THE SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1852

Daily Southern Cross, Volume VII, Issue 478, 27 January 1852, Page 2

THE SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1852

LUOEO NON ÜBO. "If I have been extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beacons from the spaik I bore. 1 '

Our files .of English Journals by the 'John Wesley' are, as they usually have been of late, disjointed and irregular; — ranging between the 6th and 24th September. • At that season of the year, when London, both socially and politically, is the dullest, the intelligence of the Australian Gold discovery arrived to astonish the town. As far as we can gather from the papers before us, the first intimation seems to have been received with some little scepticism j — but, when the '- Thomas Arbuthnot/ the first vessel that conveyed sparkling ore, put into Pernambuco, and there, on the 20th of August, communicated the progressive riches of the several diggings to the West India mail packet < Teviot,' scepticism was a't an end — the e Illustrated News' furnished 'its readers with^i pictorial view of the Summerhill Creek, — and every Journal, whether diurnal or hebdomadal, launched its speculations with regard to the" future greatness of Australia, and the immediate influence she was likely to exert in Great Britain.

From o^t a rii&ss o^omnrei>tat<^s we have preferred' to giv^'platfe* to the opinions of the 1 Times.' That Journal, as we ourselves did, anticipates murder, rapine,, and every description of outrage as certain to be the consequence of the rush of the villainous population which England has insisjted upon emptying on the Australian shores. The ' Times' quotes the atrocities of California, which, upon Californian authority, it fathers exclusively upon Australian convicts; and naturally enough infers if San Francisco could be so abused by a comparative handful of felonry, what will the misdeeds amount to where felonry so largely prevails ? When the ' Times' and the people of England shall learn the order and general good conduct that has prevailed, they may be induced to inquire whether the ruffianism of San Francisco be not' much more largely of Columbian than Australian origin. We are surprized to see the ' Times' urging the British Government to an arbitrary disposition of the gold fields, and to the despatch of a large military force to accomplish that purpose. The ' Times' may rest assured that this is much more easily said than done ; conciliation, not coercion, is the only policy to adopt towards Australia. In the altered state of Australian affairs, 1 the Admiralty has turned on its easy chair, ana at length thought fit to invite tenders for a bi-monthly steam communication. But, . even in this movement, it is inert and incompetent, the tenders being only as a sort of refjage for all the slow coaches of the empire/ We give the opinion of the ' Times' upon this important question also. F|pm that, it will be seen that steam and- clipper sailing vessels already cover the Ocean. The Peninsular and Oriental Company were increasing their fleet, and building a class of vessels far surpassing in magnitude anything yet afloat. A South American Company in Liverpool were in a" state of energetic activity. The Pacific Company wnich had tendered ta convey the Sydney mail, via Panama and New Zealand, were on the alert. The Royal West India Mail Steam Company were pushing their magnificent ships one after another into the water. In America steam ships were no less prolific; and by way of Nicaragua, New York and San Francisco have been brought within two and twenty days of each other. A vast improvement also has been accomplished in the arrangement of the Screw propeller, which has been tried on a ship of 700 ton. Instead of being placed before the rudder, and in the wash of the water, it is removed to a second and false stern post placed abaft the rudder. By this means, the screw revolves in the solid water, obviates the tremulous vibration so much complained of, and with 100 horse-power to 700 tons of burthen, propelled the ship eleven knots an hour right in the "wind's eye. The insurrectionary movements in Cuba, and the bucaneering- spirit of certain American sympathizers was exciting considerable attention both in France and England. The French squadron was being strengthened, and Signor Isturitz 7 - had- addressed an explanatory letter to the -' Times,' justificatory of the rather wholesale military execution that had taken place at Havanna. The schooner yacht 'America,' had furnished the papers with much subject matter of discussion. Her build, the cut of her sails, the proportions of her masts, are all enlarged upon. ' She has become English property, at a price 6f £4000 ; and her sellers have returned to New York, to contrive something, it is said, that shall flog her next season. "On the 26. h of August, 1850, tracei were found to Northward, of Port InnU, Wellington Channel, confirming those previously found at Cape Riley by Captain Ommanney. - Thesu consisted of fragments of clothing, preserred meat tint, and scraps of papers, one of thcio bearing tbe name of • M'Donald, Medical Officer ia the Expedition.' " ' Oa the 27'h, Captain Penny's parties reported, graves* These were at once risked by Captain de Haven, Mr. Penny, and Dr. Kane. They bore respectively the names of W. Braine, R M. t and John Harlnell, of the Erebus, and John Torrington, of the Terror, the date of the latest death being the 3rd of April, 1846. " Added to these sad bat unmistakeable evidences were the remains of the obsefvatory, carpenters' shop, and armorer's forge. Upon the hill side and beach wrre fragments of wood, metal, and clothing, with sticks of empty meat tins. Everything indicated permanency and organization. There can be no doubt that tbe cove between Gape Riley and Beechy Island, facing Lancaster Sound, was the first j Winter station of the missing vessels. Oa the 31st of September the impervions ice of the Wellington Channel underwent a complete disruption, and by the 6th, several vessels penetrated to the Cornwallis aide. Such, however, was the impenetrable character of the pack in Lancaster Souo.d that by the 10th of September the entire searching squadron were again concentrated about eight miles South of Griffith's Idat.d. i " Thi» was the furthest Westing attained by the American expedition. The latest date's from Commodore Austin are of the 13th of September. They were then in momentary expectation' of making Winter quarters, and it is probsble that a small harbor discovered by Captain Ommanney about three miles East of Caps Martyrs will be the haven selected. " Thence the American vessels, while proceeding homeward, were frozen in opposite WellingtSn Channel, drifting during the ensuing winter from a latitude of 75 25 throughout the channel and sound into Baffin's Bay. Their liberation, after much exposure and trial, took place on the 10th of June, 1851, at a point South of Cape Walsingham 65.30 — a linear drait exceeding 1 ,050 miles. " TheycOmmodon of the ice with its attendant uncertainty was their chief source of trial. Every officer and man had marked scorbutic disease, but no deaths have occurred. Tbe crews are now refreshed, and the expedition is eisdeavouring to regain the seat of search. " I have, &c, " E. K. Kane, Surgeon to the Expedition." Traces, it will be seen by ouf^extract, have at vlength been found of Sir John Franklin* and his comrades. This honour has been reserved for the American 1 squadron of investigation. God grant that a measure of complete success may attend the generous search.

