The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-13 00:00:00

a by-word—should he, I say, advise the humble
virtuous peasantry of his own soil to seolc a home in s
scenes, or paint a vast and desolate plain of sand •
fertile spot, a land flowing with milk and honey? I'.
such a man would be, in my opinion, but fit to be a a.
bationist.
Sydney is the capital city of New South Wales, 2.
has a large commerce and an extensive shipping inter,
it also has large exports in the shape of wool, oil, bi
bark, coal, copper, manganese, &c. &c., and a la
intercolonial traffic yielding both profit and labour.
small quantity of grain is produced in New South WO
but it never will become a grain country, although
districts of Port Philip, Australia Felix, and So
Australia, produce large quantities. The settlements
the western side of the continent, including Swan Ri' &c., are, 4I have been informed, better calculated
agriculture, but at present that portion of the colon-
very thinly populated by Europeans.
The most fertile and advantageous part of the
wl
continent to which emigration could be now direete.
on the north-east side, which takes an immense ext
of country, and forms Torres Straits. This vast er
constitutes the very best part of the whole continent,
the climate within the limits of Moreton 133 y and 1
Essington, a tract embracing hundreds of miles, is 1,
fine, and a great proportion of the soil fertile tie)
description. It possesses the beauties of a tropical '
mate without the baleful diseases which invariably at t
those climes. All the rarer and richer fruits and si
tation are abundant, and the sugar cane, tea, shrub,
ton, and rico plants, cocoa nut, Banana, and Upas t,
arrive at full and rapid perfection.
The Islands with which Torres Straits are studded
full of luxuriant vegetation and at present remain
tirely uninhabited. From their proximity to the re
land, in many cases being less than a quarter of a t,
from it, they could easily be made by industrious pei
valuable homes ; the waters of the Straits yield al
dance of fish and turtle, thus insuring food, and f'
the valuable productions of the choral banks in the shi
of sea slug (Beche le mer, tortoiseshell, and pea
large profits could also be derived. This being the roi
chosen by ships proceeding from the South to the EL
a continual intercourse and exchange would be kept
between them and the Strait settler ; these ships woe
also gladly avail themselves of the knowledge of a t
intelligent persons, who from their residence in et•
Straits, were acquainted with the intricacies of its eta:
gation, and reward them liberally for such informati'3l
and guidance. Added to this, poultry, vegetables, &
could be, supplied to all these ships at a large amount
profit.
It may be argued against this advice, that the in'
curity of settling upon these islands from the attacks •
the natives of New Guinea prevents its practicabili '
but I speak from personal experience, having visited ti
spot dui ing the present year. I believe from that sour
there would be little cause for the emigrant t. fear. :
do not advocate that a solitary family should at first for •
these settlements, but in the event of twenty ind.vidu:
settling upon an i,land, there is little, vet.) little can
of fear from the encroachments of any of the Abo.,
g• ines As proof of this, a gentlem..n I well know, I
cated himself on one of the islands for the collectiic
the slug which brines a price of 1201. per ton in te
C dnese market. He had with him to carry on le
slug fishing ten or teethe Javanese, and these we
arme 1 with three or tour rusty muskets. One fit:
day a party of the New Guinea-ites came pounce up
them in their little retreat, but Mr. R. was up and read
and the rusty muskets and the half score of frighten.
Javanese sent them scampering into th it Proas
double quick time. after this, continued his fisli
jug. and his occupation of any of the islands he chos.;
unmolested. On the proposed extension of steam nave
gation to the South, these Straits will be the r‘u..
chosen, and the consequence is their importance min
be greatly augmented by that means.
The neighbouring settlement of Port Essington is . •
the Northern entrance of the Straits, and is at preset'.
but a military post occupied by 40 or 50 marines and
the command of Captain M'Arthur. The importan
of the position, however, I have no doubt has ere ti
met the eye of the Legislature, and it is rumoured th
Government Emigration is about to be immediately i,'
rested to it—such a proceeding will, in my opinion,
attended with benefit, and the emigrant, on arrivitt
there, i istead of rubbing shoulders with felons, can a;4
p. eciate the blessings of an honest name. He nu ,
nave to struggle with difficulties, but who in this wor;
of trouble has not ? And is it not better for him to I •
'neath the roof of his own humble home secure in fl-
own honesty, than a resident in that country where
inhabitants exclaim—
" True patriots we, for be it understood
We left our country for our country's good."
In reference to the South of Australia or Adelaide, 't
have not visited that part of the colony, and canrot
speak from personal observation, but in the event of tl
emigrant persisting in proceeding to any of the coloni
in the southern part of the continent, I should advis
from all I could glean while I was in Sydney, that h
steps should be directed to Adelaide in preference t
to Sydney or Port Philip, as offering the best chance .
employment and tolerable comfort, and from being mere
fertile and less tainted with convictism, is the best spot •
choose on the southern part of con inent. However, n
advice is, while there is such a noble field open as 0
one I shall now endeavour faintly to describe, not
venture near South or Western Australia at all.

