THE "Wellington Independent." Wednesday, November 14, 1849.

Wellington Independent, Volume V, Issue 427, 14 November 1849, Page 2

THE "Wellington Independent." Wednesday, November 14, 1849.

The Parisian Punch La Revue Cpmique, has an excellent diary in a dozen chapters entitled ""The thousand and one alarms of M. Reac de la Jobardier during the past week." This M. Reac, who is a person of not the slightest political importance, has taken into his head that he is an object of the greatest consequence in the eyes ofthe levellers ; that M. Proudhon and the Socialists have determined to divide his property among them, and are only waiting for a decent pretext to denounce him and confiscate' his paternal estate. The fact is that the levellers know nothing of the alarmed citizen, and have no design on him or his rentes ; but having taken up the idea the unfortunate gentleman lives in a state of much turmoil and constant fear. The cry of the milkman. he_ takes for a "proclamation of the suspected"—the knock of his friends is interpreted as a visit from the police—he mistakes his ,owa nephew few Athanasius Patochon the prophet of the Socialists—and after giving himself out as dead of cholerashutting himself up in a secret closet in .the wall, and playing a variety of madman's tricks, is obliged to be straightwaistcoated and carried into the country by his relations.

Our cotemporary the Spectator seems I to labour under an hallucination very similar to that of M. Reac. Having himself, and his protege Sir George Grey, been occasionally handled with some severity by the Independent, the Independent has become his bete noir—a standing bugbear—a sort of " I -will be with thee at Phillippi," which disturbs his rest, destroys his appetite, and furnishes food for his dreams. Not a newspaper in the Australian seas can touch on the subject of self-government— not an article appear at Sydney on the wrongs of New Zealand, nor in, Van Diemen's Land on the politics of Sir George Grey—but the Spectator knows where it came from—the Independent, the Wellington Independent, did it. He appears to think that like the ghost in Hamlet, we can shift our ground at pleasure—now here now there—at one time down at the footlights, the next moment at the side scenes, and then behind the curtain. He gives us credit for an organization pretty nearly as extensive as that of the Times or Chrgniclej- —we only wonder he has not discovered that we are at thebottom of the Canadian Compensation Bill, and that it is our scurrilous articles appearing of course intheT.r.n.o Herald, or the Montreal Examiner, which led to the destruction of the House o Assembly and the follies of Lord Elgin We really think the sooner the Spectator's friends imitate the example of M, Reac's—put a straitwaistcoat on him, and carry him to some safe place where the din of politics and the terrible Independent may cease to disturb his, dreams, the better for both him and the cause which they have committed to his advo cacy.

It seems to us to matter very little whether our frightened cotemporary were correct or not in his suspicions. That he is altogether wrong in the authorship of the article in the Van Diemen's Land Courier, we may, however, tell "him in passing, and that his assertion on the subject is only another of those flights of imagination, in which he so often indulges. But were it other-wise—and,htid the article in question beon written.by the party to whom he attributes it—what of that.? Jf the Editor of the Vain 1 Diemen's 'LahZ . Courier, thought, proper ito

adopt it—to publish it as his own —he affords conclusive proof of concurring in its sentiments, and only gives an additional force to the truths it contains. For our part we see nothing in the article referred to, which may uot have been written in Van Diemen's Land by any one having, as the writer says he had, "access to a file of Wellington papers and private sources of information." That the liberal journal of a colony in which the Governor has attempted to destroy the independence of the Judges, and played other unconstitutional freaks, should sympathize with the inhabitants of New Zealand, whose Governor has attempted .to debar them from the rights of freedom, has nothing extraordinary in it. The chastisement of one despot is a warning to another • and the spirit which induces the Hobart Town Courier, to notice our political proceedings here, is only such as might be hoped for, and is to be cherished between sister colonies.

