New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-29
NOW THEY MANAGE IN AUS TRALIA.
From TIE London Times.

,ibies which lie On them with respect TO tne yoang
Australian comgranity, and even az he eAin,e y,
home aars are always ready TO inquire into ne state
A, L. gslae for the future destinss OF world newer
than that of Columbus. Their attention Is unoouoI-
edly not confined merely to its political aud CONNER
eeI prospeces the manners the social tendencies and
tbe buddipg genius Of this distant province must ever
be regarded with interest IKE tnat WIN Snicu
nsrenf regards child. We trust therefore, tnat no
reader bas failed to peruse me poI'dar rb;cb
cared in our paper of Saturday The extent OF the
yicerepal authority, and iu views as TO the puohc
duties of its snbordiDates, are made known WIN
,ao1ess fuIl of interest 10 the states nan and the
;nrst while the social philosopher will lind OF the
highest value the picture OF nners In lofty sphere,
ana NAV observe with advantage the literary eaden-
cies of the community as shown IN the Correspondence
itself Uphappy the letters published do not affori
Gle ar narrative Of the event which led TO Them Ihey
must therefore be treated lie those relics OF antiquity
from which patient inquers reconstruct IN SO narVe'
ous q marrer the history OF forgotten ages future
numbers of Tie MelJourne Age may throw further
LIGHT on The subject; but, as the consideration Oh II
ought 10 be delayed, we must even at me possible
rsk of iDaccuracy proceed On such inorhaon as 'ne
CORE spondeDce itself aforcs. 49,
II is as well TO recall the facts of the case. Mr..
Charles b. Croons a Government contractor requests
of The Melbourne Age the favor OF puDhc aon iof an
incosed correspondence. The 6ge consents, and t1e
four letters which have extracted are given to the
world. The subject was the dismissal OF Mr. Cfoons
from the post OF contractor for certain offensive tone
and " bearing at state ball given by his Exceuency
character of the bearing referred to which 10 not
lucdly described in the correspondence, but which,
we think nay he arrived a. by com oarson OF col
lateral circumstances. The first letter Is from Mr.. j.
Moore Colonial secretary IL intmates TO Mr. Croens
that bis Excellency, after consideration OF report
from officer of police, with reference to certain e4-
pressioIs made of on late occasion by the con-
tractor and also with eerence to his tone and bearing
had come to the conclusion that he was unfit any longer
TO hold bic appointment and that Mr.. Moore directed
to Inform him of the fact Mr. Coons, in reply, has the
honor 10 acknowledge the receipt OF the letter. the
contents Of which he echoes ia the approved oihclai
style and he then proceeds inquire what were teof
fsive expressions alluded to, what were the tone aud
bearing displayed and what the occasion, as he was
at loss TO understand how he had offended. Letter
Ill throws the first light On the unknown delinquency
His Exceency having considered the late contractor
request has thought fit TO accede TO it, aad to make
known the of his dismissal. We will now quote
the Secrearys own words in this letter occurs the
Obscure pas age which renders the determination OF
Mr. CroOn's exact ofeDse a matter OF difficulty. u
am directed by his Excellency, he wlIes to state
that III remark you were heard to make on the sub
eject of bis Exceency beer at the late viceregal ball
"was neither courteous proper; and furthermore,
"tbat the want of discretion was aggravated by your
"recumbent bearing and gestures while IN the act of
"eavDg the supper-reom.' If this letter concluded
the correspondence all farther attempts at calculation
would be useless. dispa'aging remark Oh the beer
is sufficiently indca ed, but how man should leave
room with ga recumbent bearing" and how this
unDtell eble exit should deepen the previous oense
musi battle inquiry. Happily, however, Mr. Croons
replies with a vigor and keenbess OF sarcasm which
give a high idea Of Australian talents. Welnow
learn the expression made use of, and have, fro n
the beet authority, description, Though obviously
il complete, of the bearing AMI gestures &c am
summsriy dismissed" saws the contractor, for
"having uttered the exclamation, % Lord! after
ga draueht of the viceregal beer, and for having
walked rather hastily out of the supper room with
one hand pr res. upon my external coating
following the draught Of beer constituted the ofense
of Mr.. Croons. In either case, experience tells us
how disgust and internal pain would be expressed
Mr.. CrooDs, really suffering or improperly ielgDng
that the beverage was deeterious, exclaimed, 80
Lold' pressed bis hand on bis stomach, and ran
out Of the pom. We cannot think that this hypothe
els IA il correct for the Tecumbent attitude described
by tie Secretary is maniesty impossible. We do not
know which of the three Kingdoms Is the laod OF Mr.
Moores nativity but conceive it possible that he
is counuyman of the great statesman who - turned
Sovreep." and exhibited TO THE Commons the
" fuDdamebta features" of his policy.
From view Of social manners let us turn to politi-
cal considerations. passage in the Secretary let.
ter pIopounds theory interesting TO the commercial
world. After stating his E1cellencys opinion that
the offense, though any time it would have come
under the head Of extrem ndiscreton still more
reprehensible having been committed " on great
Estate occasion, when court etiquette obviously
"enforced all Sides" Mr. Moore adds further
ground of dismissal the bad example set by you to
"all other government contractors, whose duty It is
Sat all times, and more especially In public, to sup
"pOrt and countenance all articles of consumption
furnished by official contract" We cannot but
think that Sir c. Hothams views Of political duty
somewhat too exalted Not content with placing a
policeman his guests to report on those who do
not enjoy their supper, he seeks to establish the gen.
eral principle of undiscrimnating appetite for all
commissariat stores among oil persons who have
dealings with the department. He would even pur
sue the unhappy contractor into private life and the
boron of his own family cat all times as
well as in public. the palate of a high-minded |
dealer will perceive every favor in obedi. |
to the viceregal will. As if in express refer
ence to the bodily and facial commissions Of Mr.. |
Croons the Secretary declares II to have been his duty
TO support and countenance' the beer. Yet the |
process of reasoning by which the contractor could |
become Of this moral obligation is not short,
il involves among other}deas, remem orance of bis
own dealings with the commissarat, Of the sources Of
his Exceuencys supplies and Of the duties Of con-
tractors TO each other and the State. The effect Of the
beer, al, may have been such as not 20 leave tine
principle enuDciated by his excelency will not fine
place in Australian jurisprudence. Mr.. Croons con-
cludes the correspondence riumphantly He expresses
bis wonder that the Governor shoHld take oense at
what passed in the supper roOm as the act and the
expression were alike involuntary. He states that |
everything with which be himself has furnished his
ExceltDcy Of the best kind for the price, and
with protest against the despotc decision, has the
" unhappiLess" to be the Secretarys obedient SER
want.
We have here picture of colonial life from which
oil our readers must have learnt some thing. What
Governors are hike, what their balls ike. how
Colonial Secretaries express themselves, aud how
the cooDls,s correspond with them, shown with
vividnees new TO US at home, who have been accus.
toned emily 10 dispatches aud reports. Year after year
there are debates the constitutions the land sys-
TINS the finances Of Australia; everything tn at restes
would seem that nothing new could be said vast Par.
hamentary volumes prepared for those whose par-