Hobart Town Gazette and Van Diemen's Land Advertiser (Tas. : 1821 - 1825), Friday 28 January 1825, page 2


Hobart Town.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1825.

Amongst our British Extracts in the last page will be found a detail of some aston-ishing falsehoods, relative to His Excellency Sir THOMAS BRISBANE. And if any ar-gument could yet be required to illustrate the value of an Independent Journal in Co-lonies resembling New South Wales and its Dependencies, the detail to which we make reference would furnish it, in combi-nation with a serious assurance of its being no less the interest of those who govern than of those who are governed, that local discontent may locally exhaust its viru-lence. Vile, undeniably vile as human nature is, the virtuous ruler must always find partisans ; and as it is absolutely be-yond the powers of any administration to satisfy the conflicting expectations of all parties, there will be murmers, and some of those murmers will be unprovoked, except by an unbiassed discharge of legislatorial duties. But how trifling, how transient is the evil of unjust vituperation where the banner of typographic freedom floats un-furled ! - There no sooner does the poison spread than an antidote pursues and over-takes it. There the public mind if dis-turbed by unwarrantable complaints against persons vested with authority, one day - are taught, on the next, by a solid and honour-able refutation, that high is the barrier and wide the moat between imputation and proof of criminality. On the reverse, where a Censorship exists, as, thanks to the Deity of mental exaltation, it does no longer here ; -where Rulers may do as they please, fearless of reproof except after a lapse ex-tending perhaps to IO or 12 months, through the English Papers;-where to remonstrate against one official aggression is nearly tan-tamount to asking for a second,-and where the honest develop ornent of opinion would attract the lightning of vindictive sway -calumnious reports will inevitably spread, the amiable be blended with the vicious, the wise united to the indiscreet, and strangers grossly deceived in all or most of their relative estimations. Had

Sydney possessed a Free Press two years ago, the honourable name of BRISBANE - would have escaped detractive notice in the Mother Country. Each British Editor would have then, upon receiving complaints Respecting the Governor in Chief of New South Wales; refused to listen or attend te them, becaus« it would of course haye been

obvious that a fice local press was the just« est tribunal for a local grievance.-But they knew that the Sydney Paper was not inde-pendent, and therefore whatever they were told of Australia's public abuses, they ge-nerally credited. The consequences are, that one of the wisest, best, and most libe-ral men who ever blessed these sanctuaries for the outcast, with their patriotic gover-nance, is misconsidered at home as obnox-ious to the Colonists; whereas we know, and so do our Readers, that all the accusa-tions against him in our extract are utterly unfounded; that the alleged regulations never existed; that the Government of New South Wales acts on a system diametrically opposite to that whick would justify unqua-lified repiehension ; and that Sir THOMAS BRISBANE, whether calmly contemplated as a Warrior or a Sage, as a Scholar or a Gentleman, as a Dignitary of State, or an affable Philanthropist, is acknowledged by ninety-nine of every hundred who know him, as " et decus et pretium recti!"

The Cumberland, which has arrived this week from England, left Rio de Janeiro on the 17th of November, on which day a general embargo was laid at that place on the shipping, in consequence of an Expedition to Bahia, to quell an Insurrection in which the Military Governor had been assassinated in his own house. Several detachments of foreign troops, principally German and Swiss, arrived at Rio during the stay of this vessel, although the exact service for which they were intended did not become known to our Correspondent, the Surgeon of the vessel. The Emperor, DON PEDRO, was extremely popular amongst all ranks, and the general aspect of affairs appeared to warrant an expectation of continued quietness.— Lord COCHRANE was at Pernambucco, where it appears perfect tranquillity was reigning. It was

understood that the Brazilian Loan had been contracted for by Messrs. ROTHSCHILD & Co., and that its arrival was immediately expected at Rio, whence the Cumberland made this port within ten weeks, she having only procured her clearance the day prior to the embargo.

The Public will thank us, we are sure, for most earnestly calling their attention to a Letter inserted in this day's Gazette ; which bears direct reference to a very curious but reprehensible mode at present adopted by those who distribute the Constables. Our Correspondent is a Police Officer, alike respectable for his character and attainments ; his name will be readily furnished if inquired for ; and his statements we have every just reason to believe. One of them in particular we shall illustrate by a few much needed observations. It seems that for some weeks past certain Informations against ten or twelve householders, for committing, causing, or suffering nuisances in the Town Rivulet, have been placed before Mr. Boyd, the Chief Clerk in the Police Office, in order for the usual process to be issued ; but that because the Constables, who much to their credit and as in duty bound prepared those Informations, either being poor could not, or being judicious would not, pay a fee on each of them to the said Clerk, he refused to lay them before the Superintendent of Police ; in consequence of which, they remain, as waste paper, on the table, and the offences which, had a Magistrate seen them, they must have tended to abate or punish, are still perpetrated with impunity. Is this true or is it false ? If it be true, then must we protest against so gross and baneful an attempt at extortion !— then must we ask by what authority does this or any other Clerk presume to step between the administration of Justice and an outraged community ? If it be true, no longer let us feel amazed at the boldness with which Government and General Orders are time after time evaded or opposed !— but before we again blame the Constables for neglecting to inform against persons who egregiously offend the Public, let us call on Mr. B. to learn what Informations he will not allow to meet the glance of his superior, because the subordinates (as we know he is wont to imperiously call the Constables who present them), do not from their affluent stipend of £10 per annum, deduct his usurped demand of a gratuity. We say usurped, because we may defy the most critical Lawyer to prove that such an exaction is conformable to Law ; though even if it were authorized

