The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-17 00:00:00

jPORT PHILIP IN 18.38,
r BY. A VISITOR •

----
.
) • I Promised a long and full account of this place, but
the-:iimited Period ..4 my visit"-prevents the fulfilment
of 'such promise. I have, however, to mention, that I
approached the Heads with feelings of an unpleasant
nature, for reports were unfavourable as to its entrance..
Tl,e clear channel is about a-mile and-a-half ; the rate of
tide, ~Tith its violent ripplinws, is not not near so bad as
Placer, . have visited, such,'' for instance, as Calcutte,
Dardanelles, Bosphorus, Pentland Frith, Queen Char-
' lotte's Sound, and many other places ; it is nevertheless
an awkward place for a ship to be becalmed, and it re-
Taires a high and low light to render it serviceable to
vessels in the night. The sands within the Heads also
want buoys, which should be firmly built of pine or
cedar, and he well-sheathed and eoppered. There
are many parts within the Heads that require either
buoys or beacons, and to render Melbourne river more
accessible, buoys and beacons would be found bene-
ficial. A pilot stationed within Point Nepean would
be of much service, and another at Gellibrand's Point
is also necessary. The passage to Geelong river, and
harbour, also requires beacons.
Melbourne, the present capital, is a remarkable fine
place for a township, and is surrounded with a truly de-
lightful
country ; its climate and soil are far superior to
Adelaide, and its natural resources hold out many more
advantages to the capitalist as well as to the labourer.
This place has been colonised by a few wealthy and spi-
rited members of the sister colonies, chiefly from Van
Diemen's Land, and is as vet without a Governor, being
almost unknown in England; it has never been puffed
off in a collection of long speeches by practised orators
at Exeter Hall. The bubbles blown at that place
in favour of Adelaide, are extremely absurd and in-
jurious to the society. The founders of Melbourne are
experienced colonists, whose knowledge of coloniza-
tion is too well known to need publication in handbills
and newspapers, with a long show. of M.P,'s, and a,
dinner at the Albion in Aldersg-ate-street. The pencil
of the artist cannot add beauty to the surrounding
scenery of Melbourne or Geelong, which will eventually
show itself in colours equal to any in New South Wales,
or its dependencies. However reports could be made
that this place was destitute of fresh water, I cannot
imagine ;.tbeee is a beautiful little river of excellent
water flowing through Melbourne, which contains more
water by nine-tenths than the creek at Adelaide, which
is honoured by the name of the " River Torrens."
The township of Geelong is also a very pretty place,
with excellent soil, bat its fresh water is not convenient
for shipping. I have little doubt but coals are to be
found in the vicinity of Geelong, and if so, they will be
of excellent quality. .
Society in Melbourne is much better than that of
Adelaide, being entirely destitute of half swells, loun-
gers, &0., so prevalent in Adelaide ; nor is there any
nonsensical party spirit, with caviling for office by a few
individuals sent out under the patronage of titled men,
and whose snlaries will neither find them in shoes to
tramp their barren wastes, nor turn their pretty-bright
button thread-bare-coats into new ones.
When the word hotel was announced to me on my
way to Melbourne, I pictured to myself a little weather-
boarded house, or a bark hut, or some such as I had
seen in Adelaide ; but judge my surprise when I looked
at a building something like the Bush Hotel, Picca-
dilly—the fittings up are certainly less costly, but upon
the whole, there are two or three houses in Melbourne
capable of entertaining noblemen. Buildings generally
arc very much superior in Melbourne than in Adelaide;
in the former place there are neither canvass tents nor
wigwams.—in a few words, I beg to say that Melbourne
is to Adelaide what gold is to dross.—Port Philip
Grzette.

