NEW CALEDONIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XII, Issue 735, 23 November 1859, Page 4

NEW CALEDONIA.

TWO ENGLISHMEN AND AN AMEBICAN SHOT. The' Sydney Herald' of the Ist October states that—

The steamer *Yarra Yarra, which arrived yesterday from Moreton Bay, brought up as a passenger Captain Paddon, who (with two other Englishmen and three South Sea Islanders) had made his escape from the French colony of New Caledonia in an open boat, and had succeeded in reaching Moreton Island, where he was picked up by the Yarra Yarra on her return from Brisbane. The intelligence brought by this arrival is most startling and alarming. The subject was brought under attention of the Premier in the Legislative Assembly yesterday evening, and that officer gave sufficient information to show that three Englishmen have suffered death at New Caledonia. The French appear to be pursuing their usual course of " colonisation" at that place, and are attempting to put down every kind of traffic that they disapprove of by the terrible action of military force. Captain Paddon, it appears, had been residing for many years past in New Caledonia, trading with the natives, and cultivating a good understanding with them. He had large possessions, plenty of cattle, and vested interests of various kinds in the place, having been there before _ the French occupied it, avid having, oven at the time of his escape, large contracts wifcii the French government. His statement is that Governor do Saisset, whose energy we lately had occasion to notico, had returned from his expedition into the interior; that ha had caused three Englishmen to be shot, under pretence of their having been engaged in unlawful trading with the natives, and that a proclamation justifying their execution was issued after their death.

There is something iv Captain Paddon's flight

that tells against him. lie has avoided tlm opportunities that woro afforded to him of telling his tale where he must have been sure that it would have been faithfully reported, and ho has seemed to run away from a punishment which, in English communities, is only accorded to the guilty. But there is also much, in this runaway affair, that is in favor of Captain Paddon. Ho left his family, at' New Caledonia, and made his escape at night with" his own boat's crow—a course which nobody would adopt under his circumstance.'! unless he was in extreme peril. It is almost impossible for us to realise to our minds the state of affairs in a country where brute force alone prevails; arid a colonist going peacefully to bed at night mrty have to run for his life in the morning, with a military force in pursuit. This little affair will require immediate attention. The government will have to be very careful, but at the same time very prompt. If it is found to be the case that Englishmen have been shot, under any pretence, by the French Governor, the best of the small squadron that we have should bo at once despatched to demand explanation, and if necessary satisfaction. There may be some mistake in the reports. But if one drop of British blood has been shed unlawfully, there can be no mistake as to the course that should be pursued.

In the Assembly, on the 31st ult,— Mr. Darvall rose to ask the Colonial Secretary, whether the government had received any intelligence in respect to an attack made on the sailors of a British vessel at New Caledonia?

Mr. Cowper said: 1 understand that there is an exaggerated rumour in Sydney that a number of British subjects at New Caledonia have been destroyed. That is not true. But three British subjects have been shot. The circumstances are not sufficiently stated to the government to enable me to give the particulars this evening. I understand a residentoftheislandhavingreceivedahintthathemight be added to those shot, took the earliest opportunity of escape from the island. The gentleman's name is Captain Paddon. He made Moreton Bay, and came up to communicate the subject to the authorities here. I believe he has not made a correct statement at present, and I will not, therefore, say more than that the rumours are exaggerated. Three men are shot for furnishing arms to the natives, which appears to be a contravention of the French law. It appears that there are circumstances as to the mode of putting these persons to death which it is not desirable I should mention to-night, but 'which will be before the public to-morrow or the following day." The same paper of the 10th October says:— There have been such conflicting statements as to the recent events at New Caledonia, that it is impossible, as yet, to say how the truth stands. According to one account the three men who have j been shot were engaged in hostilities against the French authorities, and were only condemned after ! a careful and impartially conducted trial. Accord- \ ing to another they (or at all events two of them) I were quietly pursuing their way in a boat near the shore when they were arrested; and the sole evidence upon.which they were condemned was that of two native women—evidence which would assuredly been but of little value if it stood alone.

It is very probable that the truth will be found to lie somewhere between these two statements. That the arrest may have been made in the way indicated, but that there was reliable evidence of complicity on the part of these men in the supply of arms and ammunition to the natives, for service against the French. But the whole matter is being fully investigated by the Governor-General, with a view to the preparation of a report thereon for the Secretary of State.

There has been the same conflict of evidence as to the attitude assumed by the French authorities in New Caledonia towards other Englishmen, and as to the general, aspect of affairs there. Something more definite must be known ere long, but in any event grave considerations will be almost sure to arise out of these occurrences.