SYDNEY,

Otago Witness, Issue 556, 26 July 1862, Page 4

SYDNEY,

(from our own correspondent.) Juia- 12, 1802. At the present time the chief object of public interest is State aid to religion. From time to time, for some years past, the subject has cropped up, but no particular or sustained efforts have been made to induce Parliament to legislate ou the matter. Now, however, there is a reason for action, in the itict that Mr. Cowper has a hill before Ihe Assembly to prohibit all future grants of public money for religions purposes. In this measure he proposes to continue to the present recipients of state-pay, their salaries, so lo.ig as they remain in harness, but no fresh giants are to be made. There are some people who hold this to be a just and equitable proposal, since the rights of the present incumbents are respected, and nothing is done to violate implied engagemonts. But it can scarcely be called, .they say, a bill to abolish State aid, since it may continue for forty or fifty years, till the last man dies out There is a largo section of the public, and probably a respectable minority in Parliament, who cry out for the instant abolition of Schedule C of the Constitution Act, by which the money (£28000) is secured to the different denominations. But they don't propose any compensation for the sudden loss the incumbents will sustain, and it is probable their demand will not be acceded to. To inform, and educate, and animate, and direct the public mind on this subject, we have had a series of meetings here, at which the chief speakers have been dissenting clergymen. Petitions have been adopted and numerously signed, praying Parliament to abolish the present system. Then, on the other hand, those in favor of state aid have not been idle— the clergy of the Churches of England and Rome, and their friends and partizans. They have had no larj;e public meetings, but have endeavored to gain converts by ranging around from place to place, and giving lecturea about the desirability of supporting the'priesthood. If the attendance at these lectures is a criterion of the interest taken by the people on the subject, why then they must be considered rather apathetic. It is not impossible that this Question of state aid' ma)' bring -about a general election j * and perhaps, considering the magnitude of tb?

interests involved, it would be as well to give the people a fair opportunity of expressing their Bentinrjiito. Since our Parliament met a very fierce war lias raged on lheda!>atoib!o question of the Church and School laiuls. These lan Is, co.nprisin-^ halfa million of acres, somj of which are the best in the country, were granted in tlie year 1826 to the clergy of the Church of England for religious and educational purposes. Some lime after the grant was revoked, and the lands reverted to the Crown. A section of tho Assembly desired to have these lands declared waste lands, and (he funds arising iroin thorn paid into the consolidated revenue. This was opposed by the Government, who brought in a bill declaring the lands were still held as a trust, aad enacting that the funds derived from them should be devoted to religion and education. And it must be acknowledged thot the b ilance of legal opinion, both here and in (he mother country, is favorable to tlie idea of a still existing trust. After debates of great length, characterised by much acrimony, the Government carried their bill in its integrity, and the third reading was passed three nights "ago by 32 to 21. There is no doubt the Legislative Council will pass this bill, but if tlie funds had gone into the consolidated revenue, they would not have done so. This vexed question may be considered settled for some time to come.

The Government are going to bring in a bill to enable them to lease the railways for a longer • H>erio 1 than three years. At piesent the arrai. ements arc so bad, and the convenience of tbe p~> lie is so little consulted, that the railways, \, h the exception of the Nort burn, scarcely pay their working expenses. But, nevertheless we arc about to push the three lines on simultaneously towards Goulburn, Bathurst, and Muswellbrook in the north. The western line is estimated to cost oidy £10,000 a mile, but that sum will not be enough, since the country it traverses is most precipitous. It is intersected with deep and rugged s.idud ravines nnd gullies. There is one on the other side of the Nepean, a gully which will require £30,000 to bridge it. But we ought to push on the southern line, unless we desire to see all our border trade permanently transferred to Victoria, which is carrying a line to Echuca. This colony, however, vast as it is, is rent asunder, as it were, with sectional differences and j .jalousies. Western people insist on a K.ie toßithurst, though it is almost impracticable, and will not hear of the southern, which is tiie natural line, and will connect us with Melbourne. And so our resources, which ought to be concentrated, are dispersed and fritter* d away on three lines at once. A great mistake was made when our Government took the railways into their own hands, for they have never been able to manage them.

We lately had a visit fr.om Major General Pratt, who was deputed to inspect the Volunteer forces of the colony, in addition to the regular military. He reviewed 900 volunteers on Saturday last, and was pleased to express his approbation of the manner in which they went through the various manoeuvres. Noticing our artillery, which mustered stroug, lie said it was esseutial that that branch of the service should be the strongest, since we could only expect an attack from the sea. lie expressed his intention of reporting favorably of the volunteers to the Secretary of State. But we arc far behind Melbourne, winch can now muster a very efficient little army, whilst, with every exertion, we could not bring 1/500 men into the field. Some people here cry out for a militia bill, and with some reason, for our leading merchants, bankers, and men of business have thrown every obstacle in the way of the movement, by refusing permission to their servants to attend drill and parade. And yet they, , of all men, are greatly interested in the maintenance of peace and order.

