The New=Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 379, 1 December 1849, Page 2

The New=Zealander.

He just and fear not: Let all the cuds thou aiins't at, be thy Country's, Tliy God's, and Truth's.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1840.

vent treaty.

" My Lords and GnNTtnMEtr, " We are commanded by her Majesty to congratulate you on the happy termination of the war in the Punjaub. The exertiom made by the government of India, and the valour displayed by the army in the field d mi and her Mujesty't warmtst acknowledgments.

" Her Majesty hai observed with gratification th« pirit of obedience to the laws which bus been manifested by her subjects during the period which hat elapsed since her Majesty last addressed her parliament. " It is the churticteriitic of our constitution that it renders the maintenance of order coinpaliblc with the fullest enjoyment of civil and religious liberty, •• The satisfaction with which her Majesty hai viewed the peaceful progress of her people in arts and industry, has been greatly alloyed by the continuance of severe distress in one part of the United Kingdom. "Her Majesty hai obierved with pleasure your liberal exeitions to mitigate the pressure of this calamity, and her Majesty commands us to thank you for your unremitting attention to measures calculated to improve the general condition of Ireland. It is her Majesty's fervent hope thut it may pleaie the Almighty Disposer of events to favour the operation of those laws which have been sanctioned by Parliament, and to grant to her Iriili people, as the reward of that patience and resignation with which they have borne their protracted sufferings, the blessings of an abundant harvest and of ntenal eace." The commission of her Majesty appointing Lords Commissioner*? to prorogue parliament wai next read by the clerk at the table, the Lords Commissioners being the same (is in the preceding case. The Marquis of Landsdowne then said — My lords and gentlemen, by virtue of her Majesty's commission under the great seal to us and other lordi directed, and now read, we do, in her Majesty's name, and in obedience to her commands, prorogue parliament to Tuesday the oth day of October next, to be then hero holden; and this parliament is accordingly prorogued to Tuesday, the 9th day of October next. The proceedings then terminated. On the afternoon of the same day, (August 1) the Quern, and Prince Albert embarked on board the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert ', for Her Majesty's promised visit to Ireland. A full account of the embarkation and the arrangements for the Royal progress will be found in another column. The poceedings in Parliament during the last few days of its session were not very important, except in the wholesale disposal of measures usual at such seasons. We shall compile for our next a summary of the chief of them, as well as of othernews for which we cannot find space today. The one hundred and sixth Annual Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Ministers assembled at Manchester on the 26th of ' July. The election of President on this occasion excited more than ordinary interest; but the Rev. Joseph Fowler, whose election many were anxious to secure, was taken seriously ill just before the election. The choice fell on the Rev. Thomas Jackson, Theological Tutor of the Southern (Richmond) Branch of the Wesleyan Theological Institution, and one of the most popular ministers of the body. The numbers of the votes were, Rev. T. Jackson, 2G5 ; Rev. W. Naylor, 39 ; Rev. J. Fowler, 29 ; for Secretary, the votes were, Rev. Dr. Hannah, 206 ; Rev. John Farrar, 61 j Rev. J. Fowler, 29. Dr. Hannah was therefore of couise elscted. Sir James Duke had been elected for the City of London. Mr. Serjeant Talfourd was the successor of trip late Mr. Justice ColtMan, — an appointment which we have no doubt will give general satisfaction, as will also the nomination of Sir James Stephen to the Professorship of Modern History in the University of Cambridge, vacant by the death off William Smith, Esq.

