WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1851.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 512, 12 March 1851, Page 2

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 1851.

Ycsterdw we received a large number of colonial journals (together with a few English papers by the Sydney route) brought by the Man/cm, which arrived in our harbour on Monday night. They contain a variety of intelligence horn several parts of the world, some of which is of an importance which will demand more space and attention than we can devote to it to-day. We proceed, however to give a summary of the matters of most interest, reserving for future numbers further comments on extiacts respecting the topics to which we now advert, as well as notices of less pressing items of intelligence, which we are for the present compelled to postpone altogether. We have English news to the 9th of November, received at bydney via California, by the Almeda, from San Francisco the 12th of January. The subject of engrossing interest in England was the attempted revival of the Romish Hierarchy by the Papal Bull appointing Dr. Wiseman "Archbishop of Westminster," and ! creating several Roman Catholic dioceses in various parts of the countiy. The excitement produced by this measure appears to have rapidly acquired a great width of extent and depth of earnestness, being participated in not only by those who have always on religious grounds resisted the advances of Rome, but also by vast numbers who viewed the " aggression" rather in its political bearings. The Times may be regarded as the exponent of the sentiments of this latter class when it says,— " It is not on theological grounds that we repudiate these arrogant claims, and that (to use the term which the Reformation stamped upon our branch of the Church of Christ) we protest against them. We respect the sanctity of religious opinions, we recognise the inviolable rights of conscience under every form of worship, and we profess the liberal prit ciple of the age we live in, that no civil disabilities ou^ht to be annexed to leligious distinctions. But with the utmost deference for these principles of religious freedom in the person of every Englishman, we are not the less, but rather the more, bound to uphold the polity of this kingdom, to reject with indignation the attempt of a Foreign Power to fasten its authority upon our divisions, and to resist the reconstruction of those great engines of the Romish Hieraichy, which it is the glory of our forefathers to have expelled and overthrown." Meetings of the clergy and laity were being held simultane ously throughout every diocese in England ; and, we are told, " everywhere a sentiment of indignation is expressed in terms so similar! that an account of any one of the meetings might fitly be taken as an index of the whole." Perhaps the most notable part of the movement, however, is the stand made by Lord John Russell, in the following energetic letter addressed by his lordship to the Bishop of Durham. The sensation which its tone on the immediate question under consideration must have produced, would probably be even exceeded by that which the Premier's uncompromising denunciation of the principles and practices of the Tractarian sect in the Chinch of England, could not have failed to awaken in the public breast. To the Right Rev. the Bishop of Durham My Dear Lord,— l agree with you in considering •' the late aggression of the Pope upon our Protestant-

