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The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803-1842) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2201268
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TUESDAY, JUNE 28, 1831.
BY the Eleanor we have news from England to the 18th of February, being only five days later than we had received before. Our packages by the Cvrlcr, containing the papers and periodicals of November, have also reached us, as have the Hobart Town journals of the two weeks previous to those acknowledged in our last. Our Cape papers reach to the 20th April, and Madras papers to the 9th of February. But from all these bulky stores we derive nothing particu- larly interesting.
The most important intelligence brought out by the present arrivals, is the Report of the Parliamentary Commission for en- quiring into Colonial Revenues. The Commissioners had already presented two Reports, relating to others of the Colo- nies, and the third, which has been brought out by the Eleanar, contains the whole of their observations upon New South Wales. They recommend sundry changes, some of which are of a serious nature. The Internal Revenue Office they propose to abolish, and to incorpo-
rate its duties into the establishment of the Colonial Treasurer, with the addition to the latter of one clerk for that pur- pose. The Commissioners could have had but a very inadequate conception of the nature and extent of the business transacted in both these departments, or we are confident they would never have suggested the abolition of the one, or an addition to the duties of the other.
Another recommendation is, that the department of Public Works be merged in that of the Surveyor General, under the subordinate management of an officer to be designated the Superintendent of
Works.
Besides these changes, the Report proposes a reduction of salary in several of the civil ' establishments, in some in- stances to a very large amount.
But as these are, after all, mere re- commendations, which may or may not be acted upon, according as the Ministry, after mature reflection, shall deem prac- ticable or just, we purposely abstain from entering into further particulars.
That the servants of the public should be remunerated to the full extent of the value of their services, and of the rank they are required respectively to main- tain in society, is a position so plain that no well-meaning man can pretend to dis- pute it. But amid the present clamour for retrenchment, which assails them from every quarter, and with more than ordinary violence, there isno small danger lest the Ministry should be impelled to measures which their own good sense would otherwise have avoided. In aiming at that large aggregate of reduc- tion which can alone bear any manner of proportion to the extravagant demands made upon them, they must necessarily encounter serious difficulties in their in- spection of details, difficulties involving both justice to individuals, and the effi- cient conduct of the business of the state. It is no enviable predicament for a Government to be placed in, to have on the one hand the task of large con- cessions to the people, and on the other the duty of maintaining the public de
i
paftments in a slate of healthy efficiency. To steer well through so intricate a channel, requires all tho wisdom tho pilot eau summon.
WE find it} our Law Report, that the premature admission of an attorney to practise in the Supreme Court, as com- plained of by one of our Correspondents last week, was on Saturday cancelled. On a transaction so utterly unimportant to the public, however much it may have interested the profession to which the gentleman belongs, we shall not waste our time by commenting ; nor should we have noticed the subject at all in our Editorial capacity, had our attention not been drawn to it by a correspondent who subscribes himself AN OBSERVER.
According to this writer, it seems that our journal has been so unfortunate as to provoke the repeated displeasure of the learned Judges. We aro sorry, and somewhat surprised, to hear it. It has always been our wish, to support the just dignity of the Bench, as well as of every other public institution ; nor are we aware that we have at any time belied that wish by disrespectful conduct. That we have on some occasions dissented from their dicta, and recorded the reasons of our dissent, we of course must admit ; but surely this cannot have lowered us in
their Honours' estimation !
In our present Law Report, we per- ceive that the CHIEF JUSTICE, alluding to the letter published in last Thursday's Gazette, signed " A USETUL HINT," de- signates its allusions as f« illiberal and impertinent," and hopes " the Court was too strong in public opinion to be affected by such allusions, coming fiom such a source" ; and His Honour " repudiates as false" the writer's assertions respecting
his conversation with members of the profession.
