The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JULY 18, 1863.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 301, 18 July 1868, Page 4

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. SATURDAY, JULY 18, 1863.

The news by the last mail is by no means of a highly important, though at the same it is of an exceedingly interesting character. The great struggle of the present clay in British politics has commenced however, and the Irish reformers have Avon the first throw, in Mr-Gladstone's resolutions having been triumphantly affirmed in the House of Commons by a large majority. These resolutions, however, are but the affirmation of a principle, aud though they point conclusively to the end, they accomplish nothing more at.present than proving how public feeling is in reference to the questions therein raised. A British House of Commons has admitted beyond all question the right of the Irish people to their own church, and has owned by the same action that the existing church is, and has been for centuries, a wrong. Amongst those who thus expressed their opinions were men of all denominations, the representatives of the Catholic faith being but a fraction amongst them. Protestants of the present day can afford to confess a wrong to whatever church it may pertain, and the conduct of Parliament on this occasion will do much to restore good feeling amongst all classes. As might be expected, there are rabid church and state people in the world who can see no injustice in appropriating one man's goods to support a clergyman of a contrary belief,, and who think that ninety of one sect should pay the expenses of the ministry of ten of the other, and as a matter of course, furious party cries will be got up on the occasion of the appeal to the country. The fact has, however, gone forth, and before long one at least of the grave grievances of the Irish nation will be at an end. The news of Prince Alfred's attempted assassination had reached England, and, as might be expected, had created a profound sensation of mingled anger and horror. All classes, all persons, all places, had with one voice condemned the infamous deed, but the worst is that this has given a handle to the anti-reform party, that they will not be slow to use at the dissolution. The Bishop of Oxford set out the cry on a grand ceremonial, by publicly stating " that the revenues of the Irish Church. were being confiscated to meet the wishes of assassins." This will be echoed far and wide, and as those at a distance have few opportunities of really judging, it will be largely believed. In spite of this, justice will, even if tardily, at length be done to Ireland, and there is every reason to hope that in a year or two, the curse of Penianism may be blotted out, and that with equal laws and equal rights, with returning prosperity and contentment, Ireland England and Scotland may be in fact as in name truly a United Kingdom. A moat extraordinary motion has been brought forward by a Mr Eeardon, in effect that her Majesty be requested to abdicate the throne, and make way for the Prince of "Wales. The result was that it was indignantly rejected, but no details are to hand, so we can only wait and wouat the preposterous audacity of the mover. Whether he is a madman, or whether he has cast a deliberate insult on her Majesty, time only will prove. At any rate he has not taken much by his motion. The Clerkenwell exploplosion has proved more fatal to the innocent than the guilty, for whilst a large number lost their lives, and a far larger number are maimed for life, only one man, Barrett, has suffered the last penalty of the law. The other European news are singularly scanty, beyond one item that Eussiahas proposed a convention for abolishing e s pi osive projectivesinwar, which Prance id reported to have assented to, wehave nothing whatever. iJy.tuis it is probable that another year may run round before the grand struggle for European supremacy, which must certainly arise, will come off. There are several summer months before them however, and as speedy campaigns are the order of the d rcw, a "difficulty" may yet

arise before the frost sets iu^—that can or.ly be got over by an appeal to arms. As to the proposed convention no one has any faith in it, and war must drift-down to the evident goal of present science, viz., the art of extermination. From America more hopeful news is to hand. The reconstruction policy of which the abused President is Ae active exponent, is being carrieu out in the face of the Radical opposition, and a bill for admitting the States of North and South Carolina,;, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana to re presentation in Congress, has been passed. Concurrently with this, we hear that the Senate have refused to convict President Johnson on the eleventh articie of impeachment, and it is quite possible that the next mai will bring us news of his entire acquittal. For the peace of the United States it is to be hoped such will be the case. In Canada the feeling of the people has been clearly shown in connection with the atrocious murder of D'Aroy M'Gee, no less than twenty thousand people attending his funeral. There is little reason to doubt that the actual murderer has been arrested, but his paltry life is a poor compensation for the death of such an able, promising, and distinguished man. We have no South American news, nor, indeed any from many otner points of interest, Crete, Rome, and other places, and we must wait for the arrival of the mails before our curiosity in reference to them is satisfied. Altogether, however, we have an interesting and varied budget to hand, and one that will afford the thoughtful section of the community much food for reflection.