ism" aa " insolent and insidious," and I therefore feelas indignant as you can do upon the subject. I not only piomoted to the utmost of my power the claims of the Roman Catholics to all civil righ'B, but I thought it right, and even desirable, that xhr, ecclesiastical system of the Roman Catholics should be the means of giving instruction to the numerous Irishimmigrants in London and elsewhere, who, without such help, would hate been left iti heathen ignorance. This might have been done, however, without any such innovation as that which we have now seen. It is imp >ssibla to confound the recent measures of the Pope wild the division of Scotland into dioceses by the Episcopal Cliuich, or the airangement of districts in England by the VVes'eyan Conference. There is an assumption ol power in all the document! which have come from Rome~;v pretension to sup-emacy over the tealra of England, and a claim to so)e and undivided sw>y, which is inconsistent with the Queen's supremacy with the rights of our bishops and clergy, and with tlie spiritual independence of the nation, as asseited even in Roman Catholic times I confess, however, that my alarm is not equal to tny indignation. Even if it shall appear that the ministers and servants of the Pope in this country have not transgressed the law, I feel persuaded that we are slrone enough to repel uiiy outward attacks. The liberty of Protestantism has been enjoyed too long in England to allow o f any successful attempt to impose a foreigu yoke upon our mmdi and consciences. No for ign piince or potentate will be rermitted to fasten his feliers upon a nation which Ins so long and so nobly vindicated Us right to fretrdorn of opinion, civil, political, and religious. Upon this subject, then, I will only say that the present state ot the law shall be carefully examined, and the propii ty ol adopting any proceeding* with reference to the recent abaumptions. of power deliberately considered. There is a danger, however, which alarms me much more than any ag;re-sion of a foreign Sovereign. Cleigymen of our own Church, who have subscribed to the Thirty-nine Ai tides, and acknowlelged in I explicit terms ths Queen's supremacy, have be en the m >st fonvaid in leading their flocks, '" step by step, to the very verge of the precipice." The honour paid la saints, the claim of infallibility for the Church, the superstition* use of the sign of the cross, the mutteringof the Liturgy so as to disguise the language in which it is written, the recommendation of anricu'ar confession, and the administration of penance and absolution — all these things «ue pointed out by clergymen of the Chinch of England as woithy of adoption, and are now openly reprehended by the Bishop of London in his charge to the clergy of his diocese. What, then, is the danger to be apprehended from a foreign prince ot no great power, compaied to'the danger within the gates fiom the unworthy ssns of the Church ol England herself. I have little hope that the propounders and framers of these innovations will desist from their insidious course. But I ieiy with confiJence on the people of England, and I will not bate a jot of heart or hope so long as the uloriom principles and the immortal mar«« tyrs of the Reformation shall ba held in teverence by the great mass of a nation wh.ch looks wi'h contempt on thu mummeries of superstition, and with scot u at the laborious endeavours which are now making to confine the intellect and enslave the soul. I remain, with great respect, &c. J. Russell. Downing-street, Nov. 4. The Right "Rev Dr. Ullathorne, of Birmingham, " as the only Catholic Bishop now in England who has been immediately engaged in negotiating the re-establishment of our Episcopal Hierarchy," had addressed a letter to the Times, declaring that the proceeding regarded only spiritual matters, and that no, political objects are contemplated in it, "la all temporal matters," he says, " we are subject to, and guided by, the laws of the land." lie compares the act with the territorial divisions, for purposes of their own spiritual jurisdiction, made by the Episcopalians in Scotland and the Wesleyans in England. Probably it is to the compaiison thus made that Lord \ John Russell refers in the foregoing letter, j when he argues that it is impossible to confound those arrangements with that of the Pope, A fresh element of ecclesiastical discord had been developed in the Church of England by a schism amongst the Tractarians, the result of which was a strangely dis-united state ofthe "Church Union." But ive must defer a fuller account of this until another day. Emigration from Ireland was going forward as rapidly as ever, and still was principally directed towards America. Much of it was self-supported, — farmers and small traders taking out the remnant of their substance, and many being aided by remittances from friends who had gone before them. The question was asked on all sides, •' Where is this emigration t0 en d — what will be its consequences on the condition of Ireland V

We have ample and gratifying details of the proceedings of the Anti-Tran-portation Conference at Melbourne, wnich commenced its sittings on the first of February. The most energetic deermination to resist and crush the evil of Convict importation to the Australasian Colonies evidently pervaded the Meeting. Three important documents were prepared and adopted ; 1. " The League and Solemn Engagement of the Australian Colonies," binding the parties nocto employ any persons hereafter arriving under sentence of transportation for crime committed in Europe : — 2. An "Address to the Inhabitants of the United Kingdom," pointing out the injuries inflicted on tne rising communities of Australasia by the introduction, of British, offenders, and imploring the generous interposition of the British public to stop this concentration of national crime amongst them :— and 3. '* An Address to the Colonists of Australasia," calling on them to unite their efforts for the accomplishment of this grand object. The Session of the Conference was followed by a Public Meeting, — the Mayor of Melbourne in the Chair — at which the results of the deliberations of the Delegates

were submitted, and resolutions confirmatory of them were adopted. It was proposed to raise a fund of £20,000, towards the practical carrying forward of the movement, and a subscription was nobly commenced by thiity-one firms and gentlemen putting down their names for One Uundn d Guineas each. In the beginning of last month, Bush Fires devastated in a fearful manner some of the most fertile districts of Port Phillip. Whole homesteads, with substantial buildings, and extensive corn and hay yards, were utteily destroyed, and in several instances lives were lost. The Geelong Advertiser obscives, " The calamity can only" be equalled in those pages of history where invading armies are described as laying countries waste with fire and sword " The farmers of the Bairahool Hills and the Valley of the Moorabool had especially suffered.

