POSIIION OF THE COLONY WAS THE MOST MEAN, FRAUDULENT, AND TYRANNICAL PROCEEDING THAT EVER DISGRACED A MINISTER OF State. •• In private 1 fe, no doubt his lordship was not i n the habit of telling lies, but in his position ai Secretary of State, he could not avoid tbera. It was not only tint lie bad broken faith with them in this matter and many otheri, that he di»trusted him, he had other reasons. He apprehended that it had lonir been held a truism, that the head of the Colonial Office—be he pf er or be he commoner— wai a promulgator of things averse to facts. (Cheers.) The Colonial Office wit not content with cheating the colonies, but it muit deseive the Legislature of Great Britain too. " It was milter of notoriety that for the last six or seven years, they h»d been complaining of the upset price of land. Repreientation after repreientation from the colonitts, and from the Legislature had been made, and thif had been met by the Secretary of State with a flowery description of the magnificent land fund of New South Wales. For two or three yean, this ingenious deception, this cunning falsehood was sustained ; but it became at length too glaring— the deceit was discovered— and then abandoning all the self congratulation on the success of the Land Act in creating a land fund, in which he had indulged for years, the Secretary of State lit! down and pens an elaborate despatch to shew that the Land Act was passed to prevent the sale of land, and that he did not wish it to be told at all. (Cheers.) Thii was the system of deception which the Colonibl Office practised, this wns the way in which questions of the most vital interest to colonies were treated by that office. This was the sort of veil thronn over the real wants, the real sentiments, and the real interests of the colonists. If his bumble voice could have any effect he would let it gosforth through every Biitish possession proclaiming that no faith was so hollow— no promise 10 rotten— no word bo valueless, as that pledaed by the betd of the Colonial Office. (Loud cheers.) There was no weapon in the artillery of subterfuge— no trick— no evasion— no falsehood or contrivance, that was not practiied at the Colonial Office, that grave of colonial hope and colonial liberty. (Cheers.) But though these thing! were, it became them at men to struggle with this enemy, and the more so now when the people of England were beginning to get sotoe insight into colonial affairs, and the manner in which they were conducted. It was only their duty to show to their friends in England, that the government of the colonies was not the government of the noble constitution of England, but the despotic government of the clerks in the Colonial Office— and the miserable puppet who was placed at their head. They should show that that government instead of being hased on that great and venerable constitution, was distinguished by falsehood and treachery, by meanness and want ot faith, which though they might be admitted into the policy of English noblemen and English ministers, were .despised and rejected by the people of Botany Bay. They thould show at least, that if they were the slaves of that falie and treacherous' pilicy, tbey wrre not its dupes. (Cheers.) He (Mr: Lowe) had passed many years ofbii life in England, and was aware of the great benefits its glorious constitution conferred upon Englishmen. But there was a large class of ardent aipiring young meu growing up here, who feeing the despotism to which they were subjected, teeing that noble constitution only through the distorted medium of the falsehood and injustice of the Colonial Office, would regard it with bitterness snd almost hatred. (Cheers.) Instead of finding the government of the colonies honourable in the fulfilment of its promises, punctual in its engagements, just in its principles, as other departments of the British government were, they could see nothing but tyrannical oppression, and the «roiseit and most fraudulent violation ot faith. (Cheers.) If his weak voice could go forth through the distance he would entreat ministers of England to consider whether they were ful filling their high and solemn functions of adviiers of their sovereign— by promoting as they every day were doing, the diimembermtnt of the British Empire." (Loud and continued cheering.) To substantiate the accuracy of Mr. Lowes closing assertion— to demonstrate how surely, although it may be silently, the dismemberment of the British Empire is accomplishing by the Colonial Office and its Satraps, we are enabled to present these remarkably apposite illustrations :—: — The following private letter from an intelligent and loyal colonitt, in the neighbourhood of Miramichi (New Brunswick), has been obligingly communicated to us (Daily NtwsJ. The writer, we are assured, n a man the sobriety of whose judgment may be relied upon:— ••Miramichi, October 7.—* * A great change has come over the spirit of our colony within the last twelve months. I can safely say it is now neatly ripe for annexation to the United States. This may startle you, but it is not less true than strange. You will gee no trace of this in our newspapers, a wholesome fear of going too far stijl operating as a check upon them ; but the question 'is daily and hourly discus-ed among all classes, is regularly debated in the clubs, and advocated by men cf wealth and station everywhere. A variety of causes have combined to bring about this atate of feeling. In the first place, the reduction of the duty on Baltic timber, however advantageous to England, has completely destroyed our timber trade, and left us without an export. The threatened abrogation of the navigation laws closed most of our shipyards, and effecually choked that branch of industry. Fiee trade is, no doubt, a very good thing for England ; but to enjoy it England must relinquish the idea ot potsesiin* colonies, unless they are managed in a manner as widely different as possible from the existing system. The West Indies are utterly ruined, and in another year we shall be in an equally bankrupt condii ion . The people here cannot avoid seeing and hearing that the people of the United States are in a most flourishing ' * ltu *« U abundant buiinesi

