The New=Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 6, Issue 456, 28 August 1850, Page 2

The New=Zealander.

Be just and fear not : Let all the ends thou airas't at, be thy Country's, Thy God'i ( and Truth's.

WEDNESDAY, AtJGUST 28, 1850.

The Mod, — which arrived in our pott on Sanday evening after one of her usual rapid passages—brings intelligence of considerable im-

portance from Sydney, (which will be found below), but scarcely anything so late from England as the news which appeared in our columns of Saturdayt The Herald had, indeed, nominally, news to the 28th of April, received via California by the Colonist ; but it appears to have been gleaned from a single San Francisco paper,— and our Sydney contemporary says, " the paper before us, gives very little information." Even the important division, on the 19th of April, on Sir William Molesworth's motion for two Chambeis in the new Australian Legislatures (published in our last) was not known in Sydney. The only item of political intelligence of which we were not in possession was a rumour of a change of Ministry, to which the (London) Herald gave currency, but which was denied by the Times, Our previously received sources of information therefore retain their value, and on them we draw again to day, particularly in the Foreign Summaries which we subjoin.

The Anti- Transportation people of Sydney, who had cherished the undoubting confidence that their Governor was cordially with them in their hostility to convictism, were— as the Herald expresses it—" startled and shocked at the sudden apparition" of a Despatch from Sir C. A. Fitzßoy to Earl Grey, which was published in its columns on the 9th instant, and by which, says our contemporary " he in whom we had confided as our staunch and powerful friend, was held up to our astonished and indignant gaze as our covert and insidious enemy." At this Despatch has already produced strongly excited feeling and action, and is obviously destined to be the subject of frequent refeience on future occasions, we introduce it here as fully as it is given in the Herald : (No. 140.) Extract of a Despatch from Governor Sir C. A. Fitz Roy to Earl Grey. Government House, Sjdney, June 30, 1849 1. It is my duty to transmit to your L>rd«hip two documents which bare been placed in my hands for that, purpose. 2. Tlie first bears the title of a " Protest adopted at a public meeting of the inhabitants of Syduey, held it at the Circular Quay, on Monday, li>h June 1849, agiinit the transportation of British Criminals to the colony of New South Wales ;" to which is appended a copy of resolutions passed at the same meeting, Ist, requesting " that the local Government do tend the piiioners arrived in the Hashemy, im nediately bitck to England, if necessary, at the expense of the colony :" and, 2ndly, " that a deputation be appointed to w«it immediately upon bis Excellency the Governor with the protest and resolutions now adopted, to request him to forward them to her Majesty the Queen." 3 . The second document is a petition to (he Qusen, adopted at a public meeting he d on the IBtli June, prajing, Ist, "That her Majesty would extend responsible government to this colony:" 2ndljr, "That her M jes y won id be pleased to remote yonr Lordship from her Councils." with a copy of the resolutions pdi.d in support of the same. 4. I also consider it my duty to annex a copy of • letter from the Chairmau, who officiated at both meetings, to the Colouial Secretary of this Government repueiting him to forward the petitions and resolutions of the 18th June to mo *' for transmission to her Most Gracious Majesty," 5. And I further transmit copies of the Sydney Morning Herald, containing reports o ! the proceedings of the two public meetings held on the 11th and 18th June. 6. In forwarding these documents, I feel it right to call your Lordship's attention o the circunistaure of the protest and resolutions adopted at the first meeting haveing been presented to me by a deputation; but thai on account of some alleged dncourf sy on my p^r towards this deputation (which accusation I need scaicely say is utterly devoid of trn-h, ml wii, I believe merely asserted as a plea for getting up another meet ing), the petition and resolution* arloptcl at the second meeting were transmitted to me through the Colonial Secretary. 7. 1 further deem it my duty to staip that the accounts published in the Sydney Morning Herald of the number and respectability oi Ibe pusons who attended these meetings, and of the sensation alleged to have cteen created by the addresses of the speakers, are grossly exaggerated. 8. Notwithstanding the efforts tha' had been made for some months by the Sydney Morning Herald the only daily paper published iv Sydney, and by persons interested in i flaming the minds of the lower orders of the popul&'ion, and iv exciting them to proceed to acts of violence on the arrival of the first convict ship j and notwithstanding that each of these meetings wan held on a Monday, a day quite as much (if not more) kept ai a holiday by the operatives of Sydney as by those in the mother country. I can positively »Ute that the actual attendance did not exceed hundreds, where thou sandi are represented to have been present, and of these a great portion were more idlers (particularly at the second meeting), attracted by curiosity, but with no intention of taking any part in the proceedings; while of those who did take part in the proceedings there was, with scarcely an acception, no person who had any stake or influence In the community. 9. There can be no doubt, and it would be most improper were I to endeavour to conceal the fact, that s considerable reaction in public feeling here has taken place since the year 1846 and that many of those who then desired the renewal of transportation have become in consequence of the extensive immigration now in progress and front various other causes, averse to this measure ; but I can very confidently assure your Lordship, that, among respectable people of all classes of the community, whether favourable or unfavourable to transportation, there is a very general feeling of indignation at the attempts that have been recently made to foment disturbance and dissension, and at the question of.the resumption of transportation having been seized by a small faction, whose influence only extends to the moo cf Sydney, as a pretext for wautonly insultiug your Lordship, and passing a vote of censure upon my« hell. 10. Upon the merits of that question various and opposite opinions are entertained by many of the most respectable and influential inhabitants of the colony ; but I believe there it no reasonable person in it who considers that your 'Lordship's present plan of sending out convicts is in any way a breach of faith, or deserving of the violent or unqualified denouncement it has received from the agitators of the late meetings ; and it may be v\orthy of iem»rk thujt one of the lending men among

