THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, July 7. 1849.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 383, 7 July 1849, Page 74

THE NELSON EXAMINER. Nelson, July 7. 1849.

Journals become more necessary as men become more equal and individualism more to be feared. It would be to underrate their importance to suppose that they serve only to lecure liberty : they maintain cinlization. Dl TOCQCSVILL*. Of Democracy in Munich, vol. iv., p. 300.

The news from Europe received in the colony is to the 15th of February. The Mariner, to Otago, left Gravesend on the Bth, and the Downs on the Uth, but the Royal Sovereign arrived in Adelaide on the <sth of June, with perfect files of English papers to the 15th of February. Parliament was opened on the Ist of February by the Queen, when her Majesty delivered the following speech — My Lords and Gentlemen, The period being arrived at which the business of Parliament is usually resumed, I iave called you together for the discharge of your important duties. It is satisfactory to me to be enabled to state that both in the north and in the south of Europe the contending parties have consented to a suspension of arms for the purpose of negotiating terms of peace. The hostilities carried on in the Island of Sicily were attended with circumstances so revolting, that the British and French Admirals were impelled, by motives of humanity, to interpose, and to stop the further effusion of blood. I have availed myself of the interval thus obtained, to propose, in conjunction with France, to the King of Naples, an arrangement calculated to produce a permanent settlement of affairs in Sicily. The negotiation on these matters is still pending. It has been my anxious endeavour, in offering my good offices to the various contending powers, to prevent the extension of the calamities of war, and to lay the foundation for lasting and honorable peace. It is my constant desire to maintain with all Foreign States the most friendly relations. As soon as the interests of the public service will permit, I Bball direct the papers connected with theße transactions to be laid before you. A rebellion of a formidable character has broken out in the Punjaub, and the GovernorGeneral of India has been compelled, for the preservation of the peace of the country, to assemble a considerable force, which is now engaged in military operations against the in- j aurgents. But the tranquillity of British India has not been affected by these unprovoked disturbances. I again commend to your attention the restrictions imposed on commerce by the Navigation Laws. If you shall find that these laws are in whole or in part unnecessary for the maintenance of our maritime power, while they fetter trade and industry, you will no doubt deem it right to repeal or modify their provisions. Gentlemen of the House of Commons, I have directed the Estimates for the service of the year to be laid before you, they will be formed with the most strict attention to a wise economy. The present aspect of affairs has enabled me to make a large reduction on the Estimates of last year. My Lords and Gentlemen, I observe with satisfaction that this portion of the United Kingdom has remained tranquil amidst the convulsions which have disturbed so many parts of Europe. The insurrection in Ireland has not been renewed ; but a spirit of disaffection still exists, and I am compelled, to my great regret, to ask for a continuance, for a limited time, of those powers which in the last session you deemed necessary for the preservation of the public tranquillity. I have great satisfaction in stating that commerce is reviving from those shocks which, at the commencement of last session, I had to deplore. The condition of the manufacturing districts, is likewise more encouraging than it has been ,for,a considerable period. ■' is also gratifying to me to observe that the y«tate of the revenue is one of progressive improvement. I have to lament, however, that another failure in the potato crop has caused very severe distress in some parts of Ireland. The operation of the laws for the relief of the poor in Ireland will properly be a subject of your inquiry ; and any measure by which those laws may be beneficially amended, and the condition of the people may be improved, will receive my cordial assent. It is with pride and thankfollness that I advert .to the loyal spirit of my people, and that attachment to our institutions which has animated them during a period of commercial difficulty, deficient production of food, and political revolution. I look to the protection of Almighty God for favor in oar continued progress, and I trust that you will assist me in upholding the fabric of the Constitution, founded as it is upon the principles of freedom and justice. 1 The debate on the Address was animated in both houses. Lord Stanley led the