of a profitable kind in all the American cities for all who seek it, and that wages are at lea«t double what are paid or can possibly be afforded here. It it strange then, Ihut thousands, without waiting for events should leave thi* colony and proceed ' further west,' as the phrase goes ? Since June last about 5000 peisons, residents and natives, have left St. John's for Boiton, thence to scatter over the Union. From all parts of the province they go also ; and from present indications it is not too much to say that at the end of the year 20,' 00 smils (one tenth of the whole population of New Brunswick) will have left to seek employment elsewhere, and not to return. About 4000 cmi» grants from Ireland hare landed during the present season, and of these there are not 40i» now remaining, all the rest having " gone wc»t." Canada has sent two members of Council (Lafontaine and Sullivan) to Washington to negociate a commercial treaty. Mr. Woodward, the member for St. John's in our assembly was lent by the Reform Club of St. John's to urge that New Brunswick be put on the same foo ing us Canada. The Honourable W. Young, of Nora Scotia has gone on a similar erranrl. The Honourable Mr. Coles, of the 1 Executive Council of Prince Edward's Island, has been sent to Washington to offer to the vessels of the United States the pi i vilege of landing on the island, and thence prosecuting the fisheries of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, on payment of one dollar per ton for each vessel so employed to the island treasury. These are but fmt stept toward* a connexion of a more intimate character, and clearly intimate ihe change of feeling. The man who two yean ago wbuld have dared to propose what Prince Edward's Island now offers would hare been flayed alive. If these colonies succeed in effecting a commercial convention with the United States, and throw open the fisheries to American citizens, they will be absorbed in the Union much more quickly and readily than was Texas. The apathy of the Colonial Office, the utter ignorance which prevails there of the true condition of theso colonifi, and the real state of feeling, as .also the total indifference of government to everything which wou'd conduce to benefit British North America, disgust all sensible persons. Down ing-street is in Cimmerian darkness, and fancies that because all is quiet everything goes well, while these colouies are silently but sorely slipping away from England," Hearken again to the written convictions of Mr. Hume, M. P. , " Nothing in, history can exceed, or equal, the misgovernment of the British colonies by the Colonialoffice ; and, therefore, Parliament must fix a limit to the interference of that office, and also give power to the colonists in all cases to legislate for themselves; and then the magnificent colonial possessions of Great Britain would afford an outlet for our crowded population, and a field for the employment of the immense capital that exists in these kingdoms ready foi employment." " Oh that mine adversary had written abook V exclaimed one of old. The Colonial Enemy, the Colonial Office Tyranni, goaded by the incessant attacks which have latterly been directed towards them, have written a book ! — The joint authors are the Right Honourable Earl Grey, and a familiar who rejoices in the slavish style of Niger, — a most becoming appellation for the would be vindicator of so black a clique. The London Morning Chronicle of the 17th of October in reviewing Earl Grey's portion of that book says of his Lordship that — "It is too much his habit to seek a temporary triumph in debate, at the expense, not only of fairness in inference, but of accuracy in statement. It is satisfactory to know that "the attacks on the Colonial Office" have been found to require an answer ; but to those who believe that office to be a great incubus on our political system, it is more satisfactory still to have elicited defences of such weakness as those presented to the public in the pamphlets on which we have been commenting." Hateful and Oppressive as the Colonial Office has ever been, it was left for the present possessor of its seals to render it more hateful and more oppressive still. The once honoured title of his sire is odious to the Colonial ear. It stinks in the Colonial nostril. If his Lordship doubt it, let him inquire of the colonists of New Zealand who will sternly demand upon what pretext, without the sanction of Parliament, he dares to threaten their free born and free founded colony with an invasion of that criminal scum which he is so eager to hawk through all the feeble colonies of these distant seas. Should his Lordship mistake us as much as he says we misinterpret him— let him listen to the " curses both loud and deep " of Van Diemen's Land, morally polluted and materially ruined. If still sceptical, let him appeal to his much panegyrised Port Phillip, not slow to re -echo the indignant thunders of her elder born lister, New South Wales. Let him turn East, West, North, or South, wherever the British flag flies or the Colonial Office despotism reigns, and in all he will find his character indelibly engraved. We have culled for his Lordship a few certificates of his Colonial character. He will find, all prompt to coincide in opinion, and to say, probably in much stronger language than that of the Maitland Mercury— " For the honour of British statesmen generally, we should hope that so contemptible a shuffler as his Lordship never before abused the functions of a Secretary of State."