them, Mr. I.ovre, who ii reported to hare inveighed in the uiost violent terms against it, was one of the moit zraluui mrmbcra of the Transportation Committe of the Legi«la ;v. Cou 1 nl in 1846. and at the closs of the lhStSesiion declared that he •till indentified himself with that Committee. * * • * * 12. Ai your Lordship may require some corroboration of the loregoing statementi, I hare the honour to annex, ltt. A copy of a memorandum of the reply which I returned to the deputation which waited upon me with the proceedings of the first meeting to which I h iTe referred ; and in which I upprelxfod that your Lnrdthip will not discover any expresiions of discourtesy. 2nd. Copies of two addresses, repudiating and condemnin? the proceedings of the late meetings ; one preiented to me on the 291h instant, by the Mayor of Sydney, at the head of a deputation from 1800 of the most respectable, independent, and influential inhabitants of the city and its neighbourhood, and which the Mhyor stated would have been much more numerously signed had it not been the earnest wish that it thonld be presented to me at the earliest possible period. The other, which has not yet been preiented to me, being still in course of signature, I understand originated with the members of the Australian Club—an institution to which none but gentlemen of the highest character, station and respectability in the colony are admitted. To this addreis, I am informed, a great number of signatures have been already attached ; but from a wiih to give as many gentlemen as possible ; from the country an opportunity of signing it, it has not yet been presented. 3rd. A] report which I bave received from the Superintendent of the Sydney Police, than whom no person in the colony is more competent to reckon the numbers of an assemble! multitude. * 4th. A memorial from a number of magistrates, stockholders, and other residents in the districts of Moreton Biy, Darling 1 Downs, and the Burnett requesting that one or more of the vessels expected from England with prisoners of the Crown may land such piisoners at the port either at Moreton Bay or Wide Bay. And lastly, a return from the principal Supeiinten. dent of Convicts, showiug the number of applications that have been made by the Benches of Magistrates and other* in the country di«i nets, to have convicts formal ded to them on their arrival. 13. There is only one other point that it may be advisible that I should explain : I allude to the statement made by gome of the speakers at the meeting of the 18th June, of my having endeavoured to overaue the proceedings of the former meeting by an unnecessary display ot military force. In reply to this I have merely to state that it appeared to me to be advisable, after the pains that bnd been taken to inflame the minds of the loner classes in Sydney, and to mitigate them to proceed to what was termed a demonstration of physical force, to have in hand a sufficient number of troops to assist, in rase of necessity, the police in putting a stop to any acts of violence ; but the few men added to the ordinary guard stationed at the en' ranee ot the private grounds of the Government House, clone to which the meeting was held, were kept carefully out of sight, and there was no military display wbatt-ver. 14. 1 have said in a part former of this despatch that the Morning Herald is the only daily paper published in Sydney. There is indeed only one weekly paper of any extended circulation but aH that is extensively circulation in the country and among the lower clakseSt with whom it has considerable influence, I transmit two numbers, in which appear leading articles condemning the proceedings that have taken place. I have, &c, (Signed) C. A. FITZ ROY The Rt»ht Hon. Earl Grey, &c , &c , Sec. P. S. — I venture to call your Lordship's attention to thi artifice resorted to in the rekolution appended to the petition to her Majesty adopted on the 18th June, to the effect that that petition sbould be signed by tbe chairman only on behalf of the meeting as it i- quite evident thai had the meeting been numeious and had it been comp sed of respectable and influential persons there enn be no doubt that the signature of each individual present would have been attached to a document of such alleged importance. The indignation called forth by this Despatch was partly founded on " the false impression it conveyed as to the state of public opinion on the Convict question," — " the whole drift of it being to persuade his Lordship that if the convicts came, the respectable and influential colonists would receive them cheerfully, and their arrival would be offensive to none but the rabble :" — and, partly, on its contradicting notorious facts respecting the numbers and character of those who attended the Public Meetings of June, 1849, and its imputing to the principal persons connected with them falsehood, exaggeration, and artifice. Steps were immediately taken to elicit a demonstration on the subject, and the result was a Public Meeting held near the Circular Quay on the 12th instant. With respect to the attendance on this occasion, the Herald says, " In order to prevent any error, the Re* potter took the opinion of several competent persons, and the lowest estimate was that there were 4000 persons present." Robert Campbell, Esq., occupied the Chair, and several speeches were delivered, in which denunciations of the Despatch and of its writer were poured forth with an earnestness which, we must say, not only frequently ruse to vehemence, but sometimes — as the friendly Herald declares — degenerated into " vulgar abuse," and a " daring latitude of vituperation." It is a misfortune perhaps inseperable from popular assemblages that any cause is thus liable to be injured by the violence of its adherents. The conclusions arrived at by the Meeting, may, however, be best learned from the Resolutions which we therefore quote. Moved by Mr. Henry Parkes, seconded by Mr. G-. A. Lloyd, 1. That this Meeting having had under its consider* ation a Despatch front His Excellency Sir Charles A. Fitz Roy, dated June 30th 1849. transmitting to Earl Grey the Great Protest of the inhabitants of Sydney in Public Meeting assembled, against the renewal of Transportation, hereby declares that in that Despatch | His Excellency has, in » cue of tbe utmost importI ance to the general welfare of this colony, grossly misrepresented a series of facts of public notoriety, trtduoed the character of a large majority of the colonists of alt clisici, and in all par)* of the tog'Wft vA

