Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848), Wednesday 10 October 1827, page 2


Extraordinary exertion it seems, has produced "an abstract" of the Colonial Revenue for the year 1825! On the eighth of October, 1827, we are indulged with the sight of this piece of Offi-

cial information, which half a sheet of paper would contain, and which it has taken two years to "make up." And when we are put in pos-session of this "brief history" of our ordinary and extraordinary resources, and of our ordinary and extraordinary disbursements, we are just as wise as ever, and let into the Revenue secrets as effectually as if the ''abstract" had never made its appearance. What can we learn of the appli-cation of the public funds from the condensed statement which has been at the end of two years submitted to public inspection and which we have annexed? What is there of detail to let us understand whether we ought to be satis-fied with the stewardship of the public Trustees? So much money is disposed of through one office, and so much more through another, ten or twelve

thousand dollars have disappeared in this, and double the number in that department—but for what have they been distributed? The sum ex-pended is put down, but the why and the where-fore appear not! We have enough, notwithstanding, to convince us that we shall have cause for lively discontents if the Colonial Revenue, from and after the year 1825 have been, and continue to be appropriated to purposes to which it seems to have been applied during that year, and if now, that we "support ourselves," we are also to support "various services." When the Governor drew upon England for money as it was required, it was none of our business to complain of the use of money to "public works," "Colo-nial agents," "Government vessels," &c., but things are altered, and we must not quietly allow ourselves to be called upon for the support of "medical departments" for prisoners of the Crown, of "penal settlements," and of "Government vessels and boats" which are employed in forming new settlements, nor must we be expected to pay for keeping up establishments with which the Colony ought to have no concern. Besides, we must not expect to see an item without a name tacked to the end of four or five specified articles of expenditure, or, be re-quired to content ourselves with such instances of special accounting as "MISCELLANEOUS" affords. We must have nothing in the shape of "secret service" money, or "loans'' which mean "gifts"—no huddling together of items —no furnishing of results where details are wanted. When it was immaterial to the Colonists whether the taxes imposed upon them were suffi-cient or not to meet the expenditure of the Colony, most of the information respecting the revenue was matter more particularly for Home consider-ation, because, by the Home Authorities all defi-ciences must then be supplied; but as we are called upon to take care of ourselves, we must take care of the dumps. These hints will do very well we hope by way of apprisal, as we must have more than a meagre statement—more than a mere "abstract" for the year 1826 and 1827. Now, let the Reader indulge his optics in a survey of the beautiful and cir-cumstantial "ABSTRACT!'' Abstract of the Receipt and Appropriation of the Colo-nial Revenue of New South Wales, for the Year 1825. RECEIPTS. ORDINARY. COLLECTED BY THE NAVAL OFFICER. Duties on Imported spirits - - Sp. D. 178,434 73 Spirits distilled in the Colony - 1,988 — 180,422 73 Tobacco - - - - 21,817 47. Ad valorem duty on goods of foreign produce - - -23,308 69 Wharfxxx duties - - - 4,927 86