We have intelligence from San Francisco to the 20th of September, which has reached us via Honululu, where the Hawaiian schooner Starling } from California, arrived on the 1 2th of October. The Alia California, of the 20th of September, reports that, in the course of the preceding week— from the 13th to the 19th — sixty-one vessels had arrived. They were of all classes and capacities, and from all parts of the world — including American, English, French, Hamburgh, Dutch, Bremen, Peruvian, Chilian, Ecuadorian, &c. — having made passages varying from 165 to 261 days. The aggregate of their reported passengers was 3,009, but it was thought probable that ships which had not reported any, had, nevertheless, not come without some adventurers to the land of gold. We give, without abridgment, the following from the Pacific News :—: — " Information from the Mines. — We learn from a gentleman who h?s just returned from the Tuolumne, where he has been located during the l?st two or three months, that great success has attended the search for gold in that region. He informs us that two gentlemen, obtained in two days, a few miles above Rogers' Bar, eighty ounces of gold, and that the success of others was very encouraging. " The weather at the mines is daily becoming more agreeable, and sickness is to a considerable extent, abating. "Great numbers of emigrants were daily arriving in the mining district, overland, many of whom were from Texas. " A very small proportion of those who arrive at the mines, are enabled to endure the fatigue and privations, which they are obliged to undergo ; consequenily many return to the States, others establish themselves in business at San Francisco, and at the several places of deposit on the banks of the Sacramento, Tuolumne, and other rivers. Agriculture is beginning to attract the attention of a large number, who are convinced that this branch of business will pay as well as any other. " Sacramento City, New York on the Pacific, Bernicia, and other settlements are rapidly increasing in population and busiuess, and it is

believed, that in one year from the present time, California will vie with other of the States in the Union in importance." The intelligence brought by the Fanny had been anticipated by the previous anival of the Lady Ldgh, but the circumstance of the immediate return of a vessel which had sailed from our own port with several of our townsmen as passengers, naturally gives a special interest here to the information which she brings. We subjoin extracts from a letter received from one of those who left Auckland in the Fannj/, and the statements of which may, we are satisfied, be relied on :— ** We dropped anchor on the 30th of August in thii port, and never was I more nstoniihed tliun to see such a number of ships ; I should say there are nearly 300 vessels here and more arriving every day from all nations under the iun. The town of Sun Franciico is on the beach, and mny contain about 30,000 of a population, of all shades and nations — but such a town ! "Why there are not half as muny houses here an in Auckland ; the richest merchants' warehouses, banks, hotels, and officei, being no more than tents or sheds made of unburnt bricks, and roofed wi'h canvas or calico. Property is a mere drug in the market; there are as m.my goods lying m the streets ai would furiiiih a large city for yeais to coino j indeed thtrc ar« many bhips lying now in harbour not discharged, as their cargoei would scarrrly pay the expuncew of landing. iJut to turn to the lunny side of the picture : All the accounts we heard of this place fall far short of the reality. Money is looked upon here as dirt; the commonest labourer, if he has good health, is about the best off; his wages are at the lowest five dollars per day and his board, or seven and no board, while the mechanic receives from 12 to 16 dollars per day and no board; but although mechanics' wnges are high, employment is not regular. Timbwr is exceedingly scarce and likely to be so for years to come ; the timber that belonged to the passengers per Fanny sold by auction at from £G0 to £70 per thousand. There is plenty of timber in this country, but although sawing would yield a high price, yet the great majority of people prefer going to the mines, and take ttieir chance. Town land is rather dear. Mr. X— was asked 600 dollars per n onth for a bit of ground to put up his house on, viz. 10 feet frontage; as to buying ground, a man must posieis a foitune to purchase the site for a house. I have no doubt that the house you live in at Anckland would bring a rent of £5000 per annum, if it were here. Provisions are cheap, with (he exception of vegetables, which cannot be procured at all. Bread is Gd. per pound, good beef 6J., coiFee Is., sugar, 3d. to 6d., and tea from 2i. to 4«. per to,, so that notwithstanding the high rate of wages,,a man may live as cheap as he ea .in Auckland. You may guess that lam not idle all this time. lam engaged at wellsinking, at which I have this day earned 12 dollar*, nnd can do the same to-morrow and every day (his week to come. My intention is to get used to the climate before Igo to the