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By our LawReport it will be seen that the impor
tant Trials relative to the duties came before the Su
preme Court on Saturday. Though special verdicts
were found, it must be recollected that nothing- as to
.the La Wr— the right to impose duties, or the liability
,to pay them, .was decided, these points being reserved
jfor future argument, should the Counsel in support of
the Duties think that the question will bear an argu
inentjor consider it of any use to prolong the proceed
ings, under the hope of ultimate success. After the
'full discussions' which this subject has undergone, in
iour'coluinns, our Headers could hardly have expected
rftiaTany fresh grounds could be shewn, justifying the
.Merchants In resisting 'the paynienfc of further duties,
! or in claiming thbse again which they had been in
duced to pay, under a colour of the Law ; much less
could- they have expected to hear ' an entirely new
tVainof argument adopted, and points started which
never- seem to have been contemplated -by any body
but .the. Counsel for the Plaintiffs. ThcCdunsei.no
doubt-fully considered the Interests of their clients,' -in
keeping1, these points in reserve. .It, will certainly,
too, .-'appear strarige, ? that the terms, of the- Act ; of,
Pai-liuiuent-authorizing tho Governor to impose certain
duties, should ^havo .been so much mistaken,; and .so
widely xleparted from,, though, they are coucKed so_ex
plicitly, as to leavo^no room For the shadow even ofva'
doubt./ TUe words of the Act state clearLy and une:
|fluijocallj', that the duty shall be imposed only ^vl,Pre
^icrtobacco or otlier goods are imported DiKEcnr
from Great Britam. This is, however, but one in.
stance of the innumerable mistakes which must most
inevitably continue to arise, so long; as the present
system of Legislation endures. That one boily'eier
cising the legislative function, should be in one qUar.'
ter of the globe, and tire other who must cpuipJeXe ffce
law should bo residing sixteen thousand miles distant
is an absurdity too gross to be admitted' into any branch'
of Law-making, 'without the certainty of giicvoits
blunders thereby occurrihg. The Revenue Laws are
so surrounded; witti.mceties,, that the utmost circiim.
spection, care, and knowledge are often insuflidenf
where the most correct data can be obtained, to con'
coct an Act of Parliament regulating them, -and fully'
meeting the vjews of the Legislature. v How then can
it be supposed that. any thing like., even an approxK.
mation to accuraicy,1 -much less per fection, can be en.
sured in the Revenue' Laws: of this Colonv, got upas'
they -are in the 'midst; of -adyentitious difficulties, ami1
subject .in-thcj formation tb'sp many more errors and
omissionsthan-Acts of ^Parliament alone are liable to?
,It requires indeed no ordinary skill for tlie leg-islaturo
;in full possession of every necessary information, for
prescribiug duties, to guard on the 'one hand a^arust
the impositions. and exactions. of Custoin-honse.orJE^.
cise officers ; and on the other against the evasion!
which subtlety and, ingcnuity.i jnay practice; ? ^to' se.
