COLONIAL GOSSIP.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 449, 12 October 1850, Page 131

COLONIAL GOSSIP.

[By the London Correspondent of the Sydney Herald.'}

The long discussion which took place in the House of Commons, on the 12th instant, lon Lord John Russell's motion for a com1 mittee on public salaries, prevented the further consideration of the Australian Bill that evening) The honours of the sitting weie> however, devoted to it last night, when we had the old battle fought over again, and with the like decisive result in favour of Ministers. Ludicrous was it to see Sir William Moles* worth quoting the opinion of Governors, and slighting that of the press and public of the four colonies, and strange lo find her Majesty's Government, even the denounced and detested Downing-street, coming out so strong in support of the colonial communities against their executives; absolutely quoting public petitions in opposition to Governors' despatches and tbe resolutions of nominee legislatures! Such political caprices were never befcre known. It is quite plain that the Colonial Reform Society is, I must really say it, a humbug. That, at least, I find the very general opinion respecting it. Mighty kind and complacent, so long as they are allowed entirely their own way ; but let a colony have a will of its own, and nothing will serve but that it must be coerced into the acceptance of whatever the said society shall think proper to vote a " best possible constitution" for it. But the society is rumoured to be in its mortal agony. Its decease will cause no grief in this country, nor, I feel prety confident, in your part of the world. The colonies now know who are their foes in the British Parliament better than their friends. Tbe culpable ignorance, or the absolute falsification of facts telling against the " Reformers," exhibited in the House, is only equalled by the gross mis-statements of their organ the j Morning Chronicle; which pretends that the ministerial bill is being forced on the unwilling colonists of South Australia and Van Diemen's Land !

A correspondence not a little remarkable has just been presented to Parliament. It embraces the despatches of Governors Denison and Young on the ministerial measure for the future government of the Austraiain colonies, and Lord Grey's answers. The brace of Governors are for two chambers, but each seems to have his peculiar views of the constitution of the Upper Chamber. Lord Grey's answer to Sir William Denison is a general defence of the Bill now before Parliament, and it appears to me a very able one. He tells Sir William that he regrets he has not received from him " fuller information as to the views of the colonists," though he infers that his objections to the Bill as origina'ly proposed " have not been adopted by any large pioportion of the inhabitants of Van Diemen's Land ;" and then his lordship proceeds to show why her Majesty's Government have come to conclusions different from his own.

Some passages of Lord Grey's despatch will be well received by all colonists. His lordship remarks that "in establishing a system of constitutional government in any country, one of the first, if not the Very first point to be attended to is, that it shall be carefully adapted to the wants and wishes of the community." Sir William had, somewhat flippantly, instanced the proceedings of the Legislative Council at Sydney, in the last session, as affording "ample evidence of the tendence of a single legislative body to struggle for the possession of executive power." Lord Grey professes himself " not aware of the circumstances to which he adverts, as having shown that tendency in New South Wales;" and his lordship shows that the "Assembly" of Jamaica exercises " powers of an executive character to a far greater extent than the Legislative Council of Sydney." To suggestions of the Governor for religious uses, tbe Secretary of State decidedly objects j and to his opposition to the " General Assembly " he answers that by the Bill of this year no colony need belong to the Assembly unless it pleases.

Sir Henry Young's despatches are somewhat comical in style — very stilted, and not particularly intellageble. All that We have in reply to them is a rebuke from Lord Grey for hi* having, in a very unprecedented way, published in the local Gatette, some months before the session of the Adelaide legislature, a very extraordinary and amusing series of intended resolutions of Mr. John Morphett, a member of that legislature. These resolutions comprise some project for a South Australian peerage, and have excited considerable merriment in this country. The Canterbury Association held a large meeting on Wednesday last. There was ft most numerous attendance of fashionable

people, including several bishops, and a great display of ladies. I must avow to you that I have never held this Association 1 in much favour. Ido not like its exclusive? religious piinciples, as applied to colonization, and I am quite certain its political economy is of the most absurd and runiou* character. I did not therefore feel much, dissatisfied when Mr. Sidney (the author of several works on emigration) rose up and created some consternation by plumply denouncing the " principles " of the Association. He created quite a diversion, and I believe the feeling of the larger part of the assemblage was enlisted in his favour. He told the meeting that they had all the pleasures of indulging in an enthusiasm, without any eventual risk 1 , that would devolve upon the unfortunate people who were induced to emigrate. It is really astonishing what will "go down" with tho people in this country, if your scheme b« only properly puffed into notoriety. This Canterbury scheme is as fashionable just now as the opera. Lords and Ladies and dignitaries of the Church give it their patronage. It is the most distingue of colonisation schemes. Others may be promising— but they ore " low."