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS

The spring, which is just closing, has been one of the
coldest and driest that we have had for some years. It
has been remarkable for nearly two months of easterly
winds, which winds are in this country always accom-
panied with dry weather and blighted vegetation.
Until within about ten days of the present time, all the
crops were looking very ill ; but since then a great im-
provement has taken place, especially in the corn crops,
which are now nearly as flourishing as we ever saw them
at this season of the year. They have in a great measure
recovered their colour, and as the plant is thick on the
ground, and the quantity sown very great, we look with
considerable confidence for an abundant harvest. The
wheat has got cover enough to grow without much rain,
and yet the ground is in such a state that a great quantity of
rain would not injure it. A friend of ours, an experi-
enced farmer, who has just returned from Somersetshire,
informed us yesterday that he had never seen the wheat

crop looking better at this season than it does at presen
:.'o-y; the whole distance between that county and Lan.

J shire.
The oat crops have also improved greatly dur•
the last ten days, and the potato crop has never
rooked more promising in our recollection. The turnip
crops have suffered a good deal from the long drought
a;,d the cold winds, but mild showery weather would
soon set them right again. The pastures are very bare,
and the hay crop, whatever weather may come, will be
very light in this part of the country ; the clover having
been cut down by the frosts, and the grasses kept back
by the drought. In the south and west of England the
apple bloom has been much cut by the frost, but there
is a promise of a good crop of apples and ofstone fruit in
this part of the country.—Liverpool
The late favourable weather of alternate rain and sun-
shine has produced a most desirable change in this
county, and all ground for alarm for the growing crops
, may now be considered at end. The wheats generally
were never looking better ; this may also be said of
other kinds of grain. The grass has surprisingly im-
proved, and in some grounds the swath will be very
heavy.—Worcester Journal.
The wheat crop in this part of the county is looking
very well, but the oat crop would not be worth cutting
were it not for the late rains ; as it is, it is very back-
ward. The potatoe crop was beginning to fail in some
places, in consequence of the continued dry weather
but is now coming on again.—Limerick Chronicle.
11- Glatt -

