The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-07 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

SYDNEY, DEC. 14.
Nr. Pritchard, the British Consul at the Fdiejee
Islands, arrived in Sydney a few-days ago in the
missionary ship John Wesley,-)vith a treaty in his
pocket, by which the protectorate of the Fejee
Islands is to be ceded to. Great Britain on certain
conditions, and he proceeds to England by the mail
steamer to see if he can secure the ratification of

this agreement by her Majesty's Government.
Thakomban, the native potentate who thus offers
to place his royalty under the guardianship of her
Majesty, has been induced to take this course to
escape from the pressure of demands made by the
Government of the United States. Some American
citizens ha'a been killed in Feejce, others have
been injured in their property and persons in
various encounters. The demands made for indem•
nity have never been satisfied. The claims, some
of which are of old standing, have been assessed by
a board of American officers at 45,000 doll.. and in
order to escape the payment or- the punishment
which is threatened for nonliayment, the Fejee
chief offers to hand over his dominions to the
British Government, and leave it with them to
make it right with the authorities at Washington.
He proposes to retain his titular sovereignty, but
to part with his real power, and -to govern only in
accordance with the instructions of her Majesty's
local representative. To compensate for the £9,000
which her Majesty will have to pay- for the honour
of being Queen of Feejee, he offers to. give 200,000
acres of land in fee simple, with-any other plots of
land that may be needed for Governmental pur-
poses.

S omething.more than curiosity exists in Sydney to
know whether the British Government will favour-
ably consider this offer.- The establishment of
British power among the islands has been long
desired, not only by the missionaries, but the
traders, as .a protection, not only against foreign
aggression, but also against internal organisation.
The occupation of Feejee would act as a counter-
poise against the . French influence at Tahiti and
New Caledonia, and would break the line of French
posts across the Pacific.. And, what would be
equally popular in Australia, it would necessitate
the maintenance in those waters of one or two more
British ships of war. - But, perhaps, the very reasons
why the colonists would like to see a British estab-
lishment.in Feejee were those which would most
strongly induce her Majesty's Ministers not to take
such- a course. To multiply its isolated depend-
erioieS, except for very good reasons, is not the
policy of ,the Government ' • still less so to purchase
a right of quarrel with the United States. The
Feejee Islands, however, would in themselves be a
valuable possession. The two principal islands are
of considerable area, the lowlands are fertile, and
are capable of producing good cotton ;- the moun-
tains are salubrious, there. arc several excellent
harbours, and a native population estimated roughly
at 200,000. But it is not very clear whether
Thakomban's title to be chief of the whole group is
sound and marketable.

