The New-Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 316, 9 June 1849, Page 3

The New-Zealander.

Be just ami fear not: Let all the ends thou aitns't at, be thy Country's, 1 Hy God's, and Truth's.

SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1849.

The petition of the Native tribes to Her Majesty the Queen, against the introduction of convicts to New Zealand, is being numerously signed. Already, from the neighbouring districts, four hundred and thirty signatures have been sent in. We trust that our European fellow -colonists will be equally alert in marking their abhorrence of the proposed pollution — and, that the memorial to Her Majesty, as well to both Houses of Parliament will exhibit a large array of names, in time for transmission by the Louisa, shortly expected to leave this for London.

Since our last, H. M. Ship " Havannah " has arrived, bringing the London January mail. Our merchants have thus at length, been put in possession of those letters, which, had they been forwarded by the " Volunteer," as it was the imperative duty of the Sydney Postmaster to have done, might have been promptly replied to and transmitted by the "Maukin." It is abominable that our commercial interests should still be at the merciless caprice of an overpaid public servant, and that the constantly recurring detention of onr mails should have elicited no complaint to his superiors. Our tidings, arrive when they may, are surely more than sufficiently protracted, without being wantonly delayed in the dust holes of George Street. By this opportunity, we have received sundry English papers, but all of such ancient date, as to have been long since anticipated. An arrival, however, at Port Phillip brings English intelligence up to the 10th of February, enabling us to present our readers with Her Majesty's speech, on the opening of Parliament, an event which took place on the Ist. This speech, although as vague as royal speeches generally are, contains one or two painful admissions, namely — that " a spirit of disaffection still exists in Ireland," where " another failure in the potatoe crop has caused very severe distress." " I trust," Her Majesty is made to say, " that you will assist me in upholding the fabric of the constitution," whilst, in the two previous sentences, the knell of the Navigation Laws, — those pillars of English maritime supremacy, those most important standards of the Constitution, — is consistently rung. The revenue for 1848, exhibits an increase of upwards of a million and a half. An amount, arising in part from repayment of Irish loans, partly from Chinese ransoms, but still, in actual surplus revenue, approximating very closely towards a million. Economy is the pass-word, both with the League without, and the Ministers within the House, and a reduction of four millions is confidently alleged. We must, therefore, be prepared to see our modicum swept away. It is to be hoped, that ere doing so, the government will look with a just and considerate care upon our stagnant position, and that by a removal of the restrictions which impose the most insane and absolute prohibitions upon all our industrial energies, the great natural riches of the soil, may be permitted to be developed. We should, then, avoid the annihilation, which the stoppage of our subsidy, if accompanied by a sudden cessation of the Commissariat disbursements, would entail. California, instead of a bane, would then become a blessing, it being a fact of very easy demonstration, that cheap land and ample labour, would render New Zealand not only the granary, but the pasture field of the Southern Ocean. And, yet, the country that might so readily be made a large and invaluable ministrant to British prosperity, positively trembles for its existence because of the suicidal callousness of British impolicy ! The reliance to be placed upon the India and Australia Steam Navigation Company, has already been shown by the Government having given the contract, entered into with them for the conveyance of the mails between Southampton and Alexandria, to the Peninsular and Oriental Company. We trust that this may prove but the prelude to a transference, to the same well conducted company, of the mails between Sincapore and Sydney. California has excited an European mania quite as absurd as its Australasian and American counterparts. Eighteen ships were loading in London — many more in Liverpool — and the continental ports and people were more or less on the move. What a chaos ! We commend the following to the attention of our readers. It presents a history of California in j little. Cupidity or revenge may place more than one head at the Alcade's disposal, and where is the remedy to be found, or how is the trifling mistake to be rectified ? A letter received in Sydney, from that blissful land, inter alia states that women are in demand — and that, a band of anti- monopolists descending from the hills had carried off the spouse of the writer ! "In a number of the Californian, published at San Francisco, there is an adveitisement strongly indicative of the lawless state of the community, and the necessity which the government are under of taking measures which have long been obsolete in civilized communi-

