THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Tuesday, August 26, 1851.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume VI, Issue 434, 26 August 1851, Page 2

THE SOUTHERN CROSS. Tuesday, August 26, 1851.

LDCEO NON URO. "If 1 hare been extinguished, yet there rite A thousand beacon* from the «p»lc I bore."

We are indebted to Captain Cain for the perusal of a file of the "Lyttleton Times/ from which we have been enabled to glean a few particulars respecting the movements of the Canterbury colonists. Narratives of the voyages of the different ships continue to be published ; and if these be indeed faithful chronicles, they are, in our opinion, calculated to be of eminent benefit to future emigrants, by showing what may be accomplished by well ordered ships and considerate commanders, for the happiness and comfort of their passengers. The passage of the 'Steadfast' may, in this respect, be termed a model one ; for every species of rational enjoyment appears to have been not merely eagerly promoted, but actively and generously encouraged. The meed of commendation, however, seems to have been equally deserved by every other ship of the Canterbury fleet. Probably no class of emigrant ships have been so perfect in their equipment, so punctual to their date of sailing, or so satisfactory in every arrangement of their internal economy. These desirable results have no doubt, been largely owing to the indefatigablezeal andanxious forethought of Mr. Bowler, the late Superintendent of Shipping to the Canterbury Association. In the London 'New Zealand Journal' of the Ist February, there is an elaborate report of that gentleman's exertions in the emigrants' cause; and so simple, yet so searching, have been the inquiries, so persevering his industry, that a cheap rate of passage, by first class and admirably conducted vessels, has proved the gratifying consummation. The 'New Zealand Journal,' in speaking of the 'Steadfast,' says, "by a recent arrangement, the Association send all their ships to one or more ports in the colony after touching at Canterbury; and she is to proceed on to Auckland. This will tend to keep up a more constant communication between the settlements, and enable passengers to proceed to any place they may desire." This is but a following out of the course thus judiciously suggested by Mr. Bowler: — 1 beg leave to recommend to the ftTonr of the Committee the course which hai been adopted at my suggestion, of chartering all chips to tiuch'ai other ports after delivering their emigrants and cargo at Port Lytttlton. giving to each of the settlrmenu in New Zealand, Auckland included, its regular tarn I am persuaded ihat this may be done wi hout additional expense to the Association : for the opportunity of filling up with freight to the older ports, facilitates the more frequent engagement of ships, without riik of loss from an occasional want of the full number of emigrants,: and although the numbei of emigrants taking passage for the other ports bat* been 10 inconsiderable as to be scarcely worth no* tice. yet the opportunities of communication from England which the As»ociation affords to tha other settlements, is a most valuable accommodation which , they will not fail to appreciate, and a measure well MUited to benefit the Canterbury Settlement by its tendency to put an end to the jealousies and unworthy rivalries between the different settlement, which have hitherto impeded the general colonization of ( the i> lands, and have thereby greatly and manifestly, however indirectly, retarded the progress 'of every kettiement. The " Lyttleton Times/ furnishes' no in- 1 formation respecting the future movements of the " Steadfast :" — whether she proceeds to Auckland or to Sydney.

