The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 359, 25 September 1849, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

tic just and fear not: Lft all thc'cmls tliou aims* at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, oii<l Truth's.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1849

11.M.5. Fly, arrived on Satin day evening, with the Governoi -in-Chief, Lady Grey, and his Excellency's suite on board. Since His Excellency's depaiture, lie has visited the Bay of Islands, Wangaroa, and Monganui ; and, on his return, called at the harbour of Wangaruru. The Fly, brings intelligence that the btig Margaret, from Sydney to California, had put in at Monganui in a leaky condition.

By the late arrivals we have received (in addition to the papers from the South of New Zealand referred to in our last) Sydney files to the Blh inst., containing English news to the 30th of May, and Ilt/Nart 'loyvh papers bunging down the intelligence from home to the sth of June It will be seen from our following columns that the news possesses considerable variety and importance

On the evening of the 19th of May, London was startled by the intelligence that Her Majesty the Queen had been fired at, as she was jhiving through the Parka, aftei holding a

drawing-room in celebration of her birthday. The ruffian who committed the crime was immediately arrested. His name is John Hamilton ; an Irish bricklayer, about 22 years of age, and for some time out of employment. He declared that the pistol was only loaded with powder — that he had not the slightest wish to injure the Queen — and that he did it for the purpose of getting into prison. After several examinations, he was committed to Newgate to take his trial for a misdemeanour, under the Act sth and 6th Victoria, c. 41., by which, in such cases, the inflictian of public or private whipping, at the discretion of the Court was re-enacted, — with the view of divesting the punishment of such criminals of all rovxancc, and rendering it as degrading as possible. To this flogging, may be added imprisonment, with or without labour, or transportation. In referring to the occurrence in Parliament, Ministers stated that, as there was no ground for suspecting any treasonable intention, they did not deem it necessary to call on the House to vote congratulatory addresses on Her Majesty's escape. The joy expressed by the people, on learning that their beloved Sovereign had sustained no injuiy, was unbounded. The Observer remarks, — " If it were not for the flight and the unpleasant shock, it was well nigh worth Her Majesty's while to bethe object of this ruffian's aim on the occasion in queition, so profound has been the emotion excited In the minds of the people, — so strong the affaction that was exhibited by all classes upon intelligence of the attempt. Every one condemned the criminal, men of his own class not the least loudly. Had it not been for the police, and possibly for respect also borne to Her Majesty, he would have been torn in pieces on the spot." Colonial Reform had been fixed on by Mr. Roebuck as one of the first objects of his regards, on his re-election to the House of Commons. On the 24th of May, he moved for leave to bring in a bill for the better government of certain of our colonies. In a speech which we are told was " replete with historical details," he contended that our colonial system had proved a miserable failure, engendering general discontent ; nnd that, as compared with the Americans, we were but children in the art of colonization. They, by their superior management, induced the larger proportion of emigrants from Great Britain to settle in their wilds, while our colonies instead of being happy, prosperous, and willingly obedient to the mother country, were distressed and dissatisfied. He would place our colonies in North America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand under one and the same system ' of law, the object of which would be to secure their settlement, and to apply to them after their settlement, and then to establish a system < of federation, which after a time would be practicable with regard to them all, with the exception of New Zealand. He would admit these Colonies as the Americans did their new States, on their arriving at a certain maturity ; and, having thus admitted them, there should | be a perfect system of free-trade between them and the mother country. His principle would ( at once constitute the Canadas into a great confederate state, — a position, for which they were already ripe He would again separate Upper and Lower Canada, giving to each a separate Legislature, and having a federal Legislature for both, with a Governor-General appointed by the home country. Mr. Hawes opposed the proposition as wholly impracticable. He declared, however, that he would resist no change which might be found necessary, ; and announced his intention to bring forward immediately a Bill for granting local self-government to the Australian colonies... Lord John Russell, and Mr. Gladstone urged that a scheme of such magnitude would require the most mature consideration before it was approved 0f, ...Mr. Roebuck's motion was supported by Mr. Anstey, Mr. Wyld, and Mr. Aglionby ; opposed by Mr. M'Gregor, Mr. Y. Smith, and Mr. Adderley ; — and ultimately negatived by a majority of 116 over 73. In the summaries of English news given by our colonial contemporaries, we find inconsistent statements respecting the progress of the Bill for the Repeal of the Navigation Laws. One or two represent the measure as having actually passed the House of Lords, and I even received the Royal assent. The most probable account is that, on the 24th of May, [ tw o amendments were lost in committee, and [ Lord Stanley then declared that he would withdraw as useless further opposition at that stage ; that the Bill was reported on the 25th, and ordered to be read a third time on the 12th of June. If this be correct, its final success was almost beyond doubt. I The Irish Rate-in-Aid Bill had received the Royal Assent. In reply to a question by Sir W. Molesworth, Mr. Hawes stated that he could give no pledge that a cessation of transportation to Van Diemen's Land would take place ; at the same time, it was the Mrish of the Government to send out as few convirts as possible. A Return, which on the motion of Mr. Vernon Smith, had been laid on the table of the House of Commons, showed that, within the last five years, a sum of £2,052,935 was paid in the Australian and miscellaneous possessions for the maintenance of troops, and commissariat expenses. .. .It appeared from other returns, moved for by Mr, JScott, that the