During the past month one session of Parliament
has closed and another has opened. It was consti-
tutionally necessary to try and pass the estimates
for 1859 before Christmas. The Appropriation
Act for the present year was not assented to till
the, close of November, so that the money was in
reality nearly all spent before it was voted. Party
squabbles and Ministerial changes have thrown the
Parliamentary work so much in arrear that it has
been found impossible to get the estimates passed
in time. Au attempt is now being made to fetch
up leeway. The Government intend to bring
forward this session nothing whatever but the esti-
mates, and to pass them on as fast as possible, leav-
ing all general measures to the Reformed Par-
liament; but the Opposition have already shown a
desire to introduce various questions, and to impede
the progress of the mere financial business, so that
the session may yet be a long 'one.
During the interval between the two sessions an
ecclesiastical Parliament was held in the shape of
a conference of the Church of England clergy and
lay delegates, summoned by the bishop to decide as
to the establishment of a synod. The Church- of
England in the colonies. is in a somewhat anoma-
lous position. It labours, or is said to labour, under
special disabilities, which impede its free action.
But the Imperial authorities, for reasons affecting
the prerogative, decline to pass any bill definitely
removing these alleged disabilities. It only remains,
therefore, for an appeal to be made to the colonial
Legislatures. In Canada, in Victoria, in Tasmania,
acts have been passed legalising the convention
of synods. In South Australia and New Zealand
synods have been established by voluntary consent
of the parties concerned, and without any appeal
to Parliament. At the recent conference in Sydney,
it was decided by a large majority to apply for
Parliamentary sanction, and to present to the Le-
gislature not only an enabling bill, but a bill con-
stituting the ecclesiastical organisation of the synod.
Such a bill was accordingly agreed to, after careful
discussion of its clauses, and the conference has
been dissolved. But it is, by no means certain that
the bill will pass Parliament. The Catholics have
been deeply offended of late by the return to the
colony unsanctioned of their bill to establish a Ca-
tholic College in connection with the University of
Sydney. In this bill the phrases " archbishop" and
" archdiocese" of Sydney were used, and the bishop
remonstrated against them, and not by petition to
the Assembly, but by letter to the Government, and
privately by communicating with high ecclesias-
tical authorities at home. Lord Stanley sympa-
thised with the abjection, and sent the bill back to
be amended. Resolutions have been several times
brought forward in the Assembly by the Catholic
party strongly condemnatory of Lord Stanley's con-
duct, but they have been invariably .met by a
count out. This has only made the Catholics still
more angry, and they vow to have their revenge at
the next general election. They will certainly use
their political influence which is very great, to pay
out the bishop by securing the rejection of his
Synod Bill, and in this they will be aided by the
non-episcopal portion of the religious community,
who are opposed to anyrecognition by the Govern-
ment of the internal constitution of the different
churches. A very respectable and influential
minority, too, in the Church of England itself is
opposed to the bill in the shape in which it has
come out of the conference, so that its chances of
becoming the law of the land are not very bright.
The quarrel between the squatters and the Go-
vernment as to their rights under their leases seems
likely to be transferred to the Supreme Court. One
of the acts passed in the late session imposed an
assessment on runs. There have been previously
assessments on stocks, but never before an assess-
ment on the carrying capacityof the runs, many of
which are altogethertunstocked or only-very lightly
stocked. This change in the incidence of the tax
is said to be illegal and not sanctioned by the
orders in Council. Most of the colonial lawyers
take this view, though, of course, there are found
others prepared to argue on the opposite side. The
wealthy squatters do not care to contest the point,
inasmuch as victory would be disaster,lor, Were
they to overturn the present arrangement, they
know full well that they would only get worse
terms at any future settlement. But some of the
poorer squatters, on whom the tax presses hardly,
and especially so 4s being a retrospective tax,. for it
was not passed till the year had nearly expired,
threaten to, try the right of the Government in the
law courts.. the late Attorney-General has given
his written opinion that the Judge would be forced
to decide against the Government. As one adverse
deoLs.ion would iuytolveequay every case, this long