POSITION OF THE ENGLIS7
PRESBYTERIAN OR UNITARIAN DISSE
TERS, IN REFERENCE TO THE EDUCATIU
QUES LION.
'I he position of this body of Dissenters generally,
reference to the late proceedings on the Minutes
Council on Education, has been essentially a false or i•
The body in Leeds (at least considerable numbers of .
including their minister), seem to have been precipitatel:
and (as they appear to consider themselves) irrevocab
forced into a certain attitude of differences with the op
position to the minutes which there sprang up. For ye.
past an opinion in favour of national education had gaine'e
strength by the Unitarian body ; one among other sign
of the decline of the Nonconformist spirit among ther
That decline has now been fatly and lamentably r
vealed. The Leeds demonstration of dereliction was b:
an accident, though the precursor of others ; and ve
generally throughout the body Unitarians have pe
denied in favour of the Government scheme. The.
have been, however, a few exceptions—exceptions, to?
of ministers opposing the Minutes, while members
their congregations have been favourable to them, az ,
even petitioned in their behalf. What now has been t
false position of Unitarian Dissenters who have bet-
favourable to the Minutes ? In their zeal for edueati,,'
they have sacrificed their distinctive Nonconfortni
principle—the root of all their glory above all other r,
iigious holies; to their friends a sorrow, to their enemi
3 triumph—to their fellow-Dissenters a broken reed a
losing of victory in the hour of expected confidence a •
triumph. They sacrificed the Nonconformist princip
Not to dwell on their openly sanctioning and aski
for a measure bearing in its front undeniable ati,
very extensive strengthening of the existing Cher
establishment, and that through the minds of ingenue
outh, they were themselves met with their once dread,
and conscientiously denied entrat:ce of civil power it
their own re ligion. Parry and explain it as they me:
the thing is plain on the Minutes' face; and the wle
course of the debate has brought it out in more ugly at
glaring colours. Religion must 1)a provided for, or GI:
vernment would and could do nothing. This reitera
argument was all iu all with the main supp:zters of t!:
Minutes in the lion 6.

But more humiliating discoveries remained. The '1
famous exclusion of the Catholics had some retributi
in it, on what modicum or Nonconformity remained •
consenting Unitarians. The daily reading of a portic
of Scripture meant the imposition of the authoris.,
English version. Mr. Higginson, of Wakefield, (w:t,
has been the chief Unitarian writer for the Minutt ,
forthwith arose in the Chronicle, and said it could' ,
mean so. Lord John Russ' It said it did and it shoul
And so Mr. Higginson and his part% are left to judi
whether they have been wrong in their first false an t
and may haply retrace it ; or whether, having welcome
a Government Inspector to ask if their religion is
right, they may not as well pass by its telling th,
what Bible they shall use. They must know, howevA
that such compliance is not born of those who won;
not even use the cross in baptism at Government's Cu.
wand ; nor yet of those who would not submit to I's
ordinance of the Lord's supper as a passport to ci
office ; nor of those who would not cast a single grt"
of incense on the heathen altar. But the heroic age
gone, and its examples are obsolete ! The Prospect.,
Review, too, may look back, and forward, and certain t-
in its own path, for it, in vain, so long as it uphold
principle in one breath (p. 252) and deliberately resoliii
to act in violation of it in the next. Let
" Video me'iora proboque,
Deteriora sequor,—
meet th
mtaayketsini .
o(Hfrpe.enr2.cself)Eo rarttehnLbotehridatts motto.
juonhwn,osr unworthy
yntds a
aucctztdhibodur s
but
it
oc ht cheeks
with
burst of reprobation from the Unitarians which Ali
Crosby yrn ailiis
t zweailthforthteheierxhceopntoiounr,
osftoomdr.sußreetryryf:z Ryland
Leicester, indignant and generous letter in the Chronic
edow it'self as forem alas, of April 22, we have seen little to justify it.
be
t.ltwiritsst::.:l •
.iit4nninhwiwihisaettnrdoerrsyassc'ense" to be obscured, was thel
such dtehcel e nbsti)
doyn..
that. It
racks of religious liberty, hav'n
chiefs u sufferedsed
of
delay in its triumph. tiad they been
ciples they would not hove misled
a T
AtbreurealtoGtohveeirrnp
as they have done, to despise the quarter where princii
remained, nor have resigned to others the glory
working out that principle without their aid.—[
above remarks hav bee en sent us for insertion h)
member of the Unitarian body.—Ens.]--Lends Met cu.

MONEY MARKET.—The premiu-n ot. gold at Pat
is 16 per mille, which, at the English Mint price of 34 1014 d, per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange
25.55 ; and the exchange at Paris on London at short lad
25.90, it follows,that gold is 1.35 per cent. dearer in Lone
than in Paris. By advices from Hamburgh the price of g
is 4351 per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 3/. I
10 4d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exthangt
13.14; and the exchange at Hamburgh on London et ab
being 13.11, it follows that gold is 0.34 per cent, dearer
London than in Hamburgh. The course of exchange at N •
York on London is about 1051 per cent., and the par of (14:
change between England and America being 109 23-40 .
cent., it follows that the exchange is 4.08 per cent. agai
England. But the quoted exchange at New York being
bills at 60 days sight, tke interest must be deducted fit.,
the above difference. And from the present high rate of
d e
count here, and the increased charges for insurance, the at-
apps.arent piolit on exporting gold would be absorbed b,
cost
DEAL, MAY 11.—A vessel, supposed to be a barqa
about 400 to 500 tens, dismasted and waterlogged, and app
rently abandoned for two or three months past, was paaq.
sth inst., lat. 42.30 N., lon. 10.25 W., in a position very da.
gerous to vessels passing Cape Finisterre, by the Oriente, ,
arrived in the Downs. The name on the stern was n
visible, the letters being cov-red kith grat.g, With the rxee
:101101 -:`• at the elm. She i.a I A prlt,.,lt Wi!:diflF• , ! .D,
poft S, W‘.llllll bust-head, and appeared to be a nearly nc.t
vessel, and New Brunswick built,