The New-Zealander. AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1853.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 749, 18 June 1853, Page 2

The New-Zealander.

AUCKLAND, SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1853.

Be just and fear not: Let all tue ends thou aira'st at, be thy Country's, Thy God's, and Truth's.

By the Marmora, which reached our port from Sydney on Wednesday, we have an kbmense number of English papers, including the mail of the tardy Adelaide. The diu£S range from the middle of October to '# beginning of March, the January files besng wanting, however, —these having, not imp 1 " 0" bably, been put on board another of the Australian Company's steam ships, and therefore, as past experience has taught us, not to be &frpected until long after the appointed lifW* It is scarcely necessary to say that the bojj of the journals now come to hand are« little or no value, their intelligence having been anticipated by other arrivals weeks or months ago. We have, however, some more recent news, our own files coining down to the 2nd of March; in addition to which* 6 have summaries to Blh of March brought* l * Singapore by the Shanghai We proceed to compile a digest of the principal particulars, which we shall follow up by further notices and extracts in future issues. The Queen and the Royal Family were at # Buckingham Palace, in'the enjoyment ot good health. Owing, however, to the anU-

clpatod approach of an interesting event, Prince Albert was to hold the March levees t c; t# James's, on behalf of Her Majesty. The proceedings in Parliament had been of a very miscellaneous character, and had not excited, except in a very few instances, much warmth of debate. This was partly owing to the strength of the New Ministry, securing a general majority in the House of Commons, and partly to the circumstance that the Budget—that grand ficldof conflict — had not yet been brought forward. We note briefly some of the topics of most interest. Colonial matters had engaged a considerable share of attention. On the question 0 f Transportation, the assurances of Ministers were unequivocal that no more convicts would be sent to Van Diemen's Land; a nd although transportation to Western Australia is not to be discontinued at once, vet die Duke of Newcastle expressed a hope that before long it would cease to that colony a lso. Moreover, at Bermuda and Gibraltar the treatment of convicts would be improved by assimilating it as much as possible to that pursued at Portland, and imprisonment in bulks would be abolished altogether, as having proved prejudicial to both health and morality. In a discussion on the Ist of March, however, Lord Campbell expressed himself strongly opposed to the abandonment of transportation as a punishment. The Duke of Newcastle, declined entering as vet upon the whole question of secondary punishments, but declared itas the conviction of the Government that transportation should not be carried on in its present form, and that it should, at no remote period, be brought to a close altogether. He hinted, however, that "it was not necessary lo go very far from home for a place of punishment," and that "an island on the coast of Great Britain, or some such place, might answer the purpose." It Was conjectured that his Grace alluded to Jersey or Guernsey: —if so, it may be supposed that the plan would not be very acceptable to the inhabitants of those island's. But, however this may be settled, the grand boon to Australasiaseems resolved upon definitively. A discussion on the New Constitution for the Australian Colonies was raised, on the 24th of Feb., by Sir John Pakington, in the course of which Mi-. F. Peel—in referring lo the proposition of the Legislative Council of New South Wales that, if the exclusive control of the entire revenue was given up to the Council, they would defray the whole cost of their civil and military establishments and vote to Her Majesty an ample civil list in substitution for the sums appropriated in the " Schedules" of the list 13 and lo Victoria —made this important statement. — "On considering thisquestion, he was disposed to admit that the preponderance of argument in the controversy rested with the Colonial Legislature, and therefore he believed that the Government was quite prepared to accept the civil list voted by a colony in substitution for the civil list which Parliament had voted. He anticipated that there would be no occasion to repent having taken that course, or to regret the confidence reposed in the good sense of the people in the colonies." There had been some "sharp-shooting" in both Houses on the introduction by the Government of a bill to vest in the Canadian Legislature the control over the Clergy Deserves. The Bishop of Exeter, Sir John Pakington. the Earl of Desart, the Bishop of London, Sir R. Inglis, and others earnestly opposed it as a breach of national faith, a violation of one of the principles of the Canadian Constitution, and an act of spoliation which struck at the safety of ail church and corporation property Ministers defended the measure on the ground that in matters of local concern the local legislature should be allowed to decide, —Lord John Russell observing that " although he might not approve of the secularization of these reserves, he should not feel justified in setting his opinion against the united opinion of the Parliament of Canada." The Maynoolh Question had been debated for two nights, on a motion, by Mr. Spooner, for a committee of inquiry. The motion was negatived by a majority of 102 to 462, but an amendment, proposed by Mr. Seholefield, for the repeal of all charges on the revenue for religious purposes, remained to be disposed of. There could be little doubt, however, that it also would be rejected. A motion, bv Lord John Russell, that the House should resolve itself into a committee "lo consider certain civil disabilities affecting the Jews," had been carried by a majority of 234 against 205. A Rill was subsequently introduced providing for the admission of Jews to Parliament, the second reading of whichwas appointed for the 14th March. It would probably pass in the House of Commons, but its fate in the House of Lords was very doubtful. In Committee of Supply, the Army, and Ordnance Estimates had been passed with an expedition almost unprecedented,--al-though Mr. Hume was at his post, and as watchful as usual over the expenditure of public money, and although the sums required considerablv exceeded the voles of last year. The number of men in Her Majecty's forces for the ensuing year is to be 102,201,—exclusive of the East India Company's troops. Notwithstanding these and other preparations, however, Ministers when required to speak in Parliament on the subject (as they repeatedly were), gave assurance of the existence and probable continuance of friendly relations with France and all other countries. —Louis Napoleon says the same thing, < nly still more emphatically, and yet observers, not in the secrets of state, find it difficult to reconcile such assertions with the fact that both England and France are expending millions in augmenting their means of offence and defence, particularly in strengthening their naval force. Lord John Russell had resigned the seals of the Foreign Office, and (according to the arrangement understood lo have been contemplated at the formation of the Aberdeen Ministry), Lord Clarendon had succeeded him. Lord John was still to retain the leadership of the House of Commons and a seat in the Cabinet, but without a salary; this deficiency, however, Mr. Cayley propo-

