The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 29, 1 8 53.

SIR CHARLES WOOD AT HALIFAX•

STEAM. NAVIGATION TO AUSTRALIA.

On Thursday evening the President of the Board of
Control attended a public dinner given by the corpora-

(From the Times.)

We are at length beginning to reap, though very
tardily, the benefit of steam navigation to Austra-
lia. At last we have found steamers in the Har-
binger and Argo which are able to compete suc-
cessfully with the best sailing vessels, and to esta-
blish what people had almost begun to doubt—the
superiority of steam over sails for the purposes of
ocean communication with Australia. We do not
wonder that the merchants of Melbourne should
assemble to pay their tribute of respect to the
directors of the General Screw Steam Navigation
Company, and to congratulate them on the posses-
sion of vessels which have been able to reduce the
distance from England to two months instead of
four, and to place us at last in something like
steady and permanent communication with our
thriving colonies in the Southern hemisphere.
The Argo left Sydney on the 11th of August, Port
Philip the 24th, and arrived here by the passage
round Cape Horn in 64 (lays from the latter place,
exactly the time which she occupied in steaming
out to Port Philip by the Cape of Good Hope.
Here, then, is another commentary on the report
of the Parliamentary committee, which recom-
mended vessels to return by the same way that
they went, instead of taking advantage of those
westerly winds which carry them with a flowing
sheet over the vast ocean intervening between
Australia and Cape Horn. The company has
well deserved the congratulatory address of the
Melbourne merchants, and has done honour
to the naval reputation of England by the
feat which it has performed. Indeed, the
voyages of the Harbinger and Argo are events of
which it is scarcely possible to exaggerate the
importance. The obstacles which separate us from
the vast insular continent where our race seems
destined to achieve great and enduring triumphs
are in a great measure overcome, and we look for-
ward with no vain or idle confidence to a further
reduction of the distance which parts us from the
golden shores of the South. It is, indeed, high
time that we should have speedier and more regu-
lar communication with Australia, for there are
symptoms in the horizon which denote a coming
storm. We have not now to deal with the ordi-
nary case of a colony demanding from the
Home Government the management of its in-
ternal affairs, but of a turbulent democracy, puffed
up by the sudden and unforeseen possession of
enormous wealth to make the most unreasonable
demands, and to prosecute them by the most vio-
lent and disorderly means. The golddiggers of
Victoria claim, in tumultuary public meetings, and
with threats which it is impossible to misunder-
stand, a reduction of the license fee demanded by
the Government, and an amelioration in many
other respects of the hardship of their condition.
When it is considered at what a paltry rate the
vast riches of Victoria have been abandoned, to be
despoiled by the first comer—when we reflect on
the many millions which have been dug out of
the earth in consideration of a revenue by no
means equal to defray the expenses which the dis-
covery of gold has occasioned, we should stand
aghast at the greediness and unreasonableness of
the demand, if we did not reflect that cupidity was
never able to set bounds to itself, and that an ac-
cess of fortune sudden and wonderful beyond
all example was sure rather to increase the arro-
gance than to diminish the covetousness of the
miners.
To the demand of tumultuous and armed public
meetings and of a delegation which waited person-
ally on himself, and does not seem to have exceeded,
so far as we can judge from appearances, in the
respect shown to the representative of her ajesty,
Mr. Latrobe, the present Governor of Port Philip,
has replied in a calm, sensible, and well-reasoned
letter, which does great credit to his judgment and
temper, and ought to convince the malcontents
that threats and violence are quite unnecessary
against a Government ready to accede to all their
demands against which it cannot show an unanswer-
able reason, ready to investigate every complaint
brought in a tangible form, and only deaf to their
representations where the law of the land or some
paramount necessity renders compliance impossible.
The first demand of the miners is for a reduction
of the license fee, which they treat as a tax levied
on a part of the community which is at present un-
represented. It is impossible to imagine a more
ludicrous confusion between moon and tuunt. The
gold fields are, as we have often shown, not the
property of the miners who may encamp upon them,
but of the Crown, held in trust for the colonial pub-
lic. The miner has no more right to work and ap-
propriate the property of the Crown without pay-
ing a suitable price for it than that of any private
individual; the payment exacted in return for such
appropriation is no more a tax than the royalty
paid for a miner a colliery, or the rent of agricultu-
ral land. The license fee is at present regulated by
the law of the land, and the Governor has no power
to repeal it ; and, when it is considered that these
discoveries of gold have raised the expenditure of
Government many hundreds per cent., and ren-
dered an enormous outlay necessary in roads made
by labourers paid ten shillings a-day, and in police
receiving a still larger stipend, it is not unreason-
able that they who have caused all this expense
should contribute something towards its liquida-
tion. The second request is that " licenses" should
be issued for monthly or quarterly periods, at the
option of the licensee. The third request is for a
longer time in which to pay the fee ; and the fourth,
for a speedy sale of agricultural lands in the mining
districts, Mr. Latrobe appears ready to acquiesce
in. The fifth he rejects, and with good reason, for
what request can be more exorbitant than that
those who are found working without a license
should be punished only by the fine of one pound ?
Such a fine would amount to perfect impunity to
the miner for the non-payment of the fee, and by a
very simple application of the principle of assurance
might be made the means of depriving the Govern-
ment of a large portion of its revenue. The sixth
and last demand is that the constabulary should go
unarmed when collecting the revenue, and to this
also the Governor is ready to accede. If the men
are only anxious to remove any real or imaginary
harshness in the collection of the revenue, these
concessions will, we should imagine, be found ample
and satisfactory. If they desire more, we trust
that there is a sufficient power at the command of
the Executive to repel, if necessary, force by force.
No calamity could be greater to the colony than
that just at the time it is beginning to settle down,
after the tremendous excitement of the last two
years, Government should kindle anew the gold
fever by yielding to the exorbitant demands of the
miners. Sound policy would require a much higher
tax ; but to reduce it below the present amount
would be to betray the dearest interests and hope-
lessly to subvert the social equilibrium of the co-
lony.