Matrimony In the Olden Time. — In the Leeds Intelligengcer of the oth of "October* 1764, the following notice appears: — Lately died at Liverpool, Mrs. Mayee, wife of Mr. Mayee, who was her nineteenth husband. Mortality op England. — The Medical Times states that the annual mortality of England in 1700 was about one in twenty- five. About thejmiddle of the last century it increased to one in twenty. In 1801 it was one in thirty-five-; in 1311, one in thirty-eight; and is now one in forty-five; so that in about eighty years, the chances of existence are doubled in London. In Rome, the annual deaths are now as one in twenty-five ; at Amsterdam, as one in twentyfour; at Vienna, as one in twenty- two. The inhabitant of London, therefore, has twice as good a chance of living as the burgher of Vienna*

One day, on removing some books at the chamber of Mr Day, a large spider dropped upon the floor, upon which Sir William Jones Baia\ with some warmth, "Kill that spider, Day; kill that spider!" "No," said Mr Day, with all that coolness for which he was so conspicuous, " I will not kill that spider. Jones ; I do not know that I have a right to kill that spider. Suppose, when you are going in your coach to Westminister Hall, a superior being, who, perhaps may have ate much power over you as you have over this insect, should say to his companion, 'kill that lawyer] kill that lawyer !' how should you like that Jones ? and I am sure, to tnostj people, a lawyer is a more obnoxious animal than a spider."

Many actions, like the Rhone, have two sources, one pure and the other impure. To do anything well requires very singular talents. A well done deed is as great a rarity as a large diamond-.

The hasty man only drinks his tea with his fork. — Chinese Proverb.

The man who has been kicked fancies everybody's leg is rained against him.

Speak of yourself as seldom as may be. If you praise yourself it is arrogance ; if you dispraise, it is folly* A Distressed Agriculturist. — Tbe Western Times tells a story of a " distressed agriculturist :" — " A farmer dropped in here on Wednesday last to pay his rent, putting on a long face to correspond with the times. On entering the house, he told his landlord that times being so bad he couldn't raise the money at all, and dashing a bundle of bank notes on the table, 'There,' said he, 'that's all I can pay.' The money was taken up, and counted by Mr. , the landlord, who Raid, ' Why, this is twice as much as you owe/ ' Darig'ee, give it me again/ said tbe farmer, * I'm dashed if I ain't took it out of the wrong pocket.' " " Medicine," said Bonaparte at St. Helena, "is a collection of uncertain prescriptions, the resnlt of which, taken collectively, are more fatal than useful to mankind. Water, sir, and cleanliness are the chief articles in my pharmacopotia."

Railway Arches across the Twbkd. — On Tuesday the keystone was placed in the last arch of the railway bridge, which, for three years past, has been in course of formation, for the purpose of connecting, by a permanent way, the Berwick and Newcastle, and North British Railways.

New Design roa Earthinwaki. — Cruikshank's splendid plates on the Bottle and Drankard's Children will soon be familiar as " household words." A Sunderltnd pottery company has purchased the right, and have brought oat copies of these plates in splendid style upon articles oC earthenware. Cattle and cot will join in possest> ing these excellent monitors.

Rot At. Socirar. — The Earl of Rosse, as President of the Royal Society, gave his first toir— on Saturday last Among the objects of interest in the rooms was Professor Wheatstene's ingenious apparatus for illustrating the undulating theory of light. Mr. Appola exhibited bis thermomttric balance, which opens or cfcues the damper of a stove with a variation in the temperature of 1 degree, aad ranges from 54 to 66 degrees. The action is obtained from ether boitkt£ in a partial vacuum, which propels the mercuy from one bolb to the other. Dr. Mantell contributed a large number of fossil bones, arc, from New Zealand. Numerous drawings of- nebulas, discovered during the winter months by means of Lord Rone's large telescope, were on tbe table.*— All**, Msy 3.