The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-23 00:00:00

A NEW ZEALAND CROMWELL.

(From the Melbourne Haruki.)

Dunedin has just been the theatre of a popular
demonstration, which verifies the adage that it is bet a
step from the sublime to the ridiculous. An attempt has
been made to coerce the local government sad parliament
of Otago into a kind of wholesale retrenchment, in the
form of the immediate dismissal of ell the government em-
ployes, and the expenditure of their salaries in finding
work for the unemployed miners, mechanics and others,
now suffering distress in that part of New Leland. This
attempt took the form of an open-air meeting, at
which a person named James Gordon Stuart Grant
—formerly • resident in this colony, and abiding
in the very prosaic region of Prelim—was the
leader of the movement, and its chief spokesman and jeer-
mallet, all in one. He led the crowd first to the enperm-
Medan's, or deputy-governor's madam, and next to the
Legislative Couscil, in the expectation of carrying his novel
plea of instantaneous financial reform by • coup dc main. Bat
the little parliament was not to be bullied by this sham hero,
sad they quietly pave him the alternative of a very humble
apology for his silly escapade, or of flue and imprisonment.
And the poor bewildered madcap had sufficient of the canny
spirit of his countrymen left to see the wisdom of making an
humble apology, and getting off " scot-free" this time at
least.

—Grant has a small weekly publication in Dunedin which
be cello Toe horarday Review, sod from ibis paper we give
• few errors describing the soar. There hod been two
meetings—or on Monday, the 6th of June, at which reso-
lutions affirming the asperity of the reform is the pree-
mpt expenditure already referred to were peened, and these
resolstious were taken by Grant at the head of the crowd
to the enpenntendent, who transmitted them to the Legis-
lative Coral. The latter body declined to eaters=
them, and this brought Mr. Gort—se use his own tar
page—down upon them dla Cromwell. We shall narrate
the rest in his own words :—" We thee, thus mooted,
proceeded to the Coined Chamber. It became very
✓oe full to overflowing. The men behaved them-
selves very decorously. We waited till the mem-
bers took their sear—till prayer was offered up by the
Speaker—sod till the minutes of the preceding day were
read and ratified. Then we room, and, Cromwell-like, turned
round to our body guard, and reminded them of their vows.
The decisive crisis had just arrived. We were filled with
a variety of contending moires. We were anxious to
avoid any sort of disturbance. We trembled lest any acts
of violence on the part of any hot-headed man might
ensue. We, also, had doubts of the moral courage of oar
supporter We, therefore, did just what Cromwell did
two centuries ago, we turned routed to the men in the body
of the hall and concisely rid —' I am now going to pre-
sent your most peaceful anti respectful memorial.'B
this action we wired to convey to the council
that it would be their wisdom to allow us
to read the resolutions, and allow them to
be put on the table of the house. We humbly conceive that
this action was • stroke of a masterly and pacific polity.
The council had thus an opportunity of seeing the hopeless-
nem of offering say obstructions to us or of arresting us.
After these few words addressed to the men who filled the
body of the ball, the Speaker cried out, ' Order, order,' in
a military ter of voice. We made as attempt to spark.
We borate ry. • Your honour.' • Sit down, sin; rejoined
the Speaker. We again tried to speak, and .send, ' Your
honour, lam going—' Serjeant-at-Arres,• said the
Speaker, take that moo into custody.' Now was the de-
cisive moment. Had Cromwell's light dragoons hesi-
tated for one moment after the Speaker ordered
the Serjeantat-Arme to take that man is custody.
all would have been lost. We again began to may, when the
Serjeanted•Arons was approaching us, • I am in the pursuit
of my duty, and I call upon you to protect me.' We were
then assorted out of the hall mad cooveyed to a room
below, in charge of the Serjeantat-Arma We were thus
✓adioed in the presence of the men who vowed to protect
us. &mood biome, stamping and groaning, alter we were
cooverd to custody, no efforts were made to protect us.
Well, we suppose, it was all ordered for the beat, Those
who mem us for what they may term • daring and tllegul
action will do well to remember that there are moments is
history when the leaders of great and holy WWII have
to consult only the dictates of their cooscieness and
the inspiration of God. Marini openly in his writ-
lags thas acquits himself. There are canoes so great, so
holy, and so coulee/red, that their leaders have to take life
and reputation in their heads rd abide the orsequiroom.
'There are exceptional Ammar in the life sad history of
nation; not to be judged by the nomad :ales of human
justice, and in which the actors cau only receive inspiration
foam their coariam and from Gad.' AIM the lapse of an
hour, the Serjertat-Arnis, at the request of the Speaker
and council, brought us up to the bar of the house. The
doors ware locked." The prisoner was called to the bar.
The Speaker hawing intimated to him the seormity of
hie offence sod its punishment, Grant was ordered to
withdraw. When again called in, the alternative of ea
apology or Sc. and imprbrenent, was, as we bar said,
communicated to him. `I therefore ask you," said the
Speeker, " will you accept of this apology :—• I, James
Gordon Stuart Grant. hereby express my deep regret that I
should have bees guilty, in the opinion of your hoar, of
centerept ; and booby offer my sowers apology for this
offer." and promise not to offend again!" The prisoner—
Yee sir. The Speaker—Thee I have nothing more left but
the agreeable duty of releasing you from arrest. I would
just say that I most sincerely hope that for the future you
will set an example of loyal obedienee to all the tahabitante
of this town. hierjeant-r-Arms, mime the primer. Mr.
Grant speedily left the hall.
Aid now," continues this fustian hero In his Saturdap
Bevies', " that this agitation has ems to a peaceful termi-
nation, so far as we are cocooned, we candidly maim
that it was an error of judgment cm our pert to expect
sufficient moral support sod permed protection in these
colones. It is not safe for say ma to attempt to beret
his fallow-creatures in say suck dare% manner io • city of
only 20,000 inhabitant.. The theatres too small, sod the
=etoe selfish and timid, to make say roofless fee the
t el agree, even if it should be the very salvation of
their lives from destruction. In Loudon, and in London only
ran a true patriot ref the intelligent support, moral sad
physical, of the i
Tbe Dunedin Saturday Reviewer is evidently a subject for
the Yana Bend.

