Funeral of the Rev. J.F. Churton.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume X, Issue 584, 1 February 1853, Page 2

Funeral of the Rev. J.F. Churton.

The remains of our much lamented Colonial Chaplain were, yesterday, followed to the grave by the largest concourse of mourners ever yet assembled in Auckland. At 3 o'clock the avenue leading to the late residence of the deceased wa3 thronged by all classes of the community. His Excellency the Lieut.-Governor, his Honor the Chief Justice, the members of Council, and the various denominations of the Clergy, the officials of all the Public departments, the troops in garrison, with the Band, but not the music, of the 58th Regt., —the order of Odd Fellows in their funeral regalia —in fact, almost every man in Auckland well enough to pay the last sad tribute of respect to a long and much tried friend was present. Although we can give no description of the order of the procession, some idea may be formed of its great extent when we state that it reached from the Bridge in Michanics Bay to the foot of the hill on which the Scotch Church stands. On reaching St. Paul's Church, although the Military remained outside, as well as many other followers, every corner of the Church was filled. In consequence of the prevailing epidemic, the Rev. Mr. Maunsell who, at the desire of the deceased, was expected from Waikato to perform the funeral service, was unable to attend. The solemn ceremony was therefore performed conjointly by the Rev. Messrs. Thatcher and Kissling. Crowds of females followed the corpse to its final resting place ; and groups of the much loved pastor's late parishioners were stationed in various directions to catch a last and sorrowing glance at his passing bier. Earth has been consigned to its kindred earth; and all respect has been paid to the good man'B memory. But there is another Memento which we are sure if would afford a mournful gratification to his parishioners yet to pay. A mural tablet has recently been erected in St. Paul* Church in memory of Governor Hobson. Let us suggest that a similar one be raised on the opposite wall. Let the parishioners who have long profitted by the services of the deceased contribute to such a Memento. We feel certain that all will be eager to do so. And that all may participate in this lasting tribute of affectionate regret, wo would suggest that the subscription be so limited as to include all.

By the 'Eclair' which arrived at Manakau from New Plymouth on Saturday, we glean the following particulars. A numerous Public meeting had been convened on the 15th inst., to demonstrate that the decisions of the Court of Resident Magistracy were a solemn mockery, and a grievous outrage upon an intelligent community. If any faith may be attached to written complaint, we have had abundant assurance of the intolerance and incapacity of the Taranaki Resident. We trust our fellow colonists may obtain a speedy release from the worshipful Justice who could find none to speak for him. According to the 'Herald' of the 26th ult., the Legislative Noodles had finished their labours at Wellington on the 4th. The bulk of their acts we have already noted. At present we have only room for the following exquisite bit with which his Excellency dismissed his Shams. Sir George Grey said — "He begged to return his grateful thanks to the hon members for the assistance they had afforded him on this the last occasion eif their meeting together. In after times they might look back with pride and satisfaction on their labours, and he thought it would then be admitted that the measures past by them had greatly tended to the prosperity of the colony. The affairs of the colony would pass into the hands of the new legislature in as great a state of prosperity as that of any country could possibly be, and when the difficulties that they had had to encounter were considered, this was no small meed of praise With these few observations and again thanking them for their assistance he would now adjourn the Council sine die." The Bishop arrived at Taranaki from Auckland on the 18th ultimo. We notice (writes the Herald of the 26th ultimoythat the True Briton was advertised to sail from Wellington for Auckland direct on the Bth inst. ; we conclude therefore that she will not call here at present. '

By the remarkably fine clipper brig "Algerine," Capt. Brooks,— (a vessel which we rejoice to add to the list of our Auckland shipping, and a commander whom we again bid hearty welcome amongst us) — we have received Sydney Journals from the 6th to the 18th ult.,

inclusive. The much desired " Steam Communication to Australia" is again wofully behind the intelligence conveyed by sail. And why ? Simply because the worst and most circuitous route has been selected ; and because moderately fast sailing ships to Sydney direct must anticipate even first rate steam ships with a dozen ports to call at and coal.