To take these remarks seriatem :-That our correspondent's allusions were *' illi- beral," was our own opinion at the time, and heneo we defended the Judges from his attacks in the self-same paper that contained his letter. That they were " impertinent," certainly was not our impression, or they would assuredly have been rejected from our columns. Justice HOLT himself admits that Judges are open to the criticism of the press, and that they may even be criticised severely. Under this established dictum, we thought, and continue to think, that how- ever severe and illiberal might be the writer's allusions, they wero in no sense " impertinent"
As to the CHIEF JUSTICE'S sneer at
the letter as " coming from such a source," and his " repudiating as false" its alleged conversations with members of the pro- fession, we beg to ask, how came His Honour to know from what source it
came ? Our Editorial secrets are very strictly guarded, and even if the tone of His Honour's expression had not itself proved his ignorance of the " source" whence the letter came, we should have been satisfied he could not have penetrated our arcanum. We have, however, a debt to ourselves, as well as to our honorary contributor; and since the CHIEF JUSTICE has
sneered at the letter in question as " coming from such a source," and " re- pudiated as false" certain of its asser- tions, self-defence constrains us so far to disclose the secret as to say, the letter was written by a member of the legal pro- fession-more, by a BARRISTER!
If this is a '. source" worthy of such unqualified contempt, the honourable profession of the Bar is infinitely less
honourable than we have been accustomed
to believe ; and if a gentleman of educa- tion and good fame, whose name is en-
rolled as a " BARRISTER and ADVO- CATE" of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, could insult us and the public with an assertion deserving to be " repudiated as false" by the Chief func- tionary of that Court, we can only say, we envy not the head covered by the writer's wig, nor the heart enveloped in the folds of his gown. We shall not be- tray his name, unless compelled by process of law ; but we have so high an opinion of his courage and independence, that we have no doubt he would readily step forward, if necessary, to avow his full responsibility, and meet his gain sayers face to face.
AN OBSERVER affirms that he ha« heard the learned Judges say they " never read the newspapers." There must be some mistake here. It comes to our knowledge that they do read them, and read them attentively too-more especially the one we have the honour to conduct. But the OBSERVER should not
be surprised that while the severe, and
even impudent remarks of other journals are passed over in silence, those of the Sydney Gazette, though comparatively mild, and always respectful, produce a pungent sensation. This is perfectly na- tural. Our journal has established a moral character in the community, which giv.es to its criticisms an impressive and commanding powor. We do not speak this ostentatiously, nor do we feel elated at the fact. We aro so sensible that the strict adherence to truth and probity which we have always made our rule of action, will and must, in spite of all the efforts of envy and hatred, ensure tho respect and confidence of mankind, that we regard our power as a thing of course. While some of the newspapers produce no impression by their mightiest blows, be- cause abuse is well known to be the material by which they live,-our lightest touch in- flicts a smart, and extorts the cry of pain. And vastly amu3ed we are, by the at- tempts we sometimes witness to conceal the pang-attempts so ludicrously awk- ward, that they always disturb our .pro- fessional gravity of muscle. In short, no greater compliment could be paid to our journal, than thus to single it out for special animadversion. It is placing the laurel upon our brow. It is swelling the list of our triumphs. It is a demonstra- tion of the goodness of our sword; and the prowess of our arm. It shows that wo possess, in an eminent degree, what newspapers covet as the highest attain- ment of their profession-THE POWER
OF MAKING OURSELVES FELT !
Wo very cheerfully publish the fol- lowing letter from Mr. WALTER BU- CHANAN-. Whether the error to which
he alludes was committed by the Hobart Town Courier or by ourselves, we can- not at this distance of time discover ; but we regret that we should have been the unintentional means of ascribing to Mr.
B. the sentiments of others.
" London, February 1, 1831. -"SIR,-In your journal, No. 1,851, of 10th August last, you quote from the Ho- bart Town Courier what purports to be ex-
tracts of two letters from me of 10th March and 1st April. I beg leave however to state, that, by mistake, the first part of this paragraph is not from any of my com- munications, and thalT have no acquaintance whatever with any gentleman of the name of-CHARLES SEAL, who is alluded to therein. But the extract commencing at the words, 1 Our markets are certainly improving,' is correct; being from my letter of 1st April,
to Mr. War. WILSON, of Hobart Town.
" I will thank you to make this public, that I may not be supposed to tacitly admit the friendship of parties of whom 1 have no knowledge, nor claim the merits of a communication which was not made.
" I have much pleasure, at the same time, to transmit you a Price Current el this date, by which you and the colonists at large will perceive there has been aiise on wool since December of 2d. and 3d. per pound, and that the importations of it per Australia and Mary have realized this ad-
vance.
