NEW SOUTH WALES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 672, 4 May 1859, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Fkoh papers-to the 13th. we extract the following' summary of news for the week ended April 13, given by the ' Sydney Morning Herald :'— „;

The long protracted session of parliament lias at length been brought to a close. To-day the Assembly must have been dissolved b}' efflnxion of time. The Upper House-has still between two and three ye n\s to live, unless, sooner knocked on the head. The'latter has consequently been only prorogued, while the former has been dissolved. It has been already announced that oneof the first measures to be laid before the new parliament will be a scheme for re-organizing the Legislative Council upon an electoral basis. All things considered, the principle of choosing members of the Upper House by election will doubtless be the most safe one, provided that due care betaken in determining the franchise and the modes of selection. The ■•historys of the neighbouring colonies does not indeed afford much encouragement, but it inajr be possible to look to them as beacons; and, by avoid-; ing their errors, to strike out a more perfect system. It is doubtful, however, whether under an} r reformed system so good a set of members will be got. together as those—-taking them as a whole—

which constitute the present Legislative Council. As in the Assembly, there has been a great waste of time, find occasionally ii by' no means seemly display of party acrimony; but., due allowances being made, the proceedings of the Upper House have contrasted very favourably with those of the Lower, and they have lent most valuable aid in the task of perfecting the great measures of the session. The last sitting of this ]louse, on Thursday, was the longest it had ever held, running into tVis small hours on the following morning. The time was chielly taken up in a debate upon ministerial policy, in the course of which all the acts, deeis and professions of the Cowper administration were fully canvassed —attacked on one side mid defended on the other. In this contest, the Attorney-General displayed more ability thar.'he has generally had credit for. Jfc seems probable tlr.it, with a little more experience, he will be able to acquit himself very well as a ministerial organ. What, he is most deficient in is tact —in the power of marshalling his forces well and making the mo.it of them; of seizing advantages as they arise; at graspingl readily at salient poi.its of of Fence and defence. But in the tacfics of party warfare it would be impossible to find a more accomplished master than (lie present Chief Secretary; so that the worthy Minister of Justice will doubtless be well trained in this part of his duties.

The result of, the debate-in the Assembly upon Mr. Owen's appointment was just what we anticipated. The ministry : obtained a majority of not more than two to one. In fact, there was so good a muster upon the treasury benches that it was quite clear no resolution could be carried which embodied a censure upon the present ministry, no matter how plainly just such censure might be. We are inclined to think, however, that this determined support of the ministry at the present juncture is a good deal to he attributed to a conviction that it would have been impossible to bring about a change ; that bad as the Cowper administration was, there was a necessity for its continuance until after the assembling of the new Parliament : and that it would be as well, therefore, to make the best of a bad bargain.

\\ re have already chronicled the failure of all attempts to get up a joint stock company for the purchase and breeding of the alpacas imported by Mr. Ledger. We have now tlio pleasure of staling* that notwithstanding this failure they aro not to leave the country, as was at first leaved. The Assembly, upon the motion of Mr. Cowper, has voted £15,000 for the purchase of these animals, and £1000 per annum for their management. There was a good deal of discussion over this vote, and several amendment.-; were proposed. Among other plans suggested was one for making the enterprise on« of partnership between New South Wales and Victoria. A majority of the lious ■ determined, however, thai; the experiment should he tried at the expense and for tbu benefit of this colons' alone —and wo think they decided wisely.

In the closing speech of Sir William Denisoiu di?livered on Saturday from the viuo-rogal chair, in the Upper House, ihi*ve i.s.iUorally nothing to bo noticed. Thi'i-c is not a word of allusion to Ibe^ business of the past session except tlio customary

thanks for.the supplies which have been voted; not, a-syllable-relating to the future, beyond an intimation that the Assembly would be dissolved, and tha expression of a hope that good men would be elected' to represent the people in the new Parliament. '1 lie Supreme Court sat in its criminal jurisdiction all last week. The Customs fraud case, which has excited so much interest, stands over until next sessions in consequence of the defendants having claimed time to plead. The trial of Mrs. Perry, however, for the murder, at Burwood, of her hustmnd, has terminated'in her conviction and sentence to death. The circumstances of this most painful case have already been fully made known and commented upon in'the columns of the 'He raid.' The; man Forbes, charged with having caused the death, ot an Italian named Domenichini, by striking the latter during a drunken quarrel, was found guilty ofm an slaughter, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment.

■.".The first term of the Court commenced yesterday with one of tiw heaviest business papers on record. Every day's experience nerves to show that the Supreme Court cannot, with its present strength, even prevent-thu accumulation of" new arrears, niuc-h less clear off those already existing. •The, funeral of the late Colonial Treasurer, on Friday, was one of the best attended popular demonstrations of the kind that we have ever seen. Free conveyance to and from Paramatta, by special trains, was afforded to all who chose' to go. The consequence v/as, 'that nearly everybody went, and that business was brought for the day to a standstill, most of the shops being closed. All the Government offices were also closed from- an early hour;,the-;c,ivil'servants of the Government being sociallyjinvitpd to attend. The procession was likewise joined by the Masonic body, who mustered vivy strong on the occasion, the'deceased having1 been a high officer of the order.

The amount of revenue lor the-quarter.ending March 81st was over £58,000 greater than that of the corresponding quarter' of 1858. A large portion of this, it is true, is traceable to the increase in l.iiioi sales and to the newly imposed assessment, but some £22,000 is from 'the Customs' receipts alone, —rather a significant fact.

A child-of three "years'"and a half old, named Mary Keating, strayed from lier mother's side, and was lost in the bush for'over eight days, but was happily recovered alive and well. How the poor little 'creature' managed to sustain life is most'unaccountable. Most likely she fed upon herbs, which an oider person would have feared to touch. She would have been probably recovered sooner, as a most active search was made, but with a timidity which is easily understood, she hid herself whenever anyof the horsemen approached her. It was only by the shying of one of the horses, as she passed into the bushes to hide, that the lider at length discovered her.

■'ihesfigitation as to local incorporation is still goinjr on i:i several of the suburbs. Meetings have boon held upon this subject at several places!" There was one at the Victoria Inn;-Bay-street, Glebe, on. Friday evening, at which the non-incorporationists carried the day. But it is in the getting up of petitions and counter-petitions that the strength of parties is tried, and the real desires of the residents elicited.'"The-meetings held upon these subjects are of very little service one way.or- another. - A numerously attended meeting of the. Land Leasrue was held at.St. John's Tavern, Newtown, on Wednesday evening, when the principles which the association has adopted as the basis'of its actions xverti reaffirmed, and the'meeting was pledged to support only such-candidates for Parliamentary honours as would1 subscribe to these principles. Similar resolutions-were adopted at a meeting 'on Monday, evening of the Waterloo "branch, of the League, at the Foresters' Hall. ' '_ ' ■