MOVEMENTS or TROOPS 11 Lwraroot.—Yester-
day portions of the let battalion lkh and Zed 'ethane° 17th
Foot arrived in Limped from Pembroke. Sixteen meia of
the 42nd battalion 16th Foot, together with • medical Aloof,
his wife. and four children. recently arrived from Dublin,
will embark to-day (Tessels) in Um Hecht steamer for
Halifax. The Coward steamers Peruvian sad Jam have
been engaged to °covey from Qiisbcr; 16 officer. and V 9 men
of the 3rd battalion Military Train, together with a 'umber
of women and children. Teadem bars been requested by
the goverumeot for the conveyance from Charmed to Cork
0118 officers and 709 men, together with about 60 women
and children to Auckland, New Zealand. Teodoro are also
required for the conveyance of 4 Akers. 101 mon, and a
number of women and children to Melbourne sod from
Melbourne to Sydney 4 Mims, 110 am, and .10 a number
of women and children. _ _

AMLIILLLT V, A CUUST —API.OIIITM ENT. —Engi-
neer J. Mean (qualified for especial chargel, to the Victoria
sod Albert.

A few days since there was launched from the
Middleton shipbuilding yard of the Loudon and Glas-
gow Engineering and Iron Shipbuilding Company, at
Govan, • tisiodsonn iron screw stwoor, of 2,000 toes
harden, named the Proposal', intended for the lii,diterra-
peen trade, and batlike Messrs. W. H. and C. E. Woe, of
Liverpool. Her dimensions are se follow:—Length of keel
and forerake, 312 fest ' • breadth, 36 feet ; sad depth of
hold, 7H feet. This vessel, which is the lint launched
under the auspices of the above company, will he Im-
pelled by a pair of par engines of 300-bores power
pommel, also being made by the company. The corimmmy
of cbn.teniog was gracefully performed by HP Mowbrey;
and among the ladies and gentlemen present were Lord
Claud Hamilton, chairmen of the company ; Mr. Jobe
Walker. vice chairman . • Mr. James Wilson, marine su-
peril:tendon' for Messrs. Dixon • Mr. Lamb. engineer of the
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Packet Company ; Mr.
Smarter ; Mr. David Smith, Mr. James Hedger
and party, Mr. James Reid, iron merchant. and others.
The vessel was snoossidnUy kneeled amidst cheers. We
believe that the compony have at present on the stocks in
'their ysed another vessel of the same lied as the Pro-
pieta, which is being built for the isms owners. They am
also engaged on soother steamer of 800 toes, besides ether
work, mid are sow making large additiom to their promises.
by an ottani*n of the shipbuilding void sod the erection of
new boiler works, so that they will .portly be able to build
mid ermine onside of the largest tonnage. —Noeal British
Deily Mail.

The subject of the preservation of the castle
wall of Southainptoe, ereekd is the early Norman period.
is to be brought before the corporatiee of Southampton at
their seat mortis( on Wednesday. We hare before alluded
to the desirablimeme of protecting this ancient relic—inte-
resting alike from its historical reiminisoeume sad its pie -
tureeque beauty, forming deo ea Weirs' pert of the old
fortificatices of the tows, and a doe to their explanation.
An eligible offer of the wall and grounds has bees nude to
the oorpoestios far the smell sem of 300 f., and it is to be
hoped, for the sake not *sly of the town, but of the name-
rose visitors freen all parts of the kingdom whn ars inte-
rested is the preservation of this sexiest ruin, that it will
be reed from the destroyer.
Sours Kneventerott hitrenum.—During the week
ending August 20, 186t,the visitors have been as follows: fhe
Monday, Tuesday, and flaterday, free days. opus from
10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 10,300 ; se Wedeeeday, Thursday, and
Friday, steeisele' days (dWindom I. the "ebbe 6d.), epee
frees 10 a.m. till 6 p.m.. 1,196 ; 11,303. From the
epseiss at the massum, 4.711.869.