We have a lengthened Repoit of the Meeting of Lay Members of the Chinch of England convened at Adelaide on the 28th of January, under ciicu instances which we have aheady kid befoie onr leaders. It was a vciy numerously attended, and, in every aspect, a very important assemblage. The Hon. J< iin Moapiiett occupied the Chair. A letter from Bishop Short, explanatory of his course in relation to the Sydney Episcopal Minutes, was read by Mr. Barhlly; hut although it was couched in conciliatory terms, the feeling of the Meeting was so strong, that it was listened to with some manifestations of impatience, one gentleman interrupting the reader by observing, amidst " great applause," that " any opposition ftom the Bishop or his friends should he expressed openly in the Meeting." We can to-day affoid space only for the Resolutions, but they speak volumes as to the mind of the members of the Anglican Church in South Australia respecting the questions which the 11 Minutes" have forced upon the consideration of the Protestant public of Australasia :— Moved by Mr. M. Macdermott, and seconded by Mr. G. S. Walters :— ♦'That this meeting lias heard with le^ret and alarm that the. Australian Bishops, at their recent Conference held at Sydney, have attempted to na.row tie trrttii of Communion with, and admission into the Ministry of our Church, by their form.il, gratuitous, and unnecessarily dogmatical declaration on the subject Of Baptismal Regene.ation, thereby disturbing the peace and harmony which have hitherto prevailed among its members in this Diocese." On this the following amendment waa moved by Mr. Justice Cooper, and seconded by Mr. New- " That this meeting bas heard with alarm that at a meeting of the Metropolitan and Suffragan Bishops of the Province or Australasia, recently held at Sydney t< plan has been devised for the government of the Church of England in Australasia, wherein no provision is made for appeal from the decisions of the provincial Synod to her M<-sly in her Pi ivy Council Ibnta petition he prepared for presentation to her Maientv the Queen, respectfully praying her Majesty that fche will be graciously pleased not to atsent to any measure for establishing" a general system of Church Government in the Province of Australasia, in accordance with the recommendation of the Riaht Reverend Bishops thereof, until her Majesty's /aithful Bubjects, members of the Church of England in South Australia, have had an opportunity of considering the same. That a Committee be appointed for preparing such petition." The amendment was lost, and the original motion carried by a large majority. The folrowin^c resolution was moved by Mr. luMier. seconded by Dr. Wyatt,ani carried. "That as Members of the Protestant Church of England, in South Australia, and desirous to pay pro per deference and respect to the Lord Bidiop of the Diocese, we tof»))y and absolutely repudiate any assumption of ecclesiastical authority by the Bishops of the other Australian Colonies over the Church in this Province, and solemnly protest against aay attempt on their pait to exercise the same." it was moved by Mr. F. S. Dutton, seconded by Mr Burr, an«l carried— • "That one of the evident objects of the unauthorised Conference of the Bishops at Sydney, being to ootain an extension of p-iwer d-mgeious to the peace of the community, this meeting deems it necessary to express its opinion that it is highly inexpedient that tny extension of Ecclesiastical power should be permitted, or tbat authonty should be given to establish Courts with anyaecuUrjuusdiCtKinforso called b\ iiiuul pui poses." It was moved by Captain Ba^ot, seconded by C*iptain Hait, and carried, "That apprehensive that Vhe recognised standards of the Church might be perilled by their unauthorised construction, and by the innovations of the 1 raeiarian ai)»J Hnti-Provestant portion of the Church, it is necessary that meA-ures be taken to guard against the spread of dangerous error in the docinues of the Pro estant Chuich in this province, and to maintain those doctrines in their puri'y." A Standing Committee was appointed to " repiesent the Laity, and watch over their interests generally," and it was resolved that a copy of the "Resolutions be forwarded to the Aichbishop of Canterbury, " with an earnest supplication that his Grace will use his authority to protpct the Church in South Australia from any Episcopal interference its doctrine and discipline, which has not previously received the direct sanction of his Giace, and of Her Majesty, as the Supieme Head of the Church." A second Letter from the Bishop of Adelaide has been published, written on his Lordship's leceipt of a copy of the above Resolutions, i ' c defends the " Minutes'' against the objections uiged in. the Resolutions, and concludes by enumerating vaiious of the views of the " Tiactanan and Anti-Protestant" party which he diffeis from and condemns. We shall transfer this letter to a future number.

