VAN DIEMAN'S LAND.

New Zealand Colonist and Port Nicholson Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 28, 4 November 1842, Page 4

VAN DIEMAN'S LAND.

(From the True Tablet. April 30 J

AKTiiTttAuv GnvKiiNMKNT. —The Van Diemans Chronicle (Tory paper) of the 22d of October, contains si,v payee of correspondence between Sir John Franklin’s Secretary, Capt. Montana, and the late Director-General, Capt. Oheyne, on the subject which has been made the pretext for the recent dismissal of the latter ollieor, although actually resolved on six months before. The tacts alleged by the local Government, by way of excuse for these summary proceedings against an olliccr holding his appointment directly from their masters in Downing Street, arc the following:—On the Gth of IV!ay last the Director-General was called upon for plans of two bridges across the Derwent, at Bridgewater and [testdown, which Government proposed to erect, and for the practicability of winch erection be had pledged his professional reputation ; and he was informed that, on the plans being sent in, his Excellency would decide whether they should be performed by his department, or by private contract. On the 12th of May he forwarded the plan of the Bridgewater one, recommending that it should be constructed by his own department (he being a salaried officer, and deriving no profit from such undertakings), and the Ecstdown-bridgc by private contract, as lie bad no mechanics capable of making a pontoon bridge, which the Government had decided it should be. Next day the Colonial Secretary directed him to put a notice in the Gazette, inviting contractors to tender for Bridgewater, “ as they would do no harm, and enable the Government to decide whether the work should be done by contract or not.” Specification and conditions of tender were accordingly prepared, approved, and advertised. On the Gth of June one sealed tender was received by Capt. Ciieyric, and forwarded, unopened, to the Secretary, accompanied with certain objections to the work being done by contract at all, on the score of economy and prison discipline. On the 30th of June, to which day the time was enlarged by the Governor, two other sealed tenders came in—one * * * * * * for £11,965, and the other for £11,150. The tender of the previous day was lower than either of these, being for £6,125 only. A gentleman of very large property also had agreed to become his surety. On the 13th of July the Di-rector-General was informed by the Secretary that Sir John Franklin had finally resolved on having both the bridges built by contract, and called upon him to say how deep it would be necessary to cfc'ive the piles, that the depth might be specified in the terms of contract, “ so as to remove uncertainty on the part of the contractors leaving it, however, to himself to decide the mode of ascertaining it. He replied, that the only way was to drive a pile or two, and therefore ordered a pile-engine to he made, and also a monkey of 12 cwt., as required by the specification, and ascertained from the Port officer that all the piles could be delivered from Port Arthur in a fortnight, including some that were to come up in a few days. On the 20th of July lie reported what he had done, and on the 31st he would have been ready to commence his proceedings. In the meantime the disappointed * * * who had made the most unreasonable of the tenders, .acting in concert with his friend, the Colonial Secretary, offered Capt. Cheyne to lend him his own monkey, pile-engine, and a pile, for the experiment; but the offer was refused, as the captain’s orders

were pointed, and the monkey in question was heavier by 2 cwt. than the one mentioned in the specification. On the 22nd of July, however, be received peremptory orders to discontinue his proceedings, as there was so much delay on his part! He was then ordered to explain what was called the inconsistency of stating beforehand on his reputation that it was practicable to make the bridge; whereas he afterwards declined, without minute experiments in pile-driving, to bind down the Government in its contracts with the tenderers to a precise depth for driving the piles! He was also charged with criminally throwing obstacles in the way, out of jealousy to private contractors, and ambition to have the work transacted in his own department. As evidence of this, his letter of the 19th of May, written when the Governor was avowedly undecided as to the mode of performing the work, was quoted against him! His refusal to employ a too heavy monkey (which every mechanic knows may have been as bad as a too light one) was alleged as another proof of his want of zeal! And, finally, Jiis remissness in not being able to be ready for the pile-driving experiments till the 31 si of July was contrasted with the zeal of the interested contractor, who began his towards the end of August! For these (reasons ?) and also for “ general conduct of late exhibited by him in the arrangement of his department,” he was tried in his absence, and without any notice to himself, at a secret sitting of the Governor in executive council, and dismissed. His place was instantly filled up by the harmless brother-in-law of the manager of the Arthur Bank ! In line, the Governor has expressly refused to let him have, for Downing Street, copies of his own plans and specifications, and those of the highest and lowest tenderers, as his Excellency “ is not aware of any connexion between them

and the act of dispensing with his service !” Such is the impartial predawn have been able to make of both sides of the correspondence. Capt. Chcyne’s side is conducted throughout with the most studied respect and courtesy; Capt. Montagu’s witli the most brutal disregard of both. We leave the rest to Mr. O’Connell and the Commons.