The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-15 00:00:00

VAN DIEMEN'S LAND.

The Legislative Council met on the 30th of June. The
opening speech of Sir John Franklin, at the opening of the
Council, gave an outline of a scheme fol. the establishment of
a general system of education, but we sadly fear it will not be
found sufficiently practicable to meet the wishes of its benevo-
lent projector. Sir John again refers to the subject of a reci-
procity Act for the mutual enforcement, in either colony, of
writs and warrants issued in the other, and it seems he has
again been in communication with the Government of New
South Wales on the subject.
The Legislative Council have decided that Mr. Lewis
(who, it will be recollected, was illegally imprisoned by Judge
Montagu some years ago), shall receive 1,7001., with interest
at ten per cent., amounting in all to nearly 2,0001., by way
of compensation for the injuries sustained by him from the
illegal conduct of a crack-brained Judge. In common justice
this sum should be taken from the salary of Mr. Justice Mon-
tagu, instead of the public purse. From the decision of the
Council the Colonial Secretary dissented, and Captain Swan-
ston entered the following protest on the records :
" It is with extreme reluctance and pain that I dissent from
the motion of Mr. *Lachlan; but I cannot consent, and
never will consent to sanction the principle, or establish such a
precedent, as may this day receive the approval of this Council,
viz., that any individual suffering from illegal acts of a public
functionary, over whom this Colony has no controul, should
be indemnified out of the Colonial Revenue.

" I therefore solemnly protest against the voting of any
sum of money, for such a purpose."
The much-talked of printing monopoly is to be done away
with, but the Government work is not to be thrown open to
the trade; a complete printing and book binding establish-
ment is to be sent out from England, and to be placed under
the superintendence of a competent person, with a salary of
3001. per annum.

A Project has been set at Foot at Launceston for the pur-
pose of forming a joint-stock- company for establishing a steam-
tug and floating dock for the river Tamar. Application had
been made to the Government to know whether and upon what
terms they would build a steam-boat at Port Arthur—a
favourable answer had been received.
Emigration from Van Diemen's Land seems to be rapidly
on the increase ; in addition to the large numbers that come
to Sydney, the Isabella took away fifty-four persons to Port
Phillip on her last trip, and about fifty more sailed by the
2ferope for South Australia the same week. From the port
of Launceston alone upwards of 300 persons hare cleared out
for Port Phillip during the last six months.
The Hon. Mr. Elliott (son of the Earl of Tinto) a civilian,
and recently aid-de-camp to Sir John Franklin, is appointed
the command of the mounted police, vacant by the resigna-
tion of Lieutenant Munday. In reply to a question from the
Attorney-General, asking for information on the subject of a
civilian commanding a military force, the Colonial Secretary
said that Mr. Elliott was' to superintend the equipment only
of the corps, the command was vested in the military com-
manding officer, to whom the Governor transmitted the ne-
cessary orders. _ _ _

A Police Magistrate is to be appointed for George Town.
Dr. Turnbull, the Clerk of the Councils ; Mr. Learmontb,
a merchant ; Deputy,
,commissary General Moodie and Dr.
Learmonth, have been elected Elders of the Se.ots' Church,
Hobart Town.

Mr. Dowling, cf Launceston, is re-publishing the cele.
brated Pickwick Papers, in weekly numbers of 24 pages, a
Is. each.—Sydney Gazette, July. 29.

The following announcement appears in the news-
papers, and exhibits a love of economy in the Royal house.
hold as praise Worthy as it must be popular :—" It has hi-
therto," says a correspondent, " been the practice of the
Steward of the Royal Household, on every occasion re-
quiring the attendance of the Guards' band to perform at
the Palace, to regale the men composing it with a sub-
stantial supper and a pint of wine each. On Thursday
an order was issued by the Commander-in-Chief, and read
publicly to the respective bands, implying that they were
no longer to expect this allowance to be continued, the
present Lord Steward, the Duke of Argyll, being of opi-
nion that from the sphere of life in which the persons
composing the bands moved, they were not in the habit of
drinking wine, and that it was a superfluous and unne-
cessary expense, when one quart of ale would be quite
sufficient, and which is appointed as its substitute. Most
of the persons composing the Guards' band hold situa-
tions in the metropolitan theatres and other places of
amusement, and when they are called upon to perform at
the Palace it is at a loss to them of 7s. or Bs. per night."-_
John Bull.

On Saturday afternoon a labourer named Thomas
Haines, while at work at the building of the new Trinity
Church in the New North-road, Lower Islington, fell eff
a scaffold about twenty-four feet high, and pitching on his
head on the ground, so dreadfully fractured his skull that
he was killed on the spot. His body was removed to toe
vaults underneath Islington Church, and remains awaiting
the holding of a Coroner's inquest. The deceased was
quite a young man, and unmarried.
There is a rumour that O'Connell has been offered
the Mastership of the Rolls, in Ireland, which he of course
refused. On hearing which a wag remarked, " How could
the Whigs expect a man to accept of rolls, whose loaves
were so large already %"—Tory Paper.
A few days ago the officers of Hatton-garden
Police Office apprehended a man and woman at a house in
Carrier street, St. Giles's, on a charge of coining. Various
implements for carrying on this illicit trade were found in
tncir possession. The man made a desperate resistance,
and on being overpowered, attempted to stab himself.
They were taken before the Magistrates, when the woman
was discharged, and the man fully committed for trial. '