On Saturday evening a numerously attended
meeting of the electors of the borough of Green-
wich was • held in the hall of the Greenwich
Literary
*lnstitution for the purpose of hearing
from Lieutenant-General Sir William Codrington,
M. k. for the borough, an account of his steward-
ship. Mr. James Laing occupied the chair.
General CODRINGTON was 'very well received,
and proceeded to review in rapid succession the
principal measures which had engaged the atten-
tion of the Legislature during the last session of
Parliament. and the votes he had given on those
measures. Defending the conduct of Lord Canning
as Governor-General of India, and condemning the
despatch which had been written against the pro-
clamation issued by his Lordship; ho paid a well-
merited eulogium to the conduct of the troops
engaged in suppresiing the revolt, under the
gallant leadership of General Sir H. Havelock,
Lord Clyde, Sir John Lawrence, and others. The
gallant General next referied to the attempt of
Orsini on the life of the Emperor of the French, as
a miserable, dastardly,: and inipolitic crime, and
denied that the. Conspiracy- Bill brought into the
House of Commons by Lord Palmerston was in-
tended as an interference with the right of asylum
so freely granted by: this eountry_ to foreigners.
(Hear, hear.) It was intended by that bill to make
those who-in this country plotted, with others in
another country, to commit such' crimes as that of
Orsini,- amenable to the lawfor the consequences of
"Such Plotting, 'although the offence might be com-
mitted abroad and for the passing of which bill he
had given his vote, and would be prepared to do so
again if the opportunity occurred. (Cheers and
hisses.) Having referred to the votes he had given
in favour of the admission of Jews to Parliament, the
total abolition of church-rates, the property qualifica-
tion of members, and of Mr. Locke -King's motion
for an extension of the county franchise, and his
opposition to the ballot, the gallant General ob-
served that when he first sought the honour of
representing the borough in Parliament hehad stated
that he considered an extension of the suffrage
necessary. (Cheers.) That opinion he still held.
(Renewed cheers.) ,He had given no pledge,
because he did not think it right for members, or
for the interests of constituencies that a member
should be a mere delegate, as to what that exten-
sion should consist ; but, having pledged himself to
the principle, he hoped the electors would trust
him, as` they had trusted him before, promising
them that he would not deceive them, but that he
would support that measure which, in his opinion,
would most conduce to the happiness and prospe-
rity of the country. (Cheers.)
The meeting was next addressed by Mr. CROW
and Mr. AIACARTHY, both of whom declared that
General Codrington had not given that support
which he ought to procure an increase of pay to
Government dockyard labodrers, Mr. Maearthy
producing a letter written by the General in Aug.
1857, to another person, to prove his remarks.
General CODRINGTON emphatically repelled the
statement made against him, and said, that not
only had he waited upon the Admiralty, but upon
the authorities at the War-office also, to procure an
increase of pay to the dockyard labourers. (Cheers.)
In proof of this ho would direct attention to the
letter which had been produced with the intention
of injuring him, merely observing that a, private
letter written to another person had been by some
means obtained, and that, although he had no ob
jection to it being publicly read, yet if ought to be
a warning to representatives as to what they might
write even privately to any of their constituents.
(Hear, and cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN here read the letter, which was
simply an answer, received by General Codrington
from Sir C. Wood, to the. effect that neither poli-
tical nor private influence could be permitted by
the Admiralty to be exercised in regard to the
amount of wages paid to persons in Government
dockyards, but that all complaints must be made
by the workmen themselves, through the different
Captain• Superintendents, when it was suggested
the Admiralty would have no objection to receive
one or two of the workmen as a deputation.
A scene of indescribable confusion here ensued,
two men who had mounted the platform wrestling
with each other; and it was not until the walking-
stick of one of them bad been broken, and they
were both ejected from the building that order was
restored.

Several other questions, including legal reform,
the rating of G.overnment property, and a Maine
liquor law, having been answered,
Mr. NOBLE proposed a resolution, expressing
satisfaction in the past and confidence in the future
conduct of General Codrington as a representative
of the borough.
Mr. TEULON seconded the resolution, which was
carried.

A vote of thanks was then passed to the Chair-
man, and the meeting was about separating, when
General CODRINGTON again came forward, and
said he had to request the attention of the electors
to a matter which affected them as well as himself.
On the 31st of January he had been offered a mili-
tary command abroad. At that time he had ar-
ranged to hold three public meetings in the borough
but at neither of the two meetings previously held,
at Deptford and Woolwich, had it been settled
whether he would accept that command, nor had it
been settled until within a quarter of an hour of
his coming to the meeting that evening. The
command to which he had referred would not be
vacant until April, and he had now to state. that it
was his intention, when that time arrived, to resign
into the hands of the constituency that honour and
that important trust which they had conferred
upon him. In doin; so, he had to thank the elec-
tors for the kindness and support he had received,
assuring them that when the time arrived for say-
ing farewell he should look back with the greatest
pleasure upon his connection with the borough.
(Cheers.)
The above announcement took the meeting by
surprise, and as the second vacancy in the repre-
sentation of the borough will occur about the same
time as the writ is expected to be issued for the
election of a successor to Mr. John Townsend, dis-
qualified from tiking his seat, it is generally sup•
posed that both scats will be contested at the same
election. Already it is rumoured that other candi-
dates, in addition to Mr. Alderman Salomons and
Mr. Angerstein, mho have been some time in the
field, will present themselves in the course of a few
days, and that a numerously signed requisition will
be presented to Mr. Montag:Chambers, Q.C., to
allow himself to be put in nomination.

BERRESENTAT.ERSI TI TION O _EA
F ST WOR-
CES RE.