ties. A Mr. Yon Pfister having been murdered, a reward of 5000 dollars is offered for the apprehension of one Peter Raymond, his murderer, and the advertisement contains the significant announcement that the same reward will be paid for the delivery of his head at the office of the Alcade of San Francisco. There is no doubt that the delivery of the head would prevent any doubts as to the legality or competency of the tribunals to try a murderer, and would rather baulk the exertions of the philanthropic advocates of the abolition of capital punishments. We notice in the same paper that the American Commodore offers a reward of 40,000 dollars for the apprehension and delivery of deserters from the squadron ; the sum of 500 being given for each of the first four apprehended, and 200 dollars for any one apprehended afterwards." There is mnch wholesome food for contemplation in the shrewd suggestions of a correspondent of the " Sydney Herald," who observes — " The many adventurers from this place to California, calls forth not only those that are interested, but the disinterested. You have given in your valuable paper copies of documents from an American officer at that place, the tariff and extract from the Times, all of which shows your known zeal and abilities for the public welfare. Now I will ask you what protection have the parties (if they should escape with their lives and property) from attacks of the numerous runaway slaves, Mexicans, Texians, and Indians, now in that quarter, of the worst description of characters, and of being plundered by the murdering crafts that will infest those seas ? What number of our boasted navy have we to protect the British subject or shipping inteiest ? Will this quarter not be infested with crafts of pirates inumerable — with crews of the most revolting character so easily obtained? If there has been any man of war sent down, it may be some protection for life and property, if not, I ( am afraid of the consequences. The nearest naval station to California is Valparaiso, and that I believe, (I may not be correct), was to be reduced early iv this year." We have an example of bucaniering in miniature from our own port, whence a small coasting craft of 35 tons, called the " Thomas Nixey," with certain adventurers, supplied with chronometer, charts, &c, was sneaked away on Wednesday night, the rovers having begged, borrowed, and stolen from all whom their plausibility enabled them to swindle. Our intelligence from Sydney is to the 24th ultimo. The Legislative Council is in full session, and the spirit of Nomineeism in rampant ascendancy. The worthlessness of such a Council for Colonial enfranchisement, has been already conclusively shown. A preliminary skirmish has taken place in the cause of Colonial purity, and the mis- representatives of the people have achieved a victory in the cause of the Grey pollution outrage ; — sixteen nominees and squatocratic advocates having negatived the appeal of nine patriotic men to Sir Charles Fitzroy. Mr. Cowper having vainly moved — " That an address be presented to his Excellency the Governor, respectfully requesting that he will not cause any convicts destined by Her Majesty's government for the district of Port Phillip to be brought on to the middle district ; and also, that his Excellency would be pleased to prevent the dispersion of any convicts which may arrive in the harbour of Port Jackson, throughout the distant districts of the colony, where there are no means of exercising proper discipline over them, and where their presence must be injurious in every point of view to the immigrant families now proceeding thither."

By the "Havannah," we have received more ample details of the victory on the Jhelum, or rather, as we should feel inclined to write it the wanton butchery of Chillianwallah : — an effort of Generalship which casts our sacrifice at Ovvaiawai into hopeless obscurity. As the rash conduct of the New Zealand Leader (on a small scale) was mercilessly criticised by the more practised war journalists of India ; it is but a fair return of compliments, if a New Zealand writer — albeit he may have "never set a squadron in the field," — should venture to stigmatize the reckless slaughter of a noble army, by an Indian Commander-in-Chief, as an example of fiery idiocy, not surpassed by the onslaught on the windmills by a commander not much less intelligent, but infinitely more renowned — the illustrious Knight of La Mancha. In bullheaded violence, — in impracticable ferocity, Hugh, Lord Gough, unquestionably bears away the palm — for the shot of the enemy had evidently lashed him into such ungovernable frenzy, that like the warrior apostrophized by Burns, as inspired by the potential effects of a " Highland gill " " lie bad nae thocht but bow to kill Tuaata blow!" a consummation however desirable in a gillie, certainly a quality not the most commendable in a general. There are few actions, whether ancient or modern, where the laws of warfare have been so ruinously despised. All appears to have been left to the effects of a headlong rush. We remember no parallel. The nearest approach to it is the Field of Flodden, where the Scottish King, although more unfortunate, was [For continu tbn set Supplement.]