The Spectator, like that stupid bird which thinks to escape the hunter by not seeing him, has all along made a pretence of believing that the number of the friends of self-government was exceedingly limited—that their voice would never be heard beyond their own narrow sphere of agitation in Wellington—that the Petition would be presented and that would be the end of it. And though figures and facts must have satisfied him from the first, that all this was a delusion, he still persisted in the strain. But what say those who are best fitted to judge at home of the effects of our agitation. " The uproar in the colony," as Mr. Wakefield calls it, " is beginning," Tie says, "to affect Sir George Grey's reputation." Now what is this uproar ? Why the very petition — the very banquet, meetings and articles, which our purblind cotemporary caunot discover under his nose. The uproar reaches Mr. Wakefield's ears 16,000 miles off—the Spectator sleeps on and hears nothing. Oh wise Spectator —oh second Daniel—oh meet organ of the party which would quench the political independence and freedom of thought of a young nation ! Again we have letters from parties in England, once colonists here, who write that "the Chaldee Manuscript" has amused them excessively—that all who knew the parties described (Robert the Chronicler and the rest of them) are delighted with the accurate description. Then they express their disgust with the Spectator —and state that its gross misrepresentations are too palpable to deceive anybody. These are the expressions of parties who influence public opinion on New Zealand affairs at home to a great extent—parties whose opinions have influenced and may yet influence "Robert the Chronicler" himself—and yet the Spectator would still persuade his readers, and lay the flattering unction to his own soul, if he has one, that our agitation here is unproductive at home. The fact is that he and his party—the small Government faction, know full well that they are beaten—that the day is at hand when they will no'longer be able to pretend they do not feel it—and as they know that the agitation which we have kept up, and intend keeping up till we get self-government, has. done much towards the result, they are proportionably sore. When Mr Gladstone's aspirations, and Mr. Wakefield's predictions, and Lord Grey's alleged pledge that the Colonists shall be gratified next year, are fulfilled, what we should like to know will be the cause of the Wellington Spectator ? Perhaps like Sir George Grey's apologist to Mr. Wakefield he will endeavour to make out that ■*• under the rose " he was favourable to self-govern-ment, and desired nothing more earnestly than to see bestowed upon us by others what Sir George could but would not give us.

Perhaps the most disreputable and despotic act of which the Colonial Office has ever been guilty, (and that is saying a good deal), is its recent attempt to introduce convicts into the various colonies under its controul. And nothing could be more creditable to the colonies, nothing more indicative of their possessing a large share of the virtues of the British race thau the determination with which they have (with we believe the single exception of Swan River.) opposed themselves to the attempt. Though in all of them labour is their life.blood, and a supply of it the constant object of their most anxious endeavours, yet rather than receive it contaminated with crime they are ready to. submit to the serious evils of a short supply. And they are perfectly right. Under any circumstances the introduction of convicts must operate.most prejudicially, but introduced on Lord Grey's proposed system the evils would be increased beyond all tolerance. He proposes under the.name of Exiles to let loose upon the Colonies, practically without the. slightest controul or check, the. sweepings of the British gaols—the hardened criminals who after being reared from infancy in crime as _ trade—who after haying served their apprenticeship to the Fagans of Clerken-. well or Field Lane—have been caught at last in the wide meshes'qf.;the: law, iand I art. supposed \aftei> a,.' of | prisqn djet aiid &om> #, -•prj.

son chaplain, to change their nature and to become fit to take their place among the honest and hardworking members of a colonial community. The system resembles in all its main features the probation system which Lord Stanley introduced into Van Diemen's Land, under which the convict, after undergoing a short term of disciplne aud affording some symptoms of amelioration, was turned loose to earn his livelihood by honest industry. How it worked there is pretty well known. In addition to ruining numbers who remained in the Colony, it drove away from it between the years 1841 and 1846 not fewer than 12,000 free settlers, out of a population of little more than 30,000, aud among whom were the best farming men, tradesmen, and mchanics in the colony, but who found it impossible to continue with advantage or satisfaction to live in it. The bulk of the remainder of the free population are active in petitioning Parliament and the Queen against the continuance of transportation and particularly of the probation system which so closely resembles Lord Grey's proposed plan of Exileism.

