Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Tuesday 18 February 1834, page 3


Van Diemen's Land News

(From the Launceston Advertiser, Jan. 23.) LAUNCESTON PRICE CURRENT,

WEEK ENDING JAN. 22, 1834.

CORN MARKET.-Both supply and demand for all descriptions of grain, continu« smal I ; samples of new wheat have been brought in, which realiied our highest quotation.

The bakers have reduced the price of the 41b. toa '

to9d.

Wheat, St. Gd. a 6s. per bushel ; barley, 4s. ditto oats, 3s. ditto ; flour, 17s. a ïOs. per 100 lb. ; hay 51 a 71. per ton.

BUTCHERS' MFAT.-Beef, per lb 4d. a 6d. ; car-case, 3{d, o5(/. ; veal, 6d.; mutton, 4\d. a b\d. ; caroaio, 4d. a 4¿rf. ; pork Oil. a 8<f. ; paeon, Is.

MISCELLANEOUS- Rui AIL PIIICFS.-Sugar, per ton, ?lui. a 45/.; )ier lb. 5rf ; tea, per lb. 4s., per chest, iHL; butter (fresh) Js. 9J.a 2s. ; ditto (ault), Is. 6d ; Cape wine, per pipe, J81. a 20/.; ditto, per gallon, 4s. Gd. ; English ale, per dozen, 14s. ; ditto porter, ditto, 14s.; ditto per hhd. 6/.; brandy, per gallon. 7s. Gd.; rum, ditto, 3s. Gd. ; gin, ditto, 7s. 6d.'t tatt, per ton, 5/.

PORT OF LAUNCESTON.

As a piece of statistical information for the readers of this journal, we have procured the following ; from which, however, it is necessary to caution our readers against drawing inferences prejudicial to the prosperity of the country. The excees of (imports over exports from this port, argues nothing against the condition of the colony. ,

Value if Imparti and Eiports at the' Port of Launces-

ton, from 6th Jan. 1833, to 5th Jan. 1834.

IMPORTS.

Great Britain ,.£7Wi5

N. S. Wales ..

03.457

.West. Australia

6)7 Mauritius ....

2.770 C. Good Hope

4,508

295 New Zealand ..

1.S10

Total.... £IQS ,082

ExponTs.

Grent Brimin..¿£"45,798 N. S. Wales.. J7.090 We t.Australia 3,090 Mauritius .... 4,877 New Zealand.. 222

Tora/.... .£71,086

Imports and Exports far each Quarttr of the Tear

ending 5th January, 1331. IMPORTS,

Quarter ending 5th April ... ._,24 352 l8 2

5th July .... 18.6S4 1 1 10th October.. ¿1764 3 5 5th January.. 28,351 12 li

EXPORTS,

Quarter ending 5th April .,..£ 19,929 8 li

5th Julv .... 28 507 l8 0 10.h October.. 16 688 8 8

5ih January.. 5 967 19 4

Amount of Duties collected by the Cutt cms, during

the Year ending 5th Jannaiy, 1834.

1st Qtr. .£4.455 0 li I 3d Qtr. _'4 101 13 3 2J Qtr. 4 702 13 3 | 4th Qtr. 4.099 18 1

Total for the'Year."'17 359 5 6

Tonnage and number of Vessels ¿> and from the Port of

Launceston, during they ear ending Jan. 5,1834.

' INWARDS.

No. Tons. ? From Great Britain...... IO.2,515

British Colonies .. 35.4.-314 loreign States .... 1 ..'. 222

46 7.051 OUTWARDS.

A o. Tons. To Great Britain. 8.2,096

British Colonies.39 ........ 4,649

Total. 47 " 6.745

Mr. Nicholls, jun., of Clarence Plains, who has a sheep-run near Ellinthorp Hall, whilst seeking his working bullocks, on the Western Tier, behind the village of Auburn and Mr.York's, on Sunday last, fell in with 3 men, each having a knap-sack, who were driving a mob of sheep: as they approached, unfortunately, a gun, carried by a man who accompanied Mr. N, accidentally went off, which alarmed the men with the sheep. Mr. N.

immediately pursued them, end succeeded in secu-ring two of the men, the third making his escape The two prisoners were safely lodged in the gaol at

Ross.

An inquest was- held on Tuesday, on view

of Angus M'DonalJ, who was found drowned in the Tamar, on the 20th instant, it waa reported the deceased had his throat cut, but no evidence to thal effest was produced, and the Jury returned a verdict of " Accidentally Drowned."

A requisition has gone to the Police Ma-gistrate to fix time and place for a public meeting in Launceston, to consider means of securing the public 6afety. No time is to he lost.

(From the Independent of January 25.)

