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The Louisa brings intelligence from Sydney up to the sth instant. No fresh news from England had arrived, so that the war rumours received by the "Mahommed Shah," remain still unconfirmed. The Sydney journals were principally occupied with the elections to the Legislative Council of New South Wales, which appear to have been conducted much more quietly then heretofore. Messrs. Wentworth and Lowe had been returned for Sydney, the former polling 1168 votes, the latter 1012. Messrs. Lamb and Bland obtaining 950 and 874 votes only. But the main topic of interest is the extraordinary conduct of the Port Phillip settlers, who having at first refused to return any members at all, have now completed the farce, by returning as member for Melbourne the Right Honorable Earl Grey ! Two hundred and ninety five wiseacres were found to join in this piece of absurdity, and two protests handed in against it. His Lordship's ideas will probably undergo some change touching the fitness of that colony for a complicated constitution. The Herald declares its conviction that the proceedings in question was an ipso Jaclo forfeiture of the franchise ; that the only chance of impunity is " that the Act of Parliament erecting Victoria into a separate colony may have passed before the transaction is known in England. But the chance is a very bare one. Considering the numerous petitions sent home in the early part of the year against the new Constitution, and the certainty that they would induce the Minister, if not to retrace his steps, at least to pause, as he did with regard to the Constitution of New Zealand, it is morally certain that the Separation Act would not be passed during the present year. And if so, it must be equally certain that when Earl Grey comes to know of the Melbourne atrocity, insulting to the noble lord's own person as well as to the Imperial legislature, he will pronounce the people of Port Phillip unfit for the franchise, and will give them a Council nominees." The Government of New South Wales has given them.a chance of repairing their error, by issuing new writs for Melbourne and Port Phillip; not so much, it may be surmised, out of any anxiety to relieve the electors from the consequences of their childish folly, as to save itself from being committed to the decision of a difficult question — whether it be competent for the New Legislative Council to sit without them. It was reported in Hobart Town that his Excellency Sir W. Denison will proceed very shortly to Swan River, for the purpose of founding a new penal settlement on the west coast of New Holland; aud that Mr. Latrobe, irom Port Phillip, will succeed him as Lieut.Governor of Tfan" Diemen's Land. We give the report as we find it, but have little faith in its truth.

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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AMW18480824.2.6

Bibliographic details

Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 18, 24 August 1848, Page 2

Word Count
475

Untitled Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 18, 24 August 1848, Page 2

Untitled Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 18, 24 August 1848, Page 2