COLONIAL NEWS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 74, 5 June 1852, Page 3

COLONIAL NEWS.

t CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. We last week published a brief account of the calamitous news from the Cape. We have reason to believe that the fearful loss of life caused by the wreck of the " Birkinhead," was not confined principally to to the 74th Kegt., for, on looking1 over the English papers, we find that that steamer left England early in January with drafts for all the regiments serving at the Cape, viz.: the 2nd, 6th, 43rd, 45th, 2nd battalion 60th, 73rd, and 74th, and from the first battalions 12th and 91st infantry, as well as a small detachment of the 12th Lancers, in all, about 500 men. It is a satisfaction, though a slight one, to think that the loss has not fallen on a single regiment. The South African draws the following gloomy picture of the state and prospects of the colony. " The history of the Cape is becoming a pure series of calamities. In the fifteenth month of a war with barbarians, a highly disciplined British army stands baffled, checked, and lamenting1 the irreparable loss of the. best officers and bravest men, without even a semblance of success in the pettiest operations. The campaign having proved a failure, the Governor and Commander-in-Chief intimated that he was waiting for reinforcements of Burghers from the colony, and of troops from England, in order to take the field in person on the Bth of March, with an overwhelming force. It is not yet Icnown to what extent the Burghers have responded to the summons, but two events have _ jj&st occurred which threaten to disable him altogether. " Th^.-first is, his recall. The announcement of this event before the arrival of his successor, his authority, without which it is iifejrtjssible to command an army. With the regular forces under his command," the effect of his recall being known will be highly injurious, though discipline will still preserve order and keep soldierslo their standards. But with the irregular or volunteer hands it will be utterly ruinous. Under such a cloud it would be unsafe to hazard any movement like that announced for the Bth of March, which requires the prompt obedience and simultaneous action of distant columns, confronting on all sides a watchful and desperate enemy. To announce

the disgrace of a Commander-in-Chief, in the presence of his enemy, while his successor was weeks or months distant from the scene of action, was a proceeding worthy of Earl Grey. He is the most consistent man in mischief that ever ruined a country. " The other event fills the cup of bitterness to the brim. H. M. Steamer " Birkinhead," with a reinforcement of 14 officers and 472 rank and file, arrived in Simon's Bay, under the command of Major Seton, of the 74th regiment, and was despatched for the Buffalo, where they would have been in readiness to support the Governor in his intended movement on the Bth March. Not many hours after leaving Simon's iky, this splendid vessel struck on a rock and immediately sunk, when all on board, with with the exception of some fifty persons perished.

" Such events are beyond human foresight or control: but as they are always possible, a government worthy of confidence will always be in some measure prepared to meet them, and to break their force. In the present case they burst with unmitigated violence on a community whose hopes are already prostrate. " To what quarter can the colonists look for recovery of their affairs ? To Lord Grey, whose every step is marked with incapacity, if not with rancour or an intention to wound and irritate? To Sir Harry Smith, who has been laid aside? To the local "Government.?" It has sunk beneath contempt. Its very existence has become questionable.

" It is to God and to themselves that the colonists must now look for safety. Their applications to Parliament and the Sovereign have hitherto been defeated by false statements from their local rulers, which it then suited Lord Grey's purpose to say lie believed. Events have altered his tactics. He now declares that he has been deceived, because without this declaration, he dared not have faced Parliament in February. He is now prepared to sacrifice Sir Harry Smith, and it may be some others who have not been altogether faithful to him or Sir Harry. When asked why he did not act upon the information furnished by the colonists and by the Cape delegates, who told him very plainly how matters stood, and foretold what disasters were likely to follow his policy, he will produce despatches from the: Colonial Office, bulletins from Sir' Harry Smith, and extracts from the government newspapers, containing assertions so positive that he might well be excused for giving- credit to them. But he is now undeceived, and prepared to make sacrifices. There have indeed been sacrifices. The lives and property of the Frontier colonists have been sacrificed. The lives of gallant officers and soldiers have been sacrificed in hopeless and inglorious contests with barbarians. The safety of every family in the colony has been put in peril. Some millions of money have been squandered in vain. The reputation of her Majesty's administration of her Government has been damaged. To make up for all this, he is prepared to say that he has sent a Constitution to the Cape, to sooth the colonists, and recalled Sir Harry Smith. But the next steamer will inform the-public that matters have been so arranged that the Constitution is as far from being settled as ever, and that the recall of Sir Harry Smith has been so managed as to ensure the greatest possible amount of mischief that could have been produced under existing circumstances—and that the colonists are more exasperated by the proceedings of his subordinates here than by any previous acts of folly or bad faith. If there be virtue in Parliament, they will demand of him another sacrifice—the sacrifice of his place and pay. " But the colonists —how are they to act ? Without organization they can do nothing. To this one point of organization, therefore, all their efforts must be directed. They must once more demand the Constitution, which is their right by Letters Patent. They can now prove by facts, Avhich even Lord Grey will feel it delicate to deny, that the local Government has managed so to constitute the present Legislative Council, that it would not if it could, and cannot if it would, settle this question, —that it has-become simply a key to the Exchequer, out of which the official and unofficial members can help one another in carrying on their war against public opinion and public rights, for any length of time to come. Let them at the public meeting to be held in the Town Hall, pass the Draft Ordinances, with the blanks to be filled up, and request their confirmation by Act of Parliament —with an intimation that this