Her Majesty and 1 family were enjoying themselves at Balmoral. The Duke of Noriblk has- renounced the Church of Rome. His Grace, the Duchess, and her daughters, attended service, and re-" ceived the sacrament at the parish church of Arundel, on the 31st August. The Key. Gr. H. Hart, Chaplain in ordinary. -to the Queen, officiating. The papers actually teem with long aci counts of fatal railway accidents. Kossuth has been liberated from his iniquitous durance, and was. expected in Eng- , land on the 4th October. - i The Kaffir war engrosses as large a share <of public anxiety as the Cuban invasion. I The 'Observer/ in descanting upon. the. ! ruinous tendency of Spanish Colonial Policy, lis wondrously profound. Had our London 1 contemporary looked nearer home— =!iad he considered the despotism and the destruc[tiveness &$ the Colonial policy of- Downing .Street, he might have discovered quite as -grave causes for censure. The- lynx-eyed optics of the ' Times' are much more penetrating — the wrongs of the Cape have furnished a text upon which it comments with a commendable patriotism. We have room this morning but for the closing paragraph, and we rejoice to discover sentiments' which we have produced, and reproduced a hundred times, issuing in thunder tones from such a channel. " There is no escaping from the cons*» quences of this comparison, and England; it would seem, is doomed to have all its colonies struck and palsied, because vwe have not courage to assail the rule' of Downing-street, and say tQ it, " We judge you by the fruits of your dominion." W« might sayy " Show us-the colony that has flourished under your.rule. *' Poinkou-t tons the solitary spot that is even at peace — saying nothing as to improvement and continued advance — white 'you have governed it, and we-may be is-some measure satisfied' with your system; But, unfortunately, your government,' is a .blight; ■wherever 'yo u have sway you destroy hope, energy, and self-relience; your dominion is a curse, and the name of England, which you are permitted: to employ, has become & byword of reproach. Her sons shun her dominions, and flee to other and more happy States, in order to escape from the thraldom, of her colonial empire." No man who has travelled through the colonies of England and compared their destinies with those of the self-go-verned colonies or territories of America will say that the description we have henejjiven is untrue ; no enlightened Englishman who has had an opportunity" of knowing and feeling all the abominations of our colonial rule will say that he marvels at the scenes now enacted in South Africa, or will assert that such things would continue a month if the Englishmen in those lands were permitted to take care of their own concerns, without being hampered by the superintendence of a Colonial Minister."