by a dozen statutes, instead of allowing its propriety, we should say, without fear of confutation, then " Summum fus summa injuria :" for rigid law would indeed be

found in the highest degree injustice.

Repeated complaints have been made in relation to the obstacles which oppose a stranger on commencing business, in his mercantile transactions with Crown Prisoners ; and as we conceive no man should be allowed to trade who is not subjected in all respects to the rules of commerce, it is our earnest request, that His Majesty's Representative for this Colony will at an early period be pleased to take into his most serious consideration the evils which arise from an existing arrangement, that no prisoner of the Crown shall be subject to an arrest for debt ! With the reasons that originally induced and perhaps justified that arrangement we do not presume to meddle ; for quite sufficient to the present day is in our opinion, the business thereof. But against the consequences of allowing Crown prisoners to purchase a newly-arrived Emigrant's property, when for a default of payment the buyer cannot be made amenable to the pains and penalties of a Debtor, we, as good old Jeremy Bentham says, " spread both our hands." As things are, the trader is palpably open to innumerable impositions, because for one prisoner who wears the yellow raiment that indicates captivity, there are several who for a trifling stipend to their nominal employers,

are allowed in contravention of Government Orders " to do for themselves," and wear what clothes they chuse or can procure. How then is their situation to be known ? or by what means are many of them, whose manners and entire appearance are fascinating and respectable, to be distinguished from the most unimpeachable Inhabitants? We positively know many instances in which they have managed to dupe even old Colonists ; and in particular the Innkeepers have suffered by them. For if they enter a Tavern well dressed, polite and self-assured, order a dinner, and broach a few bottles, poor Boniface concludes they are country settlers, or passengers by the last ship from Sydney, or, in fact, any characters, but those they actually are. He gives them credit, until they, to a considerable extent, as our worthy friend Mr. Austin observes, " adorn his Ledger" ; and then they honourably discharge their reckoning by a declaration that, they " happen to be under a cloud !" Are we not stating truths? Yes, incontestibly. Then surely Government will interpose to shield the Public in future from such

frauds as we delineate. But let not our

object be misunderstood ; we entertain no wish to prohibit a prisoner from incurring debt, if being known as a prisoner he can prevail

on a tradesman to afford him credit. Our

only desire on the subject is that no prisoner who incurs a debt may be more protected than a Citizen defaulter from his creditor's coercion to procure payment.

There are various opinions entertained in reference to the present Harvest.— While some say it averages fifteen bushels to the acre, others show a visage long, very long indeed, and cry " O, we shall all be starved, nothing can save us— wheat will be two guineas a bushel in three months— &c." Now we happen to know more about the aggregate grain produced this year, than many wise-acres would be willing to allow, and, from what we know, it is our duty to state, that although the general harvest is not good, yet neither is it bad, but may fairly be considered as indifferent. It certainly is not what we could have wished to see, so abundant that our involved Settlers might afford to pay off all their tradesmen's accounts ; and we consequently hope that our liberal Merchants will grant them a further respite. It is certainly not calculated to allow much rum or tobacco, or even tea and sugar. But are such things absolutely requisite? No. Then notwithstanding it is so limited as to forbid the enjoyment of superfluities, we have no doubt that it will give the working family a rasher of good bacon, an excellent damper, and a copious draft of new milk, which, we are presumptuous enough to assert, do not appear indicative of famine. But really our wheat-growers would not be entitled to complain, were their situation indeed a thousand degrees worse than some describe it to be ; for, as there is a time for every thing, if they chose to remain inactive when they should have been busily engaged sowing, and if they afterwards chose to deposit their seed during a season which experience must have taught them was too late, against whom or what except themselves dare they remonstrate ? — Let them look in whatever direction

they may, the early sowed grain has well repaid the husbandman,— instance Mr. Gunning's or Mr. Humphrey's, which is no less heavy, fine, and abundant, than in any former season ! We trust that in future one crop may no sooner be off, than the plough shall be introduced to prepare the earth for bringing up another ; and we rejoice to observe that on some farms near town, fields, which were being reaped when we passed them last week, are now being traversed by

the harrows.