number of persons approved by the Commissioners, as emigrants for the Australian colonies, since the 31st December, 1848, was 6,224, and the number of free passages granted to emigrants from the counties of Dorset and Wilts, 235 : also, that the amount paid to selecting agents in 1547, amounted to £1,592, and in 1848, to £5,626. A petition had been presented from certain shareholders of the Eastern Counties Railway, praying that Mr. Hudson, Mr. Bagshaw, and Mr. Waddington, three of the directors, should be expelled from the House of Commons for corrupt practice!, and that steps should be Jtaken " to prevent the continuance of such false and scandalous practices, whereby Her Majesty's subjects were much damnified." Those gentlemen severally denied that in their railway transactions they had been guilty of anything beyond error in judgment. Mr. Hudson, against whom especially, charges were made, entered into fuller explanations than the railway meetings had been able to obtain from him. Still, much remained to be " explained," and a committee of the House was sitting to inquire into the whole matter. Agricultural distress prevailed in several paits of England. Many traced the depression in the markets to the operation of free-trade. It appears that Lord Grey was so well satisfied with the plan of sending pensioners as colonists to New Zealand, that he had determined in consequence of its " successful result" here — (we should like to be informed what this " success" consists in !) to attempt an extension of the same mode of " military colonization" to other colonies beginning with the Falkland Islands, and Vancouver's Island. The Reports and Accounts of the New Zealand Company were carried at a meeting held on the 31st of May ; and it is said that the statements of progress during the last year gave great satisfaction to the majority. Incidental discussions of some length were raised chiefly on the question of the settlement of land claims, and the system of " nominee government." i The following official changes had taken ' place in consequence of Mr. Ward's appointment to the Chief Commissionership of the lonian Islands : — Mr. Ward had been succeeded, as Secretary to the Admiralty, by Mr. J. Parker, (who had been, with Mr. Tufnell, joint Secretary of the Treasury) ; and Mr. Hayter replaced Mr. Parker at the Treasury. , ....Sir David Dundas, (late Solicitor General) was appointed Judge Advocate. . ..Sir George Anson was to succeed the late Sir Edward Paget as Governor of Chelsea Hospital ; and Sir Colin Halkett to be Lieutenant- ; Governor of that Institution .... Mr. Wood, Q.C.. one of the members for Oxford, had been appointed to the Vice- Chancellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster, vacant by the decease of Mr. Horace Twiss. The Lords of the Admiralty had despatched i the North Star — a strong and beautiful vessel specially fitted out for the Arctic Regions — in search of Sir John Franklin's expedition. She i sailed from Woolwich on the 12th of May, I with the Stromholi steam-sloop, which was orj dered to tow her to the edge of the ice. A vessel was immediately to start, to be stationed | at a certain point in the North Seas, so that the North Star may be enabled to transmit despatches to it to be forwarded to England. .... Lady Franklin had written an eloquent and affecting letter to the President of the United States, entreating that America should earnestly unite with Russia and England in the search for her husband and his brave companions. A prompt reply from Mr. Clayton (dated " Department of State, Washington, April 25, 1849") promised cordial and immediate compliance with her desire, assuring : her that the aid of American navigators, and especially whalers, would be at once invoked, and information to guide in discovering the missing ships spread far and wide. The Great South Sea Fishery Company had at length been started, a farewell dinner having | been given to Mr. Enderby, in London, pre- j vious to his departure for the Auckland Is- 1 lands. The East India Company have given notice that, on and after the Ist day of June 1850, they will reduce their rate of interest from 4^ to 3^ per cent. Amongst the deaths announced are : — in his 49th year the Duke of St. Albans, Hereditary Grand Falconer ; he died after a lengthened illness arising from injuries by a fall while hunting: — in) her 83rd year, at Edgeworths- 1 town, county Longford, Maria Edge worth, the celebrated Irish novelist : — in his 78th year, Mr. Robert Vernon, long known as a judicious and liberal collector of works of art, and more recently by his munificent gift to the public of the " Vernon Gallery," a collection of pictures the works of English artists : — Admiral j Sir Nesbit Josiah Willoughby, C.B. : — Sir | John Smyth, Bart., of Long Ashton Park, Staffordshire : — Sir Adam Drummond, X.C.8., Admiral of the Blue : — aged 73, General the Hon. Sir Edward Paget, G.C.8., Governor of Chelsea Hospital : — Sir Thomas Bouchier, X.C.8., who had received the Knight Commandeiship of the Bath in requital of his gallant sei vices in th e Chinese War : — Lieutenant General Sir Joseph Nicolls, X.C.8., Colonel of the sbh Fusileers . — at Cork, Vice-Admiral Sir S. H. Butcher : — on the 9th of May, almost suddenly, General Sir Robert T. Wilson, Co-

