The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-19 00:00:00

THE COLONY OF BRITISH COL U 1

llr. Nugent, the late American Re, adept in Bri-
tish Columbia, has addressed the follts% Ting circular
to the citizens of the United States iii Vancouver's
Island and British Columbia :
" Having received from citizens of ' the United
States, mining and trading on Fraser's River and
in its vicinity, a number of letters comt;nlaining of
acts of injustice and oppression at the' ha nds of the
colonial authorities, and being on the e, ve of my
departure to lay my report before the Government
at Washington, I take this public method. of
ap-
prising American citizens sojourning in Vancouver's
Island and British Columbia of the views of our
Government in regard to their rights and etanding
in those colonies.

" I need scarcely say that the Government of the
United States expects of its own citizens abroad
a decent conformity with local regulations, obe-
dience to the laws of the countries they visit.,
and a proper show of respect for the authorities
by whom those laws are administered- This
is exacted of strangers visiting the different States
of the Union, who are amenable to punishment for
a violation of the laws of those States, or of tho
United States, as are American citizens for infrac-
tion of the laws of such foreign countries as they
may eater in pursuit of pleasure or of bui.iness.
Such of our citizens, therefore. as have taken up
their residence in British Columbia and Vancou-
ver's Island are subject, like all other residents, to
the laws of the colonies and of Great Britain, 'and
are liable, like all others, to the penalties meted
out by those laws to persons properly convicted ,of
their violation.
" I am aware that an elaborate attempt :to im-
press these facts upon my fellow citizens in these
colonies would be superfluous. Their sobriety of
deportment, their decent observance of all the pro-
prieties'of life, in the midst of privations and annoy-
ances of no common degree, and their obedience to
the law under very trying provocations to its in-
fringement, although they may not have gained for
them such liberal treatment as was due to that for-
bearance and good conduct, have, nevertheless,
commanded the respect of the strangers among
whom they are cast, and cannot fail to be subjects
of pride and gratulation to their own Government.
" Considering the circumstances attending the
recent settlement of these colonies, it was scorcely

to be expected that a well-regulated Governinent
could be at encehuilt up out of the chaotic elements
suddenly thrown together in such confusion. Much
was to be pardoned in the inexpericnl of an gxe-
cutive hitherto dealing for the most part with
savages, and possibly unprepared by previous train-
ing for the more refined exigencies imposed by Go-
vernmental relations with a white population—
much of the cause of complaints that have ariien
was, to some extent, excusable, because due to the
unlicensed rudeness of the subordinate officers of
the Hudson's Bay CoMpany and the Colonial
Government, who, by reason of their long isola-
tion from civilized society, and their habitual
intercourse with Indians, had unlearned most of the
finer traits of humanity, and were scarcely account-
able for a grossness of conduct that has become to
them a second nature; and, lastly, much was to be
excused in the ignorance and want of tone of tourts
organised out of such crude and unfit materials as
those, the only ones that were at hand on the sud-
den influx of the strangers. In some instances, no
doubt, theSe courts have fallen short of even the
limited expectations justified by the peculiar cir-
cumstances of their construction and the strange
constituents of which they were composed. But it
is not to be doubted that the British Goverument
will, without unnecessary. delay, provide remedies
for the evils and abuses arising from this condition
of things—evils and abuses affecting not alone the
prosperity of its own subjects, but the rights of
citizens of a foreign and friendly Power.
" The forbearance, in the meantime, of the citizens
of the United States, their quiet observance of the
laws under any aggressions on their rights of which
they may have to complain, will not alone have its
reward in the consciousness of having done credit
to their country—a country whose institutions are
based upon that all-pervading love of order and
that spirit of obedience to the law which distin-
guishes its citizens—but it will, moreover, entitle
them to the active intervention of their own
Government for the redress of their grievances and
for the protection of their rights. That the Govern-
ment of the United States, upon proper cause being
shown—after recourse shall have been had in vain
to the tribunals against acts of oppressioil or injustice
—will so intervene for the redress and protection of
its citizens in British Columbia and Vancouver's
Island, I am authorised and instructed to give them
the most emphatic assurance. If wrong be done them
let them appeal to the courts. It is to be hoped they
will obtain justice, but should those tribunals unfor-
tunately be too impotent, too ignorant, or too cor-
rupt to administer the law with impartiality and
firmness, our citizens may reckon with certainty
upon the prompt and efficient interference of their
own Government in their behalf. The best guar-
antee I can furnish them of the certainty of such
interposition will be found in the subjoined decla-
ration by the Hon. Lewis Cass, Secretary of State
of the United States, in a recent despatch to our
Minister in Nicaragua, enunciating clearly and.
vigorously the views of our Government in respect
to the rights of our citizens visiting foreign coun-
tries :

