SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume I, Issue 11, 22 March 1851, Page 3

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

The new Constitution Act arrived by the "Ascendant," and was proclaimed immediately by the Governor. Burnt Burra shares were quoted at 199/. to 2001. Adelaide Markets.—Wheat 3s. 6d. to 3s. Bd. ; flour (new) 10Z, in demand; ditto (old) \ol. 10s.; oats 4s. 6d.; English barley 3s. 6d. ; Cape ditto 3s.— Observer, January 18. THE LATE CONFERENCE OF THE BISHOPS . AT SYDNEY, A meeting of lay members of the Church of England was held at Adelaide on the 28th ultimo, for the purpose of considering the published minutes of the conference of the bishops lately held in Sydney. The meeting was very numerously attended, and the following are the resolutions. Moved by Mr. M. Macdermott, and seconded by Mr. G. S. Walters:— That this Meeting has heard with regret and alarm, that the Australian bishops, at their recent conference held at Sydney, have attempted to narrow the terms of Communion with, and admission into the ministry of our Church, by their formal, gratuitous, and unnecessarily dogmatical declaration on the subject of Baptismal Regeneration, thereby disturbing the peace and harmony which have hitherto prevailed among its members in this Diocese. On this the following amendment was moved by Mr. Justice Cooper, and seconded by Mr. Newland: — That this meeting has heard with alarm that at a meeting of the Metropolitan and Suffragan Bishops of the Province of Australasia, recently held at Sydney, a plan has been devised for the government of the'Church of England in Australasia, wherein no provision is made for appeal from the decisions of the provincial Synod to her Majesty in her Privy Council. That a petition be prepared for presentation to her Majesty the Queen, respectfully praying her Majesty that she will be graciously pleased not to assent to any measure for establishing a general system of Church Government in the Province of Australasia, in accordance with the recommendation of the Right Reverend Bishops thereof, until her Majesty's faithful subjects, members of the Church of England in South Australia, have had an opportunity of considering the same. That a Committee be appointed for preparing such petition. The amendment was lost, and the original motion carried by a large majority. The following resolution was moved by Mr. Fisher, seconded by Dr. Wyatt, and carried. That as Members of the Protestant Church of England, in South Australia, and desirous to pay proper deference and respect to the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, we totally and absolutely repudiate any assumption of ecclesiastical authority by the Bishops of the other Australian Colonies over the Church in this Province, and solemnly piotest against any attempt on their part to exercise the same. It was moved by Mr. F. S. Dutton, seconded by Mr. Burr, and tv.rried: — That one of the evident objects of the unauthorised Conference of the Bishops at Sydney, being to obtain an extension of power dangerous to the peace of the community, this meeting deems it necessary to express its opinion that it is highly inexpedient that any extension of ecclesiastical power should be permitted, or that authority should be o-iven to establish Courts with any secular jurisdiction, for §o called spiritual purposes.

It was moved by Captain Bagot, seconded by Captain Hart, and carried. That apprehensive that the recognised standards of the Church might be perilled by their unauthorised construction, and by the innovations of the . Tractarian and anti-Protestant portion of the Church, it is necessary that measures be taken to guard against the spread of dangerous error in the doctrines of the Protestant Church in this province, and to maintain those doctrines in their purity. Formal resolutions appointing a standing Committee, and directing copies of the proceedings to be sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury were also carried, and the Meeting separated. VAN DIEMEN'S LAND. From the N. Z. Spectator, March 1. The Irish State Pbisoners.—A correspondent of the Launceston Examiner, in an indignant letter, thus records the recent conduct of the government to three of the Irish state prisoners, who had, as ticket-of-leave holders, left their respective districts without permission. The Launceston Examiner says the statement is correct. "And this brings me to the steps recently taken by the government against Messrs. M'Manus, O'Donoghue, two of the state prisoners. The facts of their case are simply these. On the 2nd of this month they proceeded to New Norfolk, for the purpose o'f paying a visit to Mr. O'l3rien. Information of their having done so was laid before the police magistrates at Launceston and New Norfolk. They were of course compelled to act upon them, and consequently Messrs. O'Dogherty and M'Manus appeared, last week, before the police magistrates of their respective districts. Their cases were dismissed, with a reprimand and caution to these gentlemen not to leave their districts for the future without the proper permission. It was then fully believed that the matter was at rest: but, to the astonishment of these gentlemen and their friends, on Christmas Eve Mr. O'Dogherty was arrested by order of the Lieutenant-Governor, and forthwith conducted to the prisoners' barracks at Hobart Town. A similar order was forwarded to Launceston, and on Thursday uight Mr. M' ■Manus left on the mail, in charge of a constable, for Hobart Town. Both have been sentenced J>y the Lieutenant-Governor to three months' " probation " at the ultra-penal settlement of Port Arthur! P.S. Since the above was written, I learn that the convict authorities of Hobart Town have enforced the convict regulations to the utmost. The state prisoners, on arrival at the prisoners' barracks were at once stripped of their ordinary clothing, and habited in the grey clothing of the prison-house; they now breakfast on their ration of " skelly," in common with the thrice convicted scoundrels who form the staple of the iron gangs !"

Birth—On Sunday, the 9th inst. at Lyttelton, Mrs. W. G. Brittan, of a son. Death.—On Saturday the 15th inst., James M Ara, a native of Auchlerarder in Scoland. Athis station, aged 46, John Gibbie, on Sunday morning, the 16th inst.