The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER, 18, ISM

with going over old arguments; but while erro-

neous statements are continually emanating from

he pens of gentlemen who are considered to be

well-informed upon the subject, some remarks upon
the true state of the case may not be out of place.

In the first instance, when towards the end of the
last century it was decided to form a convict set

tlement at Port Jackson, or as that depot was
generally called, Botany Bay, the country wes but
thinly inhabited by a few wandering tribes of
savages, and covered in many parts by dense
forests, and intersected at intervals by lofty ranges
of mountains. By the forced labour of the male-
factors the country was gradually cleared around
the settlement, roads were cut through the solid
rock or carried across swamps, and the country, by
degrees, opened out for emigration, in course of
time New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land
became thriving colon;es. Cattle and sheep in-
creased to an unprecedented extent, and speculative
settlers looked for runs for their flocks and herds
less remote from the coast than the back districts
to which their extending prosperity and the in-
creasing population of the colony gradually drove
them. Thus a small settlement was made at Mel-

bourne, on the mainland side of Bass's Straits,
Meanwhile, agriculturists, many of them Germans,

settled further to the westward of where the country

was held open. The prosperity of the colonies
steadily increased, and the desirability of dispens-
ing with convict 'labour was discussed in many

quarters when the discovery of gold, first in New

South Wales, and directly afterwards in Victoria

changed the destiny of the colonies. Hundreds 01

thousands flocked in from California and Europe,
and among these adventurers a pretty fair sprink-
ling of roughs, and others of a questionable cha-
racter. The gold mania could supply the gaols in

abundance without the assistance of Millbank or

Pentonville. It was, therefore, quite natural tha'

the inhabitants of the south-eastern colonies should
refuse admission to English malefactors. These

reasonable requirements were at once acceded to by
the home authorities, and for a time the co-
lonies were satisfied. In the meantime a small
oc colon ot nh y
e hadw ee t
ebrene n
coast slowlyof strungth e vgags lti i
continent,
ntnt o
i ne n
t,existence
distant
some two thousand miles from South Australia,
the nearest of the eastern colonies, but separated
ro si
by
soilb a
hr raedn
but wastesfew attractionslefsosr the ee
grants, access to the interior was difficult from the
colo-
nists that the home authorities should give them
the same assistance that had been rendered to the
settlers in New South Wales and Van Diemen's
Laud. Again, England was unable to distribute
her criminals satisfactorily at home ; the ticket-of-
leave system, which had answered very well in
Australia, where there was a full demand for labour,
would not work for home. The released convicts,
unable to obtain work, or in cases where they had
obtained it, after discharged, on account of their
former history becoming known to their employers
through the well-meant but officious information of
the police, had nothing left them but to return to their
old pursuits. Therefore, when it became known
that the colonists of Western Australia would be
_lad to receive long-sentenced men, the Govern-
ment were but too happy to meet them half-way.
ca: go or two of these unfortunates were shipped
off, and all seemed to promise well until the eastern
colonies rose in arms to veto the proceedings, because
they were not in accordance with the sovereign will
of two or three colonies in the south-eastern extre-
mity of a vast continent, who, if their territories are
vast in proportion to their populations, are, com-
bined, but a patch in a vast region of which they
form integral parts. These colonies, except in their
relation to E 'gland, are as independent of each
other as are the various continental nations of
Europe. What would Europe say, if S weeltn,
having agreed to receive our convicts, France or
Italy, or the Sublime Porte were to interfere,
declaring that English convicts must be kept at
home for fear that they might escape from Sweden,
and trouble them with their presence. Ridiculous
as this may seem, it would be more rational than
the absurd demand made by the upstart colonies,
who, not content with the above assumption, would
deny England the right to found penal settlements
on the yet but casually explored region on the
North-Western and Northern coast of Australia.
The sooner these gentlemen who, no matter what
be their motives, whether they be sincere or deluded,
or obtrusive and impertinent, who inundate the
Press with voluminous and wonderful letters on the
ruin which the transportation of felons to distant
parts of Australia will bring upon their own loved
spots at its other extremities, be taught to mind
their own business the better for all parties. Why,
the Yankees, with all their bluster and bounce, do not
come up to this. The smartest nation in all creation
has not denied to us the right to send convicts to Ca-
nada, and, when they can pay their own, passage, re-
ceive them kindly until they misbehave themselves.
We have not paid any special attention in the
above to the supposed cause of complaint, ground-
less as it is, namely, the injury which the moral
status of the old colonies would sustain by the in-
troduction of convict labour at a distance of some
two thousand miles and upwards from the South
Eastern Australian colonies, and double that dis-
tance from New Zealand, to open up the mineral
wealth, which we are informed upon undoubted
authority exists in Western and North-Western
Australia. We simply wish to draw attention to
the absurd presumption of a few colonies arrogating
to themselves the right to sanction or negative the
enactments of the Home Government regarding a
colony with which they have no connection, and
over which they hold no jurisdiction. Nor can we
see by what right they interfere with the authority
of her Britannic MAJESTY to utilise those portions
of unreclaimed territory, as yet a wilderness, which
she may think fit to turn to account for the benefit
of her subjects,

