AMERICA.

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 86, 8 August 1846, Page 4

AMERICA.

[From the South Australian Register.] The National Convention of Native Americans, held at Philadelphia, in the" early part of July, adopted an address to ilieir fellow-citizens of the United States, witha declaration of principles which are essentially embodied in the following resolutions. — Resolutions adopted Jvi/v 5, and 7, 1845. Believing our free institutions, if worth anything, to be worth preserving, and transmitting unimpaired. Believing the permanency of those institutions to depend upon the honest and intelligent exercise of the right of suffrage. Believing that ruiu, if it come, vriU comethrough a preversion and abuse of that right. Believing such preversion and abuse to have already prevailed, and to be now increasing to an alarming extent. Believing that the greatest source of evil in this respect is to be found in the rapid influx of ignorant foreigners, and the facility with which they are converted into citizens. Believing that Americans in form should, and of right ought to be, Americans in heart. Believing that, under any circumstances, it is dangerous to commit the ballot-box, the ark of our freedom's covenant, to foreign hands, or submit our destinies to the possible control of them, who may be foreigners in heart, and Americans in form only. Believing that-from any of the old political organizations, as such, we cannot hope for any radical reform of the evils we deprecate. Therefore, 1. Resolved-, That we do hereby form ourselves into a national political party, for the radical reform of abuses, and the preservation of our institutions and our liberties, mnder the name of th? Native Americans' Party. 2. Resolved, That as native Americans we cannot consent to give our political suffrages to any other than to those born on our soil and matured among our institutions. 3. Resolved, That no foreigner hereafter coming to these United States shall be allowed to exercise the elective franchise until he shsll have been a resident here at least 21 years. 4. Resolved, That the Bible, as the only basis of Christianity, lies at the bottom of all true liberty and equality, and thus as the corner-stone of our free institutions, should be freely read by all men. 5. Resolved, That removals from important offices under the General Government should be made like appointments, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, or other approving body, except in the absence of the Senate, when the President may have the power to suspend for cause. 6. Resolved, That these principles, lying as they do at the very foundation of our political freedom, and our national existence, involve, and are paramount to all others, however important to our external prosperity. > •7. Resolved, Thatthe interest, tbe honour of the nation, as well as the real welfare of all parties, require that subordinate party questions should' be made to yield to the great principles for which we are contending. 8. Resolved, That organizations of native American associations should be established in all the' townships and wards of cities throughout the United States. 9. Resolved, That the appointment of two delegatees from each congressional district be recommended to meet in general convention, on the second Tuesday in May, 1847, to nominate candidates for President and "Vice-President of the United States, and that the place of meeting be Pitsburz Pennsylvania. ' 10. Resolved, That we advocate the principle that no alien should be naturalised j except on the production of a Custom-house certificate, to be procured on his landing on these American shores, proving his residence of twenty-one years; such certificate to be given up to be cancelled. 11. Resolved, That we hold it to be the duty of all true native Americans to give their suffrages to those only who subscribe heartily to our principles, and will maintain them. 12. Resolved, That as native Americans, we hold it to be our duty to take high moral grounds on all subjects, to grapple with the principles of right, of truth, and of justice, without regard to mere questions of availability, and to contend for them fearlessly against the world. 13. Resolved, That.the several Executive Committees of the States Be requested to appoint, each two proper persons, to constitute a corresponding National Committee. 6 14. Resolved, That while every constitutional effort should be made to guard against the. deleterious consequences of a rapidly increasing immigration, by the enactment of the most efficient laws for the accomplishment of that all-important object, still a generous magnanimity requires that those aliens who are or mar become inhabitants of the United States, should kindly received, and every privilege ex. tothem, except that of participating in any of our political administrations, and exercising the right of suffrage, until after a residence of at least 21 years. 15. Resolved, That as native Americans, we will foster and defend all the great interests of our country, its agricultulture, its commerce, its mechanics, manufactures, navigation, mining, and science, fine arts,, and literature, against the world. 16. Resolved, That we do advocate the passage of laws imposing upon all foreigners coming hither for purposes of permanent residence a capitation tax sufficiently large to prevent the - excessive influx of vicious and pauper immigrants, and that we do this as a matter of self-defence. ■ 17. Resolved, That we urge the promotion and I fostering of all means of moral and intellectual culture, by permanent provisions for general education, believing the intelligence of the people to be necessary to the right use and the permanence of our liberties, civil and religious. 18. Resolved, That the native American party do and will continue to advocate the principlti that the naturalisation of foreigners be confined exclusively to the courts of the United States, and also that a public registration of all applicants for the* elective franchise be made.

19. Resolved, That we advocate the universal toleration of every religious faith and sect, and tht| total separation of all sectarianism and politics. 20. Resolved, That we recommend that no alien be permitted to land in these United States without a certificate of good moral character, and who is' able to provide for his own support, which certificate shall be signed by the United States Consul of the port whence he siiled, and also that a registry be made of said alien, in conformity with the Act of Congress, passed in 1802, under President Jefferson.