So then, at last, the Colonists of Van D einon's Land are cursed with Mr. Willis's postage law. One penny is to be exacted ou each news-paper, in future going through the Pöst-offke This \B truly a pi oof of his Excellency's desire to promote the pood of the people. They are not laxod sufficiently in their meat, in their drink, in tboir clothing, in their amusements, in their neoessarios throughout-but they are taken even in their sources of information. His Excellenoy cannot allow colonists to possess the satisfaction of aending a common newspaper, without laying a tax on it, that is the next thing to its prohibition. What will the paltry tax of one penny ou eaeh newspaper «mount toi Will it benefit the Revenue at all7 Can it be intended to assist the Revenue I-No, a sum may perhaps be gained by it (hat will enable his Exoellency to annoy the people, by irapoiiug upon them the insolence of another jackanapes or two

-ofiifar the ûôgftômon of Post Master«, or depnly as« j 'sist'snt'sorteifl of loiters. Surely tho people will not submit to much more luxation. Tlioy lind better Uy half present to the oormoranta ,the few dirty acres left them, than ho sucked loncli-liko of their hard earnod pence ns I'.ist na they scrap» thèm together. T/ioy had butter tench (lieu offspring the necessity of looking forward to misorv, distress anti wrotcbodness, if they inland to sanction euch specie of goading taxation (hut is indicted upon them. What is now bad, will if allowed, become wors«,an<l nothing short of menial submission on the part of the bee Community; will be exacted hythe dronos if they a'o s uñero ii io riot.mid gorge on the proceeds of their labour.-Up-Colonista and rouse your-selves, tlrow otf y0"' elinraoiul apathv-and petition the Home Government against the infliction of taxation, which is altouethor unnecessary, and which must ultimately grind yeu lower than tho most abject and sem.'e of the human raoe. The King of England cnnuot be acquainted with the treatment the Colonists of Van Diomen's Land are leceiving. It is necessary only to represent it

fairlv, end redress is sure.

On Fiiday afternoon, Samuel Newman, Thomas D aeson, William Wind, and John Buchanan. one of (ho numerous ganga of bushrangers (with the exception of one associate named Lindsey), wore brought into town under the chare« °' William Dixon, a constable in the Campbelltown district, who captured them napping at a public-house at the Blade Sugar Loaf, kept by Air. Connell. From the . internent afforded by Uixon, we learn, the pri-soners had repaited to the public-house, Whioh is ina retired situation, for the purpose of tt/foying themielves ; that three wore asleep in bed, when the remaining one, who was left in the kitchen to keep. watch, was secured, and afterwards', the sleepers wero aroused, and underwent, with some slight re-sistance, the precautionary measure of security. They had no arms with them, rind up'tho present time have given no informotion as to where thev are. Wo cannot sufficiently admire the determined, conduct of constable Dixon in the affair, and trust

that His Exoellenoy will amply rewetd his services.^ What is the " Coachee" Captajn about, and hie"

gillie guelies Î

In the New Post Office Act, we observe in the 17th clause, that if any Post Master, or any other person offends against, or wilfully neglects, or omití to comply with (he rules and legulations of the Act, he shall pay a penalty of not less than five shillings nor moto than fifty pounds. No one can in reason dispute the abominable favouritism displayed here. A Post Master, holding a »¡motion so res-ponsible, that a psreon might be ruined from his might ruined from his misconduct, would have the satisfaction, if bad conduct was provsd, to have a fine of five shillings awurded against him. We know that " birds of a feather flnek {. gather," end

and sad experience assures us that under anv cir* , oumstanoesone of the tribe will never be fined by its fellows jf5'), when the ends of' justice will be an-swered bv a fine of os. ; this surours something of one law for the rioh, and another for the peor.

Swinging signs at public-houses have been often disapproved of; a gentleman was thrown from his horse on Tuesday, and severely injured, in con-sequence of the animal taking fright at the swinging of a sign at a public-house ia St. John-street. Does not the new Police Aot provide against suoh a public nuisance 1 A clauia in it forbids swearing within five miles of Town. If our wise-aorei desire to prevent «wearing, they ought, in justice, to re-move the causes. If a man will not swear upon re-ceiving fiorn the swinging of a sign at which his horse takes alarm, an inoonvemetit and unnatural flight for some fathom or two beyond his native earth, we know not know what would make him. If a poor sailor, a British subject, perhaps an old veteran, who has fought in many of his country's battles, bled and conquered in its service, is seized by constables, dragged to the watch-house,-and made to suffer every indignity, beo.iuse he happens to be in the streets after nine o'clockat night, with-out «wearing, we should think bim unworthy of his honourable profession. Nevertheless, ye shall not swear at nil, not even within fiva miles of the City of Launceston, because the Governor forbids it !

How Captains King and Crear, R. N., can calm their consciences bv accepting the staff-of office as Magistrates under the Governor, in the very face of the obnoxious Police Act, which em-powers constables to arrest all British sailors, ap-pears to us unaccountable. It is degrading to the obaracter of ihe British Navy. Launceston is a free port, and British seamen are as free as the wind

which blows over His Excellency, or Captains King

or Crear.