We learn from Sydney that the mania of Californian emigration which had for some time subsided, was again manifesting itself

with renewed force. The Herald of the Ist instant states that within a few preceding weeks several ships, laden with passengers, had sailed for San Fiancisco, and that otheis were then preparing for the same destination, (six were advertised in its columns on that day), with every prospect of being equally crowded. The present emigrants it appeals are not, like those who preceded them, mostly pel sons of the lowest class, but industrious and thrifty men who have substantial means, and whom "the colony can ill spare." Our contemporary accounts for this by the curient impression that, according to the laws of the American Union, land can be piocwed in California by all comeis at the lixed ptice of one dollar per acie, so that " on then arrival there will he no impediment to their convening their stock of dollais, be it laige 01 small, into as mam acres of freehold inheritance." The Herald pioceeds to charge upon the restiictive I and system maintained in the Colony, {he fault of tempting men to seek "a moie brilliant home in the legions of California," where they flatter themselves they may not only get cheap laud, but also gold mteinungled in their aacs. The remaik has point and foice ; but after all has not painful — fatal — experience proved in thousands of cases ho iv delusive aie many of the attractions of California, and how much too deaily its coveted treasure may be bought ? Our bipthren of the Press in Sydney have, in no less than tlnee instances, got entangled in the meshes of the law. Aiessis. lump and Fairfvx, of the Morning Herald have been committed to take their tiial at the next \'wnunal Session of the Supreme Coiut for a libel on the too- celebrated Mayor, Mr 'Ihurlow. The libels consisted merely in the insertion (m the Herald's " Onginal Correspondence ") of a letter fiom Aldeiman Eg \n, reflecting on Mr. Thurlow in the matter of the " missing documents."... .Dr. Lang has in like manner been committed for tr al for a libel (alleged to be of a very gross chaiacter,) on Mr Icely, M.J-.C, published in the Key. Doctor's newspaper, The Vress.... and Mt . Parius, proprietor of another new journal, The E w pirc, was likely to be placed in the same circumstances, for an alleged libel on Mr. GiorgeHill. The Police Magistrate had not however, given Ins decision in this case at our latest dates. Major-General Wynyaud had resigned his seat in the Legislative Council, and the Governor had appointed Wii,u\m Montagu Manning, Esq., to the vacant place. The following is from the list of pi ices in the Sydney Maiket, as given in the Herald ot Maich 1 :—

Wiikat and Flouu.— Prom Mr. Briellat weleain diar very little wheat has ai lived to market dur.nc the week, owing to thr contnry wiiidb and the slate of the roads. The few sample* that ha>e been offered were freely purchased ut an advance of 3d. U> 4d. per bushel on l-ist week's pncee, the highest realising (is. 3il, A cargo lias just air.ved from Laumcston, with another to follow in a few days, winch will prevent any further rise. Flour has also slightly advanced, ans« ing principally from the "rent demand for export : fine being now £15, anil second quality £14, ptr ton of 2O> 0 Ib«. Bum J. 5 per ton wholesale. At the Victoria Mills (Mi. Smart's) very little wheat has be«n received this week, in consequence of the bad state of the roads, and the continued 6outherly winds keeping the grain vessels out of poir. The only transaction oi note is the purclmse of 10,000 bubhels of wheat for rarly deliveiy at 5s lid. per bushel. The sales of flour h.ive been limited at £14 Un fine and £l 3 for becouds. Bran continues at £S per 20dJ lbs.

San Francisco papers to the 12th of January had reached hydney, but contained little news. We copy irom the He/aid their Shipping Intelligence (so far as it possesses any interest here). Several diabolical muideis were reported ; atid the Monterey Custom Mouse had been bioken into, and robbed of 50,000 dollars. A Justice of the Peace named Hainston Amyx had been found guilty, on the prosecution of " The People," 'of fraud and corruption in his office.

