SANDWICH ISLANDS. [From the Maitland Mercury.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 785, 9 February 1853, Page 4

SANDWICH ISLANDS. [From the Maitland Mercury.]

We are in receipt of Jlooolulu papers to tbe 17th of November. An attempt at Lynch law had just been made there, which was successfully resisted, but the mob burnt down a large bouse, used as a police station bouse, harbour master's office, &c, It appears that for some time past the police of Honolulu bad made themselves obnoxious by rough treatment of persons apprehended by them, and that they were consequently in very bad odour, with the sailors more particularly. An unusual number of ships were in the harbour early in November. On the evening of Tuesday, the 9th of November, an American 6eaman named Burns was among others confined for drunkenness, in " tbe fort," and next morning was fouud dead, his skull having been fractured. This it was believed was caused by a blow from constable George Sherman, an American, employed as gaoler at tbe fort ; and it proved afterwards, on a jury being empannelled by tbe Marshal, that this was the case, a disturbance having taken place among the prisoners in the fort, which Sherman endeavoured to quell, and in doing so used his truncheon or club, and either accidentally or intentionally struck Burns a blow which caused his death. Before, however, tbe jury had returned their verdict a*n excited mob of sailors and others gathered about the fort, and with loud cries demanded that Sherman should be given up to them as a murderer. This was steadily refused, the Governor of the fort having 300 or 400 native soldiers under arms, prepared to resist force by force, if necessary, but unwilling tb cause bloodshed if it could be avoided. Late in tbe afternoon the body of Burns was buried, and the large procession of sailors wbicb bad accompanied it to the grave on tbeir return 'spread over the town, uttering wild cries for revenge, and urging each other to violence. Tbe Governor still forbore to use force, but the U.S. Commissioner and Consul, with other gentlemen

of influence, tried every means, by addressing the sailors,- to persuade them to return to their ships and boarding houses, assuring them that Sherman would have an impartial trial before a juiy of his own countrymen. The sailors appeared to yield to these appeals, and thing* were becoming quiet, when a dispute occurred between a small body ot sailors and constable Williams, in charge of the police 6tation-house, wbicb led to an attack on him, and ultimately on the bouse itself. Some one shouting out to set fire to the house, a brand wm soon obtained, and the house fired, nearly all the excited sailors being now congregated before the house. Still the Governor refused to begin a tcene of bloodshed by bring, ing out bis troops. The fire companies of the city promptly mustered to the rescue of the cui-lom-house and other bouses in the neighbourhood, ,and curiously enough many of the men who bad cheered on the destruction of the policeoffice helped to work ths fire-engines in preventing tbe fire from spreading. By great exenions the fire was got under, after burning down tbe pjlice-stttion and two »mall houses adjoining. The exciting scene appeared to have cooled down the sailors, and they created no more disturb' ances that night. Next day their aspect was etill threatening, and tbe foreign residents assembled, headed by Americans, and by 11 o'clock bad, with the approval of the Government, organised an extempore volunteer corps, 200 strong, ! and a cavalry force, 50 strong, placing both at tbe disposal of tbe Government in the defence of law and order. Towards midday the sailors began to insult and abuse the natives, and continued this so long that the natives in large numbers petitioned tbe Government to be allowed to use force to put down tbe riot. The Governor told them, about 3 in the afternoon, to clear tbe streets, and arrest all who resisted. Tbe natives immediately went in a body in eewrcb of the sailors, and a hand-to-hand fight commenced in the streets, with clubs and stones, which ended in the defeat of the sailors, and the' apprehension I of some 40 or 50 of them. The streets were now quiet, and the volunteer companies patrolled them all the evening and night, and no fresh disturbances arose. The U.S. Commissioner, Mr. Severance, addressed on Friday morning a strong I but temperate remonstrance to the sailors on their outrageous conduct. Subsequently a meeting of the foreign residents was held, and permanent arrangements made for tbe formation of a volunteer corps to assist tbe Government in preserving peace and order, whenever necessary.