We had intended to have written in remonstrance against such a crying injustice, but we find the matter already done so ably to our hands by our Sydney contemporary, "Bell's Life," of the Bth ultimo, that we at once adopt and transfer his opinions : — "The arrival on Wednesday last, (Jan. 5.) in Port Jackson, of another noble ocean, steamship, the " Cleopatra," after an unusually protracted passage from Plymouth, has again excited anxious discussion amongst our leading mercantile circles as to the means of effecting our steam communications with Europe in a far more satisfactory manner than we have hitherto been enabled to achieve. The latest date of letters and papers by the " Cleopatra's" heavy mail was the 7th of September, so that her news was 120 days old. On the evening after her arrival, the ship Beejapore entered our harbour, bringing us European news to the 14th of October, having made her (we believe) unprecedented passage in 85 days. Our contemporary the " Sydney Morning Herald," Las on several recent occasions invited attention to the striking difference between the mode of conveying intelligence from England by the direct.' Cape route, and by the indirect one of New York, the Isthmus of Panama, and San Francisco ; and in notifying the arrival of the " Cleopatra," expressed i belief that .she would be, at once, placed on the line between Sydney and Panama. We have since learnt that so desirable an arrangement is not likely to be so speedily made ; but we are glad to avail ourselves of an opportunity to express our hearty concurrence in our contemporary^ earnest arguments iv respect to the incalculable advantages of the Panama over the Cape route "The London 'Athcnaum,' in a late article upon this subject, declares that "the line from England to this colony by way of the Oape of Good Hope, is fit only for convicts, midshipmen, and colonial office despatches ;" and we can easily understand how distasteful ifmust be for those who live in the midst of electric telegraph express trains, and fast steamers, to Und the longest line and the stormiest and most dangerous seas on the globe selected for the Australian mail steamers to encounter, when a safe, direct, and easy route has long been pointed out to the English Government. "Let us ask what available commercial communications are opened to New South Wales by these steam ships adopting the Cape route ? Positively none ! But supposing that the route from Southampton to Chagres was performed by the West India Mail steamers and the distance from Panama to Sydney by another steam line, the scheme would comprehend widely-spread Atlantic and Pacific communications, and mails, treasures, merchandise, and passenger traffic, in which the following places would be included : The United States of America, the British Colonies of Jamaica, Demerara, Trinidad, Tobago, St Vincent, Barbadoes, Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitt's and Tortola ; the Danish islands, St. Thomas and St. Croix; the French Antilles, Guadaloupe, Martinique, &c, the colony of Cayenne, and Dutch Guiana ; Mexico, Mobile, Havannah, St. Jago de Cuba, Hayti, Bermuda, ,the Bahamas, Honduras, Porto Bico, San Juan del Ind, Nicaragua, Carthagena, Santa Martha, Laguayra, Chagres, Panama, the Pacific ports of Chili, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, California and Oregon, Tahiti, and New Zealand. This list will show how extensive and comprehensive is the field open for steam enterprise in connection with New South Wales : and when compared with the unprofitable Cape route, will exhibit the causes which now produce the vexatious and anomalous results of our first arrangements for steam communication with England." Preserve us, say we from such advantages of steam Communication as the following — "A very painful occurrence is reported in the Adelaide Newspapers. The Cleopatra, steamer, did not go within several miles of Port Adelaide, and Captain Cumming declared that it was not his duty to land the passengers \ that he had brought them to Adelaide, and that they must find means of landing themselves, and on one of them the Rev. Mr. Heirn resisting this interpretation of the contract, he was informed in writing, that he would be charged for everything he obtained from the ship after that day. Mr. Heirn then engaged a passage for himself and family in a water-tank boat, in which a great many persons, and a large quantity of luggage, were stowed. Just before the vessel arrived at the wharf, a puff of wind caught her, and, as usual, the sheet being fast, she was upset, when Mr Heirn, one of his sons, and a Mr. Holloway, were drowned. So far as the melancholy accident itself is concerned, no blame can be attached to the Captain of the Cleopatra, but the doctrine, that passengers have no claim to be landed, especially when the vessel is anchored several miles from the shore, is combatted very warmly by the Adelaide press, and ought to be settled." We (writes the ' Herald' of the Bth ult ) have, by the Beejapore, London papers to the ilth, and Liverpool to the 12th October. The Queen was on her way from Balmoral to Windsor, and was to pass through Lancashire, and part of Wales, in order to visit the tubular bridge over the Menai Straits. The funeral of the Duke of Wellington was fixed for the 13th November; as the consent of Parliament had to be obtained, it was believed that, at the Cabinet Council to be held on the 14th October, it would be determined to call 'Parliament together on the Ist, instead of the 11th November. It was reported that there was a proba-

"bility of an alliance between the Peelites and the Ministry, Lord Derby being prepared to throw Protection overboard formally as he"had already done virtually. The Free Traders were making preparations for a grand demonstration in the shape of a banquet, to be held at Manchester immediately previous to the opening of Parliament. The accounts of the revenue both for the quarter and the year are satisfactory. Wool continued firm, and the approaching sales were expected to shew an upward tendency. Large quantities of goods are said to have been forwarded from Birmingham for these colonies. Another Bank for the colonies was being formed, as were also a company for making a canal from Melbourne to Hobson's Bay, and a company for conveying goods from Melbourne to the diggings. The shares of the three new banks were quoted at from § to § premium. From an Advertisement in the London 'New Zealand Gazette' of the 4th of September we learn that the Provisional Committee of the New Zealand Local Steam Navigation Company expected to despatch their first iron screw steamer, 'Victoria,' in all October ; the second, the 'Constitution,' in all January ; and the third, the 'Sir John Pakington,' in all April. We have no space for Australian news : "but we regret to perceive that the Kent Brewery at Chippendale, the property of Messrs. Tooth, has been consumed by fire The City of Sacramento, in California, has also been destroyed by the same overwhelming element. And Mrs. Kemp, the wife of Captain Kemp of the ship 'Emigrant,' has likewise perished, after protracted suffering from severe injuries received in a fire which occurred at her residence, Upper Fort-street, Sydney, on the 23rd December last.

The Auckland Gold Field. —We have for a length of time abstained from any notice of the doings at the diggings, in the hope that some modification in the Provisional arrangements, which are now working so ruinously, might have taken place. — We are informed that an alteration as to he made. We rejoice to hear it. It cannot occur too soon, if the Gold Field is to he rendered available to the Province. We shall discuss this question most fully in our next, being prevented from doing so in our present issue by the unusual press of local matter.