NEW SOUTH WALES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 598, 28 July 1858, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

We have received by the Dart, Sydney papers to the 15th irist., and files of the Melbourne ♦ Age' to the 28th ultimo. The May mail hay- ! ing not arrived when the Dart left, we have, of ■ course, no later European intelligence, with the ! exception of a few paragraphs from later English 1 papers than we had received per last mail, which i will be found' elsewhere. The chief subject ot ! interest in Sydney was the demise of the Venerable Archdeacon Cowper, which took place on j the 6th instant. Every Sydney journal devotes pa»es to his public and private worth, and to the magnificence of the public funeral with which ' his remains were honoured. Even that humor- | ous periodical, 'Bell's Life,' joins in the general requiem, and as its remarks are more succinct and expressive than those of its heavier contem- - J poraries, we abstract the following from a long article on the subject:—

The death of this aged minister of God occurred at St. Philip's parsonage on Tuesdays morning last. His decease had besn for some time expected; the Venerable Archdeacon being in the 80th year of his age, and having_ for several weeks past been confined to his bed by a malady pronounced to be fatal by his medical attendants. The deceased had ministered to the congregations in connexion with the Church of England in this colony during the long period of almost half a century. So universally, and so iustly respected and beloved was the venerable Archdeacon ; so exemplary was his conduct

"during the many aud conflicting changes,_ trials, and phases of society occurring during his long •sojourn among the people of New South Wales; that we feel perfectly incompetent to give even the outline of. such a life in the circumscribed limits of a newspaper, and we have no doubt v.thai neither seal, affectionate remembrance, nor : ability will be waatiug to produce a published ef this pioas and talented divine. ■Both Houses of the Legislature adjourned until next Tuesday; and numbers- of the shops continued partially closed in respectful memory ofthe "good man who has gone to his reward." In consequence of -the high estimation in which ;the late Dr. Cowper was held by all persons in :the community, irrespective of class, sect, or sex, -and also in consideration of the long period Vduring which iie took a prominent part-in.ad-..ministering the ordinances of religion, his Excel-■ . lency the Governor-General signified by in the * Government Gaztte' that the funeral of the deceased Archdeacon should be a pub! 1" one. This^ anno-, .uncement conduced to the satisfaction, -of everybody, and according to arrangements -the mortal remains of this .eminent pastor of:' .the Christian church were conveyed to their" ".final resting place iv the old cemetery yesterday afternoon, followed by a great concourse of people. The offices and shops throughout the city were closed, or partially closed, with scarcely .-any exceptions, duriug the principal portion of .the day; and persons of all classes and creeds, -men, women, and children, joined in the demon- •.- stration of respect to the departed. The funeral -procession arrived at St. Philip's Church from -the parsonage, about half-past one o'clock in the afternoon, and the coffin was conveyed into the principal aisle, while the officiating clergymen performed the first portion of the simple, but touching service of the Church of England for the burial of the dead; the sacred pile which : the late Dr. Cowper had so zealously assisted by precept and by personal liberality to build, and for the completion of which ere he should ; •be called away, he so earnestly longed and; prayed, being completely filled; mostly with the ■congregation who had been accustomed to at-' tend his ministrations. During the service, numbers of persons iv carriages and on foot ■gradually assembled outside the church from all quarters of the city and suburbs. To give some idea to those at a distance of the universality ■;of this last tribute of respect to departed worth .and talent, it will suffice to state that there .were upwards of one hundred carriages, mourning coaches, and other vehicles, and at a rough calculation about 30,000 persons altogether in .attendance, either as followers in the procession, -or lookers-on; all the streets, and every avail.able point.every balcony and window, from St. Pniiip's Church to the cemetery being- lined -with spectators.

On the 14th inst. the foundation stone of the proposed, new -Temperance Hall was laid by -Miss Denison. . The ceremony was a most brilliant affair, and the Governor-General delivered •.a most able and appropriate address on the occasion. . The Rsv. Joseph Beasley delivered a suitable oration. The 'Herald' of the following xlay.says,—

"The demonstration in all its features was •<one weil calculated to give encouragement to those '.■who, from the Jirst.ha-ve .made the cause ---' of temperance the peculiar object of their advo- • caey, as well as hope and promise to all who de- -• sire to-sec a moral reformation successfully -■ "Commenced in our midst.—3'iiat-tJrc-erection of ■'-a. Teinpßranoc--Rtill,- wherein not-only the cause vof total-abstinence shall be advocated, but where Instructive and innocent amusements will be afforded to thousands -who- at present make the public house their resort, and vicious pursuits their pastime, will ■ effect-• a great good, there can be little doubt. The history of such undertakings warrant the hope that a great,and beneficial result will follow from yesterday's cererrnony, ?o auspiciously commenced. The weather, • which for some days past had been very incle- • meat, smiled propitiously for the occasion, and ■■under the benign influence of a beautiful day, r^nd with no doubt many a hearty aspiration for ■-the success of that day's work, thousands assembled to witness the ceremony. At nine -o'clock, according to previous arrangement, the -committee assembled at Hyde Park, opposite /the Museum, to receive the children in the different societies of the Band of Hope. As the youthful advocates and practical observers of temperance arrived on the ground, they were marshalled under their respective banners, beautiful silken flags surmounting staves, joined ;at the top, and borne by some of the strongest Jads in each society. Upon each banner was an ■Appropriate inscription, in green, and blue and .gold letters, illustrative of the lesson the youthvlul association would inculcate, and silently exhort their elders to adopt. There were in all about 1500 children, respectably and neatly clad, .ihe majority of them were decorated with blue . rosettes, and sashes of brilliant colored ribbons worn belt-wise across their breasts, from which was suspended the society's new medal; the -wnole had a most pleasing effect in the bright sunlight, as they walked through the principal ■ streets of the city to the scene of the day's ceremony. The collection during the subsequent :■ proceedings amounted to £100?'