istone, a Liverpool merchant, has con,
tributed the munificent sum of 5,000/. towards the erection
of a new church at Liverpool, besides endowing it with a
Perpetual annuity of 100/. towards the maintenance of a
minister.
IDIOSYNCRACY OF HOUNDS.—.There
is, in
the human constitution, what is by medical and learned
men termed idiosyncracy—a fine long word, meaning a
peculiarity ; I should perhaps say individuality—requiring
separate and distinct treatment. The plain English may
be found in the old saying, that " what is one man's meat
is another man's poison." In the discovery of this pecu-
liarity in the human system consists the skill of the physician
superior to the common run of ordinary practioners, upon
general principles. There is no less in bounds an idiosyn-
tracy—a peculiarity in their several dispositions, which re-
quires the skill of the Professor to cope with. Some young
hounds. enter instinctively—from their first to their last
appearance in the field—they do no wrong—they commence
with the:scent to which they were born, and afford a moral
to beings of a higher class, in their devotion, through their
lives, to the purposes of their creation. Others, equally
good, will take no notice of anything, will not stoop to
any scent during the first season, and are still slack at enter-
ing even in the second, but ultimately are distinguished at
the head of the pack; and such, I have always observed, last
some seasons longer than the more precocious of the same
litter. Others have an almost inveterate propensity to run
anything and everything, by scent or view, and act alto.
gether on the voluntary principle as soon as they are
emancipated from their couplings. A love of hare will
deccend, in particular blood, through generati
will occasionally demonstrate itself, especially oons,
steady
and
bad
scenting days, when a hound that is at any time uteady
must and will run something; but the same hound, when
settled to a fox, may be invincible.-- The Noble Science,
by Mr. Dehne Radelfes.
LIE DEAD ALIVE.—An inquest was held
0), Wednesday, at the Ship Inn, Warrington, touching the
death of a man found drowned in the River Mersey. John
'Soden deposed to having found deceased in the water,
isith a carpet bag, tied by his neckerchief and a piece of
sizing, round his neck. Mary Bevan said that she had
Seen the body, and could swear positively that it was John
Cole, of Chester, who was in the habit of indulging in
drunken sprees, and leaving home for two or three weeks
at a time. Mr. Jones, the deputy constable, was quite
sure that the body was that of John Cole. Mr. Cole, the
Governor of the House of Industry, had no doubt but the
body was that of his brother John, but it was in such a
state of decomposition, that he would not undertake to
swear to it.. At this stage of the business a very unex-
pected witness made his appearance, being no less a person
than the J. Cole, upon whose remains an inquest was then
holding. John Cole said that he had heard that an in-
quiry was then going on to ascertain how he had come by
his death, and therefore, he thought it was but right he
should show himself, in order that the Coroner and Jury
might be satisfied that he was alive. The dismay of the
witnesses--the surprise of Mr. Jones, the deputy con-
stable—and the amazement of the Coroner and Jury may
be easily imagined. The proceedings were again com-
menced, the Jury being sworn to inquire touching the
death et a man (name unknown), when a verdict of
Pound Drowned was returned. John Cole's brothers,
who are highly respectable men, were so satisfied of the
deceased belonging to the family, that they had made the
necessary arrangements for his interment in St. Paul's
Church. John Cole accounted for his absence from War-
rington by stating that his money was all gone, and he had
wandered about the fields in the hope of finding employ-
merit, being ashamed to return to his family.
PLAINS OP TROY.—The poetical idea of the
plains Troy, the arena of Homer's battles, is frequently
disturbed in passing the flat, sandy, and marshy ground, by
geeing its inhabitants—the buffalo, with all but its
head i
low streams etiddio o
_swamps, the heron feeding in the shat.
than that of the trogs, whose voices certainly vary more
chahrother animal, sounding at different times
like crying
great:) barking dogs, pigeons, and crows ;
and when in
tilneun.lbers, producing a harmony almost
as agreeable as
ilosinging of birds. On the banks or
s Indy places thepassptilerzltortoise is crawling sleepily
along, and as we
in it head. They are
so numerous that I often tu yrndrrnawshorse out of the way to
avoid them, a:though doubtless tlyieir hard shell would suf-
ficiently protect them from injury,
anc bcomTebeedead_ ones lying
about lose their outer shelf,
Perfectly white, of
with the horny
a limybone,
scales scattered around.
Feows'Excnrsion in Asia Miner.

EQUAL JUSTICE IN JAMAICA

(From the Colonial. I?ei?Trne.r.of April 27.)
1:1-1.E SHOOTING ICI#LAdk7IAN DECLARED''

A MERE, ASSAULT,

In our report of law proceedings in the Surrey Assize
Court-, is given the trial of'fone James Davis, for felo-
niously and maliciously firing at, And wounding, one
Thomas Edwards. The whole case is one of striking
importance, calculated to raise the gravest apprehen-
sions of every thinking man in the community.
It appears that Edwards, a common labourer on a
plantation in St. David's, had been sued for rent of the
hut and ground he occupied—that 'judgment had been
obtained, and a warrant placed in the hands of the con-
stabies of the district. That when the constables went
to execute this warrant, they found that Edwards was
concealing himself in the house of another labourer,
named Beckford. That they ordered him to come out,
and on his refusing to comply,' they threatened to set
fire to the house, for the purpose of dislodging him ; a
threat which we have every reason to believe they would
unhesitatingly have carried into execution.
Edwards, however, on hearing this threat ran out of
the house, and was making his escape, when the ruffian
constable fired at him,, and wounded him in the back.
The shot brought Edwards to the ground, and while
lying prostrate in his wounded condition, the other con-
stable, Petineau, rushed upon him and held another pis-
tol to the poor matis eye, whilst they put him in irons,
and barbarously tied him with ropes. Wounded as he
was, they kept him in irons till the following day, and he
was then conveyed—whither, would the reader suppose?
to the House' of Correction ! where the parochial
authorities 'pretend they have set apart one
room for the confinement of persons arrested for debt !
meaning,,‘ of course, exclusively for the accommodation
of ",black" debtors.