cure the PublVc^againstcxtprtipn;-— -to en;ure aco'ia
pliance with the provisions of .an Act, byrenderiri^
the intefpfetations'of.^thiV; obvious, and nr'ltinj its
various clauses 'meet all-' tlie case's' cbnt'SmplaVecli IJui
wlien an 'Act of LParJiiunent is.Vramed^uniler ' a; blmi
and imperfect knowledge of what' species -or wliit:
amotinfe:bf,adutTes wiji-bebeneficial '^
when in addition to the: blunders \vhichare, under the
moat favourable. circumstances, apt 'iolcreep i into a Lair,
there are the risks to encounter in theflrstinstance of'
misinterpretations 'and misunderstandings of an Act;
and aext of fresh blunderings in framing a Pr,6cJara'v
tioa made in pursuance of the.law, can it be lvqud'ereJ
at that neither Collectors nor Payers of Customj
sliould be able to fathom the depth; of the united, en
actnicnts, or know what duties arc leviable, or what
! ? ?? -i I ?;-.-: ,'? i, ', 'ii-i -f-.u;:. '5 l.vKl'U mi:: ,. ?,*.-. ? ;i; ,-, t
jgoous are subject to, imposts ? Simplicity in legislation
is the greatest ;beautyin legxslatibn, arid losing1 sight iof,
it is sure to lead to public inc(b^ye'hie^ce* Thciyise Geail
iat hom'e,\','who^direct'\thovp(blitjcal;niaqh'inery of tli'u
Colony, haytf been cajoled jintoa::belief that simple is*
stitutions are not; adapted1 to the* mcriilian of Nisr
South Wales, -and we. have consequently heenfavottrti
.-wi_tli___all _the advantage* _ whicli cpmplicatiqp aji.1
intricacy, in forming Laws can produce. Wa'anj
exceedingly ^glaa that' these events have tykitn
place ; .and, we hope, ifc . ivill be prbd'ucir/rc of sVi'cll
jdilemmas: and embarrassment in 'the Colonial funds,
as to excite -great . attention. i,at h'onlc. It is .only by
palpable -acts of- tnis'-legislation in England; With re-'
gard to these distant Colonies, that the British Miuti
try will W ablei fully; to, overcome tho weight .of mis
representation, constantly exported hence, and arrive'
at the conviction that it will be better both for Eng
land and New South Wales that an Assembly should
be created, vested with the powers of legislation, and
constituted in such a manner as to ensure protection
to the interests of the whole territory. It cau ney«
be pretended that business, like that which is now .oc
cupying* the Supreme Couit would ever have ongh
nated had there been a Legislative Assembly vcoA'
posed of the Representatives of the People, and con-.
taining, members to whom the state of the Colon/
would have been familiar, and who would have beet
capable of discussing, on just and correct grounds,
the object and merits of all propositions and project*
of laws. ... ' '.' '' '?' ,'_ '? . '''? ', .: '' , ,'. ,. ''. '^':, i
With regard to the questions' under legal, eon.
sideratibn,' whatever view some illrhatured persoiif ,
may be disposed to tulce of them, it is quite ccrUia
that the parties Whojiave been, instrumental in bring
ing forward a discussion affecting the interests of tW
Colony so deeply, are entitled to no inconsiderable
share of commendation and applause. Tt can nerff |
be the wish of this Government to perpetuate illegal
exactions, or withhold sums of inon#y wrongfully pail
into its hands. 'The merchants have done no more
than objectVtQ pay demands,, which they' are insitrocf- I
ed cannot be enforced, by any- known law.. /« &&)*
they only desire to have the law settled and certain;
The Council may step in and fill up the chasm ^WA
the Act of--Parliament,- either purposely or inadv«t. I
antly.omitted ; and then no' one will question, thet(; j
ficiency of the law. The Council can pass Acts for I
' the Peace, Wjclfare, and Good Government of ti« I
Colony ;' Jind, if the Members can agree on t|iefi; j
pe.diency of imposing, duties on tobacco and gpoui I
brought1 here not directly (rom Great Britain, tbe i-- I
fectiveness of the Governor's Autli -#ity can be easllj I
supplied. It should, at the same time, be considerri I
that. tlie Head of tlie Colony is! entirely excmptfrcni I
blamei'bbtlv on account of an inefficient Proclamation,
and for having imposed Duties riot sanctioned by the I
Act of Parliament. It cannot be imagined that a ^»' I
dicrshould.be deeply versed intheartof unraveUingM I
mysteries of the law,' interpreting Acts of Parlumcnr- j
or penning Proclamations. There is consequently iio J
necessity for tlie Governor to feel linicli' personal I
ahxie'fcyi&fprl the- fife, of : the ; pending Actions, or con- I
aider fhimself at all jinvolved in the ionscijuences oj I

omissions in' Acts' of Tarliamcnt^or errors, in Proclg.,
niatjoni. ^ , ? ^ - , ».i ?» ,r
Jf'wo'wcro1 'disposed to offer an opinion, on ^ the
amount of the verdict found for the plaintiffs in the
action of trover Tor the value of the Tob'ncco. de-1
Mined by the Naval Officer, we should probably say
that U onght tb'have b'epn measured differently.-, ;It
had. been Long believed that a.dutyon tobacco existed..
