NEW SOUTH WALES.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 644, 16 June 1852, Page 2

NEW SOUTH WALES.

The dates from Sydney are to the 26th ult. The papers still teemed with communications, articles, and advertisements on the Church of England Constitution question ; and the counter -movement against Bishop Broughtou's proceedings had apparently enlisted the sympathies and co-operation of largo numbers of influential Churchmen. The part of the plan which excited most hostility was that which "constitutes the Bishop a third and distinct estate, thus giving him an absolute power of veto on all the conclusions at which the laity, and even the clergy, or both tog-ether, might arrive. A Meeting of the Laity was held in the Hall of the School of Arts on the 18th of May, at which, the Herald states, "in spite of tho inclement state of the weather about 150 gentlemen of the highest respectability were present." Captain Dumaresq, M.C., presided, and several very able speeches were delivered, in which, while the speakers vied with each other in praising Bishop Broughtou's private character, his course in relation to this movement was very seriously taken to task and censured, as " prompted by an inordinate love of power," " wanting in judgment," and "introducing a schism which had alienated, and would alienate, many highminded and sincere members of the Church." The Bishop of Tasmania's attempt to interfere with the right of private judgment was naturally referred to with especial force ; and the Minutes of the Conference of Bishops at Sydney were cited as illustrating the disposition of the Prelates to assert undue power for individual men " because these men happened to be Bishops." The following are the resolutions and form of petition adopted at this meeting : — ■ Moved by J. B. Darvall, Esq., M.C., barrister-at-law 5 seconded by W. T, Cape, Esq. — " That in the opinion of this meeting the Church of England in this diocese is not in that condition of efficiency best calculated to further i the great objects of her divine mission." j Moved by Richard Sadlier, Esq., E.JNL, J.P. ; seconded by Geo. John Rogers, Esq. — " That under existing circumstances, and in the absence of any other satisfactory provision for the exercise of an equally powerful lay influence in the government of the Chui'ch, this meeting regards the Queen's Supremacy as an essential safeguard against any encroachment of local ecclesiastical authority." Moved by Robert Johnson, Esq. ; seconded by W. E. Piddington, Esq.— " That the constitution and form of Church Government suggested in the several proceedings of the Bishop and clergy which have been taken with reference to this subject are (as tending to substitute the supremacy of the local ecclesiastical head of the Church for that of the Sovereign) repugnant to the opinions and wishes of the members of the Church of England generally in this > diocese, and that such further administrative functions as are, or may be necessary, can alone be safely and pi'operly delegated to an assembly composed of the Bishop, clergy, and representatives of the laity, with equal and co-ordinate powers, always reserving to Her Majesty all such I authority as is vested in her as the head of the Church." Moved by Thomas Whistler Smith, Esq. ,' seconded by W. G. Penningfcon, Esq. — " That the following Petition, embodying the I substance of the foiegoing resolutions, be presented to Her Majesty and both Houses of Par- | liament, and that copies thereof be forwarded by I the Chairman to His Grace the Archbishop of | Canterbury, and the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies : — "To Her Most Gracious Majesty Victoria by the grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith— " The humble Petition of the undersigned members of the United Church of England and Ireland residing in the Diocese of Sydney, in the colony of New South Wales, " SHEWhTII " That the condition of the Church within the Australasian Colonies has for some time past been most painful and unsatisfactory to your petitioners, who believe that a similar feeling pervades the members of the Church throughout the province. " That doubts have been expressed respecting the Supremacy of your Most Gracious Majesty as the Head of the Church in these colonies, to the great dismay of your petitioners who deprecate the assumption of ecclesiastical supremacy which now threatens their religious freedom. "That the constitution and form of Church Government suggested in the Minute of Proceed-