lonel of the 15th Hussars, whose name was connected with several stirring military and political events during the last half century :—: — Sir Edward Knatchbull, Bart : — and Mr. Fielden, M.P. for Oldham. The Reports from unhappy Ireland present an uniformity in theiv statements of wretchedness, only broken of late by the increasing depth of the gloom in each successive account. It seems no exaggeration to say tlj^t thousands were perishing through destitution and fever. We read of families sick and dying on the high roads ; mothers carrying the coffinless and shroudless remains of their children for burial along the thoroughfares ; the bodies of some, dead of famine in retired places, found half- devoured by beasts ; and similar harrowing horrors are detailed on but too indubitable authority. In the midst of this, evictions of tenantry were taking place to a large extent. One landlord, Mr. Massey Dawson, is alleged — (but the charge is almost too bad to be believed) — to have levelled to the ground a village in which upwards of 500 fugitives from various "cleared" farms in the district had sought a temporary refuge. While such is the case in some localities, in others the farmers cannot find men to cultivate the ground, so completely has the population been swept away death, eviction, or emigration. In parts of the county Clare, we are told, many of the evicted tenantry were living in turf pits, scooped out of the bogs, and turned in at the tops with branches of trees. In some of these subterraneons dungeons at Kilrush, families were found lying in fever. The destitution in the west and south had induced the General Central Relief Committee for Ireland, (of which the Marquis of Kildare is Chairman and the Protestant and Romish Archbishops of Dublin, members) to resume their benevolent efforts ; but it is to be feared with little pros* pect of funds even^approaching to what the immediate urgency of the case demands. Great efforts were made to obtain pardon for Smith OBrien and his fellow-prisoners. A memorial to the Lord-Lieutenant to this effect had been signed by thousands, including persons of all ranks and parties. Dr. Dickson, Professor of Scripture in Maynooth College had been elected Roman Catholic Primate of Ireland, vice the late Dr. Crolly. He is said to be moderate in his political views. The Emigration movement was particularly active in the North. On one morning in May, three vessels fully freighted sailed from Belfast jWith emigrants [for Canada and th« United States. The Northern Whig states that they were of the most substantial class that have left Ulster for very many years, most of them taking out more money than would be required for their immediate necessities. The fact seems to be that numbers of those who have the means to transport themselves to other countries are glad to escape from the present and threatening distress in Ireland ; — while the multitudes of peasantry who cannot accomplish this, perforce remain at home, with little other prospect in many cases then to suffer, starve, and die. And yet, in the midst of such scenes -as Ireland presented, the Priests were willing to ask and able to obtain, considerable contributions in aid of the Pope ! In Scotland the contention for the Moderatorship of the General Assembly of the Established Church ended in favour of Dr. Simpson, who was elected by a majority of 191 to 75 over Dr. 8e11 .... Dr. Mackay, of Dunoon,, was the Moderator of the Free Church.. ... James Ivory, Esq., was gazetted as one of the Lords of Justiciary in Scotland, in the room of J. Hay Forbes, Esq*, resigned.