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

[E,EUTER'S TELEGRAMS.]

FRANCE.
THE FRENCH NOTE TO RUSSIA.
PARIS, SEPT. 18.
The following is a summary of Vac) despach ad-
dressed by M. Drouyn de Lhuys to the French
Ambassador at St. Petersburg, on the 3d of
August.

M. Drouyn de Lbuys sees with regret the substi-
:ution of inadmissible propositions by Prince Gort-

schakoff in place of the demands of tho Powers. He
maintains that the agitation in Poland is not revo-
lutionary, but is the result of a condition of affairs

which has lasted ncarly a century, and has contri-
buted more than any other conjuncture to main-
tain revolution in Europe.

"It is of incontestable notoriety." continues AI.
Drouyn de Lhuys, " that the entire Polish nation
is connected with the insurrection. Throughout
Europe public opinion has encouraged the three
Powers to persevere in the path upon which they
have entered. It would be obstinately clinging to
a fatal illusion to continue to explain the redoubt-
able convulsions which render Poland by reasons so
little in harmony with the testimony of history."
M. Drouyn de Lhuys persists in believing that

the immediate development of a wide system of
concessions would satisfy the sentiments of the
❑ation. He denies that the dignity of a great em-
pire is interested in the continuation of an unequal
struggle, and maintains the right of the Powers to
intervene for the settlement of the Polish question.

M. Dronyn de Lhnys farther regrets to be
obliged to state the futility of the efforts of the
Powers toinduceßussia to bring about a favourable
solution of the Polish question, which continually
gives rise to fresh complicatiocs, and says :--t"Tne
Cabinet of St. Petersburg, in claiming absolute in-
dependence for its resolutions, leaves us entire
liberty in out judgment and conduct. We will

avail ourselves of this liberty of action." M. Dronyn
de Lhuys concludes by making
Russia responsible
for the serious consequences which may result from
the prolongation of troubles in Poland. A memo-
ranium accompanies the note, demonstrating the
right of the Powers to intervene in the settlement
of the Polish question, and to endeavour to place
Polish rights upon a more independent basis, as de-
tailed by the treaties of 1815.
The Paris papers publish intelligence from
Sumatra, telegepaphed from Suez, announcing
that Dutch men-of-war had been despatched to
chastise the native chiefs who had torn down the
Dutch flag. The same papers state that the ship
Ocean Mail has beeen lost.
Alfred de VignY, the well-known author and
member of the Academy, is dead.
BOURSE, Sept. 17.---The market has been inani-
mate, but the quotations of yesterday maintained
Threes for the account being now unvaoed at 68f.
15c. Railway Share Market heavy, and with a
decline on some of the lines. The market closed as
follows :
it per Cents .. 95 95
Do. end month....
3 per Cents
Do. end month 6B 25
Credit Maiher...J.2os
Do. end month 1206 25
Bank Shares 3100
Credit k oncier l4OO -
BAIL

Italian Loan ...... 74
Do. end month....
New ditto .......
Do. end month....
Russian ........ 93
Austrian ........ 50
Spani,h Threes....
Home Debt ......

AYS.
Account.
Cash.
Orleans 1032 50 .. 1035
Northern
New ditto -
1030
Lyons and Meditarranean 1037 50 ..
Southern
Western - • • 537 50
Eastern - • •
Sardinian
Austrian
•••• 457233 7155
14017' hard
North of Spain ...... 667
560 --: • • 560 TO
Saragossa 663 70 • •
367 50
se
Ditto to Barcelona -

THE POLISH INsußßEcTiow,
CRACOW, SEPT. 18.
Intelligerce from Podlachia to the 7th instant,
states that the insurgent leader Lutyski has sun.
prised the enemy at Chotycz, and defeated him,
after a three hours' engsgement.
General Mouravieff has had a peasant named
Zybert hanged at Popielo.

