SYDNEY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume IV, Issue 323, 10 February 1844, Page 4

SYDNEY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

[JFVojn the " Australian" December 28, 1844. t The labours of the maiden session of tht,< ( Legislative Council of New South Wales, _ terminated last evening, and the merely formal ceremony of proroguing the House, . remains to be gone through to-day, r The proceedings of yesterday will be read ; . with interest, particularly the debate wliich - ensued on taking into consideration His p Excellency's message recommending the [ amendment of schedule of the Tariff Bill.' i The scale of duties which the Council had t determined upon, was recommended by his ! Excellency to be altered in the following I manner, namely :—: — The duties on imported flour and meal, as fixed by the Council at 2s. 6d. per lOOlbs., to be reduced to Is. 3d. , The duty on imported wheat, as fixed at one shilling per bushel, to be reduced to six-pence. The duty on unrefined sugar, as fixed at one farthing per lb., to be raised to 3s. 6d. per cwt., or fd. per lb. The duty on refined sugar, as fixed at three farthings per lb., to be raised to six shillings per cwt. The duties on wine, coffee, and tea, to remain as the Council had already agreed upon. After an animated debate, chiefly remarkable for the reiteration of Mr. Bland's favourite Utopian theories of Land occupancy, and the application of free trade doctrines to perfect the ielectable systen ; and Mr. Wentworth's masterly exposure of his lion, colleague's fallacies ; the whole of the Governor's proposed amendments were negatived, and an Address to his Excellency was agreed to, apprising him of the inability of the Council to comply with his recommendations. The Governor has assented to the Insolvent Act Amendment Bill, and, albeit we must repeat our objection to the anomalous delay which defers the operation of the 24th clause until March next, we are happy to congratulate the people of New South Wales on the recognition by the Executive Government of the principle laid down by their Representatives, that the horrible remnant of barbarism, "Imprisoment for Debt" shall be altogether abolished. In the early part of the evening, an interesting conversation occurred with reference to the revival of emigration, and the employment of the ' starving labourers ' now out of work. The Colonial Secretary read some extracts from letters he had received from Moreton Bay, whither some of these ' objects of charity ' had been sent at the expence of the public ; and we think all right-thinking persons must join with the Colonial Secretary, in expressing their indignation at the audacious impositions to which the Government have been subjected by individuals, who, under the cloak of distress, have availed themselves of a free passage to Moreton Bay, and then set up in business for themselves, or refused, in the most insolent terms, the liberal wages offered to them. The ' starving labourer ' cry, whfcli has been raised amongst us by some would-be agitators, is beginning to be tolerably well understood, and the statement of the Colouial Secretary will dissipate the slight veil with which the delusion is disguised. The Governor prorogues the Council today at one o'clock, on which occasion, as was very gallantly intimated by Dr. Nicholson and the speaker, it is expected that a galaxy of beauty and fashion will occupy the seats of our senators in the body of the Chamber.

The King of the Belgians has issued an ordonnance, that all wools in bulk shall he allowed to pass through Belgium without payment of any transit duty. This exemption is to commence from and immediately after the close of the next session of the chambers, should not the ordonnance be in the meantime converted into a law.