The large demand made upon our morning's issue has compelled us to postpone several articles of local interest. We cannot, however, abstain from a word of comment on the ! little scena introduced into the Municipal Council on Saturday, in the'matter of a suitable site for the proposed' Lunatic Asylum. j On the previous Saturday, the Chairman of the Sanatory Committee had laid a Report upon the Council Table, which set forth, amongst other objections, that the contemplated -eite, in the opinion of competent medical evidence, was likely to prove injurious to the unfortunate beings it is the object to relieve, and if<posss)te to restore. In-further-ance of the object of th&t report, the worthy Chairman rose to urge the adoption of a motion of which he had previously given notice, that further inquiry should be made with a view, if possible, to obtain a more eligible site. What was our surprise, therefore, ta behold Mr. Alderman O'Neill arise with flashing eye, rounded period, and a choice selection of ad captandum, if not personal, elocution to denounce the motion, and-to-pro^ pose an amendment. It is true we had, that morning, seen some writings, which we, suppose were meant for reasons against inquiry, in the columns of -our contemporary j— -but as these were too fine drawn for ordinary logicians, we rated them at their own intrin^ sic worth, — attempts to mystify a plain and rational question. But when Mi*. O'Neill hurled iis indignant thunders against Government Officers and residents whose selfish inhumanity sought to put a stop to the erection of a humane and much wanted establish" ment, we began to doubt whether Mr. Abraham and some of his aristocratic- neighbours were not attempting to practise an unworthy dodge; or whether Mr. O'Neill (himself one. of the Sanatory Committee, we believe,) had not been induced to jump Jim Crow, and turn about and wheel about, unconscious by whom or for what he was turning. A light, however, has since been thrown upon these mysterious movements — for, if our information be correct, Mr. Buddie as well as other members of the committee of subscribers have aflirmedr that if the Lunatic Asylum be not built in the Government Domain, the Governor, will not sanction its being built at all. If Mr, Buddie did say so, (and we have been positively assured he did) it is only fair to infer that the Governor told Mr. Budclle so.-^r And, if this be so, then it would appear that the Governor is the sole obstacle to inquiry ! Why inquiry should unreasonably delay, much less put a stop to the progress of the Asylum, we cannot understand j and, indeed, after what has transpired, upon every principle of justice and humanity, we consider a full, fair, and impartial inquiry more imperatively called for than ever. The hospital itself is, at best but a flashy architectural %imcrtfck; extremely ill placed;

all its internal economy is defective, and it is without a sufficiency of that all-essential element to health, — water, j— To place a Lunatic Asylum in such an inferior posi-tioß,-with one's eyes open to these defects, would be extremely culpable. — Why not remove the Hospital and build the Asylum, on a better and more appropriate site? Ait the present moment, when the question of erecting a new Government House is «o eagerly stirred, we throw it out as a suggestion whether it would not be infinitely preferable to build a new Hospital and Asylum; gut and reconstruct the interior of the present Hospital, and by the addition of ft^few wings and out-officcs, render it for some years to- come a very fit and- comfortr aide 1 residence for the Governor. Situated' hi'tlte domain, its aspect is not only appro-priate-but beautiful j and, unless we err, -sueh an arrangement would at one time have Tjeen extremely- acceptable to Sir.. George Orey. As for "the Hospital and Asylum, surely much • more suitable positions could be found" for both; and were they constructed, something after the arrangement' of those noble buildings the Hospital and Jjunatic Asylum of New Norfolk in Van Diemen.'s Lanc^ both under one estaUishment, yet both distinctly and effectually separated- from, each other, — a much superior structure, — a much more eligible site, — atfd far greater comforkand convenience for the patients could not "fail, we think, and) without loss of time, to be secured.

* REGATTA. — The -following are the Entrances for- the several Eaces on Thursdaynext : — Ist Race, 4 entrances ; • 2nd Race,2 entrances; 3rd Race/ 3 -entrances; 4th Bace, 4' entrances; sth Race, 3 entrances; 6th- Race, Canoes ; -Tth Race, 3 entrances'; Bth Race, 2 entrances I 9th -Race, Canoes; 10th Race, 3 entrances; 11th Race, 2 entrances. -It will*' be seen that some of the Races- are not; filled up in compliance with the- Rules, butiihis deficiency may probably be made good on* the day of. the Regatta. T-hrbugh the courtesy of Captain Swift, the "Anadir" has been placed at the disposals the Committee as Mag-ship of the day.

An election of Wardens for the Hundredof Auckland, during the current year, took place at New Market on Saturday last. Messrs.- May, Hay, Rtioney, and Major Matson having been duly proposed and seconded, the three former were declared tobe elected. Yesterday, Messrs. James Farmer, J. C. Hill, and Charles Moore were dbcted Wardens for the Hundred of Onehunga.