To a diversity of opinion on matters generally important, we attribute a principal share of existing knowledge. History teaches us that matters no longer doubted, are frequently found no longer interesting. And certain is it, though on what principle we leave our philosophic Readers to determine, that men write speak and think, with most animation, ingenuity, and power, on such topics as invite discussion or provoke controversy, rather than demand an immediate

assent to established inferences. Had not a few, in direct opposition to many, contemplated the climate and indigenous pasturage of this Island as favourable to the growth of fine woolled sheep, undoubtedly those experiments which have proved the fact would never have been ventured on. But no sooner was a question agitated on the subject, than enterprise skill and perseverance put their combined forces into requisition, and the result of that combination is

a proof, in no way discreditable to the resources of Van Diemen's Land. We have just now been favoured with the perusal of some instructive, and in our view flattering documents, connected with a public sale of Australian and Tasmanian wools in London,

on the 21st of last July. It appears under 'Messrs. Buckles, Bagster, and Buchanan's respectable signature, that 334 bags were sold; of which 201 were grown in New South Wales, and 133 in this Colony, at the following prices :—

1 Lot, 7s 6d 1 do. 5s Id Ido. 5s Od

ö do. 4s Od to 4s Od

The lambs' wool of the above at 2s 7£d to 4s, per lb.

3 Lots, Is 8dto2s 6d I 4 Lots, 2s 2d to 2s 8d 4 do. Is öd to Is lid j 5 do. Is 10£ to 2s 7d

The greater part of the above was damaged by salt water, and sold as such.

The above named Gentlemen then say,

and we concur with them, that such prlces-j afford an indisputable evidence of the im-provement of the wool in both Colonies, and at the same time furnish an agreeable pledge of the liberal willingness entertained in England, to give them every possible stimu

lus to continue their endeavours for the fur

ther improvement of the fineness of their fleece, which can only be effected by a spi-rited attempt to procure breeding flocks of. the purest blood. It yet, however, appears that while the wools from Sydney, in parti-cular those sent aw ay by Mr. MC'AKTHUH, are comparatively perfect, those from this Depen-dency are still too much deteriorated by stielte (or thick white hair). This circum stance we think should not be concealed, because it is by showing a defect we may cause an amendment. Let all sheep, then, that produce stiche be excluded-let all our wool-growers strive as arduously as Mr« M'Artnur, for the refinement of their flocks, and we venture to promise them equivalent success. Enough has already been shewn to, encourage the most inert, and to place be-yond the precincts of disputation what are Australia's capabilities, \\ hen exhibited by well directed industry. Already have the best of our wools brought prices equal to those obtainable for the purest Saxon and Silesian. Our secondary sorts are not infe-rior to the average shipments from Segovia; and we are enabled by practical advisers to state, that if generally our wools were pro Ïierly cleansed in the first instance, then care ully dried before put in bales, and when under the Line occasionally ventilated, their value on reaching the London market would be far more considerable than at present.

Bermuda.-The London Gazette of August 16th, contains a Proclamation, appointing Ber-muda, in addition to New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land, &c. as a place in which male offenders, sentenced to transportation, may be kept to hard labour.

The Army.-We haye been kindly favour-ed by art Officer of high rank in the Colony, with the first four numbers of a new weekly London Paper, called " Common Sense" by which we perceive that His Majesty's 57th (West Middlesex) Regiment of Foot was on the 22d of August ordered to Chatham, pre-paratory tb its embarkation for New South

Wales.

The unpleasant duty devolves on us for the first time, of recording the murder of a shepherd, under the following circum stance?,:-Samuel Hunt, a prisoner of the Crown, in the service of Mr. PIKE, of

Fourteen-tree Plain, went out with his master's flock as usual, on Saturday morn-ing last, but neither the man nor any part of the flock arrived home at- night.-Dili-gent search having been made, the body of poor Hunt was found the next morning in Bull Valley (which lies between Föurteen tree Plain and the Big Lagoon), his skull fractured, and his throat cut ! The Magis-trates of Jeiicho, during their investigation of this affair, have made some discoveries which induce them to think that the arm of the kaw will reach the murderers. The whole of Mr. Pike's sheep, although scat-tered in every direction, have been reco-vered, with the exception of about fiftv. The perpetration of .this horrible enormity',

is ascribed, wo hear, to a double motive; but lest a premature disclosure should en-able some of the guilty to escape, we shall at present refrain from saying more than, that a Coroner's Inquest has been held on the deceased, and brought in a verdict of wilful murder against some person or per-sons unknown; and that Government has

with commendable promptitude announced a Free Pardon to any prisoner, and a re-ward of 200 dollars, for the discovery of

the murderers.