SYDNEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 560, 23 August 1862, Page 8

SYDNEY.

(ruov the d.vii.x tiui:s conrensroxDnxT.) Sydney, July 2,>th, 18G2. Since my last letter, the Parliament has not made much program with the State Aid IMI. Three nights have already l>2en spent in discussing it, and thp subject may be truly sai.l to be exhausted. The other night Dr. Lang sp iko for two hours and a-half, and took his hearers all over the globe with him in seeking for instances to prove how beiiefici.il voluntaryism had been in its influence upon religion. lie said he shd-tld accept the bill as a compromise, although he would have baen bettor pleased if State Aid had been abolished at once, instead of being prolonged for perhaps fifty years. Latterly the public seem to have awaked to the necessity of letting the Legislature know their sentim its upon the question, and petitions have poured in daily by the score. The majority of them are against the abolition, and some pray even for an ncrease, rather than a reduction, The Bisho^ of Newcastle has proposed in a letter to the Sydney H-ira'd, that the question should lie fettled by Parliament voting a sum equal to fifteen years" purchase of the present stipen 1 of the colony, to be paid in Government debent ires bearing interest at the rate of ."> per cent. This sum the Bishop thinks would provide aoout 073 yearly for every clergyman, so that the 1 liry would have tl.e greater portion of their par- m's stipend to provide, and in consequence, m uht , fairly claim a corresponding voiejand iufhiencj in their appointment. At present the Church of England iv serves about £1-1,000 per annu n— seventy-two persons get an average of 12.51 each, while forty-nine receive nothing. Vui; cannot bo called a just distribution ; but so i is. It is calculated that the Government will secure a majority of sor G in favor of the bill. fJnfc even if it pass the Assembly, the Council nay refuse it, in which case, we are thrown back for a year, and the r agitt»tion about the bill wlh be mt"\sed with great violence.

Tue Assembly have decided pretty conclusi .-clv that they are not yet ripe foi* the introductio i of protec'ion into this country. We have a tew members in the House who arc rabid on (lie subject of agriculture and manufactures. The chief agitator of protection is Mr. Allen, a <• >,r> and candlemaker, and who represents a f.in :inl; fo'istitiicncy. He wants a protection duf .- on corn, Loots, sho3S, woollens, and furniture \e i-. mod eft enough not to include soap and can lie, though, of course his trade ought to ha prote tc l' as m ell as the others, if we are to abolish free fr-ule. I in ly remark to shew th.it there is.no n >cssity f)r protection tor some of these spee'fieii trades, that we have woollen manufactures :louri»liinij in this city stud at Paramatta ami i: nen Pi tins. The woollens compete successfully with English importations, and at the Great Exhibition we loam the Australian cloths were so much admired that mmy people thought they Mere mamifaeturcd in Enplane!. However, it is not vf-y likely that the Parliament will take up a< exploded theory about trade, because here -imi there, owing to exceptional circumstances, cc; lain interests have decayed. The past fortnight, iias been distinguished by a number of .iudaciou3 acts on the part of b.ishrangers and others of a lawless disposition. Tile first in importance was the attack made upon Sir P. E. Pottinger and his party (2) when iliey were returning with two prisoners and the gold they had taken the day before. The prisoners were forcibly rescued by seven or eight men, but they failed to get back the gold. According to the official account a great number of shots were fired by the bushrangers, but the only damage done was the shooting of one oi tlie constable's horses. After the robbers retired, Pottin»er entrenched him-elf, and "-oiic to Limbing Flat for assistance, -which was soon forthcoming, an<i lie reached the camp in safety with 213 ozs. of gold. I am glad to state that the day after this all'iirj Sergeant FLnigan recaptured "one of the res; lied prisoners. As for the gang infesting the southwestern roads, the police are after them, but the chase seems useless. On the 21st of July, ,«jnie rascals broke open the Post-office at SofiiKi, and stole from the letter bags about £900, chieiiv in cheques. In this cisc the condition of the oTicc tempted the robbeis, for the postmaster did not reside in it, but in the house adjoining. A good many of the cheques have been stopped afcthe bank here ; so, after all their trouble and iisk, the thiovos may not get much to reward them.' Coming down to something of less importance^ there is the case of Mr. Olliver, the late manager of the Bank of New South Wales at Bathurst. When his books were inspected, a deficiency of over LIOOO was discovered. Tie left Bathursr, came to Sydney, and was arrested on the loth on a charge of embezzlement. lie was brought up to the Police Court and remanded, bail being allowed. Two days afterwards he was rearrested, charged with embezzling a second sum ofoverLDOO. His wife was also brought up as an accessory and for receiving the stolen notes, but was ultimately disghnmed. The case, I hear, is very clear agaiust Olliver. The B.mk holds a guarantee from the European Assurance Soi-'ety, which will more than cover the loss sust lined.

By the last mail, information was received that Sir Daniel Cooper would probably be created a baronet. This gentleman is very rich, and was formerly Speaker of the Assembly. Since he has been in England he has interested himself in

getting the coal of this country tested by the Admiralty, and has thus done us some service. He is one of bur commissioners at the Great Exhibition.

