The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-01 00:00:00

AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

Mr. F. SCOTT wished to know from the Under-Se-
cretary of State for the Colonial Department, whether
the Colonial-office had received a memorial upon the
subject of the Australian Colonies Constitution Bill, ex-
preseing opinions favourable to a double chamber, and
also the land question?
Mr. HAWES said that no such memorial as bad been
alluded to by the lion. Member had been received at the
Colonial-office. When it was, it would be laid on the
table of the House.
SITTING ON SATURDAY.

Lord J. RUSSELL said that it might be convenient
to Hon. Members to know that it had been thought
necessary that the House should sit on Saturday, not
for the purpose of proceeding with any measures that
were calculated to create discussion, but merely to for-
ward measures which pressed,
AUSTRALIAN COLONIES GOVERNMENT
BILL.

On the motion for the consideration of the Lords'
ami•ndments to the Australian Colonies Government Bill,

• Mr. F. SCOTT wished to know whether it was the
intention of the Government to agree with all' the
amendments made by the Lords to this Bill, because
if• they did, he believed thiy would agree to a measure
which was never intended to become law, and one that
would be very diffeekt from that which had passed the
lkouse of Commous. The Bill as amended was not the
Bill that had bt ees introduced into Parliament, and it
was not a mca,ure that had received the concurrence of
the. Australian caloniee. He. wished to know whether it
was the intention of the Gmwarn. nt to persevere in the
passing of this Bill during, the present session. Here
they were, at al ost the last week of the
session, and yet the measure that had been
adverted to in her Majesty's Speech at the com-
mencement ot• the 'ession bad not yet become law.
They bad decided upon giving the Australian colonies
that Which 'they did not ask far, and to refuse them that
which thi.;y did it quire'. It was not fair to the colo-
nists to bring in this Bill at the fag end of the session,
and ask the tlouse to psss it, when it might have been
taken into consideration a; a much earlier period. The
Federative Assembly was to have no power over the
land,.though it wai well known that the wishes of the
colonists were in favour of such power being given to it.
In consequence of the Government arrangements with
respect to the sale of land, our surplus population, in-
stead of .going to the Australian colonies, were induced
to emigrate to North America and to the United States,
where they found the terms more advantageous. The
land was so badly regulated in Australasia, that emi-
grants were driven from the neighbourhood of towns
and settlements to far distant portions of the country,
where they were beyond the control of the Government,
and were bound by no moral, civil, or religious obliga-
tions. Tbis accounted for the existence of states of society
in which the male population greatly predominated, and
which was characterised by the most immoral and depraved
habits. Another objection which he entertained to the
Bill was that it gave power to the Governor to alter the
various salaries contained in the schedule, and as he
might of his own accord diminish them in amount, the
consequence would be that if the judge of any colony
should do any act which was adverse to his wishes, he
might be mulcted of a considerable portion of his income.
this would enable the Governor to compel a judge
to give a deci-ion adverse to bis honest opinions and
convictions, if it should be rig:tiro-I for any particular
purpose or end. The Honourable Gentleman stated, in
conclusion, that he could nut give his assent to a
Bill which gave to Australia a form of government
that was not in accordance with the wishes of the Co-
lonists, and was not calculated to cement that bond of
friendship and attachment to the mother country which
cuebt to exist.

Sir DE LACY EVANS said it was preposterous to
suppose that, af.er this country had gone to great ex-
pense in maintaining her colonies, she should surrender
all claim to the different territories, and give them up to
the present inhabitants. Although be approved of the
Bill as a whole. hit entertanied objectious to particular
parts of it—stech, for instance, as the appointment of a
large Church establishment in the Colony. He
thought the colony would got on extremely well,
in a religious as well as in a moral sense,
without a spiritual establishment; but hardly a new set-
tlement with a few hundred inhabitants sprung up, be-
fore a bishop was appointed and sent out. Much of the
allowance provided fur the Ecclesiastical establishments
of the colony might, therefore, he thought, be dispensed
with i at any rate, he hoped it would not be
au/patented in proportion as the population increased.
But taking the measure altogether it was a very fair
and liberal one, and would have a very beneficial effect
!Limn the colony, and he was gratified to find that a direct
intimation was givrn tl the colonists in the Bill to suggest
any alteration or modifications of it which they might
think nec4haary. On the whole he thought the Govern-
meat had acted right in not prematurely disposing of this
qtuistion, but leaving it to be eventually settled by the
colonists themselvee.

Mr. VERNON SMITH was not at a loss to form
an opinion as to whether or not the Govern-
ment intended to persevere with this Bill this
session. In the present state of the House they
could carry almost anything, and he could, therefore, not
hesitate in deciding that they intended to carry this
measure, but atilt before they proceeded further Go-
vernment ought to disclose what amendments of the
Lords they intended- to reject and what agree to. The majo-
rity of the amendments improved the Bill. He agreed with
the amendment which struck out the clauses which were
proposed to establish a federal assembly in the colonies ;
and ho should be glad to know if Government would
venture to go the length of re-introducing them. The
next amendment established a franchise for the
stitaattiug interest, a provision which he vainly
struggled for when the Bill was under discussion
and in its progress through this House. The next series
of alterations which had been made by the Lords
were far more extenaive and far more objectionable. They
would restrict thefunctions of the colonial legislature, and
continuo in the hands of the Colonial-office powers
which ought to ho abandoned without delay.
The amendments would preclude the legislature of
the colony Loin altering the franchiae, but he
did hope the House and the Government would nut
assent to this alteration, while the clause which had
bean introduced by the Lords in the room of the cl twe
giving tha local legislature the power he had
referred to was calculated :to lead to doubt and
mystification as to its true and real meaning, and it ought
to be struck cut. The next alteration was of :till greats
importance, it struck out the words which gave the
local council power to vary its forms and constitu-
tion, Which tie thought ought to be restored to
the Bill ; and he the. efore hoped, for the :site
of keeping faith with the colonists themselves, the
would Government insist upon carrying that point. As
this was the last opportunity he should have of speaking
on the subject of this Bill, he must again repeat his
regret that the measura had not been made more
liberal and extensive.

Lord JOUN RUSSELL should have stated ,in moving
the adoption of the first amendment, the course