SANDWICH ISLANDS.

Wellington Independent, Volume VIII, Issue 763, 2 February 1853, Page 4

SANDWICH ISLANDS.

i - L,njl r o ffffi * n rceipt of Honolulu papers tho 17th of Noverubor. , , -'"An attempt at Lynch Jaw had juft been ' 'there, which 'was' successfully ro- </£' feistod, but the mob burnt down a large ,»-■ house, used as o police station house, l '*» harbour master's office, &c. It appears "'.ithat' for sotno tiino past tho police of ~c Honolulu had made themselves obnox<z - ious by rough troatment of persons up- "' >- prehendod by thorn, and that they were , (J !-~ consequently in very bad odour, with tho 'j snilors more particularly. An unusual numb or of ships were in tho haiboin , \" enrly in ffovemhnr. On tho evening of Tuesday the 9th November, an American seamen naniod Bums was among olheis confined for drmik'>nnesp in " tlic fort," and next morning win found dead, his - bktill having boon li'iictuicd. This it was

believed was caused liv a blow'from con

«■" stable -George : -Sherman, art American, t employed'as'giioler at'the' fort; an (lit f\proved afterwards, on a.-jury being eni- ■;, punnelled, liy the "Marshal, that this was • tbo 'case; a iHs'tni'batiqq -having taken .;' place iimbng the prisoners in the fort, which , - , Sherman einloavourocl to quoll, 'andlin Joinj,' so userj truncheon or club, and either accidentally -or intehtiomilU; ■ struck Burns a blow which caused liis death.' Bef'oye/ lio.wev'or,' tho jury had ■: returned their verdict an excited mob of

stiilors and othris gathered about the < fort, and with loud cries demanded that - Sherman "should bo »ivcn up to them us . a murderer. This was &teadily refused, tho Governor of tlio fort having 300 or 400 native wldiors unrler arms, prepared

to resist force by force, if nocessaiy, but \ unwilling to etuise bloodshed if it could '..-* lie avoided. Late in iho aftomoon the d body of Burns was bmied, ami the large ■■ procession of sailors which had accom- ; pinned it to tho grave on their return spread oicr the town, uttering wild erics ; ami urging each oiher to ' violence. Tho Governor .still forbore to

us.c foice, but th~ US Coinrinssionei < and Consul, with olhei gentlemen of miluonce, tried ovuy means, by addicssiug' the yjail'ii ■;, to peiaiiado them to lotmn to then ship and boarding houses,

assuung them that blioimun would h ive '.an impaitiul tnal bofoie a jury of his., own countrymen Tno s>ailois appealud to yield to these appeals, and things woio becoming quiot, when a dispute ocouiicd between a imall bjdv oi sailois end conw- stable Williams, in chuige ot the police - station-bouse," w Inclined to an attack'oil him, ami Ultimately on the house itself Some one shpuling out to set file to tho »house, ( a br/ityj wub soon obtained, aud the- house filed, ncnil} all the e> cited \ sailors beicg no <v ttgited before the ihouse ■•Still thre Govunoi iefubed to ,begin a scene of bloodshed by bunging out bis trpo'ps The fiie companies of 1 the inusteicrf, to the lescue of the< custom-house and othei houses in the'neighbouiliood, and cunouslj enough * many of tbe men who liarl checicd on ■*» ' the desti uetion oL tho f olice-oflice helped to woik the Ine engines in f, fiie'fiom spieading By gieat e\oi V tioub the fiio was got under, aftei bunung

dowir.the police-station and two small houses adjoining., Tho exciting scene appeared to have cooled down the sailors, and they created no more disturbances that night. ' Next day their aspect was still threatening, and the foreign resideuts'assumbled, headed by Americans, and by eleven o'clock had, with the approval of the Government, organised an extempore volunteer corps, 200 strong, and a cavalry forco, W strong, placing both at tho disposal of the Government in tho defence of law and order. Towards midday the sailors began to insult and abuse the natives, and 'cunliuuod this J so long that tho natives in large numbers petitioned tho Government to be allowed to uso force to put down the riot. The Governor told them, about three in the afternoon, to clear tho streets, and arrest all who resisted. The natives immediately went in a body in .search: of the sailors, and a hand-to-hand fight commenced in \he streets, with clubs and stones, which' ended in the defeat of the sailors, and the apprehension of some forty or fifty of,them. The streets were now quiet, and the volunteer companies patrolled them all the evening and night tuiil no fresh disturbances arose. The U.S. Commissioner, Air. Seveiancc, addressed ou Friday morning a strong but temncrute remonstrance to the sailors on then outrageous conduct. Subsequently a meeting of the foreign residents was held, and permanent arrangements made for the formation of a volunteer corps to assist the. Government in preserving peace and order, whenever necessary. The epidemic which prevailed in Honolulu at the time of pur last advices, had wholly ceased. . . An, extensive joint stock company hud been-formed to deyelop the resources of the Archipelago. .■..-■

A Mr. Robert Gould, who had boen " starring" in ; Europe, as a minister plenipotentiary, &c, o( the Hawaiian Government,''was officially/denounced as an impostor.