The late gales r atoll? disasters had caused tIM general anxiety to lie manifested for th{3 improvement of the harbour by- the adoption Ifl of some measures fof the greater security of jB shipping j and at a Public Meeting, at which M Mr. Grodley presided, it was resolved th»t ■ an officer to combine the duties of pilot ami M harbour master should be appointed without^* delay. That for the safety of small vessels'" ■ bringing up opposite the town, heavy moor- M ings should be laid down as soon as possi- ■ ble j the expense to be defrayed from th« ■ surplus revenues of the settlement j and theX sanction of the Governor to be immediately jB requested. I We regret to perceive that discord haiS crept into the council of the Society of Land ■ Purchasers, and that of a character so imJfl concilable as only to be overcome by tW*J dissolution of the entire Council, Mr. Dam. M pier, one of its members refusing to resign, M and all the others save one, declining to acM with him. The " Times" answers the ques-S tion, "Of what use is this Society ?" bjfl stating that " The land purchasers of thijS settlement have subscribed large sums ofH money for public services. Additional funiiß continue to fall into the hands of the AssoS elation 1 on the same account. The use oH the Society is* to inquire into the expend* ture of these monies, and, as far as possible,* to direct and control it." Mr. Godley, in seems, wished to issue conveyances to pun chasers, without subjecting them to the cost* of a professional charge. Mr. Dampier^tha Attorney for the Association, differed in opinion on this point, and, as a member ofr / the Council, dissented not only from th(l views of the majority of that body, but ill consequence of certain entries in the minute,! of proceedings, threatened Mr. Brittan thit Chairman, and Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, with! an action for libel. A dissolution was the! result, and a new election was about to take! place. 1 Mr. C. 0. Torlesse has furnished a de-i scriptive account of the Canterbury block,! from which we learn that the district con-'i tains between 4 and" 5,000,000 acres of J available land. It is essentially a grazing* country, with monotonous plains of wiryj > tufty, grass ; these coarse tufts, like those! of Australia, are only eaten by stock when! springing up after the application of fire. l Dry weather is of long continuance, and hotl winds are by no means infrequent. Timber | is very scanty and not well dispersed ; about! a twentieth part being wooded. Mr. Tor-| lesse estimates two acres to be necessary for| the support of one sheep, and sixteen acres' for one ox. Before the occupation of " the pilgrims," there were about 50 horses, 17,000 sheep, and 1,400 cattle belonging to the residents, who had established half a dozen dairies, which annually dispensed about 12 tons of the far-famed Port Cooper cheese. , Large shipments of stock were taking place 1 from Melbourne, and as a preventive to the introduction of scabby, or diseased sheep, it is notified that the strictest scrutiny will toe exercised, and the full penalty of £100 be inflicted upon any one landing such. The " Lyttleton Times" copies the wantonly offensive letter of Mr. Mark Stoddart, which first appeared in the " Melbourne Argus," whence it was transferred by us to our issue of the sth instant. With the most commendable forbearance, the '.' Times" has seized upon the practical information which the letter contains, whilst it passes with a< dignified rebuke, the intended sarcasm r onf the poverty of the pilgrims j ridiculing the^ bombastic childishness of those who affects to deplore the sacrifices they have made! by migrating from a land where they could > not keep up appearances to one where they! hope to benefit both their prospects and? their position. j A Reading Boom and a Cricket Clul>s have been established. A Building Society, | and a Fire Brigade are in course of forma*! tion j — and, for a settlement of such very re-l cent creation, every thing appears to be going! on as favourably as could be anticipated. I

Through the arrival of the 'Helen S.j Page,' we have been put in possession of Californian papers to the Ist July, and of New York to the 15th May. From these] channels, we have been enabled to collate a variety of European intelligence of a date considerably in advance of any hitherto received. The great and absorbing topic of the world's attention was the grand Industrial Exhibition, then almost arrived at its " opening day ;" and deep and all-engros-sing appear to be the speculations whether the Show will pass off in quiet, or be made the occasion of an attempt at outbreak by the socialists and ultra-democrats of the European nations. We copy a couple of exceedingly interesting articles on this subject from the « New York Herald' of the 12th May ;— from these it might be inferred that that Journal had been the organ to harp the apprehensions of England : — but, if refer-* ence be had to the London Journals of a much anterior date, it will be seen that the subject had long before excited attention, and that the prudential measure of concentrating an effective military force around London was stigmatized by the ' Daily News' as an invidious and needless precaution. We sincerely trust it may prove so ; but, as prevention is better than cure, and as, under every day circumstances, the garrison of Paris more than doubles the force concentrated upon London, it is surely but a common precaution to bo ready to act on any emergency.