sed to supply, that gentleman having given notice of a motion declaring that a salary ought to be attached to the leadership of that House. Meanwhile some of the papers jeered at his Lordship as "the Great Unpaid," and others gravely censured his position as an unconstitulional "anomaly and innovation." A report was afloat that Lord John would be appointed lo a now office—- " Minister of Education."

We have the agreeable notification that Lord Canning (the new Postmaster General) had stated, in reply to a deputation, that as soon as the arrangements at home and in the colonies can be completed, it is intended lo reduce the postage of letters between England and every part of the British dominions abroad, to the uniform rale of 6d. the halfounce. The Bishop of Sydney, who had only recently arrived in London, died there of bronchitis, on the 21st of February, in the 64th year of his age. He was buried on the 26th in the nave of Canterbury Cathedral, beside his old friend Sir George Gipps. The funeral was attended by a great number of the clergy from the metropolis and various parts of the country, and, at a meeting held afterwards, it was resolved to raise a fund " for the purpose of raising a suitable monument to the late lamented Bishop of Sydney in the cathedral church of Canterbury, and also of permanently connecting his name with the progress of the colonial church, by providing an endowment for one or more scholarships in the missionary college of St. Augustine." The Bishop of Lincoln (Dr. Kayo) was also dead. The Rev. John Jackson, Rector of St. James's, had been appointed to the vacant see. Another lamented death was that of the Earl of Belfast, heir to the Marquisate of Donegal, and a young nobleman of highliterary attainments and great popularity. The weather during the month of February bad been exceedingly severe in England. Heavy falls of snow had been followed by a hurricane, in which many vessels were wrecked, much property destroyed on land, and several lives lost. The rage for emigration continued unabated both in England and Ireland. At the Clare Assizes much interest was excited by the expected trial of the soldiers of the 51st regiment for the murder of several persons engaged in a riot at the late general election. The Grand Jury, after a prolonged sitting, ignored the bill preferred against the soldiers. The Intelligence from France presents little important novelty. The Emperor, in opening the Legislative Chambers, (a Ceremonial at which he was accompanied by the Empress), delivered a speech (nil of eulogy on the prosperous condition of the country, and on himself as the great agent, in effecting it. lie declared that the "firm determination" of his Government was "lo diminish expenses and armament, and to devote lo useful purposes all the resources of the Country, to keep up with good faith international relations, in order toprovelothe incredulous that when France expresses her formal intention lo remain at peace; it may be believed, for she is strong enough not to deceive any one." Fair words these, —if the sincerity of the speaker could only be depended on! Paris was excited by preparations for a brilliant fete to be given to the Emperor and Empress at Easter, and by the prospect of the Coronation. It was understood that the Pope himself would come lo Paris to crown the Emperor, and would remain there for two months. The affairs of Europe were, notwithstanding, in a troubled and ominous stale. The outbreak at Milan (of which we recently published an account,) though apparently local, was afterwards believed to be part of a wide-spread plan of insurrectionary movements, which though checked for the time, lives in the spirit and purpose of many. The attempt to assassinate the Emperor of Austria was another portentous sign of the limes. Turkey had been forced by Russia and Austria to yield lo demands the exact nature of which was notknown, but which were believed to involve its prostration losuch a degree that it was apprehended England might feel bound by the faith of treaties and the established' principles in relation lo "the balance of power" lo resist it. In short, the materials for a European explosion seemed to be so accumulated that human foresight could not predict when a spark might cause it to burst forth. Some of the English journalists apprehend little danger, while others perhaps exaggerate the tokens of its imminence; but all agree in the indispensable necessity of those preparations on which the Government and the Parliament have resolved,—with the full concurrence of the nation, —except perhaps of Mr. Cobden, (whom the Spectator aptly styles "The great im-Englishman,") and a few of his school.