Fees on the Entry of vessels - - - 28 23 Clearance of ditto - - - 132 40 804 68 Charges for the use of the Go-vernment heaving down place 54 Proceeds of the sale of coals at Newcastle - - - 2,913 2 Light-house duties - - - 822 77 Auction duties - - - 2,562 25 237,627 47 COLLECTED BY THE SURVEYOR CENERAL Crown Lands. Arrears to the end of last year 2,106 90 Sale of town grants, Sydney - - - £41 9 6 Deposit of 10 per cent. on the sale of 161,010 acres - - - 4,052 2 6 Instalments on account of the purchase money of 33,000 acres - - - - 1,398 8 10 5,492 0 10 27,454 79 Licenses. For the distillation of spirits - - 100 To retail wine, and malt and spirituous liquors - - - 13,700 To retail beer - - - 760 For hawking - - - 100 For carts - - - 11 14,671 Duty on spirits distilled in the Colony, received from the sur-veyors of distilleries, and Mr. Robert Cooper - - - 3,002 30 Rents of Tolls and ferries - - - 8,164 Market duties - - - 3,008 Government mills - - - 2,606 17 Ditto gardens - - - 1,531 70 Military canteen - - - 910 Officers' quarters - - - 1,33 8 Pews in churches - - - 1,332 17,704 95 Slaughtering duties - - - 949 80 Fees of public offices. Colonial Secretary's Office - - - 2,808 76 Registrar of Supreme Court - - - 2,951 47 Master of the Supreme Court Office - - - 199 11 Sheriff's Office - - - 629 60 Collected by the clerks to the several benches of magistrates - - - 539 21 Ditto the Attorney-General - - - 77 14 —7,255 29 Fines collected by the principal clerk of the Police-office, Syd-ney - - - 663 9 Total amount of revenue for the year 1825 - - - - 309,328 69 EXTRAORDINARY RESOURCES. Proceeds of the sale of govern-ment property - - - 9,119 54 Hire of convict mechanics - - - 8,503 52 Repayments and sums refunded 3,837 88 Borrowed from the Deputy Com-missary General - - - 126,000

147,510 94 BALANCES. Amount of balance, as per the statement of receipts and ex-penditure, for the year ended 31st December, 1824, in Spa-nish dollars - - - 53,384 65 Ditto, in sterling, £238 6s. 6d. at 4s. 4d. - - - 1,099 96 54,484 61 General total - - - Sp. Dollars 511,324 24 DISBURSEMENTS. Estabishment of his Excellency the Governor - - - 12,724 66¼ Colonial Secretary's Department - - - 13,061 20 Surveyor General's Department - - - 11,3x8 16 Commissioners for apportioning the Colony - - - 2,403 45 Collection of Revenue (Naval Officer, &c.) - - - 18,921 67 Legislative Council - - - 4,715 49 Colonial Treasurer's Department - - - 9,173 69 Colonial Audit Office - - - 817 69 Ecclesiastical Establishment - - - 27,925 16x Public Schools and Charitable Institutions - - - 49,390 9 JUDICIAL. Supreme Court (exclusively of salary of Chief Justice) - - - 28,698 46½ Court of Requests - - - 5,371 99 Quarter Sessions - - - 3,383 93 Sheriff's Department - - - 8,416 7½ Phoenix Hulk Prison - - - 1,889 33 Coroners - - - 1,982 92 C1erk of the Peace - - - 1,208 18 50,896 89 Police - - - 41,286 48¾ Medical Department - - - 11,393, 13½ Horticultural and Botanical Establishments - - - 1,125 81½ Government Clocks - - - 282 38 Public Works and Establish-ments therewith connected - - - 58,807 20 NAVAL. Master Attendant - - - 2,068 77¾ Government Vessels and Boats, &c. - - - 6,265 96¾ Telegraphs - - - 123 36 Light house - - - 240 38½ 86x8 40

MILITARY. Brigade Major - - - 101 60 Commissariat Supplies and Con-tingencies - - - 2,915 73¼ Barrack Department - - - 1,106 30 Ordnance Department - - - 32 61 Miscellaneous - - - 2,709 7,165 24¾ New-Zealand Flax, and Presents to Chiefs - - - 1,058 34 Supplies for various Services, purchased in the Colony - - - 13,423 46½ Pensions - - - 1,974 97 Loans - - - 1,700 Colonial Agent - - - 4,197 93 Miscellaneous - - - 2,691 32 Total Amount of Disbursements for the year 1825 - - - 355,512 73½ Balance on the 31st December, 1825, chargeable to Wm. Balcombe, Esquire, Colonial Treasurer - - - 40,957,59 Ditto to Captain Piper, Naval Officer, Arrears of Duties to 31st Dec. 1825 - - - 114,723 27 Sundry Persons - - - 130 64½ 155,811 50½ General Total - - - Spanish Dollars 511,324 24 Audit Office, September 21, 1827. An Address was presented to Doctor Harris on Saturday last, on his retirement from the duties of Acting Police Ma-