" The United States believe it to be their duty,
and they mean to execute it, to watch over the
persons and property of their, citizens visiting
foreign countries, and to intervene for their protec-
tion when such action is justified by existing cir-
cumstances and by the law of nations. Wherever
their citizens may go through the habitable globe,
when they encounter injustice they may appeal to
the Government of their country, and the appeal
will be examined into, with a view to such action
on their behalf as it may be proper to take. It is
impossible to define in advance and with precision
those cases in which the national power may be
exerted for their relief, or' to what extent relief
shall be afforded. Circumstances as they arise must
prescribe the rule of action. 111 countries where
well-defined and established laws arc in operation,
and where their administration it committed to
able and independent judges, cases will rarely
occur where such intervention will be necessary.
But these elements of confidence and security are

not everywhere found ; and where that is unfortu-
nately the case the United States arc called upon
to be more vigilant in watching over their citizens,
and to interpose efficiently for their protection
when they are subjected to tortuous proceedings by
the direct action of the Government, or by. its in-
disposition or inability to discharge its duties.'
" It is unnecessary for me to make any further or
more pointed application of this declaration to the
circumstances of American citizens in these colonies.
Their own intelligence and prudence will enable
them so to guard their conduct that they shall
never forfeit that provident and fatherly care and
protection which it promises, and which the Go-
vernment of the United States has both the ability
and the will to exercise over all its children, in
whatever part of the world they may be.

" JOHN YUGEIsiT,
" Special Agent of the United States.
" Victoria, Vancouver's Island, Nov. 13, 1858."

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, TUESDAY EVENING.
TIIE LANDLORD DEMONSTRATION.

A number of letters are published in the Post of
this evening fronfmembers of Parliament and other
influential parties in reply to the circular invitation
to attend the meeting of landlords on the 27th inst.
Mr. Bagwell, the Member for Clonmel, and Mr.
Loftus Bland promise to be present, but with a
view of proposing amendments to the resolutions.
Mr. Hugh Morgan Tuite, formerly member for
Westmeath, and Mr. Bernal Osborne peremptorily
refuse to have anything to do with the matter. The
latter gentleman says, in the absence of any infer•
mation as to the construction of this committee,
the names of the two honorary secretaries being
alone attached to the circular, it is material the
theh south or west of
any nobleman
eicslhemoualnd be informed
with ter
ed
whe
puhorgl gentleman
has been consulted as to the correctness of
the facts assumed in these extraordinary propasi_
tions, how far it is true that the " Riband system"
has been "recently revived," and is the law really
inefficient " tbr the protection of life and property
A resident in the south of Ireland, I venture to
question the grounds on which such views are 'en-
tertained, while altogether denying that the law,
as at present administered, needs any amendment i
so as to render it more effective "for the security of
landlords who wish to improve their estates," .&e.
Whatever may be the state of the counties of Down
and Donegal there is no sufficient evidence of dip
revival of Ribaml societies in this country. In
general no one acquainted with Ireland will con-
found the Republican aspirations of the so-called
Phcenix clubs with the revival of Riband societies,
and agrarian outrage. Unfortunately for the credit
of the provincial committee, there never was a
period when the county of Tipperary was so free
from the illegal combination mentioned in Resolu-
tion No. 1.

The 15 prisoners in custody in Belfast on the
charge of being connected with an illegal society,
were discharged on security today, to appear at the
next assizes. Bail was given, themselves in £lOO,
and two sureties in £5O each.