betrayed the interests of ihe colony into the ha ndeof its enemiei. Moved by Rev. Dr. Fullerton, seconded by Dr. Aaron, 2. That this Meeting, aware of the insidious efforts of an interested and nqmrricnlly i-i«i<?nificaiit section of tlie coloni*n to r< -establish Transportation to this colony, Mid apprehensive of the partial success of these effort*, when tieacherously commended to Her Mij c sty's fdvisers by ihe lucid Government, feels bound to declare its deliberate oj>enion that no laith can be placed in thr promises ol the Secretary of State for the Colonies in tins momentous question, and tlurefore it eolvmnly demands the immediate and final revocation of (he Order in Council making N«"w South Waleti a penal settlement. Moved by Mr. J. R. Wilsiiire, J.P., seconded by Mr. J. M. Grant, 3. That this Meeting den'arc i's opinion that the Despatch of Sir Charles A. Fiiz Roy tts'ifies his incapacity for, and uiiwoit-iiness of, tlie responsible office of Governor of this Colony, and ea neatly pruys fiotn Her Maj s'y his iiiitiiul lemoval theiefrom. Moved by Dr. Lang, seconded by Mr. R. Peek, 4. That in accordance with the resolution adopted by the Public Meeting of 18th June, 1849, this Meeting reiteratts its opinion — " That it is indispensable to the well-being of this colony, and to the satisfactory conduct of its affairs, and its Governmnnt should no longer be adminisieied by th>- remote, ill infoimed. and irresponidhle Colonial Office; but by Ministers chosen from, and responsible to the colonists themselves in accordance with the principles of the Brit'Hh CoMbiitu'ion." Moved by Mr. E. Flood, J.P. (ex-Mayor), seconded by Mr. Robey, 5. Hut a mi-moral, emhod)in? these, resolutions, signed by the Chairman on behalf <>f tint Meeting, be transmitted through the Local Government to Her i\J»je-fy the Qu<en. These various resolutions were carried by acclamation. The only attempt at opposition was by Mr. Rfdman, who came foiuard to speak against the third Resolution ; but " the notes of disapprobation weie so loud and continuous that he was compelled to retire." Indeed t e strongest feelu.g of indignation prevailed, not only at the Meeting, but (.is we are informed frum private source*) amongst the public generally ; and unless there be some mode of vindicating Sir ' iiarles Fitzßoy — which we have not ingenuity enough to conjecture — he stands in a position which very many poor men would not occupy, though all the honours of his Governorship were to be made over to them with it.