tion, in the New Assembly Rooms, to the retiring
Mayor, Mr. S. Waterhouse. Mr. F. Crossley, M.P.
for the borough, the magistrates, and leading men of
the district, were also present.

The CHAIRMAN proposed " Iler Majesty's Ministers,"
and coupled with it the name of Sir Charles Wood, one
of their borough members, as well as a member of the
Government. (The toast was received with loud cheer-
ing.) _ _

Sir CHSRLES Wood responded, in a somewhat lengthy
speech, He dealt a rather smart blow at the almost
defunct Protectionists, defended our free-trade policy,
spoke eulogistically of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's

budget, justified the bill for the disposal of the clergy
reserves in Canada, and described his own measure for the
government of India as the best that could be adopted
under exi:Aing circumstances. He touched finally upon
the Eastern question :—I hope (said the right hon.
hart.) I am not too sanguine in saying that, in spite
of adverse appearances, I do still entertain a strong
belief that we shall yet be able to avert the most fearful
calamity of war—(applause)---Lt least I am sure of this,
that the most earnest and unremitting efforts will, as
they have already been, be directed towards this end.
I grieve to say that former efforts have not been success-
ful, and that the Porte has made a declaration of war
which, however much I may regret, one can hardly feel
surprised at ; for the Sultan has shown an amount of for-
bearance entitling him to our admiration and sympathy.
But there is such a thing as a state of uncertainty, which
may be even more injurious and galling than the evil
of war ; therefore I am not surprised, though grieved,
that the Porte has taken a step which is against the ad-
vice of its best friends. But, sir, we do not despair even
yet of being able to avert any formidable war from
arising out of these circumstances. That some acts of
hostility may occur, is possibly to be apprehended ; for
we cannot tell what acts large bodies of men
actuated by bitter hostility to each other, with arms
in their hands, and located in the immediate neigh-
bourhood of each other, may commit. But they are
separated from each other by a broad river, which is diffi
cult to pass, the winter season is approaching, and there
are great hopes that, even after the declaration of war,
actual hostilities may not be commenced at present ; and
that the season which is approaching will give time for
reflection, and for the interposition of the efforts of every
power in Europe, which by their position are able to
exercise an influence in the matter, and which are in-
terested in endeavouring by some means, consistent
with the honour of both the opposing parties, in
preserving the peace of Europe. Of course it is impossible
to speak with any confidence on the subject as it at pre-
sent stands. The issues of peace and war are not in our
hands, and however great our interest may be in pre-
serving peace, we may not be able to restrain those fa-
natical spirits who are bent on war. But I believe that
the other powers of Europe are also anxious to maintain
peace, as it is for the interest of all that the general
peace of Europe should be maintained ; and I will con-
clude by saying that, by the blessing of Providence, I
hope we shall yet be able to avert the greatest of all
evils—war. (Applause.) Several toasts followed, and
the meeting did not separate till a late hour.