The colonists at the Cape of Good Hope are making a noble stand, and setting a fine example of union to their sister colonies. The following is an account of their latest measures on the subject, which appear so unanimous and well directed that they can hardly fail to defeat the iniquitous attempt of Lord Grey to inflict upon them the greatest of curses, without so much as asking their opinion. CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. News has been received, via Sydney, from the Cape of Good Hope, to the 28th July. The Neptune, with exiles, had not arrived, hut was hourly expected. In the South African Commercial Advertiser, ..f the 27th June, there is a series of advertisements which shows that in the colony of the Cape of Good Hope the people are unanimous in resisting the introduction of convicts. The first is from " The Cape of Good Hope Trust and Assurance Company," the Directors of which make public the following resolution: — " That the Directors of this Company, sensible of the danger to which the interests of the insurance offices would be exposed by the introduction of convicts into this colony, will not accept proposals for fire policies for, nor engage in any transactions with, any persons who shall be known to take into his or their employ any convict that m_y be transported to the Cape of Good Hope." The next announces that the Directors of" The Mutual Life Assurance' Company, sensible of the danger to which life and property will be exposed by the conversion of the colony into a penal settlement, have resolved— "That no proposals for life assurance shall be entertained by this society from any person.who shall employ a convict under sentence of transportation to this colony; .and that all loans which any such person may hold from this society shall be called in, and all loans in future refused to any such person." The <■- South African Fire and Life Assurance Company," the " Equitable Trust Assurance Company," and the " Protection Fire and Life Insurance Company," give similar notices. The Trustees of the Saving's Bank dccl.re, that no deposits shall be received directly or indirectly from any convicted felon, or from any person applying for or employing such felon. The Directors of "The Cape of Good Hope Bank " notify that they have resolved— " That no application for dis«ounts, or for the loan of money in any way whatsoever, shall be entertained by this. Bank from any person or persons who shall employ or take into his or their service, any convict under sentence of transportation; nor shall any bills, notes, or other obligations, bearing the name or names of any such party or parties be discounted or received in pledge ; nor shall sny persons applying for, or in any way holding connexion with the convicts expected to arrive from Bermuda by the Neptune, be allowed to keep any money or account with this Bank." Similar notices are issued by the South African Bank, the Colonial Bank, and the Union Bank. Several persons gave notice to their.tenants and debtors that if they employ convicts their debts will be called in, and they will be expelled from their house. It was expected that nearly all the Magistrates and Field Cornets, and others holding honorary appointments, would resign on the day the convicts were landed. The fund to indemnify the Governor if he sends them baok again, and is surcharged with the expense, then amounted to £3,400. The attempt of the Colonial Office on this occasion naturally calls attention to the anomalous and improper construction of that department. Why should a department of Government, the duty of which is to plant and foster colonies, be thus found inflicting or attempting to inflict upon them the greatest of-evils ? It is because, for some strange reason, the same depar tro.-it is entrusted with the totally different duty of carrying into■! execution the larger and most important part of the secondary punishments of Great Britain. Yet why should it be so ? What natural connection is there between the two duties ? Would it be less unreasonable to transfer the business of the Colonial Oflice to the Horse Guards, the Admiralty, or the Mint? The evil which flows from such a jumble of administrative labours is well illustrated in the present case. Had the departments been kept separate/had Lord Grey been Colonial Minister, and Lord Somebody, else Minister of Justice charged with the execution of the sentencesof the Courts of Law, and the latter Lord had attempted ,to send his gaol birds to .the colonies, we should have seen Lord Grey, the first man to resist the attempt to poach on his manor. Perhaps the minister of Justice would have remonstrated. *' What," he would have said,:" am* I to do with the criminals ? •' « j, know nothing about that," would be Lord Grey's reply; - but you shan t inflict thera on my colonies—do yon suppose-I'*t«k9's6 much trouble to

select and export respectable emigrants only that you may have the pleasure of polluting them by exporting your unhung felons as their future associates. You may find what other way of disposing 0 f them you like, but not one of them goes to the colonies with my good will, and if you persevere in the attempt I will turn the tap of Exeter Hall upon you beforo you know where you are, and see if that will not prevont it if I cannot." But now, when Lord Grey says to Lord Grey, " what on earth am I to do with all these criminals," Lord Grey replies to Lord Grey, " send them to tho Colonies." Tbe same individual holding in one hand the key of the prisons, and iv the other the key of the Colonies, ho can conveniently relieve himself from difficulty by emptying the one into the other. It exactly resembles Maw-worm's method of fining himself for swearing by taking a shilling out of his right pocket and paying it over to his left. If Mr. Maw-worm had had to hand the shilling over to a Justice of Peace he would not have allowed the naughty word to escape his lips; and if Lord Grey had somebody else to deal with than himself he would not be allowed to balance his accounts by transferring his unmanageable convicts to the colonies.