France continued in an unsettled state at the last dates, and trade, agriculture, and the general interests of the country were suffering from apprehensions of fuither political changes. The Republican Government had imposed various restrictions on the pi ess, and on other means of free discussion, which exceeded in stringency any of the acts of the monaichy ; and although they may tiuly plead that the experience of social danger since has given them a warrant for such proceedings which did not then exist, yet, as the Atlas observes, " the general population of the country are not a whit the more likely to be satisfied on that account." The immediate point of engrossing interest in April was a trial of strength between the Socialist party, and the " Party of Order," as to the Paris election which was to take place on the 28th of that month. On the night of Saturday the 13th, the Socialist Conclave of Delegates assembled to ballot for their candidate for the metropolis. Having proceeded to business about midnight, they continued for thirteen hours, that is until the afternoon of Sunday, discussing the merits of the several persons btought before their notice. For a long time there seemed little probability of their agreeing in the selection of a man coming up to their requirement,,that he should be — "not a Socialist merely, but one whose celebrity should be an unequivocal expression of Socialism, and sufficiently universal to create the interest of all persons in Ins success." At length they, by a majority of 143 to SO, fixed on the well-known romance-writer Eugene Sue. His strenuous adherence to Socialism, particularly to the dogma that "no man is entitled to superfluity while his neighbour is in want," commended him on political grounds, and his great popularity as a novelist, amongst the unhappily large classes of readers with whom immorality or indelicacy is no great objection to a clever book, would no doubt secure for him many additional votes. The Party of Order had been successful, however, in finding a candidate possessed of a strong hold on the public mind. This was M. Lecleuc, a wealthy paper merchant now, but formerly an officer, who had in 1830 received from Louis Philippe the Crost of July, and had been created by Cavaignac a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour for his gallantry in the insurrection of June, 1848. On that occasion it is slated that his eldest son was shot dean by his side. He raised the lifeless body and bore it in his arms to his house. He then took the arms worn by his son, and, placing them in the hands of his second child, a lad of 18, charged him to go and emulate his brother by fighting on the side of order and as a good citizen, — a mandate which the youth instantly obeyed, going with his father to the barricade, while his mother remained to perform the last offices to the corpse of her slaughtered son. The recollection of such a transaction as this might in many French ininds counterbalance the claims arising from M. Sue's sentimental fictions. Jkit the issue of the election seemed as uncertain, as it was oft all hands admitted to be important.