Thararticle,iudced, .obtained. a yal.n,e. in the;, market*
founded on- that- belief ?; all fluctuation^ carriedmlong
vitji tlicnv the', id.ea; .of ^^uiy-NA^«?g; t^Ri 'P?4^-;
tiffs, hbweyer.svdoubted the v validity- of;: the- launder
?which a^duty was' received, an^'ery^jy^erly^laimea
to theniselves the benefit of a. .dowbt^^i^l^origiimteU
%Vitli: themselves, ; frpiri ^ ' clircuins tancjes *^cci^£liy:v \n- j^the ,
reach xif^every one. They took lib unfair jadvarijtagje
oEitiie'. public i.^t rea^i^^Rp^^lm^a^^cts^
which- aU; other-persons^^
waslsb^etiij(ng/liiie1aYailin^ihe«n^
formation ?' to^ -anticipate; by^puvch^as&^r,^;*^1^1^
risesprfanlinj/tae^ina^^
modityv ? The^Neiys/bf a^BattleV ^hitK^riiay^ocbasipri^
an ,al tcratiqn \ !in; 4he ^Publ ic;jJ^ds,..isw.consideEe3-a^
lucky circumstahce^whenV: it \reaches a^pecnlatorj sS j
asto^enable^ii^to^ijuy!; or ^sell,. Sto^^tii aniad^
vantkg'eV hbt'p'artalfeh of by the Mbro^^f^l^ljer^^but1;
Hoone^ypr ifppgiit ;that such ;a^antagerf-\va^Cjunfair,^
an-U, surely if a man may pfdfii; .byjhis^xpressesj-^his;
cai-ly-i intelligence r^his, anter.ior knowledge of facts.vhe;
? ou^h't'-'rioMo i be'' 'deprived!: of rthe'fulFben^
riyedrfrpra'hi^ihgeniously. fdi5CO.ve'Ving,that-.\vhich:alU
iiiight and ought ?tb?;hay-i ;d|scbycred^ ^^Vt^i^ypu-vM\
ttien.'iinfibyidcnc^
?riossessibn of ''''the i .^Tobacco ?Vhent;tKQy-a'p*pUeav:f6rvit,'f
they, migjit have sold it ;-for 3s.t6d. per- lb:^ it The ;dif-!
ferciiccslive t ween 'th is . anti ^ presen V pricel; i s^jme^real' 'da
mage - sustainedj ahd'oughti' therefore, : we ?; think1,- '-'to1
Lave, been tb^^ ,.'?;.,?.?; . .
; In!illltstratibnrof the. Liberty .'of -the* Press 'Tn'h^sV.lVifa;:.
jesty.'s British Cplonies, and in reference to .the first.
Paper.;.,of those principles which' was established at
the Cape \of Good Hope some time'ago byia Mr. Creigi
and which has-since created so. much discussion, a late
number of The Times says-r-'* ilhV. rise of the firs.t
independent, newspaper forms an. sera in ? the - growth
of every community. It gives wings 'to' ihtcLl igence —
concentrates and perpetrates^ a ihost, of sympathies,
which might otherwise have perished for-want of mu
tual excitement — combines dispersed in terests: — fosters
new .enterprises— and communicates fresh spirit and
emotion throughout tlie whole political' machine. Jn
some, at least, of tlie distant possessions of this coun
try-, newspapers are looked upon, as we have, heard,
?with considerable distrust by men' exercising that
species of authority whieli admits no check from opi
nion. Tliey are frowned, upbri; .'.as.- meddlers-~-as ' in-;
truders — an fraught with diseased curiosity,! with.neyer
ceasing loquacity--— as -thorns in the side of poioerlir~—
(Hoburt Town Gazette.),; .,.,....,.:;. ..' , . . -»
An attempt lias recently been- ' made by-* a party of
prisoners, to seize upon*a;.'isniair''^ra/t;belonginj^|.tp-
Messrs. Berry and Wolstonecraft wliile lying in! har-
bour at Shoal Haven. Their intentioh, it appears,
was to take the vessel out to sea; and escape from the
Colony. Fortunately the conspiracy; was discovered
ere they had time to effect their purpose. Some of the
party have been apprehended, and lodged in custody.

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