Colonial.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IX, Issue 588, 23 June 1858, Page 3

Colonial.

NEW SOUTH WALES,

We have received per Francis files of Sydneypapers up to the,Bth inst. The Sydney University had forwarded two addresses to the Queen, —one as a corporate body, and the other from the Fellowes of the Senate, combined with the professors and other members, —expressing their grateful. acknowledgement for her Majes° ty's gracious concession of a royal charter by which degrees conferred by the Senate of that University obtain an imperial value and significance. An address of similar import had been adopted by the Legislative Council. A public meeting was held on the 7th inst., at the Lyceum Theatre, on the subject of Electoral Reform, in pursuance of the following advertisement.

The ■ People versus Squattockacy.—A public meeting of the citizens will be held at the Lyceum Theatre, York-street, this evening, at 7 o'clock, in support of the Electoral Bill before the Assembly. Several members of the Legislature and Assembly, and other distinguished citizens are expected to attend and take part in the meeting. By order of the Citizens' Committee, appointed at the Prince of Wales Theatre. C. G. Reid.

About 600 persons were present, and the chair was occupied by Mr. Cribb, M.P. Among the principal speakers were Mr. Windeyer and Dr. Lang. The latter gentleman in particular, warmly supported the Electoral Bill, and contested energetically for universal suffrage,—a provision apparently embodied in the bill. The following are samples of the arguments he adduced :—

Another principle which this bill embodied, and on which it was based, was manhood or universal suffrage; it gave to every citizen of twenty-one years of age untainted with crime a vote in_ the representation of the country. He held this to he a right, and not, as certain politicians and statesmen opposed to popular freedom and the rights of man represented it, as a " trust." "Who had the right to entrust him or any member of the community with the exercise of their right of voting ? He would like to know what was the authority above thorn which gave them this trust, for he c mceived a trust always implied some superior power.who appointed the trustee, and who wis the superior in this case? He knew no;:e. They wanted

lie franchise—-they demanded it as-their right —it appertained to freemen, who would not regard it m the shape of a trust. There was •another point in &\\e bill; in connection with •which he could not help alluding to a remark «made by a gentleman who had preceded him. "*' That while the bill proposed to give manhood suffrage it also proposed to give an additional vote to any subject whe might possess propertjT in some other district than the one in which he -resided." -This he considered was wrong. It

mattered not what property an elector-might ■be possessed of, whether it was worth £5 or ■^500, he should wish *o see the exercise of the

franchise accorded to the man, and not to the^ <£500. Nor should he rest satisfied with any , measure that did not place the whole population srich or poor, upon the same footing in that most -important matter. The proceedings -resulted ia the adoption of •■ihe following resolutions:-— That the people of this colony having spent

itnany years struggling to obtain a form of

.government suited ta their circumstances, recog.nisiag their rights, and likely to embody in practical legislation the wishes and requirejments of the population, have seen in the measure of electoral reform now before the Legislative Assembly, the first substantial promise of a .'system of government, governing by the people .vand for the people. • That the Electoral Bill, so far as it professes ?to legislate, is received with general satisfaction ?by the country^ as practically approximating to <the principles of representation based upon population,; and that this meeting considers the mutilation or rejection of the present Electoral -Bill would be a great calamity to the country, ■casting it back into a sea of political strife at the moment when it seems to be emerging into >the work of practical legislation.

That, considering the dignity and importance ••of the city of Sydney, as the metropolis of the ■colony, not only in a commercial point of view, but in relation to the general interests of the country, and especially its large contributions towards the general revenue, it is the opinion of this meeting that the nine members proposed in the bill, for Sydney are not more than it has a

aright to expect, but rather less than the number ito which it is fairly entitled, upon the grounds •%of population and property combined.

That in the opinion of this meeting, the interests of the towns are identical with those of

the whole country, and that we repudiate as false the assertion that the proposed Electoral Bill gives more than a fair share of representa-

tion to them, and that we unitedly condemn that conduct of those members in the Legislative Assembly which is designed to raise a feeling of jealously between the inhabitants of the towns

-and the country.

At the last monthly meeting of the Chamber -of Commerce, Mr. Beit moved that a select committee be appointed to take into consideration. 1. The postal communication between *that colony and Great Britain, and the other -countries of Europe, and Asia, with a view to -ascertain the best means of obtaining greater regularity and certainty in that service. 2. The >« of the fines to be recovered under the existing contract with the Australian Mail Company, and to report to the next general meeting of the Chamber.

_The 'Morning Herald' of the 7fch instant gives the following results of the Homebush -Races:—

The Homebush races came off on Tuesday, 'Wednesday, and Thursday, and the weather being favourable, were well attended throughout, although the racing was of a less exciting character than had been expected. Still it was mpon the whole decidedly good,-and there were no accidents to damp the enjoyment of those vwho attended the course. On the first day the Australian plate was won by Mr. Redwood's bk. m. Zingara; the St. Ledger by Mr. Redwnod's b. c. Chevalier; the "Trial Stakes by Mr. M'Gowan's b. f. Jessica; the Homebush Handicap by Mr. Rose's b. m. Lauristina; and the City Plate by Mr. Single's c. g. Ben Bolt. On the second day the Publicans' Purse "was won by Mr. Driscoll's c. g. Prince; the 'Homebush Welter by Zingara; and the Hack -Stakes-by Mr. J. Ivory's b. g. Rob Roy. On 'the third day the Maiden Plate was -#on by Mr. De liestre's Mariner; the Australian -Jockey Club Handicap by Mr. Redwood's Zoe ; the Prince of Wales Stakes by Mr. De Clouett's Stumpy; the Consolation Stakes by My. De JMestre's b. mi-,Greenmantle;.and the Forced :-Handicap by Ben Bolt.