The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-02 00:00:00

THE FOUNDER OF A COLONY.

The Melbourne Argus of September 11 announces the
death, on the 4th of September, of the Hon, John Pascoe
Fawkner, the founder of Victoria, at the age of 77 years.
John Pascoe Fawkner was bean in London on the 20th
of August, 1792. When, in 1803, an expedition sailed
frcm England under the auspices of the then Colonial
Secretary, Lord Hobart, to found a new penal settlement
on the shores of the recently discovered Port Phillip,
Fawkner was one of those who were allowed to sail in the
Calcutta, a 56-gun man-of-war, which conveyed the con-
victs and their guards to these comparatively unknown
shores. Port Phillip was reached en the 10th of October,
1803. Soon afterwards the boy Fawkner was landed on the
site of Melbourne, in the future history of which he was
destined to play no inconsiderable part. The country
was soon condemned as barren and desolate, and
in a few months was abandoned, and convicts, soldiers,
and Government officers made their way to Van Diemen's
Land. At twenty-two he indiscreetly, and to his lasting
regret, mixed himself up in a plot for the escape of some
prisoners, and the consequent agitation led him to go to
Sydney for two years. Tho year 1818 found him once
more in Van Diemen's Land, where he married. In
those primitive days there was nn utter lack of the
forensic element, and, in place of barristers or attorneys,
agents " were allowed to plead in the lower courts. Fawk-
nor figured prominently among the advocates of the Laun-
ceston court. DiszatiLfied with his progress, however, he
made fresh ventures. In 1826 ho tinned publican, and,
in 1829, launched into &stereo a weekly newspaper, the
Launceston Advertiser, the fiat itilithed in that town.
On the 30th of August Fawknei embarked for Port
Philip, resolved en new adventures. The advan-
tages of the site chosen ty the Fawkner party
were so obvious that Pittman, who preceded it,
removed frcm the Indented Head to what was
known as Batman's-hill. Thus it was that the visit of
the Enterprise led to the formation of the city of Mel-
bourne. Though not the first to land, Fawkner was the
promoter of the expedition, the selection of the site was
made according to his instructions, and he was after-
wards the most active agent in establishing the settle-
ment. The town was established, but, between Fawkner's
party and Batesnan's there raged a deadly feud. The
latter, having the support of a powerful association,
compelled Fawkner to retire for a time to the
present site of the populous suburb of Emerald-hill.
there he soon had eighty acres under cultivation, but the
Government agents, who arrived with power to sell land,
coolly ignored all his claims, end turned their horses into
his paddock—Governor Bourke, the story runs, assisting in
this unjust intrusion. Nothing depressed, however,
Fawkner was speedily at work in another direction. He
established a sod hut house of accommodation near the
narket reserve, hired cut horses to inspecting visitors
practised as a bush lawyer, and when land was
ultimately offered for sale, ho purchased largely. He
earned the title cf the father of the Port Phillip press,
for here, as in Launceston, he was the first to publish a
newspaper. It was a manuscript journal of four pages,
and, after the issue of nine weekly numbers, Fawkner
obtained a small parcel of refuse type frcm Launceston
and secured the services of a Tasmanian youth of 18;
who when about 10 years old had worked for a few
months as compositor. Thereupon a printed Advertiser,
about twelve inches long, containing four pages of two
columns each, was issued. The Sydney Government offi-
cials—true to the principles which ever guided them when
this colony was concerned—entered legal objections to the
publishing of the paper under tho existing Newspapers
Act ; but Fawkner was not to be dismayed, and, in 1839,
he was once more in the field with the legal Port Philip
Patriot. Thenceforward his life in the new settlement
was one of varied success He bought 800 acres at
Pascoevale, and began farming, but ill-fortune drove him
to the Insolvent Court. When he emerged from his
difficulties he at once converted the Patriot into a daily
paper, formed a sheep station, and finally devoted himself
to gardening and wine-making. During the period of his
own private troubles he still found time to render the
State good service. In 1842 he served as one of the
market commissioners; and in 1843, 1844, and 1845 he
was elected a member of the City Council. In 1850, when
the colony of -Victoria was proclaimed, a Legis-
lative Council was called into existence, and Fawkner
now one of the acknowledged champions of popular
rights, was returned as member for the counties
of Dalhousie, Anglesea, and Talbot. The discovery of
gold, and the consequent rise in the value of property,
fortunately placed him in circumstances of moderate in-
dependence, in which he afterwards remained. Though
his name is not connected with the introduction at any
important measure, he took an active part in the proceed-
ings of the Council, and in each step in advance of the
times, and each protest against monopoly—such as the
Orders in Council—or arbitrary interference with the
prosperity of the colony, he was amongst the most ener-
getic workers. When the present Legislative Council
was formed under the new Constitution, Fawkner was
returned second on the poll for the Central Province, and
hence his title of "honourable." He speedily became a
necessary part of the Council, and the absence of the Pre-
sident would not have been more strange than that of
Fawkner's velvet scull-cap and his old-fashioned blue
cloak. He watched narrowly all questions which came
before the House; he spoke also distinctly and decidedly
upon nearly all; and his natural shrewdness and large
colonial experience imparted great importance b 3 his
advice.

Some slight signs are noted of the revival of the
cotton trade in neaten.

Brazil has, it is said, spent two hundred and eighty
millions on her four years' war with Paraguay and lost
150,000 men.

The remains of six men and forty.six horses, sup-
posed to be those of a missing portion of General Fre-
mont's exploring expedition, twenty years ago, were found
recently in the Opal Fork of the Rio Grande.
Miss Harriet Martineau, in writing to the,
American publishers of her volume of Biographical
Sketches, expresses herself as greatly delighted with the
tone of the American criticisms on the volume, but at the
same time much amused by some of the misconceptions
into which some of her critics have fallen. One of the
reviewers stated that she began life as a teacher of
music, in regard to which she says : " It is an odd voca-
tion to invent for me, as I have been deaf from childhood.
I have never taught anything except through the press."

ESTABLISHMENT OF TRA3IWAY OMNIBUSES AT
LIVERPOOL.—An unusual stir and excitement prevailed in
Liverpool on Monday, in consequence of the inauguration
by the Liverpool Tramways Company of their new system
of 'buses, which are of enormous size, and built upon the
American plan. The Company's Act empowers them tolay
down tramways along the great leading roads which
radiate from the heart of the town, and they have already
completed a portion of their scheme. The omnibuses
employed on Monday were ten in number; they are formed
of American ash, and each 'bus is about 1G feet long,
7 feet in interior height, and constructed to hold 22 Hs-
sengers inside and 24 outside. They are neatly and
tastefully fitted and finished, and the outside .well pro-
tected by rails. On Monday there was quite a rush upon
the new vehicles, much to the disgust of the old-fashioned
omnibus drivers, who, by " nursing" their rivals, did all in
their power to worry and annoy them. The public gene-
rally, however, appeared highly to appreciate the advan •
tages which, from increased size, readiness of ingress and
egress, comfcrtablo and safe outside seats, and the absence
of jarring and jolting, aro afforded by the new system.
Each tramway omnibus is drawn by three horses, and ftu-
rdsl.cd with breaks of gretApp:sm.l49 triroisiasiaikiatitth
and ati+ Dzistath,