is the last, petition which respect for themselves will permit them to present on the subject. " This in all probability will be successful." NEW SOUTH WALES. We are in possession of Sydney news to the 3rd ult. Several districts of the interior are disturbed and excited by the attacks of the aborigines, who threaten to destroy the outer stations. The prepayment of letters by postage stamps commenced on the Ist May. Reports had reached Sydney of the murder of Leichardt and his party by the natives, and of their bones- being found 200 miles from the nearest settlement, but some serious doubts are thrown on the report. Burnet District, March 31.—The aborigines have again commenced hostilities in this district. A messenger arrived last night from the Upper Burnet, to report the death of Mr. Adolphus H. Trevethan, one of the most extensive flock-owners in the district. It appears that on Monday last the blacks appeared on the station in great numbers, killed two Chinamen, and drove away 1700 sheep. Before Mr. Trevethan was aware of this they marched on the head station, some 500 strong, and with loud voices and gesticulations, demanded that Mr. Thompson the wife of the overseer, should be given up to them. On this Mr. Trevethan ran out of his hut, unarmed, to hold a parley. He was in the act of picking up some tobacco he had given, which they threw with vengeance to the ground, when he was speared in several places. The unfortunate man succeeded in getting back to his hut, where he expired in about two hours. The blacks then drove away the whole of the rams, with the rest of the sheep. The station is the same as that on which Mr. Street was killed some months ago. April 5.—A messenger has just arrived, to report that the blacks have again attacked Mr. Foster's station, the same where Mr. Blaxland was killed, on the Lower Burnett. They attacked two of the shepherds in the bush, who immediately mixed their flocks and fought them manfully, beating them oft, with the loss of ten sheep and one man speared in the trousers only. A few days ago the blacks robbed and sacked a station of Mr. Reid's, within a mile of the town, whilst the inmates were away. It is anticipated that there will be a general rising among the aborigines in this part of the colony this winter ; stations on the river having been attacked at three different points almost simultaneously. Mr. P. Stephen has disposed of his station and removed a great many of his cattle; so not having beef to cut ay, they say they are. determined upon trying our mutton !

Royal Honors.—lt is generally understood that before many weeks have passed, letters patent will be received by the Governor-Gene-ral, conferring the honor of knighthood on Charles Joseph La Trobe, Esq., first Lieuten-ant-Governor of Victoria, William A. Beckett, Esq., first Chief Justice of that colony, and on Charles Nicholson, Esq., Speaker of the Legislative Council of New South Wales. The two former may be looked upon as almost matters of course, the last is not so. We are informed that .about two years ago it was represented to Earl Grey by several gentlemen connected with the colony that Dr. Nicholson had been twice elected Speaker of the Legislative Council, that he was much esteemed by many of his fellow colonists, that he was possessed of considerable means, that if a mark of royal favour was conferred upon him, it would be gratifying to a large number of colonists. Lord Grey is said to have replied that he was not aware of any precedent for knighting a colonial speaker, but he could see no objection to submitting Dr. Nicholson's name to her Majesty, if it was likely to be pleasing to the colonists; but on that point he must consult Sir Charles Fitz Hoy. The despatch on the subject arrived just as the old Council was being dissolved, his Excellency is reported to have said that personally there could be no objection to the honour being conferred on Dr. Nicholson, but if it was to be done on account of the speakership it would be well to wait for a short time, and see whether the honourable gentleman was elected Speaker a third time, when the new and enlarged Council assembled. That he was so elected our readers are aware, and as the election took place more than six months since, thd formal documents are most probably on their way to the colony.— Herald.