Papers from the Cape of Good Hope stated that some of the Native ( hiefs were showing symptoms of disaffection, and Sandilla had declined a frontier inteiview with Sir Harry Smitjj, which contempt had been punished by a foifeituie of the Chief's Jands . . Some Hottentot deserters from one of the regiments had committed atrocious robberies. . , Mr. Justice Mknzic-j was dead.

From the Foreign Intelligence we find that a serious quanel had taken place between the President of the French Republic and General Chanoarniek, ausing out of the " tieats" given to the army by Louis Nwollon, which weie deemed by the General, subversive of military discipline. The following " Order of the Day" had been, issued : — ; Accoidmg to the terms of the law, the army r3oes not deliberate; in virtue ut the regulations of the army, it is bound toabitditi from every demonstration, and utter no cries when under arms. The General-in-Chie! leinind. tin- tioo^s placed under bk command of me 5 c aala'b. — (Jhangaunikß, Gcuerai-ii) Diief. We take the following ftom the Sydney Herald's summary. — The deuiiU'd \one of llassia and Austiia in the Ger manqu-irrelb will piobably be buccessfnl,and the PrusBiau imeifereiiceboih in Him Cas'el and Sclilesw « j Ilulstein, lie put an end to. Indeed, Prusßia bad j been compelled to withdiaw tioops wliieu were on the , march, rather Uidn risk a war with her formidable j neighbouis. J At Constantinople the Admiral's ship bad blown up, and one thousand men were ml led by the explosion.

Calcutta and Hong Kong papers— in both cases to the end of November— bad been received in Sydney. As respects the former, the Herald pithily tells us, " a more uninteresting batch of journals it has never been our lot to leceive." From the summary of the contents of the latter given by our contemporaiy, it would seem that they also might neaily be placed in the same category. The chief item of intelligence was, that the cholera and fever which had been so prevalent had subsided, and "a Board of Health and Cleanliness " had been appointed to enforce sanitary legulations, A report was afloat that the British Government had apologized to the Portuguese for the violation of their tenitory by the ciew of the Meander, and had reprimanded Captain Kepplll; but the authority for it was not given, and it certainly was by no means probable.

K-uvau Copper Altni s. — The pioducliveness of these Mines, exhibited in the value of the ore expoited fiom them, ns it has been reported 3d the official letuins published in the Govern-* mint Gazette from quaiter to quarter, has been giatifywg, not only because it has shown that there was aheady a consumable requital for the capital invested and the skill and industiy employed in working them, bnt also because it affoidod a practical evidence, — limited it is Hue, but still satisfactory so far as it has gone — of the extent and impoitance of the mineral wealth which is amongst the numetoas and abundant natuial resources with which New Zealand is favoiued, We have much pleasure in stating that the piospect of their proving abundantly lemune/aUve is now more encouraging — indeed we may say more certain — than at any pievious period since the propuetors commenced their operations. We aie informed that in the comse of the last week or two an exceedingly lich lode has been discovered in the level, now in * progress of being opened. To this level all the paities mteiested in the vndei taking have been looking with a consideiable dcgiee of solicitude, it being believed that upon its value would depend in a great measuie the permanency of the works and the ultimate success of a speculation on which so large an outlay has been expended. So far as can be judged from what is now asceitained, it is confidently anticipated that this level will prove so remunerative as to leahze much of the most sanguine expectations entertained by the Company.

Auckxa-Nd Market. — Our readers will have observed by our advertising columns that this Market which has been so much needed in the town, is to be opened this day, for the purpose of letting the stalls by auction.

The Band of lI. M. 58th lle^t. (by the permission of Lieutenant-Colonel AVynyaul, C.8.), will perform in the giounds iv front of old Government House, to-monow afternoon fiom lour till six o'clock.

PROGRAMME. Overture— Op. u Guy Mann ering.".. Bishop. Melange— Op. " Les Huguenots.". . Meyeibeer. Duetto Grand—Op. " Noima.".. Bellini. Choius— Op. "La Vestale."..Mercadante. Quadrille—" The Real Scotch.".. Jullien. "Waltz—" The Gailand.".. Hocking. B.illad — " Then you'll lemember me.".. Kalfe. Ballad—" The list adieu.".. Peuy.