A dreadful catastrophe had occurred on the 16th of April, involving the loss of the lives of between two hundred and three hundred men of the 11th Regiment of Light Infantry. In marching from Angers to Rcnnes the troops had to cross the wire suspension-bridge over the Marne ; it appears that, instead of breaking into sections as they were advised to do, they advanced in close column ; the bridge gave way, and no less than four companies were precipitated into the river, with the fiightful ie.su lt we have stated. Every possible effort to save thorn was made by their comrades and the authorities and people of the town, but the raging of a violent storm at the time rendered the endeavour of but little avail. The PiUiSim.NT of the Republic had conferred rewards of various kinds on those who had made the attempt ; and yet M. Pkoudiion, in an article in the Voix dv Pcuplc, in suppoit of Eugene Sue, had not hesitated to insinuate that, the battalion having shown signs of insubordination, the Government had sent it over a rotten bridge, to punish it for its disaffection! Such are the Lngths to which party rancour impels men. The article had excited strong indignation amongst the majority of the Legislative Assembly. It may be noted as a somewhat curious coincidence that while this calamity was in progress, another battalion of the same Regiment was actually engaged at Saumur m a serious collision with the Red Republicans and Socialists, who — having unsuccessfully striven to 'nduce them to manifest a similarly disaffected spirit with that which their comrades at Angers displayed — mustered at a review, and made party demonstrations which led to a direction from the authorities that they should be dispersed, which was done effectually, the soldiers of the 11th manifesting special zeal in carrying out the order. The visit of the Marquis of Cliniucarde (Postmaster General) to Paris for the purpose of entering into a new postal treaty with the French Government had been most successful. The postage on letters between the United Kingdom and France was to be reduced from lOd. to 6d., and the weight to be assimilated on the English plan. This arrangement, moreover, was not to be confined to letters between the two countries ; but was to extend to all letters passing through France to other parts of the continent.

" The Return of the Pope to Rome" has for a longtime been almost a constant heading in the papers ; followed almost as constantly by the contradictory statement, — " The Pope has not yet returned." It is at last, however, likely, if not certain, that lhs Holiness did actually re-enter the " Eternal City" about the middle of April. On the 9th of that month, a formal announcement was issued from the Quirinal that " the ingress of His Holiness" would take place on the Friday following—the 12th. Thete was no account by the regular mail of his arihal, but it was stated that the French Government had received, by telegraphic despatch, intelligence that the Pope had re-entered the City, and that "he had met with an enthusiastic reception, and had given by his language great hopes to the Moderate patty." Inflammatory placatds and addresses, and other demonstrations of hostile feeling showed however, that the public mind was fai from being at rest; and it was believed that his Cabinet would evidence but little fiiendliness towards ajiy concessions which 11 is llolinfss might be disposed to make to his subjects.

By the Lord William Bentinck we yesteiday received our usual English files to the date of that vessel's sailing from London. We no doubt shall find in them abundant matter for future extracts ; but the intelligence which had already reached us via California, had, as our readers know, anticipated this by nearly a month.

We learn with regret that the disputes respecting the lands of the Waikato Natives do not appear so fully adjusted as, a short time ago, there was every reason to suppose ; and that, about a fortnight since, a collision between the contending parties, which must have issued in lamentable results, had all but taken place. The circumstances, we are informed, were as follows. A paity of the Ngatimahuta tribe came from Waipa to Waingaroa, and by night entered the pa which Mr. Ligar had succeeded in having closed last summer, and which it was then agreed they should not again occupy. The Ngatitahinga, the occupants of the Horea pa, were so displeased at this breach of faith on the part of the Waikatos — especially as Te Whero Wiiero had just received a sum of £50 from the Government, on the understanding thai his people should not visit llorea again with hostile intentions — that they resolved upon making an attack on the Waikatos' pa, for the purpose of burning it down, and driving them back to Waipa. After they had fixed the time for these operations, the Rev. James Wallis learned their intentions from themselves. He of course endeavoured to dissuade them from their purpose, and so far succeeded as to elicit from them a promise that they would not burn the pa, but would confine themselves to the defence of their cultivations. Early the next morning, however, a different spirit possessed them, and they determined to