gistrate at Parramatta. The Address, together with the Answer of the Doctor, will be found in another part of this day's paper. It is highly and deservedly complimentary of the public conduct of Doctor Harris, and serves at once to shew the merits of the people and of the individual. The people of this Colony at all times evince great respect for persons in authority, and are never wanting in gratitude, when these prove themselves worthy of it. A man of honest principle is sure to be duly regarded; but the people here have penetration enough to see who consult their interest, and who are instigated by personal motives alone. They can readily distinguish between the conscientious man and the being who, reckless of others' good, considers only how he shall best administer to his individual advantage. Nothing can more strongly demonstrate the respect the people have for the laws, than a just acknowledgment of the integrity of the administrators of the laws. It is a satisfaction which none but the just can ever hope to feel—for a public man to retire from his post amid the ear-nest congratulations of those who have witnessed his career; and many there are who, when their turn comes to retire, would be glad to stand in the enviable situation of Doctor Harris; but retributive justice will take her course; and while she awards thanks to the meritorious, will not fail to visit the undeserving with proper reproof! We have seen nothing emanate from Head-quarters, which is better entitled to praise, than the following acknowledg-ment. It accords with public feeling, and is creditable to the author of it:— "His Excellency cannot permit this Veteran Magistrate (Doctor Harris) to retire from the Police Establishment, without expressing the sense he entertains of the zeal with which he has discharged his duty during a long course of service, embracing a period little short of 34 years." — ^ —

The remarks of Mr. Atkinson on Saxon sheep farming, are not very much in favor of the Saxon sheep, and if at-tended to, would rather lead to a hesitation among sheep-holders to give their anxious attention to the extension of Saxon flocks among us. Mr. Atkinson, it is understood, derives his information from personal observation, he having travelled lately in Saxony, in company with the late Mr. Charles M'Arthur. A large Merino sheep-holder, it is evi-dent, would have a direct interest in deteriorating the value of Saxon sheep, especially if it were thought that the latter threatened to outrival the former; from the specimen we have had of Mr. Atkinson, as an author, we should regard him too much in the light of a candid writer, to suspect him of being biassed by any consideration ; and indeed we should rather think truth to be his object, than believe him to be desirous of forwarding any one's views at the expense of his veracity. It is, nevertheless, very certain, that some of his descriptions differ from the accounts which have been given (at least, so we have been informed, we do not speak of our own knowledge), of Saxon sheep farming. Mr. Riley, we learn, is about to publish a detail of facts relating to the same subject, and put the Colony in possession of the results of his own experience; when people will be able to decide between the two authors, and encourage or discountenance the breed of Saxon sheep according to the opinions which they may thus form. It is an interesting topic, and all who can contribute information upon it ought to give the Colo-nists the benefit of it. Mr. Atkinson begged it to be stated to the Agricultural Society, that he penned his remarks while on board ship during his passage to the Colony, and that he was in the habit of reading over to his fellow passenger, Mr. Charles M'Arthur, the result of his occasional labours, and that he has therefore submitted nothing to public notice but what has received corroboration as above.