Opposition in the Lords, and attacked the foreign policy .of the Government. On a division, an amendment to tbe Address was nearly being carried. In the Commons, Mr. Disraeli led the Protection party, and in a long speech assailed the Government with his customary skill. Mr. Grattau was violent on Irish politics, in which he was only moderately supported by Mr. O'Connel, while Mr. Hume put in a strong word for the colonies, demanding for them representative government, and tbe uncontrolled management of their own affairs. The Ministry seem prepared to make extensive reductions, which will in part be effected by the consolidation of the two departments of the Stamps and Taxes and Excise. The army is also to be reduced considerably, and the savings thus to be effected will, it is expected, amount to a considerable sum. A motion to continue the suspension of the Habeus Corpus Act in Ireland, was carried by a large majority, as was also a measure giving the Government power to advance £50,000 to the Irish Poor Law Unions. Trade in England had greatly improved since the commencement of the year. The advance in the price of wool was considerable, and the manufacturing districts were in full employment. The California mania bad extended to England, and several vessels had sailed for the gold country, taking large cargoes of merchandise. The cholera had spread but little in England. Tbe total cases in London and vicinity had only numbered 541 ; in the country, 386. In Scotland, however, it had been much worse, 4,330 cases having occurred there. Tbe disease had just broken out in Belfast. A frightful accident had occurred at Whitehaven. An explosion, caused by fire-damp, killed thirty persons ; seventeen of the men were married, and these have left between them forty-two children. No intelligence had been received in England of Sir John Franklin's expedition, and one of the ships which had been despatched to Behring's Straits, had returned to Mazatlan without gaining any intelligence of the party. The Republic in France was fast tending again to a monarchy, and it is generally believed that before the end of the present year Louis Napoleon will be Emperor. After some weeks of comparative tranquillity, Paris had a narrow escape of another dreadful commotion in the last week of January. The Ministry had introduced a bill into the Assembly for the suppression of the clubs, but on tbe necessity for such a proceeding being referred to a committee, a report unfavourable to the proceeding was brought forward, which was confirmed by a vote of 418 to 342. One of the clauses of the proposed measure of the Government was a direct and arbitrary violation of the Charter, which all had sworn to obey only a few weeks previously. Following immediately on this unpopular step, was an attempt made to disarm the Garde Mobile, who bad distinguished themselves so nobly on the side of order in June last. This, it was feared, would cause an insurrection, as it was known that overtures were made between the Red Republicans, the Socialists, and the Garde Mobile, to rise and overthrow the Government, but the overwhelming numbers of the troops of the line in and about Paris, who, it was understood, were prepared to shout Vive I'Empireur I on the firing of the first shot, prevented any disturbances taking place. The fire however only smolders, and we may expect it will soon be fanned into a blaze. Affairs in other parts of the continent were still uneasy. In Hungary the rebellion, which at first was confined to the towns, had extended to the rural districts, and the Austrian Government apprehended a long and perilous war to re-establish its authority. A combination oi the Catholic Powers was talked of to reinstate the Pope.

What we gave last week as only a rumour, turns out to be strictly true — that Sir G. Grey has recommended the Civil List for the Province to be increased to £10,000! There is nothing like loading the animal to the utmost point of its strength. The Council declares that £6,000 is far too much for a Civil List — Sir George requests that it may be augmented to £1 0,000. The Council remonstrates against so large a portion of the revenue being removed from its control — the Governor thinks it would be better if he had nearly double the amount placed at his disposal. Mr. Greenwood talked of resigning, if the report should prove true, the Lieutenant-Governor answered him by laying upon the table a despatch to the Home Government, recommending the proceeding ! The poor clerks will have to look sharp after their salaries another year, for the supplies are threatened I to be stopped if tbe Government does not effect an alteration in the present Civil List — and it wishes to do so, by adding £4,00.0

to it. The simple plan would be, and it is one which would save much trouble, instead of making over only half of the revenue, to hand over the whole at once. We are sure the Nominees would themselves be glad to be saved such fruitless discussions on the Estimates for the future, as they have indulged in this session — supposing that any future awaits them. But what can be said of the Governor-in-Chief, wheedling these poor men into the belief that he had laid before them the whole of his plans for the future government of the colony, when this despatch was even then on its way to the Colonial Office. The Nominees must feel by this time, that they have only been used by the Governor-in-Chief to roast his chesnuts.

It was our intention to have this week devoted an article to the question of Education, which has recently been discussed in the Provincial Council, but seeing how ably the subject has been taken up by a writer in the Wellington Independent, we shall content ourselves at present with reprinting the series of articles which are promised by our contemporary. When these are completed, and the whole of the debates in Council on the subject are before our readers, we shall express our own opinions upon it.

We have Auckland papers to the 9th of June, but the only news is a talked-of migration of a considerable body of the population to California. Governor Grey seems in no haste to break the political repose which the North is enjoying by summoning his Council : perhaps, as his Ancient Mariner would say, he is fully occupied writing letters to his uncle.