Here was this unfortunate man kept a close prisoner
for the space of four days without a morsel of food being
given to him !

Providentially, this atrocious outrage came to the
knowledge of the upright Stipendiary Justice of the
adjoining district, or to a moral certainty it would never
have been brought to light. Captain Kent repre-
sented the case to the Executive—an investigation was
ordered—and the result was, the institution of a cri-
minal prosecution against the constable who had so
wantonly endangered the life of an innocent fellow-
creature.

The case was brought before the Court on Thursday
week—the facts clearly proved, without the slightest
attempt at contradiction, and in the face of this evi-
dence, the Jury returned a verdict of guilty—not of
malicious shooting, with intent to do some grievous bo-
dily harm, but of "an aggravated assault ;" and the
Court passed the lenient sentence of three months' im-
prisonment!

• Now, we seriously ask the publie, if it is to he en-
dured, that because a black man stands indebted to a
white man in the sum of a few dollars, for the rent of a
wretched hovel, he is to be fired at like a dog—to be
put irons, and afterwards imprisoned without food for
the space of four days !
And we ask, if the verdict of the Jury fairly meets
the justice of the case, and if it be calculated to give
a fair measure of protection to the lives and liberties
of our labouring population.
We would further put it to the consciences of the
Jurors who returned that verdict, whether they would
have so decided the case, had the injured party
been of a different rank and grade in society ! Sup-
pose for example, it had been Mr. Hugh Fraser
Leslie, instead of Mr. Hugh Fraser Leslie's te-
nant, who had stood indebted for rent of pre-
mises ; suppose the Constables and Deputy Mar-
shalls had traced him to the house of a friend
or neighbour, and had threatened to set fire to the
house in order to get at him ; and suppose on endea-
vouring to effect his escape, he had been deliberately
fired at, and severely wounded ; and then under fero-
cious threats of further violence, put to the additional
torture of being manacled and tied with cords.
We say suppose this infamous outrage had been per-
petrated on the person of that highly respectable and
popular member of the community,
_Mr. Leslie, and we
solemnly ask the Jury if they would have been content
to pronounce such outrage a mere aggravated assault ?
We think not.

We have heard it whispered that the constables
had received directions from a certain quarter to make
use of their fire-arms, in case of any attempt to evade
the execution of the warrant ? But let that pass ;we
know, from our own knowledge, that the authorities of
St. David have ever been prompt and ready to screen
every outrage inflicted on the labouring population, by
any petty tyrant, in the shape of a parish constable.

ADDRESS OF THE CORPORA-
TIONS OF BILBOA TO THE LORD MAYOR
OF LONDON.

The Lord Mayor has received the following address,
on the subject of the wretched condition of Spain
" Most Honourable Sir,
" The three Corporations representing the most
noble and the most loyal signory of Biscay and its
capital, the most noble, most loyal, and most renowned
town of Bilboa, the provincial deputation, the muni-
cipal body, and the Royal Board of Trade of this
town, address your Lordship with feelings of heartfelt
joy, and offer you the good wishes and expressions of
gratitude of their citizens.
"It has been made known in this town that your
Lordship, with most of the worthy Aldermen of that
City, and many of its most , respectable inhabitants,
had presented an address to Lords Melbourne and
Palmerston, Secretaries of State to the exalted
Queen Victoria, beseeching the Government of
her Britannic Majesty, together with its power-
ful allies, to put an end to the barbarous struggle
which is at present consuming us ; and the news of this
address has given our countrymen so much satisfaction,
so profound is the gratitude, and such are the hopes to
which it has given birth, that the Corporations who ad-
dress your Lordship cannot find words to express it.
Yes, most Noble Lord, our citizens, so long bound by
interests, intercourse, and sympathies to the warlike
sons of Albion, cannot help seeing with extreme plea-
sure that their friends the English pity their misfor-
tunes, and entreat the only efficacious remedy for their
evils.