The aspect of the world at large seems to be anything but pacific. Both in Europe and America, party strife and internal dissensions seem ready to burst forth. In Prussia, so uneasy seems the head that wears the Crown that such performances •s " Tell," and •« Masaniello," are interdicted at the Opera— whilst in Austria the fears of Hungary still stick deep, and a fresh trouble has been engendered by a demand of Turkey, on its bankrupt treasury, for sustentation of the refugees. -In Italy, hopes of a fresh struggle for liberty t nd Italian nationality are enterjtained. And in France, yet another and a more effectual change is predicated. ; In the United States discord and division are rife. In the North, the Abolitionists »re prosecuting their views for the repeal of the Fugitive Slave Law by Meeting* and Gatherings denunciatory of Slavery in any shape or form — whilst, in the South, this is resented as a most iniquitous infringement of their rights ; and open resis tance and secession from the Union is Inculcated. In May last. South Carolina was assembled in convention, and the most powerful and determined resolutions were passed and greeted with general acclaim. They had waited, said, their President, for Virginia or Georgia to take the lead ; but as these States were still undetermined, and as they bad resolved to endure the wrongs and oppressions of the North no longer, their minds were made up, cost what it might, to withdraw from the Union, even if they did so alone. The Government at Washington were not inactive; some powerful steam -ships had been chartered — troops were embarked, and they had sailed with sealed orders. But whether this armament was designed to act in observation of the proceedings of the Carolinans, or to overawe the projectors of a fresh piratical descent on Cuba, does not appear to be known. It is affirmed to be the intention of the Executive not to invade Carolina, but, in the event of any active attempt at secession, to arrest and try the leaders upon treasonable charges. We know not what to think of the present aspect of American affairs; but it would be quite as well for the swaggerers of the press of California, ere they vaunt the omnipotence of American influence in the Pacific, to look at home. " Rule America* is a stave yet to be set to music. For, however ardently some may desire it, it will never, we trust, supersede our own old-fashioned " Rule Britannia." • Meanwhile, the nations and the Colonies have poured in their contributions to the World's Fair. Turkey has sent hers, together with an ambassador, in a.magnificent and powerful steam frigate of native build, but fitted with English machinery, j Sardinia also sends hers by a like conveyance ; whilst the United States have transmitted theirs by the • St. Lawrence,' one of their beautiful 50 gun frigates. In the • Colonial List, we are happy to perceive the offerings from New Zealand occupying both a prominent and creditable position. This unequalled exhibition was to be opened on the Ist of May. Punch is very wroth that that opening was to be by Her Majesty in State, which he designates to be Gold Sticks, Silver Sticks, Grooms of the Stole. Bed-chamber Women, Glass Coaches, eight cream-coloured horses, and other gingerbread trumpery. He says he is certain- that Her Majesty would have enjoyed the smiles and hearty greetings of her people far more than this starched and antiquated mummery.

The most prominent and painful feature in our Californian intelligence is the occurrence of another, and most disastrous, fire in San Francisco. This conflagration broke out on the morning of Sunday, the 22nd June, during which it continued to spread ■with tremendous rapidity, sweeping away large sections of the city, and destroying not only human life, but about three million dollars worth of property in its devastating career. An eye-witness describes this fire as probably the most appalling scene he ever beheld. There was no want of energy or courage in the endeavour to get the flames under; but it was the blind and wilful energy of an independent and reckless multitude, incensed alike by rage and liquor j without the concentration of a guiding power on the one side, or any principle of obedient unanimity on the other. Had such existed, a score of determined and well ordered men would, in the opinion of a practical spectator, have sufliced to extinguish it at the first. Scenes of great individual atrocity are said to have occurred during its course : — men, on mere suspicion ef a guilty agency, were unscrupulously shot down ; and a poor French sailor, of the ship ' Montalembert,' who had picked up a fire-stick, to light his cigar whilst left on guard of his captain's property, was beaten to death on the spot- For some time the shipping were in imminent peril; many vessels (the l Helen. S. Page' amongst the number) escaping the danger through the sheer energy and activity of their commanders. Oar old acquaintance, H. M. Steam«hip 'Driver,' made proffer of the services of hex ship's company on the occasion j and we are glad to perceive that honourable and grateful acknowledgment has been tendered, not only to her commander, Capt. Johnson, but likewise to Captain Sir Henry Huntly, R.N-, then on a visit to California. This last fire, although much less destructive in the value of property, t^U, it fe said, be

