The New-Zealander. AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1853.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 725, 26 March 1853, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1853.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou ahn’st at, be thy Country’s, Thy Goo’s, ami Truth’s.

By the Raven , which anchored in our port on Wednesday, we have Sydney papers to the 12ili instant, being a week* later than liiose received by Fantome. The long over-due steamer Adelaide had not yet arrived, and there was no news from home more recent than that already in the hands of our readers. The Herald of the 42th says, “ The Shanghae, with English news to the Bih of January, may be expected within the next forty-eight hoursbut for this, we must be content to wait, —perhaps until the return ok the Moa or the Algerine , unless we should first be .visited by a new addition to our shipping, the Hargt'qves, late

* the Orleans , a Baltimore vessel of I purchased by Mr. W. Clough for i4oof/ and advertised to be laid on as a regujjd trader to Auckland, and to sail “so soon & her extensive cabin accommodations are completed.” The Sydney Election had terminated i na return of Mr. William Thurlow. Mr. Holt, jun., bad been brought in the contest as a third candidate, but with little chance of success, as appears from the numbers on the poll,—which were, Tbu r . low, 1249; Parkcs, 466; Holt, 84. The total number of votes recorded is thus seen to have been only 1769, while there are no less than 7038 registered voters in the city; —another illustration of the indifference with which people who are vociferous i n their demands for representative institutions and an extended franchise sometimes treat these privileges when they have them

actually in possession. And yet, at this very election, a prom', nent topic was the right ot Sydney to larger representation in the Legislative Council. Mr. W. R. Piddinglon, who pro. posed Mr. Parkes, in speaking to this question, made some remarks on the liberal principle embodied in the New Zealand (.onsolution Act, which may not be without interest for our readers. He said,—- c It was highly gratifying to notice that by a recent Act of the Imperial Parliament, the principle of representation according to population had been adopted. The case he alluded to was with regard to the New Constitution which had been granted to New Zealand hy the ISrilish Government. That Act, lo and 16 \ icloria, cap, 72, had been granted by the British Govermnen', against which the hon urableand learned number for Sydney was accustomed to make such inflammatory remarks in his place in the Council. But he would refer the citizens to the 41st clause of that Act, and therein they would fad the grand principle of representation accordit.g to population. He believed the New' Zealand Constitution Act had not been alluded to hy any of the candidates (here the speaker read the 41st clause of the Act, which was loudly applauded). If that law of the British Imperial Parliament was in vogue in this colony the citizens ot Sydney would have twelve members out of the thii ty-six representatives of the colony. Loud cheer« ) Thai Act was conceded con amort, spontaneously, by the British Parliament (Cheers.) He had no doubt that the Coionial Secretary and his fail would he a\crsc to granting the city its due share in the representation, hut they could shake the New' Zealand Act in their faces, if they persisted in withholding their rights from the citizens. (Cheers.) The application of the principle here is very obvious. The large proportionate representation in the General Assembly which the Auckland Province might justly claim on the ground of its commercial and agricultural superiority to the other provinces, is rendered its legal right in virtue of its larger comparative population. A public meeting to consider the obnoxious provisions of the Gold Regulations Act of the late session of Council was held in Sydney on the Blh [instant, and was attended bv about a thousand persons, “many of them the principal merchants and influential citizens.” The Mayor presided, and a number of the speakers addressed Hie meeting, who vied with each other in giving forcible expression to the dissatisfaction with which the measure was regarded. The following petition to Governor Sir Charles Fitzßoy was ultimately adopted, and a Deputation was appointed to wait on and present it to His Excellency: — To His Excellency Sir Charles Augustus Fitz Roy, Knight Companion of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order, Governor-General of Her Majesty’s Australian Possessions, and Captain General and Governor-in-Chief of the Terri tor v of New South Wales and its De-

pendencies. The petition of the undersigned merchants, traders, and inhabitants of the city of Syd ney, Shewelh—

That your petitioners, abating in no wise their loyalty to the Brilsh Crown, and respect for the constituted authorities of this colony, desire to convey to your Excellency their respectful re® monstrance against an Act passed by the Honorable the Legislative Council in its last sessions, entitled, “An Act for regulating the management of the Gold Fields of New South Wales, and for raising a revenue therefrom, and for the preservation of order thereonand against certain regulations framed by your Excellency's Government pursuant to the .provisions of the said Act.

That your petitioners respectfully submit that the said Act and the Regulations which it authorizes are repugnant to the genius and spirit of the British Constitution, lending to introduce into the institutions of this country principles of a novel and dangerous character, by which the natural rights of industry are fullered, the true principles of commercial freedom are violated, and proceedings and practices sanctioned, utterly subversive of our justly prized British freedom.

Thai under (he operation of the aforesaid Regulations, the gold fields of this colony are in course of depopulation, this branch of industry is greatly paralysed, and the trade of the colony has been more or less affected.

That the depopulation of the gold fields will inevitably continue, and deep and lasting injury be caused to the trading and other interests of the community, if the law be rigidly enforced, with the certain consequence of a deep and widely spread spirit of discontent and disaffection growing up among the mining population, injurious to the well-being of society, and lending lo the destruction of that character for peacefulness and good order for which the people of New South Wales are so eminently distinguished. Your petitioners therefore pray that your Excellency will, with (he advice of your Executive Council, cause the immediate assembling of the Legislature, and have the subject of the Act and of the existing Gold Regulations taken into consideration, and (hat you will he pleased to recommend lo that body the repeal of m® aforesaid Act, with a view lo its re-enactment upon more just and equitable terms, so as to avert I he evils which your petitioners so earnestly deprecate. And your petitioners will ever pray. t • The Commercial Reports represent- tk e Sydney market as so lightly stocked that | goods of all descriptions were selling at | extravagant prices, while orders were poor- | ing in from the neighbouring colonies which, I in consequence of the scarcity, it was i®- ! possible to execute. Flour continued at 25 1, per ton for fine, and 20i. to 21/. f° r i seconds. Further particulars of the Sydney,

and also of the Melbourne markets at the latest dates will be found in another column. Messrs. Coffey, Hill, and Co.’s Melbourne Produce Circular of the 2nd instant merits the especial attention of our New Zealand producers and exporters. They will not fail to see, and we trust profit by, the great demand and high prices for bread stuffs of all kinds (including potatoes), and for bacon, hams, building materials, wooden houses, and other articles which the Auckland district can so well supply.