" I am, respectfully, Sir,
" Your obedient servant,
" WALTER BUCHANAN." LONDON WOOL VUICE CURRENT.
Spanish.*
s. d. s, d. LEONESA +++++*r++rr+*+***+**+»~r 2 6 to 3 0 SEGOVIA ~~~-~~~~~~ 2 0 3 6 SORIA ~~~~~~~~~~,,~~. l8 2 0 C AC EUES ~~~~~~.w~~~ l8 2 3 ESTRAMADURA *,,,~~~~~ 16 1 10 PORTUGAL ~,~",,",~..,~~. 13 17 Lambs' Woo!~~~~^~.^~~.~~ 16 1 11
* These prices are for tho It's ; the lower sorts in proportion to their quality.
Goman.
(TI st & 2d Electorals 5 0 7 6 SAXON ~~~) Prima .,~~^~~- 3 0 5 0 SIL ES1 A N~~) Secunda ~~~« 2 0 3 0
C Tertia ~«.~~~ l8 2 2
AUSTRIAN ~( fc.ctT]- * J I J
nntiMirAV.JPnm»-»~~~ 2 0 4 0
9 2 3 8 2 3 Lambs' ~~~~ 16 4 0 Pieces ~~~~~ 16 2 6 Fnbs ~,r~«~ 14 2 0
Australian.
Best Flocks, suporior fleeces .»*«?.«? 3 15 0
--lower ditto -*<~~~~ 2 1 2 11
-Lamb \Vool~~~~~. Ill 2 Iii Second best Flocks~~~~~~~~ 2 0 2 7
Lamb Wool +**+**?****. 14 1 10 BOHEMIAN«*
HUNGARIAN) ?rec"mla-\
V. fortín +*,*?***'?-? 1
Inferior Flocks~~~~~~~~~~ 14 1 10
Tasmanian.
Best ~~~~~.M~~~~~~~~ 1 10 3 4 Middling ~~~~~~«.^~~~ 1 7 1 10 Inferior ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 0 11 17
P. S. During the past week 2,600 bags of wool of various kinds have been sold by public sale, for all which there was a brisk demand :-among them were 1,500 bags from New South Wales, which have sold at an advance of 20 per cent, upon the prices of November, the combers having bought freeiy. From the very short supply of German and Spanish wool at and under 2s. there is reason to believe tho ad- vance will bo maintained. The wools lately received from both colonies have in general been very badly
washed.
London, Feb. 1,1831.
NEW ZEALAND FLAX.-Our readers may remember, that a short time ago we mentioned, certain improvements which had been introduced by Captain HARRIS, M. P. in the manufacture of rope and other articles from the phormium tenax, or New Zealand flax : the following pa- ragraph, on the same subject, is copied from an English paper into the South African Advertiser of the 20th of last April :
" Captain George Harris, R.N.C.B. and member for Grimsby in the present Parliament, lus recently boen manufacturing rope and cables of the phormium tenax, or New Zealand flax, and instead of tar,sub- stitutes a solution of gums, or some such substance principally we suspect the Caoutchouc, or India rubber,) by which it is contended that the rope is rendered stronger, more pliant, ami less hable to part
in short bonds, turns, ' and blindies, and boin» strongor, smallor ropes than thoso now in in uso will answer for ships' rigging ; tho consumption of.hemp of course diminishes in proportion ; wo say hemp, because the solution will also impart to hemp tho qualities wo hayo named. If, however, a substituía is to bo found for hemp and tar, wo are renderod in- dependent of the Russian trado in thoso articles; a most dosirable object, should tho state of Europe at any timo involve us in a difference with that nation Tho bogs and rough ground of Iroland, nllour African possessions and \Vcst India Islands, and New South Wtlo3, oro paiticularly adapted to thocultHre of th« phormium tenax. Captain Harris was hero on Monday and superintended tho making of a 14} inch cabio, which is to bo triod in his Majesty's ship Rainbow. A trial is also to be made of the relativo-, strength of tho phormium tenax and hemp, in this yard, in a few days, for which a piece of 14J inch cnblo lins been oxprossly manufactured.-.f/am/isftir« Telegraph.