mines. Now of the mines :—there are vessels leaving here every day for the different settlements on the rivers; these are always full of passenger?. The fare is J< an ounce" or 16 dollars; they land you about [a bun Jred and fifty miles up. Then, there arc waggons to convey luggage from the landingplace in various directions to the mines, about 30 or 40 miles of. At these places the diggings commence an 1 each person pitches his tent: they mny amount in all to 300 or -100 tents at one of these encampments. The ownerg for the greater p >rt scatter themselves all over the coun'ry in seaich of gold— coming back to the encampment occasionally fora supply of provisions There are but few instances of theft known, as the Lymh law is summary. I have it from a person jmt come from the mines, that he saw a mun tried for stealing a tomahawk, when twelve of the men about the plucc formed a jury and seiuencei him to dip, but they subsequently mitigated the puuishmmt to cutting his ears off, shaving his head, giving him a hundred lashes, and banishing off the river. Another toll me he saw seven men hanged at once at the assizes ai they humorously call them. The Am-ricsni tnd English here appear to be of one nation fr m the similari y of language, and they look upou till others as foreigners, nor will they allow the Mexicans, Giuliani, Peruvian?, &c., to dig at some of the rivers. The greatest order and regularity prevails in the town, and if you «cc a man in the streets drunk and abusive, toke it for granted that he it an Englishman. The climate here it not good. In the mornings and evenings it is very cold and damp, and in the middle of the day warm with a thick fog almost continually. Up the river it is different ; there it is always warm, at this time of year, and dry at night, bo much so that the miners generully lie out nt night, if at any distance from their tents. Now I would not advise you to come here by any means ; the people who come here should be of strong constitution, used to hirdwork, and have no encumbrance in the way of family ; they should likewise be itrictly temperate. There are many abeconders from Anckland settled here that are now immensely rich. Doctors and Luw.vers of all nations, are allowed to practice here. A doctor's visiting fee is " an oun<:e," and some of them keep private hospitals, at which they receive patients at "an ounce" per day, ten days' pay m advance. The chief complaints are diarrhsea, cold with rheumatism, and fever, and ague. The general conclusions we draw from the papers and letters, and from the communications of the parties now amongst us who have "seen the elephant" — who have actually been in the Golden "Region — are, we believe, fully confirmatory of what we have again and again stated. There are many and strong attractions in California -.—there are many and strong repulsive realities there. Some immigrants brilliantly succeed — so far o«5 the acquisition of wealth, taken nakedly and simply by itself, can constitute the success after which men should aim; — many miserably fail, losing peace, comfort, character, health, and life, in the pursuit of what proves to them a vain and vanishing phantom : — all incur a risk, the certainty and magnitude of which should make every prudent man pauae and ponder long before he voluntarily slakes his all upon its issue. The Times concludes an article upon the letter of General Smith, which we copied in the last New Zcalander, with this pithy remark, — " It must be tolerably clear to all impartial inquirers tllat the balance of advantages in California is not so astonishingly favourable that any English artisan need travel 1 2,000 miles to secure them." Let any thoughtful man in Aucklaud weigh in his own mind the infoimalion which he can

they possessed, and urging earnest co-operation in prosecuting the search. The brig Ida, from California via Chagres, had arrived at Philadelphia with 300,000 dollars in gold dust and lumps, some of the latter weighing over 71bs ! The nomination of the Cabinet to the Ministry at London had been accepted, but Mr. Abbott Lawrence Abbot would not leave for England until about the Ist of October. The whole stock of the projected Panama Railway had been taken up at New York. The TSew York Journal predicts that, in a year, or two at furthest, the chief communication between the Atlantic and Pacific for passengers and valuable freights will be by this Railway.

The most important news from Canada ii that several serious collisions had taken place between the Roman Catholics and the Orangemen in Upper Canada. At St. Catherine's, six men had been killed, and several wounded. At Hamilton, a slieet skirmish had occurred on the 12th of July, in which nine were killed. In an altercation at Montreal on the 14th, a Roman Catholic Irishman was killeu by one of his countrymen. This, with the reports of the other fights had created much excitement in the city. The question of Separation continued to be agitated, and the " British American League" was very active.... A commission of seven gentlemen had been appointed to investigate and adjudicate claims under the obnoxious Rebellion Indemnity Bill.