We have news from India by the Colombo j Observer Extraordinary of April 26. Lord Gough had issued a *• farewell and adieu to I the army of the Punjaub/' which we shall copy in a future number. It is throughout indicative of the kindliness of the brave old man's heart •• • • Cantonments were being prepared at Pashawur, for the accommodation of 6000 men, the force expected to be for some time established on that part of the frontier, where the Bombay column would remain. SirW. R o Gilbert was to leave for Lahore, the command of the force on his departure devolving on Brigadier General the Hon. H. Dundas. . . .It was I believed that there would be no augmentation of the army consequent on the annexation of the Punjaub, as Lord Dalhousie thought we might maintain India now with 60,000 men, and 830 British officers ihore than we possessed [when the Affghan war began.. ..There was little doubt that Moolraj would be executed, as the proof of his guilt iv the murder of Messrs. Agnew and Anderson was overwhelming, and he had completely failed in his attempt to implicate any of the Durbar in it. | The new government of the Punjaub had been organised, with Sir Henry Lawrence at | its head, and Major Edwardes as its Secretary. Serjeants Bennett and Mallett had had commissions conferred on them for their bravery ; and several native officers and soldiers had been admitted into the Indian Older of Merit. A medal commemorative of the campaign was to be struck, and all the regiments employed were to bear the word " Punjaub " on their colours. We may here add, that we learn from the English papers that Lord Gough was to be advanced to the rank of Viscount, and Sir

Walter Gilbert, (a totally unfounded report of whose death had been circulated), raised to the peerage.

Lord Elgin's despatch (which will he fouud in another column) is an ahle document, giving a comprehensive and apparently impartial account of the causes and character of the late outbreak. It will be seen that his lordship expresses (although cautiously) an anticipation that tranquillity would be restored and maintained ; and we observe that Lord Grey, in his usual tone of confident assertion, repeated this opinion strongly in the House of Lords. But it is difficult to believe that elements of dissatisfaction so wide -spread and deep-seated as those the existence of which is admitted by the Governor himself, will be thus easily reduced to anything beyond a temporary and precarious acquiescence. The facts do not promise more than this. The Governor has since the outbreak, been, on every opportunity, assailed with hisses, groans, curses, and missiles. The Association known as the " British American" League, was increasing rapidly in numbers, and extending its branches through the Upper Province. The British party, however, had issued an address in favor of peace, which operated as a check to rioting, although disorder was renewed for a short time by the arming of a number of young French Cana dians as SI " Guaid," officered by men who were notoriously implicated in the rebellion of 1837-8. A deputation waited on the General, and assured him that if the arms were not taken from these "special constables," the British party would themselves proceed to take them ;— an intimation which produced its intended eflect. An address to the GovernorGeneral on the subject of the outbreak, was carried in the Legislative Council, by 1 1 votes to 6, after along and warm discussion. The latest intelligence stales that, on the 11th of May, a riot took place at Montreal. The Governor was dining with the members and friends of the Cabinet, when a mob commenced an attack on the house. Several shots were fired from the hotel ; but on the arrival of the troops, the people dispersed, no life having been lost. The city subsequently remained quiet, and the accounts from different patrs of the country described no more serious infraction of the peace than the burning the Grovernor in effigy, which was done in sevetal localities, It was beMeved that Sir Alan M'Nab was about to proceed to England as an agent of his party, feo urge the Home Government to disallow the Rebellion Indemnity Bill, and to recall Lord Elgin, "as the only method by which British dominion in Canada can be maintained." A dreadful riot, attended with an appalling loss of life, had taken place at New York, in consequence of the efforts of a fuiious mob, excited by the prejudiced statements of an actor named Forrest, to drive Mr. Macready,the distinguished English tragedian, from the American stage. We have not room to-day for any particulars ; but the melancholy fact is, that the violence of the mob in the neighbourhood of theAstor House Theatre, on the 11th of May, compelled the military to fire on them, with the fatal result of killing twenty-two persons, and dangerously wounding many more.

The most important intelligence from the neighbouring colonies, is the arrival at Hobart Town, of a Report of the Privy Council on the subject of Representative Institutions. Notwithstanding the length of this document, we shall endeavour to place it on record in our columns, giving, if possible, a portion of it on Thursday. We are also compelled by the accumulation of matter now on our table to defer till then further summaries and extracts, including some from the journals of our " sister settlements '' in the South — which, however, as we intimated in our last, present but few points of general or immediate interest. The elections in France had terminated, and the last moments of the National Constituent Assembly, and the inauguration of the new Legislative Assembly of the Republic had passed over without any of the disturbances which 'had been apprehended at Paris. The sitting of the first few days were occupied in verification of the election returns. Nothing definite had been done with respect to the re- *. construction of the ministry. There is intelligence from Rome to the 23rd of May. An armistice batween the French and Roman troops had been agreed to. M. Lesseps, as Envoy from France, had made certain propositions, which the Roman Constituent Assembly rejected. French reinforcements we re arriving. The hostilities in Schleswig Holstein were progressing, though slowly. . . .The only positive news from the seat of war between Austria and Hungary was the fall of Buda into the hands of the Magyars.... A Council of War at St. Petersburgh had protested against any interference of Russia, in the disputes of the European Courts . The Emperor was much displeased at this result of the meeting.