The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 319, 20 June 1849, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

Me just and (car not: Let all the ends tlion aims't at, be thy Country's, Thy Gon's, and Truth's.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 18 49.

Like every other vessel from England direct, the " JBerhampore " which arrived on Saturday, in ninety eight days, bungs us neither letters nor papers, these, as usual, being confided to the Sydney Packet. We have, in consequence, been obliged to hunt up intelligence in all directions, and be-jf to tender our best acknowledgments to Messrs. Kennedy, Boyd, Graham, Keesing, and others, who have so kindly placed their journals at our disposal. Our summary of events, will, we believe, be found to be a tolerably ample one, but from the manner in which the newspapers of a late and early date have fallen into our hands, its chronological arrangements may not be exactly such as we could desire. Our last intelligence reached to the 10th of February ; — papers have since been received to March 8, the day on which the " Berhampore " sailed from the Downs. The tidings of Lord Gough'-s victory on the Jlielum iwd leached England, and as may readily be imagined, had filled the public mind with indignation and regret. The recall of the Victor and the dispatch of Sir Chailes Napier to the chief command were promptly determined ; the columns of the Times meanwhile opening a fire far more deadly to the reputation of Lord Gough than all the artillery of the Sikhs. Five regiments were under orders for India, so that the projected Army retrenchments will, in all likelihood, give place to considerable army augmentations. The " Berhampore," brings us eighty Pensioners, under the command of Lieutenant J. J. Symonds. Of this number, sixty-five are married men with their families - fifteen are bachelors. As we have been given to understand, they form the first division of another battalion to be placed under the command of Captain Kenny, likely, we hear, to receive his Majority. The Whig Ministry were anything but secure in their seats ; their existence being one of mere toletation. The picture drawn by the Morning Chronicle of Lord John Russell watching every motion of Sir Robert Peel, hanging as it were upon his very words, and ready to take tone and colour at his bidding, presents as abject a condition of dependency as his worst enemies could desire. Earl Grey, to use a colonial phrase, is again in trouble. His colonial delinquencies are rising up in judgment against him. Lords Brougham and Stanley baited the noble Secretary most mercilessly ; there was none to say Heaven help him ••— " they tied him to a stake," leaving him, " bear-like, to fight the course." We commend our readers to the graphic commentary of the Chronicle, which they will find in another column. The Times of the Ist of March, whilst professing to give a notice of a book by Mr. Wakefield, " On the Art of Colonization," interposes but a very lame defence against the cudgelling it appears Earl Grey has received at Mr. Wakefield's hands : —his Lordship's infirmity and perversity of temper are dwelt upon and very sorrily ex--cused, as if the advocate, whilst glossing over his client's defects, were desirous of exhibiting them in all their naked deformity. The Times, in our opinion, has shown more than sufficient cause, why Earl Grey is unfit for any trust or employment, such, at least, as a free government has to bestow. Lord Stanley put an extremely delicate question to the Ministry, relative to their very peculiar non-intervention in Sicilian affairs ; namely, whether the Government contractor had not been permitted to withdraw arms, furnished by himself, from the Ordnance Stores, to enable him to complete a contract entered into with the insurgent Sicilians "? The affirm atory reply vouchsafed by the Marquis of Xansdowne is demonstrative of Whig notions of good faith and neutrality. In reply to a question from Sir DeLacy Evans, Sir Francis Baring intimated that the Admiral in the Pacific had been instructed to afford protection to the California trade. This, Sir DeLacy said, he had been informed would amount to the flying visit of a cruiser once m three months. _ . . . The Governor of the Mauritius, appointed in succession to Sir William Gomm, is Mr. G. W Anderson, who is to receive the honour of Knighthood previous to his sailing for the isai Intelligence of a very disheartening character has been received from Labuan. The new colony is found to be an especially unhealthy one, the mortality, in six months, averaging fifteen per cent. Sir James Brook was in so I precarious a state as to be under the necessity of trying the effects of sea air, in a cruise in i B M Ship « Meander." So sickly is the colony proclaimed to be, as to surpass m mortality'even that of Sierra Leone. A rapidly tenanting grave-yard was tracing its desolating influence in fearful characters. Cobden and the Leaguers are once more ac lively at work ; and, it would appear, that the farmC interests me not only of divided opinion but that many of the class are becoming Z virt. and agitators. Distinct and numerous meetings had been convened for repeal of the Salt! the Hop, and the Window Taxes. Upon