act according to their oiigin.il plan. Mi. Wallis, hearing of this change of mind, immediately went to them. On his arrival, he found them greatly excited, in consequence of violent speeches delivered hy some of the Chiefs in opposition to the advice which he had given them. They told him that they had now resolved to enter the pa, and order the Waikatos off. After unsuccessfully attempting to divert them from this purpose, Mr. Wallis went to the Ngatimahuta party in the hope of inducing them to yield a little ; hut in this also he was disappointed. He then returned to the Ngatitahinga, and found them alteady armed and accoutred for the attack. On this, he iirmly told them that if Jhey were determined to enter the Waikato pa, they must trample him down, as he would certainly stand in the gateivay to oppose their passage. This declaration, which they saw was made in earnest, caused them to waver a little, especially as they knew that if they persisted in the attack they might lose their lives ; hut a struggle arose between any disposition to give up the project, and pride — lest they should incur disgrace by not going to the pa after all their mighty expressions of valour. Mr. Wallis endeavoured to meet this case, hy offering to head them in a visit to it, — a proposition which was agreed to and at once acted on. As they approached the pa, Mr. Wallis ran before, and took his stand against the outer fence, the Waikatos being on the inside close behind him. His party seeing the danger to which he must be exposed if they attempted to break down any portion of the pa, — which the Waikatos had declared should be the signal for their firmg — satisfied themselves by placing their muskets against it. After their usual war-dance, and some expressions of defiance on both sides, the Ngatitahunga returned to their pa ; and thus, another was added to the numerous instances in which sanguinary conflicts amongst the Natives have been averted by missionary influence and intrepidity. Since this affair, each party has commenced cultivating ; but they work with their loaded muskets beside them ;—only too plain an indication of the uncertainty how long even this kind of armed neutrality may continue. Much blame must attach to Te Wiiero Wiiero in the matter, if — as we aie assured — he has not exerted himself in any degree to keep his people away, although he received the sum of money from Government to which we have alluded, on conditions, having reference to his tilbe, as well as to himself individually.

By the Overland Mail we have Wellington Papers to the 271h of July inclusive. The only intelligence of any impoi lance in them is contained in the following extract from the Spectator of that date (the 27th). Lust Tuesday* Government Gazelle contains the following notices and appointments :— A notoi of the postponement till October of the meeting of the Legislative Council of thin Province with a copy of ihe Governor-in- Chief's despatch containing imtructions to that effect —A list of the bills to be brought before the Council of this Province at their next sittingi, viz., a bill for thf Nuturalizilion of eertuin persons in the Piovince of New Minister; a bill to niter the mode of proceeding in the recover)' of debts under in toe Courri of Resident Mngistiatcs in • the Prvince of New Munsterj a bill to confer upon Resident Magistrales the power to isiue warrants for the apprehensions of debtors intendin;; to leave the colony ; a bill to amend ths Town Roads and Streets Ordinance passed last Session ; a bill to amendthe Country Roads Ordinance do : a bill to appropriate the Revenue of the year 1800 51 ; a bill amend the Do;* Nuisnnce Ordinance of iHst Se»sion ; a bill to fix llie amount of the salary of His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor of New Mnnster; a bill to incoiporate a ]Joa d of Commissioners for National Education, and abjll for taking 11 census of Now Mun^ter ;— a notice respecting bush licences, and tile appointment of A. C. Strode Ksq , te he Resident Magistrate «nd Sub- Treasurer for the district ofOtatjo,

Auckland Mechanics' Institute. — Last evening the Rev. A. Rpid, of the Three Kings, de!i\ered a Lecture in the Hall of this Institution. The subject was "A Glance at ihe Early History of Palestine," in discoursing on which the Lecturer condensed into a comparatively small compass, a great amount of valuable historical information respecting that deeply interesting country and its people, down to the period of the destruction of Jerusalem. He also intioduced various geographical notices, ilius.trating them by lefeience to laige and handsome maps. He concluded by an energetic appeal to his audience to cultivate knowledge not merely for its own sake, but also and chiefly as a means of doing good in the world Considering the great inclemency of the weather, the attendance was very gratifying' Kate, a Native Chief of some eminence, brother of Te Whero Whero, died here on Sunday last, in the house in the Government Domain at which his biother has sometimes resided.