The Bank of New Zealand has shipped 2112 ozs. of.gold for Hokitika, per John Penn. At the opening of the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, Dennis M'Garrall was placed in the dock, charged with having on the 15th inst. committed an indecent assault on a child under seven years of age, named Alice Y.,ung. The mother of the child in question was put in the box, when it was found that she was in such a helpless state of drunkenness, that it was hopeless to expect any evidence from her, and the Magistrate ordered her into custody till the rising of the court. She was then again brought up but her condition was so slightly improved that she was sent to gaol for twenty-four hours, and the prisoner was remanded for that time. We forbear from giving particulars of this case that are within our knowledge, but may say that the witnesses are of an outrageously disreputable character, and the circumstances are said to be such as could scarcely be believed in connection with them. A novel race has been inistituted in Victoria, aud we have no doubt the example thus set, will be followed in other places. Mr Rawdou Greene, an old and most successful breeder of " flyers " has been the moving cause. We extract from the " Wagga Wagga Express." That journal says that "on the conclusion of the pastoral meeting there, Mr Rawdon Grreene addressed the Turf Club, and said that a good deal of discussion had taken place lately, both in Great Britain and the Colonies, as to the relative merits of the English horse and the Arab. It was said that the tendency of racing, as* at present conducted, was to encourage a breed of horses that could fly along at a great speed for a short distance, but could stand no continuous exertion, and that inducements to produce the kind of horse that they all required for actual work were altogether overlooked. Eor his own part, he did not want a flyer for half a mile, but rather an animal that could endure hard work for a long distance, and to encourage the breeding of this class it was necessary that they should offer prizes for superiority in a trial of stoutness and speed. To give practical effect to his idea, he would propose that, with the sauction of the Turf Club, a ten-mile race for a prize of 300 sovereigns, should be run at the annual meeting in November next, with a sweepstakes of five sovereigns each added, welterweights ; the second horse to receive £SO, and the third horse to save his stake. He did not wish the race to in any way interfere with the usual programme, or to use any of the club funds in carrying it out, but that when the funds were raised, as he had no doubt they could be by subscription, the race should take place under the management of the club. Mr M'Kinnon seconded the proposition, which, however, met with some little opposition on the part of two or three gentlemen present; but on its being explained that there was no desire to make the club responsible for the forthcoming of the necessary funds, or to interfere with their regular thp

opposition was not pressed ; and upon Mr Greene's proposal being put to the meeting, it was carried with but two or three dissontients. A subscription list was then sent round, and £IOO towards the proposed stake was quickly obtained in the room ; and from the warmth with which the proposal was taken up, there is no doubt that with a little exertion, the remaining funds necessary to bring the stake .up to £3OO can be got together. The Northern Argus, in an article on the supinuess of the present Government of Queensland, drnwsthe following uninviting picture of the present state of that Colony:—" Mouey does not multiply and increase in our hands : we can hardly manage to keep a nest egg. Our country remains undeveloped, our merchants do nothing hut draw water with sieves ; the dead horse is ever holding them back ; our trades, men are compelled to giveloug credits, and to -iell without any certainty of payment; our artificers are half unemployed ; and our laborers wander about the laud seeking work, and like the Israelitish spies return with 'an evil report.' A debt which no doubt will yet be made heavier,hangs like a millstone round the neck of the country, and ad valorem, our curse and our blight, eats into the core of our prosperity, and keeps us ' beggars all.' Our squatters are in a state of insolvency ; stock of every description commands ruinous prices only ; our railways are running at a serious annual loss, while freightage and bad water carriage add to a catalogue which shows, to a partial extent, the sum total to our present difficulties."