But fortunately there is a third party, who in spite of the cool attempt of the Colonial Office, must be called into council, we mean the colonies themselves. We were not a little surprised and rather amused in reading the debate on LordMahon's motion on transportation in the House of Commons, to perceive Sir George Grey, (not our double G., but the Home Secretary), congratulating his namesake the Secretary for the Colonies on having succeeded in persuading the Colonies to accede to his proposal to inundate them with convicts. We .hould like to know what he will say when he learns that only one of the 40 colonies of Great Britain is willing to submit to the pollution:— that at Sydney the attempt to inflict it had nearly ended in rebellion, that the Cape Colonists have leagued together to resist it as above described, that Van Diemen's Land will have none of it, and that New Zealand and the rest of them are opposed to it to a man. We are glad that the attempt has been made as it is a good cause of quarrel with the Colonial office, and one on which the various colonies will have common reason for combining against it.

The Balance Sheet of the Wet,XINGTON ATHENiEUM AND Mechanic-' Institute. In account with Treasurer from May 7th, to November Oth. 1849. Db. May 7. £ a. d. To cash paid for candles and firewood .. 3.3 7 " M Freight per Ennerdale 11 0 " " Cartage 0 0 0 " " Advertisementß, stationery. &c 2 7 2 " " Bookbinder's account.. 10 0 " " Carpenter's account and repairing 10ck....... 0 7 fl " ■•*■ Remittance _•• Mariner 10 0 0 '" " Bank premium on do .. 0 4 0 " ** Mr Bushell, as Librarian 20 weeks @ 6s. _> week ■;'..., T 18 0 " *■• TRent of premises in Kumu Toto street, 20 .weeks, @Gs _> week 7 16 0 " •*■ Allowance of s_> cent, commission foi collecting subscription i!3sto Mr.Bushell.. 1 15 0 To-balance . *~. ..._.■..-.... 5 4 10 £40 10 0

1849 Cri. May 7. - By balance of last year's account ..-....... 2 7 7 ." Interest Tor last' year's account in Savings' Bank not previouslycredited 0 .4. 8 '■" Subscritions paid, due last May 3 0 0 " Balance account paid by Independent newspaper office 08 8 " 38 yearly subscriptions paid ........ 19 0 0 "64 half-yearly, do. "d 0."......... 16 0 0 £40 15 8 Audited the above accounts and found correct.. (Signed) Thomas M'Kekzih; (Signed) W. Evebett. R. J. Diwcax, Treasurer. Wellington, November 5, J849,.,...' — : «--

— —♦ The following notices appeared in tho Government GazUte of this Aky::—Mr. Robert Chapman has been appointed Clerk to the Bench of Magistrates, and Deputy Registrar of Births, Marriages, and Deaths, in and for the District of Otago. Mr. John T. Gill has been appointed to the united offices of Inspector of Sheep, under the " Scab Ordinance," and Inspector of Brands and Slaughter Houses, under tho "Slaughter Houso Ordinance." Tenders are oalled for 2 gallons of Spirits of Wine, 80 hurdles, 100 stakes and ties, and 1 mallet.. The total Revenue of Wellington for the quarter ending Sept. 30, was £7,739 Bs. Id., and the total Expenditure £8763 ss. 2d. • . ' 110 Criminal and 100 Civil Cascj*',were disposed of in the Resident Magistrates Court during the last quarter. . Tho Supreme Court will .bo opened on Saturduy, Deo. 1. : ~, r The Justices,;of the Peace will meet at.thjo on

;Tuosday,-Dec. 4, for the purpose bf-.t_.K-l ing into consideration applications for the transfer of Publicans Licenses. Six' She Goats and' 1 Brindle Cow have been impounded, which, if not elaimad, will bo sold on Satur lay, Dec. 8.