We have received several letters from our Corres-pondents at Hobart Town, complaining most bitterly and most justly of the local Government, in burthening the people with taxes to pay large salaries, and with imposing the duty on Newspapers, evidently with no other purpose than to shut up the only effectual medium of making known the grievances of a people. An extract from one of the letters we here subjoin;— "Hobart Town, September 22, 1827. "We are all in the most dreadful state of alarm at the taxes which Governor Arthur has imposed on the Colony; which, if not set aside at Home, bid fair to annihilate all com-mercial enterprize and imports from the Mother Country. The fact' is simply this; Governor Arthur has made a civil establishment upon a grand scale, and is taxing the people to pay for it. The Secretary's Department alone, which in Sorell's time, cost only eight hundred per annum, is now four thousand!!!! If the people are to pay for the enor-mous salaries, surely they ought to have a voice; and if they had a voice, the salaries would be reduced to one-half. As long as the Government paid these salaries we had no right to complain; but, as the case is different now, we must petition Home to relieve us from burthens which we cannot bear. The enormous duty on spirits ought, if econo-mically managed, to protect us from any other impost, as we are by this article of taxation, made to pay more in pro-portion than any other British Colony. You will, I hope, raise your voice against the stamp duty on papers. This Act is one of the most barefaced transactions I have ever known, after the attempt to carry it in the Sister Colony. I consider emigration is entirely checked by these taxes. Surely the quit rent on land and the spirit duty, ought to have satisfied any but Cormorants. I sincerely hope that you will succeed in having a House of Assembly. I fear we shall not be so fortunate; but I am glad we petitioned for it; it will shew our feelings on the occasion of taxation without re-presentation. "In letters to Mr. Hume, it is recommended, that if this Island is to be a penal settlement, the Governor's salary should be reduced to 1500L. per annum, and no other salary should exceed 500L. a year. If these salaries are to be paid by the people, we have nothing now to expect." Last week we received a file of Singapore Newspa-pers. We have not been able to extract any article of local intelligence of interest to our Readers. The following, relating to the Press, we take from a number published in June. It is a paragraph which xxxx to shew, that in all parts of the world a Free

Press is looked upon as of the first consideration, and forms a permanent and universal object of desire. JAVA.—"It appears that the Commissioner General has granted what he calls a free Press to Java which commenced from the lst of April, from which date the Courant has been published three times a week. In none however of the numbers which have yet appeared is there, we understand, the slightest appearance of that freedom of discussion which would inevitably and instantaneously follow the grant of such a privilege by the Supreme Authority of British India. We are assured however that this silence does not proceed from any want either of talent or inclination on the part of the Dutch Colonists to reprobate the measures of their Colo-nial Administration, which have of late thrown so much odium on their national character and credit; it is therefore no unfair conclusion to believe that this Press is, what our correspondents describe it to be, a Press for which every one is free to write what he pleases, the Editor free to reject what he pleases, and the Government free to punish whom and how it pleases—that the profession of the Commissioner in short, is hollow—vox et præterea nihil." The arrival of "THE ALACRITY," last night, has put us in possession of complete files of Newspapers up to the day of her sailing. The news she brings, is not very recent. Such selections, however, as may prove worthy of notice, we shall present to our Readers on Friday.

The young stock of blood horses which were shown at Parramatta last Thursday, has excited a good deal of specu-lation among the turf amateurs. The produce of Baron, Steeltrap, and Camerton, it is expected will come into com-petition at the ensuing Sydney races, and numerous small ventures have been already made according to the various opinions which are entertained of the stock. It would be difficult to say which of the produce are the favorites. Ben nelong, the prize colt, by Steeltrap, has created some little betting. There are two promising fillies, one by Baron, and the other by Camerton, and it is supposed there will be a hard struggle between these and Benelong, when they meet in the produce stakes, as bets have been made at evens that Benelong will neither be first, second, nor third. Two and three to one have also been bet against the produce of Baron. There will be some lively races in March over the Sydney course. The value put upon the Saxon sheep in the Colony, is wonderful. Mr. Riley has refused fifty pounds a piece for his ewes! Mr. Lowe, of Bringelly, offered the above sum for each of the five ewes shewn at the Parramatta fair on Thursday last. He was unsuccessful in his efforts to strike a bargain. Mr. Riley was also offered for five rams and five ewes, four hundred and fifty pounds sterling!