Out Sydney files come down to the 2nd inst. The'Lcgislative Council had not hitherto done much, but a large and important programme of business was marked out for the Session. On the motion of Mr. Wenlworth, a committee had been appointed to consider the recent despatches from Sir John Pakington and the Duke of Newcastle, and to prepare the draft of a Constitution for the Colony. It was also agreed to appoint a committee lo prepare a series of resolutions expressing gratitude to Her Majesty, to her advisers, and to the Governor-General, for their readiness lo comply with the wishes of the people in this matter. ... A Bill had been introduced by thejGovcrmneul lo amend the existing Act for regulating the Gold Fields. By this it was proposed to repeal the restrictive provisions of the present law, so as lo place foreigners and British subjects on the same footing; to confine the requirement of license fees to persons actually engaged in gold-mining; and to modify other regulations which have been deemed objectionable. A strong opinion prevailed in 'many quarters, however, that the imposition of a" license-fee should be abandoned altogether, and this point was likely to engage the attention of the Council. , . . A message from the Governor-General recommending an increase in the salaries of officers

in the public service, on account of the greatly augmented prices of the necessaries of life, had been met by the Council in a spirit of cordial liberality which had given much satisfaction to all classes. ... The Marriage Laws Comniitlee of last Session had been revived. ... A Connnillec had been appointed to inquire into the necessity ofrcgulaling passenger vessels, and fixing the maximum number of passengers which shall be permitted to be brought by any vessel into the colony. ... A bill for facilitating the naturalization of foreigners had passed through its first stages. The intelligence of the death of the Bishop of Sydney was received with general sorrow. The Legislative Council had, as a mark of respect, adjourned its sittings on the day the news arrived ; and a Public Meeting had been held, and a Committee appointed, to take steps to raise some monument to his Lordship's memory. . . . The Herald states that "in private letters the Bishops ol New Zealand and Ncwcasile are both mentioned as having been offered thevacant see. but we do not think any defmite decision had been come to."

The wreck of ihe steam-ship Monumental City, on the voyage between Melbourne and Sydney, accompanied as it was with Ihe loss of thirty-three lives, had excited a profound sensation, and a public meeting had been held to devise means of aiding thesurvivors. The conduct of the Captain of the ill-fated vessel was the subject of much comment, and the current of opinion seemed to run strongly against him. Influenza, attended with very distressing symptoms, was prevalent in Sydney. " The latest commercial reports will be found elsewhere. Large importations continued to arrive, but still the demand for most articles was great. The price of flour had fallen to 25/. per ton for line, and 25/. for seconds. A circular from Messrs. Mocalta and Goldsmid, bullion brokers to the Bank of England, had warned dealers in gold-dust that several parcels of an inferior and adulterated quality had recently been received from Australia, the deterioration being so considerable as to entail a loss of ss. to 9s. per ounce.