each of these questions, the discussions were energetic, the hostility to the continuance of such imposts uncompromisingly expressed, and a pledge to afford every support to effect their abolition warmly agreed to. At Edinburgh, a large and influential meeting had publicly denounced the Game Laws, and a series of the most stringent resolutions were passed declaratory of an intention to leave nothing unattempted to insure their repeal. A bill has been brought before Parliament to enable creditors to take proceedings against its members for the recovery of debts, as well as to exclude insolvent members from holding seats. The Lord Advocate has raised the question of privi ege, but that, it is to be hoped, will not be made to subvert every motive of principle and probity. In Paris, everything was tranquil. The funds rising, and commerce improving. California had given a great impetus to French trade, upwards of fifty vessels being reported loading for the gold coast. Louis Napoleon maintains his popularity, although he is alleged to incline to, and to affect too much of regal state. A son of Jerome Bonaparte's, fiom his republican simplicity and unaffected patriotism, is beginning to excite a considerable share of regard. He has refused many overtures, and it is hoped that his virtue and disinterestedness may yet do honour to his name, and confer advantage on his country. The 24th of February, the anniversary of the Revolution, passed off quietly in the capital, but some rioting of a serious nature occurred in one or two of the provinces, where the bonnet-rouge was displayed. The tumults, however, were eventually and successfully suppressed. In Italy, the several powers and principalities continue in a state of unabated fervidity. A Roman Republic has again arisen — whether the memory of past glories will inspire Italy to achieve future fame in the cause of liberty remains to be seen. Collision with the Austrian looks to he imminent. Ferara has had ten thousand quartered upon her ; and, in the hocus-pocus transitions of the hour, it seems by no means improbable that Charles Albert, but late the antagonist of Radetzski, in the cause of Italian enfranchisement, may become his confederate in protection of his own Sardinia, against a movement disposed to reject him. The Pope, meanwhile, has been deposed from tempoial authority, although his spiritual privileges as Bishcp of Rome are fully and frankly conceded. Against this deposition it would appear His Holiness is resolved to dis sent, as he is said to be forming a legion of foreign auxiliaries ; whilst the King of Naples and the Queen of Spain have addressed urgent entreaties to France to join in a league for his restoration. Although these appeals have hitherto been disregarded, there are still sufficient incendiary elements — even without the aid of Austrian bayonets, — to render Italy a field of fierce religious strife. The Grand Duke of Tuscany has fled his dominions, and has, in consequence, been, deposed, and a provisional government organized. A Russian army has made an eruption into Transylvania, discomfited Count Bern, and occupied Hermannstadt the capital. Prince Waldemar, of Prussia, the gallant comrade of the 50th, and companion in arms of our warriors in Scinde, has paid the debt of nature. He died at Munster, towards the latter end of February, in the 32nd year of his age. Captains Maxwell and Edward Stanley were presented, on their return from service in New Zealand, at Her Majesty's first levee of the season, on the 22nd February ; the former by the first Lord of the Admiralty, the latter by Admiral Dundas. Four frigates of a new rate appear in Allens Navy L ; st for January last. These are, the Emerald, Imperieuse, Immortalite, and Melpomene, each to carry sixty guns. The two former are laid down at Deptford, the two latter at Pembroke. Amongst the recipients of the war medal, we are glad to learn, from the United Service Gazette, that our old friend, Mr. T. P. Cooke, the celebrated representative of nautical character, has not been forgotten. Mr. Cooke, was present as an officer of the Raven, sloop, Captain Prowse, at the glorious victory gained by England's great Admiral, off Cape St. Yin- j cent. By the way, we grieve to observe, that Nelson's last trophy upon that memorable occasion, the San Josef, has been taken alongside the sheer hulk at Devonport, preparatory to being broken up. The Victory, we fear, will ere long follow. A most appalling tragedy had been enacted at the Theatre Royal, Dunlop-street, Glasgow, on the evening of Saturday, the 17th of February. A fire, never of an alarming character, and which was easily extinguished, occurred in the course of the performance. A rush from the crowded galleries to the illconstructed staircase took place, and, in the agonizing panic that ensued, the narrow avenue became wedged with human victims, who by the inward opening doors were debarred from all means of egress. In this deplorable extremity the luffcrers continued, until a breach had been effected by the firemen, when sixty dead bodies were extricated from the pressfive more, in the extremity of exhaustion, having been conveyed to the public hospitals

but to die. The audience in the pit were promptly aware of the extinction of the fire, and remained in quiet expectation of the resumption of the performance, wholly unconscious of the mortal struggle that was blocking the adjoining passage with carcasses. The corpses, mostly those of the labouring classes, were all identified. Amongst the prisoners placed at the bar of the Thames Police office, we perceive the name of Peter Leith, chief mate of the ship Indian, which arrived from this port on the 12th of February, accused of having caused the death of a Jew boy, named Solomon Abrahams. The evidence of W. Hams, a seaman, which was partly corroborated by the testimony of James Pattison, another seaman, exhibited a case of the most revolting cruelty. Mr. Norton, remanded the prisoner who was admitted to bail. The " Jane Catherine," for Auckland, with ordnance and other government stores, may be hourly expected, as she had sailed upwards of a fortnight previous to the " Berhampore." The brig •« Richard Dart" was to sail for this port direct about the first week in April, and the " Pilgrim," barque, for Wellington and Auckland, about the like dale. We 'gather, from Hardy's Shipping List, of the 7th of February, that, in the teeth of the strenuous opposition of the Cape colonists, they are doomed to have convicts forced upon them. The " Neptune," of 644 tons, Captain Henderson, was to sail from Woolwich, on the j 10th, with convicts, for Bermuda and Simon's Bay. It behoves us, after such a warning, to set our house in order ; and, yet, it would almost appear that our opposition had evaporated, and our memorials gone to sleep.]

It is with feelings of the deepest regret that we have to announce the commission of another dreadful crime. A year has barelyelapsed since one monster expiated his atrocities with his life ; and we had fondly hoped that it would have been long ere such another miscreant could be found to appal the hearts of our peaceful community. Such, however, unfortunately, has not been the case, and we proceed to relate the particulars (as far as they have transpired) of as barbarous a murder as can well be conceived. On Monday morning, a pensioner, named Edward Jones, carrying on the business of a butcher, at Panmure, left that village to purchase pigs, as it is believed, at Auckland. On leaving home, Jones had his watch and about £8 in cash in his pockets. Yesterday morning as a brother pensioner was. proceeding by the short cut round Mount Wellington to Auckland—the same path by which Jones was going horne — he was alarmed on perceiving his unfoitunate comrade lying dead upon a heap of scoria, — his throat dreadfully cut, his windpipe torn out, and two sabs in his side. Jones left Auckland towards the dusk of Monday evening, on his return to Panmure, with one pig, which he had purchased. Neither money, watch, nor anything was found on the body, nor has there been any clue as yet obtained to lead to the discovery of the perpetrator of this diabolical crime. An inquest will be holden on the body, at the Panmure Inn, this day, at noon.