PROROGATION OF CONVOCATION.—The Convocation of
the Prelates and Clergy of the province of Canterbury,
which stood prorogued to Friday, October 28, was
further prorogued to Saturday, November 30, accord-
ing to the tenour of a Royal writ, by the Vicar-General
of the Most Rev. the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pri-
mate, and the Metropolitan, under a special commission
from his Grace to that effect. At 11 o'clock his Grace's
Commissary, Dr. Twiss, attended by the Registrar of
the Province, Mr. Francis Hart Dyke, entered the
Jerusalem Chamber, when his Grace's Commission
having been read by the Registrar, the Commissary
directed the Royal writ to be read at length, after which
the schedule of prorogation was read by the Registrar
and signed by the Commissary.

- -
EXTRAORDINARY AFFAIR.—DEATH OF GEL COUNT
DE NEUILLY.—The Concorde of Reims gives the follow-
ing details of the circumstances connected with the re-
cent death of General de Neuilly at ChAlons-sur-Marne,
the exactitude of which, it declares, it can fully guaran-
tee :—" For some time past rumours were in circulation
respecting the conduct of the Countess de Neuilly, who
was represented as keeping up criminal relations with
Captain de Laporte, her husband's aid-de-camp, and
frequently repairing to the private towns of that officer.
These rumours, it must be declared, at first met with
general disbelief, particularly as they had commenced a
little after the death of the only child of the countess, a
woman,
nwe
gre aer 1
general
intoer whosea lunwilling theh
a dde laeocpstteseoi
acted
suppose
uifldnpii
pp
theolt uisone
affliction.
teohAdsattt the
countessremti
intmog
ea
wnpdhetorie youngm theis
csah
officerma
ong
ternal manner could act with such base ingratitude.
However, the captain and the countess acted with so
little reserve that their intrigue was soon the public talk
of the town, so that some of the general's friends deter-
mined to put a stop to it by mentioning the matter to the
general. Perhaps it would have been preferable to have
appealed to Capt. de Laporte himself, but the gentleman
who had undertaken to enlighten the general as to what
was going on selected the course of denouncing the intrigue
to the husband. Accordingly on Sunday morning, just
as the General was going out shooting, a secret intima-
tion reached him to the effect that the Countesswc i
Neuilly had just before left the hotel, and that she
tain
at that moment to be found at the lodginng of Ca as
the RuPe St.
de Laporte, on the first floor of a house in
Nicaise. The General proceeded at
e door of once Captain to the house
mentioned, and knocked loudly at the
' the words—' It
d inside
de Laporte's rooms. He hear
' ronounced by his wife
is he ! it is he ! we are lost 1 p
' Open ! open at
in an accent of the greatest, alarm.l
burst opn door!'
once !' cried the general, '
fain de Laporte appeared on
At the same moment Cappistolin each hand, and, barring
the threshold with a
thretened to fire at him if he at-
the general's passagelsi,
sin
gle step. A rapid and terrible
tempted to advapce
followed, and then both pistols were
scene of altercation
same moment. The general received
fired nearly, at the
of the breast, a fell heavily,
lls in the cen re
both ba
fof the staircase to the outside door,
from the top
rolling
bathed in his blood.
The report of the pistols attracted
opersons to the spot, and they found the unfortunate
sco'unet at his last gasp. ' The coward! the wretch! he
has assassinated me! he exclaimed, and then expired,"