Information has reached us from the west coast of Africa, that the Hydra, steam-sloop, Commander Young, has captured a slaver, on board of which were 1100 slaves. We believe this is tha largest number thathas ever been captured on board of one vessel. The bonus to the captors will be considerable. Reports are prevalent of some severe visitations of fever among the squadron ; none have reached us, other than that some cases of an ordinary nature have appeared on board the Styx, steam-sloop, Commander Hornby, at Ascension, on the 20th of December; to which, however, the master, Mr. Richard L. Rundell, and seven seamen, have fallen 'victims. The ship has been very fortunate in having captured three slavers, viz,, the Regevereder and Espiza (empty) and the Isabel, 352 slaves on board ; it is supposed that the three prizes will give the commander and the officers and ciew accordingto their ratings in pro. portion. When ordered to Ascension they were so reduced from sickness and prize crews, that, with the exception of the boatswain, the commander was the only officer who was doing duty, with nine men in one watch, and eleven in the other; the men are now in the hospital, doing well. It is supposed Captain Hornby will invalid, and return to England, having suffered severely from fever. The Army.—Siege Of* rations at Chatham.—On Tuesday, January 20, an experiment of some interest was tried in the field-works of the Royal Engineers near to the Casement Barracks, Brompton, under the direction of LieutenantColonel Sir Frederick Smith, K.H., R.E., and in the presence of the Inspector-General of Fortifica- ■ tions, Sir John Fox Burgoyne, X.C.8., who came purposely to witness the evolutions. A stockade of a most substantial construction had been erected of solid timber, united together with ribbons of oak plank, firmly nailed with ten inch spikes, and was thirty feet in length, each piece of timber being a foot square, and about twelve feet long, and were firmly rammed into the earth. This stockade had two rows of loop holes for musketry, so arranged as to represent the same sort of obstruction as our troops encountered recently at New Zealand, when so many lives of British soldiers were sacrificed in attacking with only thefr muskets and bayonets. The first trial of making a breach was an experiment of thirty pounds of powder placed in a bag opposite to the top ribbon of the stockade; and on its being fired, was found to have no other effect than removing out of their places at the spot a few pieces of the timber. A second charge of thirty pounds of powder was then laid on the ground in the centre of the stockade, closely clamped with four damp sand bags, and on being fired made a breach of nearly three, feet in width. To effect a total destruction of the stockade, two charges of powder, well tumped with sand bags, were placed in bags, one containing seventy pounds of powder, and another fifty pounds, at equal distances close against the structure, which, on being fired, drove the piles of timber out of the earth, sending some of them one hundred and fifty feet off, and scattering the splintered timber to a very considerable distance. The explosion was tremendous, and it produced a most magnificent, sight; a pass having been made, a number of sappers and miners, to about two hundred, passed through to represent taking the place. The object of destroying the stockade was to ascertain the minimum quantity of powder necessary for that purpose; and from the result of these experiments, it is evident that a barrel of gunpowder containing ninety pounds will destroy any stockade, however firmly put together, provided the action of the fire is confined by being surrounded by three or four bags of earth about the size of a bushel each. The next experiments were those on the mining operations. A countermine was fired, containing a charge of one hundred and fifty pounds of powder lodged in a chamber of a gallery seven feet under ground, resulting in an explosion which produced a perceptible effect on the earth, felt by persons standing on the glacis at the opposite side of the trench, and threw the earth up a considerable distance around, forming a crater of nearly twenty feet in circumference and six feet deep. This was followed by another explosion of a charge of one hundred and seventy pounds, thereby causing an explosion of a most magnificent description, the earth and fragments were blown up in the air, and a crater formed thirty-three feet by sixteen feet, and a depth of six feet. The earth seemed to tremble for some distance. To witness this mode of warfare the troops of the line and the Royal Marines were present, besides a vast number of civilians. As a conclusion, a few experiments were tried with globes of compression placed at the end of holes bored in the earth, by means of a boring apparatus, with small chaiges of gunpowder, and well rammed up with earth. These experiments were tried to ascertain the effect that small charges of powder would produce in solid earth as applicable to defensive mines. The whole of the arrangements commenced at two o'clock p.m., and closed at four o'clock P,M. Army.—99th Foot—Gentleman Cadet Frederick William Despard, from the Royal Military College to be Ensign, without purchase, vice De Winton, promoted. Shocking Accident at Folkstonb.—Loss of Thirteen Lives.—Yesterday (Tuesday), at noon, twenty men employed in extending the sea wall at Folkestone, by some means or other obtained access to a cave which the South Eastern Railway Company used as a powder Magazine. The men got in with the view of being sheltered from the rain while they partook of their dinner, after which one of them lit his pipe, and then carelessly congreve match on the ground amongst some loose powder. In one moment the cave was rent, and the poor unfortunate men were blown a considerable distance by the explosion, some into the sea and others against the rocks. Eleven of them wero killed on the spot. The remaining nine with one exception, who miraculously escaped with comparatively little injury, were very aeriouslv injured. Two of these have since died.