AUSTRIA.
VIENNA, SEPT. 18.

protested
as an in.
agTaihnestLtohweeraHrroesutsecoffDßeepicuhtysrnatohghawaysiknig
already set at liberty•
fringement of members' privileges, he has been

MAGENTA.--A corresponden
Magenta :—" This vessel," says
THE STEAM RANt
so., invented by the Americans. When seen
of the Opinion Nationale supplies the following de-
midst o f a squadron she might in some
scription of the steam ram
ordinary vessel, only lower in the
the writer, "is a line-of-ba.tle ship—that is to say, she has
nothing in common with those strange-looking machines,
those Monitors,
fmroemasua
an enormous black mass, insensible
water
of
fves on which the other vessels near
approach disclose some unknown fea-
tures. Higher out of thneowsatrteerakfsoriwnadridcatthinang aft, she srhoewpsreo-f
at each end like a wedge, and having at
tsoentthsethacetiaopnpeorifrtahnocew
e spur or ploughshare—thoso are the
masts, very sharp both at stem and
hteeerthg; r a
scarcelycefully ma:yve ;
hdieffrebreo
stern, terminating
nwcsesanshimovirnaellamt the first glance, but when you go on
her deck they became still more apparent. Her masts are
them standing. In combat, every-
those— of a steam corvette, with only the rigging indispens-
ower masts. The boats, instead of
bt h abe
II
vny
gg issu rsnecessaryepdenu reduced
ddt o
ttoo keepd thedavits
its outside, are on deck, which is
l
of temn o stern, and "o guns are to be seen, with
ttw
o bow-chasers. Nearly amidships by the
aidetilli ues h
exceptionoff'rotins
fuh e nel, to as ironclad shot-proof kind of
turret, which contains the means of communicating with
all the other parts of the vessel for the transmission of or-
ders for working her, and for the fire of her guns. In action
every one goes below, and this turret alone is occupied by
the captain, another Officer, some signal men, and a few
sharpshooters. It is from this turret that all the orders are
given.
From the upper deck you descend into the gun decks,
two in number-
: each having 24 rifled and breech-loading
guns. Those pieces throw 68-pound shot with an ordinary
eharg3 of 5113 of powder. All the armed part of the vessels
down to below the water line is ironclad, but the casing does
not extend quite to the stem or to the stern, as in the Gloire
and Normaudie frigates, the parts not ironclad are used—
those aft for the cabins of the officers, and those forward for
the quarters of the crew, the cooking, and the hospital—an
innovation of material importance as regards the health of
the sailors. In the ironclad vessels first built everthing
was sacrificed to solidity, and the openings left for giving
air and light were so few that those vessels were regular
ovens. Every one remembers what the crew of the Nor-
mandie suffered when so placed under the burning sun of
Mexico. The engine of the Magenta is similar to that of
the Napoleon, and has a steam force of about 2,700 horse.
Under full steam she can make from 13 to 14 knots an hour.
Her screw has six branches. The consumption of coal is
140 tons a day, and she can stow away from 700 to 800
tons. Moreover, her spur weighs 15 tons."
A WEALTHY ENGLISHMAN KILLED IN SIBLEY'S
EXPEDITION.—Among the slain in General Si b ley 's
expedition Was John Beemer, a wealthy Englishman, a
graduate of Oxford, and formerly an officer on the staff of
Lord Raglan. He had come from England on a Buffalo
hunt in the North-West, and took a nominal position on
General Sibley' a staff to gratify his taste of adventure. Sent
on reconnoitering service, he was caught in an ambuscade,
and snot down with iron-headed arrows, the savages scalp-
ing him and hacking off one side of his head while he was
yet alive. He leaves a splendid yacht and a large library
in New York.
REPRESENTATION OF WEST KENT.—It is stated
that Sir E. Fulmer, one `of the present Conservative
members for West Kent, has determined upon retiring
from the representation of the county.
A HALE OLD DIGNITARY.—The Dean of Win-
chester,who is in his eighty-eighth year, lately left Bishops-
gate Rectory, after breakfast, for London, where, in the
church of St. George, Hanove:-square, he officiated in the
baptism of his infant great-grandchild, the daughter of P
0. Papillon, Esq., M.P. for Colchester, and atter the o re-
mony returned to Bishopstoke to dinner, being a journey,
in going and returning, of more than 150 miles.