ings of the Bishops of the Province of Australasia, held in November, 1830, and by the Lord Bishop of Sydney before his clergy, assembled on the 14th April, 1852, and in the petition to your Majesty, subsequently adopted by the Bishop and a majority of the clergy, of the Diocese at that mooting, are not in accordance with the opinions or wishes of the lay Members of the United Church of England and Ireland in this Diocese generally : and your petitioners most firmly protest against the establishment by law of any system of Church Government in which the Bishop, Clergy, and Laity shall not meet and vote in one council, with equal and concurrent authority and jurisdiction, reserving to your Majesty all the authority vested in your Majesty as the head of the Church. " And your petitioners most humbly pray that your Majesty will be pleased to withhold your assent to any law at variance with the sentiments of your petitioners herein expressed/ 1 Moved by \Y. Ci. M'Carthy, Esq. ; seconded by Thom.\s S. Movt, Esq. — "That a standing Committee, consisting of the following gentlemen : — Csipfc. Dumaresq, Richard Sadlicr, J. B. Darvall, T. W. Smith, AV.T. Cape, Richard Keys, Richard Johnson, George M'Leay, James Macarthur, Robert Johnson, W. G. Penniwgton, Thomas Ilolt, jun., Captain Dacre, John Croft, George J. Rogers, Francis Bellingham, "W. R. Piddington, W. Macarthur, IV. Spain, W. S. Moutry, R. T. Holt, J. G. Colyer, with power to add to their number, be appoiuted to take such steps as may appear to them to be necessary for carrying out the objects of this meeting, and that the Committee be specially enjoined to do their utmost to proem e the adoption of the spirit of these resolutions in any measure or measures which may be submitted for the consideration of the Imperial Parliament." The attempt to declare the 10th of May a public holiday in commemoration of the gold discovery, proved, says the Herald, " sufficiently successful to be mischievous ; many shops were shut, and the banks having been most incautiously and improperly closed, caused great inconvenience. Amongst the schemes to turn the occasion to profit was the announcement, in the most accomplished style of puffing, that a " Monsieur and a Madame Prieste " would walk on the waters, or, as it was expressed in their advertisement, " skate the liquid waves.'' A number of the sharp Sydneyites were gulled into paying ss. each for a place in the steamer engaged by the schemers. The result will be seen from the following statement by three of the dupes. It may perhaps amuse some of our readers :—: —

I To the Editor of the Empire. Sir, — We, like several other citizens, were yesterday induced by the veiy plausible advertisements which appeared in the daily press to pay Five Shillings each to witness the grand attempt at walking on the waters, by Monsieur and i Madame Trieste. It appears that the parties | concerned had engaged two steamers for the i purpose of accommodating the specttitors. According to advertisement, we took our passage in the Brothers at about 11 o'clock, and after having plied up and down the harbour for about four liouis, anxious to witness the grand spectacle, we were at length conveyed to the mouth of a small bay near Goat Island, from whence we were told the great water- walkers would proceed. After a few minutes of deep suspense, we saw a man and what appeared to be a woman come out from the bay with small canoes under their feet. The man appeared first, and in a minute or so after the woman show ed out, but she had scarcely made two or three yards progress when she capsized. The man instantly made over to assist her, but, in the effort, he also capsized. This put an end to walking — and it warf found necessary, in order to save their lives, to send boats oft' to their assistance. During the whole of this time, the steamer never approached nearer the performers than a quarter of a mile, although all on board expressed themselves very anxious to get some insight into the nature of the apparatus, considering the ss. per head passage-money an ample compensation for so exquisite a gratification. Being determined, however, to ascertain to some extent the nature of this wonderful spectacle, we, the undersigned, purposely engaged a boat, and steered up to the performers, who were then also in a boat. On examination, we were astonished to find that M. Priesto was no less a personage than Mr. Walter Whitbread, late general dealer in a shop oppobite the Royal Hotel ; and that Madame Prieste had the honour of being represented by his brother, Mr. Henry Whitbread, shopman to Mr. Jennings, cutler, of Lower George-street. The apparatus of each performer consisted of two air-tight canoes, five feet long, and eighteen inches broad, made of boards, and lashed tegether with iron bars Each party had a long paddle, with a feather edge at either end, for the purpose of pulling himself along 1 , much the same as the South Americans use. The cash-taker on the occasion, and who appears to have taken a rather active part in getting up the arrangements, was Mr. Jennings, of George-street. As if apprehensive of a row, he had the precaution of leaving his money, watch, and chain in tlfe custody of Mr. Clarke, publican, of the Circular Wharf. Indeed, so thoroughly convinced were the parties concerned of the grossness of the imposition, that they were induced, in one or two instances, in order to quell the storm of indignation which the whole affair had excited, to give up the passage-money ; and we understand that several others iutend taking legal proceedings with a similar object. The parties whose money was refunded were Mr. James Turly Jones and Mr. Thomas Spencer. These facts speak so strongly for themselves, that it is unnecessary to add anything by way of comment. — Yours, &c, J. T. Jones, G. Hamilton, Robert Heiny. The Queen's Birth Day had been celebrated by a levee, a ball, a regatta, and other holiday demonstrations. The intelligence from the mines was of the (now) usual character. A few weeks of dry weather had greatly aided the operations at the Turon, but it was remarked that for some time no new deposits of any considerable richness had been found there. The miners generally complained of the hardships arising 1 from the defective postal arrangements for the gold districts. The Herald reports that in consequence of the high rates of carriage to the Turon and Braid wood, the small farmers in the vicinity of the great lines of road were entirely neglecting their farms, and employing their bullocks and men in carrying goods instead of ploughing. The markets were still regulated by the demand from Melbourne. In the last commercial report of the Herald, it is remarked, — " enormous quantities of goods arc being shipped at extravagant rates |of freight, which, coupled with the high quotations ruling 1 with us, must cause this trade to be extremely hazardous." Already Melbourne was becoming glutted with various kinds of merchandize.