The Legislative Assembly has now under discussion a Divorce bill. It was introduced by Mr. A. J. Holroyd, a barrister ; it is in most respects a, copy of the English Act. But it is singular that there ha; been no petition or demand in any thane for this bill. No doubt we have amongst us many unhappy couples, who do not live very amicably together, but none of them have protruded their woes upon the public, or sought relief from the yoke which oppresses them. But in certain quarters it seems to be thought we must copy English legislation, whether suited to our requirements or not. It is true the Secretary of State for the Colonies recommended that we should assimilate our laws to the English law, in the matter of divorce; but that is not a sufficient reason to pass a bill which does not appear to be required. However, tlie Assembly, by a very large majority, passed the second reading, and the bill got into Committee. There some of our amateur legislators displayed their " 'prentice hands." They were not content to make adultery a cause for divorce, but they must needs decree that habitual drunkenness was a ground for judicial separation ; and having succeeded in this, an amendment was proposed to make habitual gambling another cause for judicialj udieial separation. As for habitual drunkenness, ihere was no reason to embody that in the bill, liince the Deserted Wives' and Childrens' Act, a measure introduced by our Chief Justice, already provides for cases of habitual drunkenness by •compelling the husband" to allow his wife and children a separate maintenance, should she seek it. And it is unwise to encumber our statute book with laws which arc mere repetitions of cad other. There is this consolation, however, \. , have a second Chamber capable of checking ra-': legislation, and I have no doubt they will ami " "the bill so as to render it consonant with common sense, reason, and imperial legislation.

The Hon. Charles Cooper, the Premier, entered a body of Freemasonry the other day. His colleagjes, it is sail, intend to follow his example. It is alleged by high Masons that the order has degenerated here, and I know several English Masons who decline to enter a lodge hare, since they consider the principles of the gentle craft are altogether ignored.

Lyster's Opera Company opened last week, at the Victoria Theatre, w Inch has been taken fur three months, at a n.j;i.il of LIOO per week. Tiie company ii> a good one, and receives a iair share of public patronage.

The dispute amongst the colliers at Newcastle still continues. The Australian Agricultui? 1 Company lately imported about 200 miners from Melbourne, but the men have nearly all violate their engagements, and escaped to other employers. The disputes between masters and men turn upon a very trifling amount of wages, but neither Bide seem inclined to give way. At present the men out on strike are supported by contributions from tiie working- miners, each of whom pay 14s. a fortnight to the Union Fund. They manage these matters better in France ; and, if we had some body similar to the conseils dcs pi-ud' homines probably the»c calamitous strikes might be avoided.

Tlu escort this week brought down over 32000 oz. of gold. The Lachlan is now our richest jield, but there is no scope there for a poor man, except as a shepherd. A claim has just been worked out by six men, who shared between them L 24,000 worth of gold, and are now homeward bound. I should say that not one-third of the men on the Lachlan are doing any good for themselves, but the crowd still rush then. 1 , allured by solitary instances of splendid success.

Mr. Torrens, the author of the Jteal Property Act in South Australia, is expected here iv a few days to give 113 the benefit of his experience.

Mr. Wentworth, the President of the Legislative Council, is going home in September, and it is said his office will be filled by the Hon. Mr. S-ott.

Yesterday Daniel Dunstan, accountant at the Telegraph Department, was committed to take his trial for embezzlement. The prisoner absconded with over a thousand pounds, and the police were unable to find him. But it appears be secreted himself within 50 yards of the Police Office, in a house opposite. lie gave himself up about a week ago, on the advice of his attorney. The May mail arrived a day before its time. The news is very unfavorable for our chief produce. Wool had fallen from Id. to 2£d., tallow and hides had also leceded in value. At the sales here on Thursday, tho decline in wool was not equal to that in London. General trade is quiet, though a good business is done with the diggings' Tobacco ranges from Gs. 6d. to 7s. in bond, and holders will only sell small parcels. Martell's brandy fetches 13s. Flour firm nt £15 with upward tendency. Coffee very firm at 12£ d. for fine plantation, manilla 9d., ordinary Java, B£d. to 9d. Sugars greatly demessctL A private telegram yesterday from Mcl bourne states that no vessels aie loading in China for the colonies, and it is expected the new crop will open at advanced prices.

I The Dunedin Club House was on Thins Jay sold by public auction, by Messrs. Pateruon and Co. The building, with the four sections of land on which it stands, was knocked down to Dr. Nelson for £3050,