VICTORIA. ' We have Melbourne papers to the 10th ult., from which we make the following extracts :-— The Government are taking steps to improve the roads and bridges to and at the diggings, and have established additional police stations at different parts of the gold district, for the protection of the persons and property of miners. A Chinaman had been murdered at Balarat by three of his countrymen, who are in custody. It is said that one of the Nelson gang had been captured at Sydney and two others at Portland. A public meeting, at which the Bishop of Melbourne presided, was held at Forest Creek, for the purpose of taking measures for the erection of one or more buildings for public worship, according to the order of the Church of England, at the Gold Fields, and resolutions with that object were passed. .•■...- Gold Escokt.—The Mount Alexander Escort arrived at the Treasury on Tuesday afternoon, with twenty-three thousand nine hundred and fourteen ounces and ten pennyweights of Gold ! being the largest quantity yet received in one week. Some of the cases were so weighty as to require half-a-dozen stalwart men to lift them separately from the van-car on to the wheel carriage. After this, we think our Sydney and Californian rivals will bow in deference to the superiority of 'our auriferous resources' — M, M. \Herald,'Ma.y 8. The recent rain has'advanced the rate of carriage to the diggings, and £45. per ton was paid last week to the Bendigo, and £40. to Forest Creek. The Mount.—Some carriers arrived in town from Mount Alexander and Bendigo, state that much rain had fallen, and in some places the holes were full of water, that cradles, baskets, and pannikins were swept away. The roads to the Mount are represented to be in a dreadful state, drays having in some instances remained stuck in the mud for a week, and are not yet extricated. What may be the state of things in another month, it is impossible to predict. A Melbourne journalist says,—"The changeable temperature here during the last few days J has created a great deal of sickness in the .; metropolis. The oppressive sultriness of the atmosphere has introduced into heveral private families a lassitude of feeling not unlike fever ; ! and almost every house in the city has some inmate affected with it. We want a few thun-. der storms to clear away the superfluous bad air, by which we are now oppressed." The Effects of Transportation.—A resolution come to by the Diggers at Mount Alexander, against the continuance of Transportation to Van Diemen's Land, affirmed, that 2,000 of the labouring classes had already been placed in a different position by the wealth which they had suddenly acquired, and that they would abandon Victoria for other countries unless transportation to the Australias at once and for ever ceased. Floub at the Diggings.—lt is estimated by one of the most intelligent men upon the gpld-fields, that the daily consumption of flour at the Diggings reaches the enormous weight of twenty-Jive tons. Our own calculations, says the Argus, allowing for waste and spoiled flour, &c, amount to thirty-five tons per diem. At these rates there are not supplies of flour at all the stores at Mount Alexander more than sufficient for five or six weeks' consumption, while the wet weather affecting the roads, commencing in earnest in this month, will last through June, July, August, and September. State of Her Majesty's Gaol.—The gaol now contains 263 persons! Of these 38 males and one female are for trial; four are awaiting sentence ; one is under sentence of death ; and another has had death recorded against him ; fifty-four are for the road gang; ninety-eight males and two females for hard labour; fortyse>en mal»s and eight females for imprisonment only; two escaped prisoners waiting transport to Van Diemen's Land : four are lunatics: one in default of bail, and one debtor. — Herald. The Mail.—This conveyance was stopped lately by three men, about 5 miles this side of the Ex River. One of them was dressed in a blue jacket and cap; the other two wore black cloth cloaks and black beaver hats; and each carried a bundle. One of them seized the horses' bridles whilst the others mounted the coach-box—the first man then ascended the back part of the vehicle and held a pair of pistols in his bauds. The two men in front then placed Cox

the driver, in the centre of the coach-box, and one of them seizing the reins drove the unwilling cart-horses towards Ankai Hills. This nocturnal flight occupied the space of 4 or 5 hours, but to the credit of the unwelcome individuals they made no attempt to.injure the person of the driver, or any endeavour to appropriate any of the property under his charge ; their object being to get a lift over a very rugged pan of the country, with perhaps the additional stimulus of avoiding as much as possible, the police. Geelong Advertiser. TASMANIA. By the " Munford" we have files of the Hobarton Guardian to the 12th of May, and we are. indebted to the courtesy of Captain Gay for the Colonial Times of the 14th, from which we have extracted the latest news from the Diggings, which will be found under the head, Victoria. We have received two* numbers of the Tasmanian ChurchChronicle,;\ new monthly journal devoted to ecclesiastical affairs. The papers have little news. Mr. Chapman and his family arrived on April 4th, and his appointment, as Colonial Secretary and Registrar of Records, had been published in the Gazette. The gold that had been discovered did not repay the trouble of getting it. Fue. hundred and sixty convicts had been landed since the Ist of January from England, India, and the Mauritius, of which number 192 were females. Several of those by the " Aboukir" had at once been engaged as Policemen, ! who, of course, would not be long in betaking themselves to the Diggings. No wonder that the people of Victoria are wroth, and vehemently protest against a system which deluges their capital and territory with drunkenness, brawls, and crimes of the deepest hue.