" Demonstrations of attachment and sympathy are
ever consolatory to the unfortunate, and few can num-
ber greater calamities than those experienced by the
loyal Biscayans, or display more frank and heartfelt
affection for the inhabitants of England. The steps
taken by your Lordship and so many distinguished
Englishmen must naturally have given them inexpres-
sible pleasure and extraordinary consolation.
" It is high time to think of terminating this fratri-
cidal struggle, which is devouring us, and it is most
noble and generous of the English to be the first in pub-
licly acknowledging so urgent a necessity. Our nation
is threatened with annihilation, and for the time des-
stroyed. Its fields are a desert, its edifices fallen into
ruin, and everything bespeaks desolation and misery.
Should this destructive war be much longer protracted,
Spain will he converted into one vast desert, and her
few remaining inhabitants into living models of barbarism
and immorality ; to such a pitch ferocity and discordant
passions let loose would carry her.
" Bilboa, which up to the present time was consi-
dered unsullied and spotless—Bilboa, which, notwith-
standing all the calamities of war it is still enduring,
has not for five years uttered the slightest complaint to
the Government, or exhibited in its thousand battles
any disorderly scene, may perchance, if the conflict con-
tinue, become the victim, nay, the accomplice of the
sanguinary excesses which have too long degraded the
Spanish character. Such an idea strikes us with hor-
ror, and as your Lordship and those who have indulged
in such philanthropic sentiments, have sought to avert
such disastrous consequences, these corporations owe
you, and rejoice to pay you, the tribute of their
eternal gratitude. And how can they forbear ac-
knowledging so signal a favour ? How can a country
completely torn asunder by civil war ever forget it ? Bil-
boa is panting for peace, because, for five years has its.
population been vanishing, and the blood of its sons has
flowed in torrents. Its commerce, principally English,
is entirely paralysed, and its capital is greatly diminished.
Peace—honourable peace—is what the loyal Biscayans
aspire to, and what the heroic but unfortunate sons of
the never-yet-conquered Bilboa wish for -with so much
anxiety.

" The representation made by your Lordship and the
generous Englishmen who have signed it has entirely met
their wishes, and awakened in their breasts hope for the
relief of so many misfortunes.
" May, therefore, your Lordship receive, and be
pleased to communicate to the Gentlemen who signed
the address which has called forth the present one, the
sincere thanks which they subscribe, and they trust that
your Lordship and your worthy colleagues will con-
stantly adhere to the noble sentiments which have
guided your philanthropic conduct.
" May God have your Lordship many 7ears in his
holy keeping."

FIRES IN LONDON.—From the returns made
by the fire brigade to the Fire Insurance Offices, it ap-
pears that during the last three months no fewer than one
hundred and fifty fires have occurred in the metropolis and
its vicinity, three out of which have been attended with
serious destruction of property. lire number of lives lost
during the period in question is seven.
On Thursday an alarm of fire was given at
Messrs. Truman, Banbury, and Co's brewery, in Brick-
lane, Spitalfields. It was found, upon inquiry, that in one
of the buildings in which an immense quantity of malt is
kept, some of the grain had caught fire, in consequence of
the overheating of the stove. The discovery of the acci-
deht, however, was made in time to save the great bulk of
and that portion of it which bad ignited being
st,bne
amraalt,
ted from the rest, the fire was extinguished with
little further damage.

OSNABURG, JUNE 6.--We are here very cu-
rious to see what measures the Cabinet will adopt against
the Judge whose business it is to decide in cases relative to
the non-payment
smugglers, and the more especially as noto-
rious to their own great astonishment, have
of
taxes,
lately been acquitted by him.