A sample of Mr. Marsden's wool was an object of great attention, and excited a good deal of interest among the members of the Agricultural Society, at their meeting on Thursday last. The length of the wool, combined with a tolerable degree of firmness of texture, renders it fit for very useful purposes, and probably will be the occasion of establishing it in the English market, as a wool of some character. It is thought by many, to be well adapted for the Norwich manufacturers, and capable of being used for material in the manufacturing of Norwich shawls. The fleece of the sheep is thick, and weighs uncommonly heavy; and there is no doubt of its proving to the owner a source of great profit. Mr. Marsden, we understand, has never taken the pains to make a separation of this wool from the rest of his fleeces, until the last season, when he forwarded it to England in distinct bales; and he expects shortly to hear of the reputation it may be thought deserving of in England. A fine shew of horses was never exhibited in New South Wales than what was displayed last Thursday at Parramatta. It is expected that a township will be formed near Pa-trick's Plains, and be christened Goderich, in honor of the new Secretary of State for the Colonies. Again we hear that Emu Plains is to be formed in to a township, which will be a great convenience to the settlers near the Mountains. The gentlemen at Bathurst are expecting a visit from the Governor before the close of the year! The Manning River, between Port Stephens and Port Macquarie, runs through a pleasant fertile country for up-wards of a hundred miles, and is described in every respect as equal to the Hunter.

The Banks have continued discounting as usual. Mr. Morrison, a very wealthy Member of Parliament, of the firm of Todd, Morrison, and Co. of London, is reported to be about establishing a private Bank in Sydney. A House Tax, a Dog Tax, a Horse Tax, and a Window Tax, it is expected, are by this time established in Van Die-men's Land! Pauvres Diables! We already know about ten rivers to the north of Port Jackson, all of considerable magnitude, and rising a long way in the interior—while to the south there is hardly one river worth speaking of, except the Shoal Haven River. Colonel Morriset and Captain Crotty are gazetted as Ma-gistrates of the Colony. The Colonial sloop Amelia, which we reported to have been seized at Newcastle last week, in consequence of her being unprovided with a port clearance, or other necessary papers from Sydney, has been liberated, and her cargo al-lowed to be landed at that settlement. Has it been consi-dered that permits and port clearances ought not be required for coasting vessels? The overseer of the coal mines at Newcastle, and six miners, have recently come from thence to Sydney, to be employed under the direction of Mr. Busby. A publican at Newcastle, of the name of Reilly, was brought to the Police Office there on Wednesday last, and fined twenty-five dollars, for having harboured a prisoner of the crown, named William Stephenson, who had absconded from Sydney. A grazing and dairy farm in Wiltshire, containing about one thousand nine hundred acres, was sold at the Auction Mart in May for 65,800l. sterling, and considered very cheap. Several of the farmers in the district of Airds are cutting their green wheat for fodder. We are sorry to hear of some outrages having been com-mitted at Parramatta in the course of last week, particularly on the evening of Thursday, after the dinner party of the Agricultural Society broke up. The pickpockets collected together in a group, and assailed two or three gentlemen, whom they contrived to rob. Mr. Savage had his watch snatched from him, but the thief being pursued, was appre-hended, and the watch recovered. Mr. Keith was actually stripped of his clothes, and left in the street—though the plunderers had the modesty to favor him with the benefit of a tattered blanket, which they rolled round him when they left him. The Layton, prison ship, may be expected immediately, as she sailed ten days before the Prince Regent. St. James's new organ pealed its notes of praise for the first time at noon service on Sunday, to an overflowing congre-gation, more numerous perhaps than any congregation St. James's had ever before witnessed. The organ was not in perfect harmony, owing, in a great measure, to its yet incom-plete state. Its intonations, however, in many instances, was full, rich, and harmonious, and those of the congrega-tion were not a few who felt its tones swell on the ear like the welcome voice of a long parted friend! A few days since a man residing on Mr. Atkinson's farm, at Oldbury, being in want of some fire wood went to a dead tree lying near his house, and cut off a fine piece with his axe, and on his return to the house sent his little boy to