In our last, we adverted cursorily to the comprehensive Tabular Return of the European population of Auckland and its vicinity, compiled by Captain Atkyns, Inspector of the armed Police. That Return is a very explicit one. Not only are Auckland and the pensioner villages comprised within its details, but every little village and island, in the vicinity. The ages and sexes are given from under two years to sixty and upwards, with their employment and religion, their wedded or single state of blessedness. For example, Auckland, and its suburbs con-

tain a population of 1973 males and 1642 females ; — Of the former 159 are under two, 333 from two to seven, 249 from seven to fourteen, 160 from fourteen to twenty-one, 981 from twenty-one to forty-five, 84 from forty-five to sixty, and 7 from sixty years and upwards. — Of the latter 161 under two, 342 from two to seven, 254 from seven to fourteen, 197 from, fourteen to twenty-one, 614 from twenty-one to forty-five, 66 from forty -five to sixty, and 8 from sixty years and upwards. It will thus be seen that notwithstanding a present disparity of. the sexes, that the preponderance of our more juvenile population will speedily arrange the balance, unless, indeed, Lord Grey and his mannish abominations shall he permitted to blight and to destroy our fair and goodly prospects. Of the numbers above named, 162 are Professionals and Officials, 27 Farmers, 161 Merchants and Traders, 360 Mechanics and Artificers, 72 Farm servants, 246 Domestic Servants, 222 of all others. There are 1738 Episcopalians, 681 Presbyterians, 698 Roman Catholics, 403 Wesley ans, 59 Dissenters, 33 Jews, and 3 Owenites : — 639 males, and 627 females are or have been married, 1334 males, and 1018 females are single. The births have been 127, the marriages 22, and the deaths 57. There are 17 stone, 25 brick, 814 weather board, and 41 raupo houses. The population and tenements of the Pensioner villages may thus be disposed of, — Onehunga 262 souls lodged in 63 weather-board and 3 raupo houses. Otahiihu 297 souls in 2 weather-board and 72 raupo houses. Howick 775 souls in 50 wea-ther-board, and 180 raupo houses — and Panmure 334 souls in 5 weather-board and 99 raupo houses. The inhabitants of the island of Kawau number 194— 0f the Barrier 22. The grand totals amount to 3963 males and 3040 females. — Of whom 190 are Professionals and Officials, 1 1 5 Farmers, 207 Merchants and Traders, 486 Mechanics and Artificers, 210 Farm Servants, 306 Domestic Servants, and 424 of others. There are 1513 houses, 19 of stone, 26 of brick,, 987 of weather-board, and 481 of raupo — and when we add to this that numbers are daily in process of construction, and that, but for the exorbitant fate of wages, numerous others would spring up in all directions, the report, we imagine, may be considered as indicative of the active progress of Auckland. The Military in garrison, males and females, adults and children, are stated at 935. Making for the year 1848 a total population of 7938 souls. A reference to the Gazette of the 28th of April, 1848, gives the returns (exclusive of the Military) for 1845-6-7 as 3970, 4655, and 5217 souls for each respective year. We are thus, at the close of 1848, one thousand seven hundred and eighty six in excess of the population of the previous year.

Hong Kong. — We have been favoured with the follow ing extract of a private letter, addressed to a gentleman of Auckland, dated Victoria, 9th December, 1848. It is from the friend of a gentleman "who takes a verylively interest in all matters relating to your thriving colony ;" and of whose state and prospects he is anxious to acquire " the most authentic information," " being so much prepossessed in its favour as to evince a strong disposition to locate himself there." " Matters are almost at a stand still with us here. No funds, and a consequent paring down in every branch of the public service. Mercantile affairs very little better. A great deal of sickness during the recent hot season, especially amongst the troops ; since which time we hate had a constant succession of typhoons in the China seas. The loss of life and property must have been immense."

Her Majesty's Ship Fly, eighteen guns, Commander Oliver, returned to port from the Bay of Islands, yesterday morning. A correspondent, under date the 21st instant, writes as follows :—": — " I have learnt from ' some of Hekes people, that he and the natives in the interior are in a very excited state about the mill which they hear is about to be put up at Owhaiwahai, for Tamati Waka. Heki, I am told, wants to go to Auckland, to see the Governor. There are several tribes in the north in a very unsettled state, quarrelling among themselves. I should not be surprised if they had a brush before long."

Programme.— The following piecet of music, by the permiuion of Lieut -Colonel Wynyard, C. B.j will be performed by the Band of Her Majesty's 58th. Regiment, witliia the enclosure of the Government grounds, to morrow, from four to tix o'clock, p. m.:— • Grand Overture " Fra Diavolo".. Aubur Waltz "The Carnital" Labfcky Melange. . Benedict's Op. ♦' The Crusaders". . Benedict 50ng. ..." My Helen is the Faire&t Flower. Kirby Quadrille "The Phantom Dancer" Jullien Cho. c Cay... .Op. «« Beatrice De Fenda" Bellini Song "My Beautiful Rhine" " Polka " The Annen" Stransi Galop «• The Post Horn" Koenig