WORCESTER, Saturday.

•
The contest, in which Mr. Calthorpe on the
Liberal .and Mr. Pakington on the Conservative
side are now engaged, promises to be a hot
Mr. Pakingtoii has been obliged to refrain fr°in
ad-
dressing public meetings, being exhausted by h
exertions, but Lordlngestre, M.P' , Hon. F. Ly;onis,
M.P., and other gentlemen, are canvassing and
speechifying on his behalf, and they claim to-day
to have secured 1,700 promises, out of aconstitu-
ency of 5,900. On the other hand, M Calthorpe
continues personally to address the el ectors, and
his friends are sanguine of success.
It being announced that Lord Irk, Hon. F.
Lvgon, and Mr. Dowdeswell wouldnstre,
this afternoon
address the electors at the Coi Exchange here,
Lord Ingestre was proceeding to speak, when he
was interrupted by some of de merchants, who ob-
jected to the business hours of the market being
interfered with, and his_ lordship was saluted with
a shower of wheat samples. An adjournment then
took place to the street, where Lord Ingestre spoke
fora short time, and was followed by the other
gentlemen named.
At Stourbridge last evening, at the eloSe of the
market, there was a meeting of the friends of both
parties, when
Mr. H. J. W. FOLFY: M.P., spoke on behalf of
Mr. Calthorpe, but denied that he was his political
sponsor, for on some points—the ballot for instance
—they did not agree. He (Mr. Foley) was for the
ballot, but Mr. Calthorpe opposed it. Neverthe-
less he supported Mr. Calthorpe, because he was in
other respects decidedly a Liberal.
Mr. F. LYGON, M.P. urged the electors to sup-
port the candidate who would do his best to keep
up their great national institutions, which had made
England- what she now was, and not to encourage
those men who would subvert and weaken those
institutions, and Americanise the country. He be-
lieved • Lord Derby's Government was one which
was entitled to the support and confidence of all
classes who wished well to their country, and Air.
Pakington, if returned by them, would support
man
that Government. He was a Worcestershire ,
a gentleman of literary attainments, of good estate,a

--4, 1 • -
he course which I have pursued in parliament during
the last six years renders any fresh declaration of my poli-
tical opinions unnecessary.
" If, honoured by the choice of my native-county, I am
returned to the House of Commons as the representative of
tho most important constituency of the empire, it will be my
duty to labour yet more earnestly to give full effect to those
great principles of civil and religious liberty, of commercial
freedom, and political progress, of which I havo ever been
the humble but sincere supporter.
" The all-important question of parliamentary reform
will immediately be brought before the House of Conurions,
and I shall c to the consideration of any measures that
may be proposed with a strong conviction of the many ano-
malies to be rectified, and abuses to be removed—but no
less with a conviction that it is the duty of the legislature
to proceed cautiously in the great work of repairing and
strengthening and extending a representative system under
which the people of this country are enjoying a greator
amount of freedom and happiness than is to be found under
any alter government in the world.—l have the honour to
be, gentlemen, your most obedient servant,
"JOHN WILLL'-M RAMSDES.
"London, February 4, 1859."

TILE COMET IN 117 E TV ZEALAND.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—On the 15th of October, shortly after sun-
set, we had the first distinct view of what there
appears to be little doubt is the great cornet of
1261 and 1556, whose long journey has been calcu-
lated with 'so much precision that it was expected
to visit our world again this year. Its position was
then (15th Oct.) in the northern extremity of the
sign Scorpio, just outside the ecliptic, 20 deg. south
of the equator, and 265 dog. west longitude. Appa-
rently the nucleus was about the size of the planet
Mars, and was distinctly defined. • The coma was
in breadth nearly the diameter of the nucleus, and
the tail, which was slightly curved towards the sun,
and to a small extent fan•shaped, was about four
degrees in length. The breadth of the tail in the
middle might be a quarter the apparent diameter
of the moon ; and, as is almost invariably the case
with these strange visitors, extended in a direction
opposite to that of the sun. For about a third of
its length it was very bright, notwithstanding
the eclipsing effects of a new moon, then it waxed
fainter and fainter, until it became, as it were, im-
perceptibly lost in tho heavens.
I have described its appearance in the past tense,
as it has not been visible to the naked eye since the
16th inst., although it may likely be seen for some
time yet with a powerful telescope. Although in
many respects it corresponds to the comet formerly
alluded to, its progress does not agree with it ; for
while the stranger in 1556 pursued a north-westerly
path, this one is receding from the sun in a south-
east direction, along the edge of the sign Scorpio,
across the ecliptic at an angle of 384 degrees. It is
moving into space with great rapidity, at first
nearly 5 degrees in 24 hours ; but, as its distance
became greater, this apparent motion became of
course much less—say, latterly, about one degree in
the same time.

