The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-14 00:00:00

NEW ZEALAND;

The advices from Kororareka of the 26th of May
give particulars of a public meeting, held at the Ex-
change Hotel, Auckland, about the beginning of that
month, James Coates, Esq., high sheriff, in the chair,
for the purpose of adopting a petition to both Houses
of Parliament, praying for representative institutions,
which they aSsert that " this rapidly rising colony
is justly entitled to."
The petitions to the Queen and to the Imperial
Parliament were read and unanimously adopted, set-
ting forth—
" That many of the British colonies are in the en-
joyment of Legislative Assemblies, without possessing
the population, wealth, revenue, or commercial im-
portance of New Zealand, which, although it has vir-
tually been a British colony for three years only, has
still been inhabited and partly occupied by a large
body of British subjects for upwards of thirty years.
" That the expenditure of the government of this
colony has, during the last two years, amounted to
upwards of 130,0001., and is likely to increase consi-
derably.
"That the petitioners cannot, however, exercise the
slightest control.over the appropriation of the revenue
of the colony, which is entirely under the control of
his Excellency the Governor, three executive mem-
bers of Council, and two non-official members, chosen
by the Governor and irresponsible to the people.
" The petitioners, therefore, humbly pray that Par-
liament will be pleased to adopt such measures as may
seem proper for extending to the colony of New Zea-
land that form of representative legislation to which it
is constitutionally entitled, and which it is now fully
qualified to 'exercise."

EXTRAORDINARY ATTEMPT AT

MURDER AND SUICIDE.
An attempt to commit murder, under rather singu-
lar circumstances, occurred at the Auction Mart
Tavern, yesterday morning, about half an hour after
midnight. A young man, about twenty-one years
of age, who had been in the capacity of potboy for
some considerable time, and who had been most re-
spectably recommended, had, it appears, conceived a
passion for Elizabeth Magnus, who had been about
four years employed at the tavern as barmaid. She
being nearly forty years old, gave the youth no en-
courarment, but still he persevered in his unwelcome
attentions. Oa Monday Mr. Baker, the proprietor
of the tavern, with some friends, had gone to the
Haymarket Theatre, to the benefit of Mr. Archer, and
only Mrs. Baker was left at home to see the house
shut up at the usual hour ; Elizabeth Magnus went
below to lock the cellar door, and the potboy (whose
name we could not ascertain) was close by her—
she remarked something strange in his expression of
countenance, and asked him why he stared so at
her ?- He immediately discharged a pistol at her,
She. called out " Murder," and -the alarm brought
Mrs. Baker down, and the police constable was soon
on the spot. The woman was bleeding,and her clothes
were on fire. When Mrs. Baker first seized the pot-
boy by the arm, she discovered that his throat was
cut. The policeman took the knife out of his hand,
and found a razor in his pocket, and a number of per-
cussion caps. The pistol was one of the cheap Bir-
mingham manufacture. The youth was sent to St.
Thomas's Hospital, where it was found the incision in
his throat was not very deep, nor considered dangerous.
The unfortunate female was taken to her bed-room,
and when she was undressed, the bullet fell from her
clothes. It would appear, from the fact of her clothes
having caught fire, that the young man had been very
close behind her. The bullet passed entirely through
her body on her right side, perforating her stays, and
had been caught in her woollen underclothes. She
was able to detail all the circumstances, and was
placed under the best medical advice that could be
procured,
ured so that the most sanguine hopes are enter-
. tained of the safety of, her life, although, perhaps, it
may be attended with a tedious recovery.

PRINTERS' ALMS•IiOUSB FUND.—An amatuer vocal
concert in aid of the funds for erecting alms-houses
for poor and decayed members of the printing profes-
sion, was given on Monday in the Theatre of the
Mechanics' Institution, Southampton-buildings. It
was well attended, and the manner in which it was
conducted reflects great credit upon all engaged in it,
and, we hope, that with the aid of the public patron-
age being liberally extended to it, the Society will
soon be enabled to attain the object they have in view.
The herring fishery, just concluded at Yarmouth,
has been the most productive for many years. Up-
wards of 200 boats from that port alone have been
engaged during eleven weeks in the trade, and have
realized an average profit of more than 4001. each.
The same trade is as extensively carried on at. Lowe-
stoft, and at other small ports along the same coast.
Lately the French have been very large purchasers.
ALLOTTING LABOURERS,—The labourers belonging
to the parish of Brill have been suffering severe
vations from the want of employment. A short time
since nearly forty persons belonging to that parish.
were inmates of the union-house at nlame.
Those out of the house unemployed made an
house, his Grace being a considerable occuper
attempt to see the Duke of Buckingham, at Wott on -
i in
the parish, for the purpose of stating their grievances.
Their first attempt to get a hearing was unsuccessful ;
a second, however, was made by between 30 and 40
able-bodied men, in a body, which was successful
The Duke relieved their immediate necessities, and
ordered the parish officers of Brill to attend at
Wotton-house ; requeosftedalltohtetmingtotebaellmaepuaarmishonmgeethte-
ing, for the purpose
ratepayers; and stated, that if the rest of the rate-
to their asses -
wouldg choose eight
pmaeynetr st
owtohlei krlattaeks
bteh eomb
ee npauckceo)rdi
labourers for his share for the winter, which is some-
thing more than his proportion.
The parish meetin p
was
and an arrangement made to
send o accordinglyne
for each 70/. assessment to the
l abour
labourer
called,
poor-rates ; those paying less than a 70/. assessment
to take a labourer so many days a week in proportion.
SUICIDE.—Mr. Carter, the Coroner for Surrey, held
an inquest at half-past one yesterday afternoon, at th
York Hotel, Waterloo-bridge-road, on the body of
Louisa Caroline Smith, a fine girl of 16, who termi-
nated her existence on Friday night last. It ap-
peared, from the evidence of her mother, a respect-
able widow, residing at 16, Charles-street, Oakley-
street, that the deceased had, for sometime past, been
serving in the house of an invalid huh', whence she
had been discharged for some acts of petty theft ; she
spending the money thus got, by pledging the pro-
perty, in theatres and other places of amusement
She had been attached to a respectable young mast,
the son of a master tailor, in the Waterloo-road, and
they had for a considerable time been keeping company.
Latterly, however, he dropped her society, and this
treatment preyed very much upon her, spirits, and
kept her always desponding. She frequently, in con-
sequence, threatened to destroy herself. Last Thurs.
day afternoon witness went out after somebusiness,
leaving deceased at home with the children. On her
' return, the elder child told her that " Louisa had
gone out, and taken 2s. Sd. with her." She did not
return home that evening, but she was seen next day
by a person in the New Cut, Lambeth, and in the
evening of the same day by another party near West-
minster Abbey. Next morning, a young man, in a
dredging machine, at the swath side of Waterlee-
bridge, picked up her body, and, from the appearance,
it could not have been more than five or six hours in the
river. Verdict' —" Committed suitide while Ina state
of teMporary derangement."