much more keenly and extensively felt, the damages it has entailed being distributed among the humbler and poorer classes. Great precautions are being taken to prevent either the recurrence or the wholesale ruin of past conflagrations. Houses of a less combustible nature are projected ; and new fire companies are being organized. The Journals teem with eulogistic descriptions of a new Banking House, erected by Messrs. Adams and Co., upon anti-ignition principles such as the " Fire King" himself might have envied. It is, say they, "a perfect salamander." Nothing can be more deplorable than the picture of society, as presented by the prints now before us. Both in the Journals and in the wood cuts and lithographs of the city, tales and scenes of outrage are fearfully but graphically depicted : so much is this the case that we are forced to come to the conclusion that order and morality, so far from taking hold of the community, have been scouted as servile trammels unworthy of a free and independent state I for who that compares the Journals of 1849 with those of 1851 but must perceive an access, rather than a diminution, of public justice (i. c.) Lynching) during the two last years ? In ev&ty\ paper, and in* ovory-town and settlement,''the'revolver, the rifle, and the bowie knife, are the prompt and unsparing arbitrators. Of the former mortal weapons, 400 were sold in one morning, at prices varying from thirty to five-and-forty dollars each. And, in the same or following number of the Journal which communicates this warm intelligence, respectable people are cautioned against letting any one approach i too near them in the streets at night, lest they should have their throats cut or be beaten to death by means of-slung shot. The prevalence of robberies, murders, and | arson — all of them charged upon the Sydney importations — had caused the formation of a Committee of Vigilance. Before this Committee, one John Jenkins, of Sydney, of course, was arraigned for a burglary, in j the commission of which he was detected. He was at once found guilty, and within six hours — the attempt to string him up to the tree, of liberty having failed — was run tip to the beam of a house at the corner of Sansome and Bush Streets, a picked band of executioners, "of the highest respectability" (to quote the descriptive language of a pictorial illustration), having tailed on to the rope and held it taut till life was extinct. It is only fair to state that the culprit's request, for a cigar and a glass of brandy and , water, was complied with, and that his decease was duly chronicled, with those of other notables, in the Obituary Lists of San Francisco. The Local Journals are loud in commendation of this Committee of Vigilance. To us it presents no parallel, unless it be the Committee of Public Safety under whose sanguinary auspices the wholesale butcheries of the first French Revolution were perpetrated. Let any unprejudiced man calmly consider the premium held out to perjury, conspiracy, and the sale of blood, by the " Keward of 5,000 dollars," which it conspicuously proclaims in the English, French, German, and Spanish tongues, " to any person who will place in its power any man against whom sufficient evidence can be brought to convict him of the crime of arson!!!" Mr. McManus had arrived from Launceston; but by what vessel he managed to escape is not stated. He was greeted with enthusiasm by all the respectables surcharged with spleen against England. Indeed, such was the furor of his welcome that the floor of the Audience Chamber fell through under their sympathetic pressure. A grand banquet was subsequently given; at which there was a splendiferous burlesque in the Hannibal vein, — to wit — McManus kissing the Star-Spangled Banner, and swearing everlasting enmity to England ! ! Hostility to England appears to be a^ Californian weakness. In the Alta Cali" fornia of the 28th June, we perceive a long and biting article on "American and British interests in the Sandwich Islands." The pith of this paper is contained in the editorial assertion that the English Monarchy is to bo at once shaken from its hold of the broad waters of the Pacific — that her commercial relations are fast weakening there — that her dependencies and possessions are gradually loosening and slipping from her forced and violent grasp ; and, as a climax, that America — by means, we presume, of California and the red right hand of its 'respectable* Lynchers, is "with quick despatch" to "rule the waves," and to put to shame and silence the Britons' "once familiar" air of "Rule Britannia." These are frightful affirmations ; but very moderate concessions will soothe the dependencies* which, however justly discontented, are still very far from disloyal. The intelligence from -the mines and placers is reported to be encouraging, especially in the rotten quartz diggings. Conventions of quartz miners had taken place, and liberal regulations for quartz mining had been entered into. The prospect for the crops was declared to be good ; and a vast amount ol vegetables was likely to be produced. \ Great preparations were afoot for celebrating the 4tji of July, with every demonstration of anniversary exultation: still, with all this enthusiastic profession of love for the States, we shall be greatly surprised if California be not ere long a distinct and independent territory.