I have taken the liberty of giTing you these par-
ticulars, arrived at to the best of my ability and op-
portunity, in case a more scientific person should not
send home a report from this quarter of this strange
phenomenon of nature. _ _

. I am, sir, your obedient servant,
ANTIPODES.
Wellington, New Zealand, Nov. 249.

COLLISION IN THE CHANNEL.

BRIGHTON, Sunday.—The weather has been very
squally off -this coast for some days past. Last
night it blew a stiff gale outside, and at daybreak
this morning the Coast Guard discovered a large
barque, dismasted, drifting down Channel to the
eastward, about four miles out. She had only a
part of her mizenmast standing, and not a shred of
canvas was Visible. 'The lifeboats were immediately
launched,- and two crews, headed by the well-known
John Wright, of this place, and John Spicer, Ono'
of his lieutenants, put off through a heavy surf to
render assistance to the vessel. The wreck was
observed about the same time from, the Greenway
Preventive Station at Rotting-dean, and, under the
direction of Richard Millard, the veteran chief
boatman in charge, a small four-oared galley,
manned by five gallant fellows belonging to the
station, put off to aid the vessel. There was much
difficulty in launching this small boat, owing to the
heavy sea running at the time, and great anxiety
prevailed for the safety of her crew, even after she
had got well clear of the breakers". • But the gallant
little craft crested the waves in good style, and after
a couple of hours hard pulling she was the first boat
to come alongside the wreck, which lay in the
trough of the sea, rolling fearfully. After consi-
derable risk and difficulty, the coxswain of the
galley, Wm. Wiley, broUght his vessel alongside,
and with his companions boarded the vessel, which
proved to 13,, the Spanish baque Vizcaya, of Bilboa,
Captain Jose de Urquida, in ballast, bound from
Falmouth to London, for orders. The crew had
abandoned the ship, which had evidently been in
recent collision with some large vessel, the masts,
yards, and rigging lying in one indiscriminate miss
upon the deck, and the bulwarks on both sides.
being carried away. The ship being now south-
west of Rottingdean, and beating ill towards a
rocky shore, the crew of the galley, as the only
chance of saving her, let go the bower anchor,
which fortunately brought her up immediately.
When, shortly afterwards, the Brighton lifeboats
arrived, their assistance was declined by the more
fortunate crew in possession, whose superior officer
had taken the precaution of sending over from Rot-
tingdean to Newhaven, begging that the first
steamer that could be got ready would put to sea
immediately. The Brighton and South Coast Com-
pany's steamship Lyons, Captain Wright, was the
first to get her steam up, and as soon as the water
in the harbour permitted, she &net
cooffmtpoatnhy%wagreecnkt:
iheie was considerable
ahnadviTgwoonebhoaldelMpriloßtoss.son,
difficulty in attaching the hawser, but after a time
this was accomplished, and about half-past one
o'clock the wreck was safely towed into Newhaven
Harbour, where she remains in charge of the pre-
ventive officers. Later this morning; a full-rigged
ship-was observed off Shoreham, partially dismasted.
Several steamtugs put off to her assistance, and in
consequence of thcdraught of water being too great
to enter Shoreham Harbour they have taken her to
the westward, probably intending to go into Ports-
mouth. This is supposed to be the ship with which
the Spanish barque must have come into collision
during last night ; and it is hoped that the crew of
the latter will be found on board the larger ship.