bring away a few pieces more. The child came running back, saying there were some snakes crawling about the tree. The father returned to the spot, and found several creeping out of a hole in the end of the tree, which was hollow. He immediately cleft it open with his axe, when a number truly astonishing came out. He killed fifteen, and distinctly counted thirty-five, and thinks there might have been more, which escaped while he was killing the others. The snakes were all of the brown species, and of all sizes, from a few inches to upwards of five feet in length. The Sydney Bench have communicated with the lessee of the market-place, at Sydney, relative to the long talked of regulation, of establishing two market days in Sydney. The Bench has suggested the propriety of a memorial being sub-scribed by the inhabitants and settlers attending the market, that this regulation may be speedily carried into effect. The subject was canvassed by the members of the Agricultural Society, at their late meeting at Parramatta. A charge of robbing Government stores has been brought against a person holding one of the subordinate posts in the Colonial Customs. The charge has not yet been fully investigated. A man for some time employed by the landlord of the Manchester Arms public house, in George-street, resolved a few days ago, upon putting an end to his existence, and with a view to carry his resolution into effect, provided himself with a stout cord, which was fastened to a beam in one end of the room in the house. The fatal noose was pre-pared, when the rash act was put a stop to by some person coming to the spot just as the infatuated man had got the rope round his neck, and was about tucking himself up. He had been for some time deranged.

The General Quarter Sessions for Windsor were holden yesterday. The Quarter Sessions for Sydney commence on Tuesday next. The Calendar is considerably swelled. Whilst the cutter, Lord Liverpool, was beating out of the harbour of Newcastle last week, with a smart breeze, on her passage to Sydney, she was unluckily suffered to drive upon a sand bank, and it required the most active and skilful exertions of her commander and others concerned, to preserve her from imminent destruction. At the time of her taking the ground a pilot was on board, and his boat which was a whaleboat lay towing a-stern. Into this jumped the master of the Lord Liverpool, and with several hands was actively engaged in endeavouring to help off the fine little craft from her perilous situation, when a surge took the boat, swamped and swallowed her. One of the pilot's crew un-happily sunk to a briny grave. Mr. Livingstone, the master, got under the boat for some moments, and was nearly suffo-cated before he could again float to the surface. By dint of hard swimming and considerable exertions, however, Mr. L. and his companions managed to escape from the devour-ing element; and after grinding on the bank for some minutes, the little vessel was again floated off into deep water, her bottom being somewhat damaged, and her rudder sprung, two of the pintles being gone. This accident, which on the whole may be said rather than otherwise to have ended fortunately, inasmuch as the cutter was providentially preserved from going to the bottom, will, for ten or a dozen days, interrupt the regularity of her trips to and from Newcastle; which she has continued to perform in every vicissitude of weather, with comfort and safety to her passengers for full three years past. She now lays in Sydney Cove, and though the hull still may, we be-lieve, be considered staunch, to give her a thorough repair, it will be necessary to have her hove down. The teak built China ship the Ephemina, it is thought, will have to unload her present cargo, the better part of which is intended for Hobart Town, in order that she may be hove down. Custom-house dues, wharfage, storeage, de-lays, &c. will not contribute to enlarge the profits of this cargo, should it be re-shipped for, and arrive at Hobart Town.

We had understood that one of the rooms lately added to the government house would be set aside as a Museum, of the natural productions of this island. We have not, how-ever, had the pleasure to see any thing in progress of so de-sirable a measure. Scarce a settler in the island but has picked up more than one specimen of fossil, shell or other curiosity, and many have made their remarks upon them.— Were these all collected into one focus, and arranged accord-ing to system by a scientific man, they would not only be a credit to us in Van Diemen's Land; but might be useful to the world generally. It is undoubtedly a matter well wor-thy of the attention of the executive. Meantime we shall be happy to take care of any mineral or other production for public inspection, which any of our readers may favour us with, and we will undertake to assay the ore of any spe-cimen sent us, so as to ascertain its value for the satisfaction of the owner.—(Hobart Town Gazette.) We are happy to see that some of our more respectable settlers in the country are turning their attention to the mak-ing of malt for the use of the brewers in Hobart Town.— (Idem.) The Sydney Papers notice a new export from the Colony, a great phrenologist having sent to England twenty heads of the Aborigines, who had lately fallen in a skirmish with the settlers in the interior(!)—(English Paper.)