The mission of our Emigation Commissioners, Messrs. Parkes and Dal ley, has turned out a failure. It is not known that they have influenced a single family or person to come out here. And it was not very likely they could do so, when Mr. Gordon, from Queensland, offered greater encouragements to people desirous of trying their fortunes in a new country. Therefore, they are not to be blamed. I have no doubt they have done their best. They have lectured, talked, and expatiated on this great colony, and published pamphlets, and^ given advice and so on. Mr. Dalley le.t :•:. inland on June 15th, tired of his work ; Mr. 1 arkoh only awaits official sanction to follow him. You are a ware Henry Parkes is a man of mark here ; :it one time editor of the Empire, which he founded, and member for Sydney. It is pretty well untlersio- 1 he was sent to England, because the i reimer. ;,Ir. Cmvper, found him troublesome and it is now asserted that on his return, Mr. Parkus is to bo appointed Inspector of Prisons! for which post he has been fitting hiunelf by enquirii< into prison discipline in England." A better man for the post could not be found in tlie colony. As for Mr. Dalley, a very talented, but I expect, lazy Australian, he will probably rcsuiiK- practice as a barrister. He's a splendid fellow for addressing a jury in a breach of promts case. He confines himself to criminal practice, and I hoar no high opinion of his assiduity. The fact is, he could live without his pro-fessi-m, and there is no reason why he should not take life easily il 1 be pleases. lie, though younw, has been the Solicitor-General of New South Wales. He first entered Parliament as member for Sy Iney. beating John Fairfax, proprietor of the Herald, by several hundred votes. lie's a great pet amongst the women.

11. M. S. Pelorus, sailed July 20th for England. The Orpheus succeeds her on this station. On the 11th July, commander O'Reilly, of 11. M. sloop Pioneer, was accident-ally killed, whilst out kang.inw hunting at Port Denison. His horse carr'e I him against a tree whereby his skull was fractured, and he died in two hours. Port Denison Jus been chosen as a naval coaling station Tlie A. S. N. Company have determined upon runni-ig a to the Southern ports of New Zealand. There will be a moathly service which will commence September Ist.

A new Fire and Marine Insuiance Company has boon starter! here. It is called the Pacific and (■■une out under such excellent auspices, that all lha shares have been at once taken up. There were only 10,000 shares to allot, but 50,000 were applied for, a sort of proof that there is a large amount of capital here, waiting good investment. The jcentlcmen who aoted as provisional directors and now seek election, are .fames Martin, M. P Q. C , Mr. Monieiiore, a well known merchant' Mr. Young, late of Young, Lark and Bennett', Mr Luigh, of Watkins and Leigh, and Mr. James Byrne. The operations of the company will commence at once.

Tnc estimates for 1862 were laid upon the table of the Assembly last Tuesday, and will be considered next Wednesday. I notice in them thai the Government prorose to ask for £80,000 lnsc-.irl of Xo'J.C-oo for the purpose of assisting immigrants. This is considered by some v con" vincmg proof that our revenue is in a healthy state, or so large a sum could not be spared. The last Gazette contains the conditions to be obsom\l in thn leasing of our railways. A fortnight ago a fire occured in Newcastle in a wo;hlj!i building known as the Steam Packet Ilotd. It was burnt to the ground, and the daughter of the proprietor, a girl of five years, peri-hed in the flames. The adjoining buildings, one of which was tne Bank of New South Wales were much injured. '

The Empire of to-day contains a telegram from Melbourne, announcing that three bushranger-, seven horses, and some gold had been capt '.red at Grant's station, near Tea, by three, constables. One of the robbers was shot dead, and .i constable was wounded in the desperate fight which took place. It is supposed one of the men is Gardiner. For myself I do'nt credit this portion of the telegram, for we hear of Gardiner in nil directions, and I begin to think he i 3 a fictiticus personago. The Bill was read a second time last night by 29 to 28: a very close discussion indeed. It is thought the bill will pass through committee, and chat many members who have vindicated their consistency by voting against the bill now withlniw their opposition. The committal of the i, ill is fixed for August 6. Tlie last mail brought us news of great distress amonost the manufacturing people in Lancashire A meeting was called July 19, a t which the Governor presided, and where £2000 was there and then collected. By Tuesday following the Treasurer uas enabled to send home per the s s Bombay ;i draft for £3000, to aid the operatives m their great distress. The country districts arc iow beginning to move in the matter, and it is c-vpectcd that £10,000 will be sent by the August mail. The prompt liberality of the colonist-> is much to be com mended.

TMe dispute ;it Newcastle between the Australian Agricultural Company and their miners is still unsettled, and the prospects of a compromise between them arc now very faint indeed, but of the 2do men the Company imported from Melbourne, 72 are constantly at work, and 40 int'-r-mifcient—the remainder have vamosed. There wore but eight or nine real miners out of the whole batch, but the men are improving and will make very good wages by-and-by. At present they average £2 per week. The escorts this week brought down a little over 14,000 ounces, and last week 15,000 oz.

July 2fi, 1862. ihcA. S. N. Company held their usual halfyea- !y meeting yesterday. The net profits for the six months amounts to £2G,265 ; the dividend declared was about 28 per cent, per share. A collection is to be made in all the Roman Cat'ioiic Churches on August 3, for the benefit of tiie Lancashire operatives. 'lliere was a furious gale on Wednesday at brlc.iel", near Adelaide. The s.s. Lady Bird left without taking the Melbourne and New Zealand mails, and the following day the Havilah took them. Unfortunately in going ashore to letch them the boat capsized, and Mr. Ross, the mail contractor, was drowned. Trade is dull and there aro no chnno-es to report. °