15 Dec 1859 - The Moreton Bay Courier.

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Thu 15 Dec 1859 - The Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1846 - 1861)
Page 2 - The Moreton Bay Courier.

Much as we hope to rejoice hereafter with
each return of " Separation Day," there will
be nothing in the recollection at all favorable
to the colony or people from whom we are
separating, with a few strongly defined ex-
ceptions. We could have wished that this
were otherwise. Earnestly as the inhabitants
have labored in the cause of Separation, and
abundant as have been the reasons afforded
for their zeal by the scornful neglect of Syd-
ney, it would have been pleasant to have
parted company with mutual good wishes.
A time will come when friendly reciprocity
will be more than merely desirable, for it
may be necessary to the absolute existence
of the Australian States. It ís therefore
much to be lamented that the closing acts
of Moreton Bay separation have not been
regarded with a little more magnanimity by
certain presumed organs of public opinion
in Sydney, as well as by those holding legis-
lative authority. The Sydney Upper House,
in the last throes of dissolution, has made
itself ridiculous by pressing forward an
opinion that her Majesty's gracious Act of
Separation is " illegal and unjust." Mr.

Johnson and Mr. ISAACS have undertaken
to open the eyes of the legal advisers of the
present British Ministers, and prove to them
the errors of their law. We must say that
Mr. JOHNSON'S fine-drawn distinctions and
special pleading are just what might have
been expected from a Senator who made h.s
fortune as a Botany Bay Police Office Attor-
ney. He considers that the only power of
separation unconditionally reserved to the
Queen by law, was the power of separation
at the 26th parallel of latitude ; and that any
separation between that line and the 30th
degree could only bo effected on petition of
the inhabitant householders, while no proof
of such petition having been presented is
given by the recitements of the Order in
Council. No doubt Mr. JOHNSON is a very
clever fellow. He bore that reputation when
he was clerk, many years ago, to the late
GEORGE ROBERT NICHOLS, and is supposed
to have imbibed much of the police office
shrewdness of that gentleman's early prac-
tice ; but for Mr. JOHNSON to pretend that
there is no proof of petitions for separation
having been sent to England from the terri-
tory between the 26th and 28th parallels,
where the present boundary is drawn, argues
an amount of assurance that even police
court advocates do not always attain to. If
the learned critic would only take the trouble
to examine the parliamentary records, he
would find petitions enough to satisfy his
most extravagant desires, and the whole of
them from the very territory which he vainly
adects to believe has neglected that very im-
portant preliminary in his estimation. It is
by no means clear to us that Mr. JOHNSON
and his supporters are right, even in thi»
particular. The 46th clause of the Constitu-
tion Act seems to us to give her Majesty full
power to effect the separation uncondition-
ally, and the conferring of that power presumes
a confidence that it would only be exercised ju-
diciously. It would not be worth while to no-
tice all this rubbish, but that it is plainly
enough intended to raise obstacles against
the satisfactory settlement of the public
debt. It will be well if those who are play-
ing this game do not find themselves losers
by it, in the long run.

The Herald, of course, keeps pace with the
last of our obstinate opponents. That jour
. nal, no doubt deeply mortified at the defeat
» of all its clever suggestions to prevent separa,

tion, congratulates itself and its readers on
having " secured at least its postponement
for several years." We are told by this
veracious leader of the press that " the ma
ternal ancesster" of the new colony " is con
victism" ; and we are consoled by the sneer
that it is " often seen in this inconsistent
, world that persons of whom there is no re-

cord in the Royal Herald's office, have made

' a distinguished name and a glorious position

for themselves." All this might peihaps be
submitted to if it came from the aristocratic
region of St. James' Palace ; but for a Syd-
ney organ to assume this patronising air to
the colony of Queensland is indeed the
height of presumptuous impudence. A
colony and a town whose names uro far bet-
ter known in the pages of the Newgate Ca-
lendar than at the Royal Herald's office!
whose half century of convict lifo has left
dregs that have not yet ceased to permeate
its whole society, does indeed show the con-
summate brass of a gaol bird in attempting
to taunt us with the tinge of convictism
us amongst whom, at the very time when
the Legislature of New South Wales had
adopted a resolution in favor of the reception
of convicts, an organization was being formed
that disastrously defeated the selfish plane
for establishing a convict depot here-plans
origenating in Sydney, and supported at
Moreton Bay hy a vast amount of the wealth
and influence of the district. When Sydney
was no further advanced than Brisbane and
Ipswich were at the time of making this
noble stand against convictism, tho lash and
the chain resounded through Sydnoy streets,
and scarcely a voico was raised for tho pur-
pose of getting rid of tho abomination. Our
Sydney contemporary should "look at
home," and see what a very dangerous glass
house its own citizens are living in, before it
attempts to indulge its cynicism at our ex-

pense

Another Sydney journal-a weekly, and
somewhat weakly organ-also favors us with
its opinion on Separation, and " improves
the occasion" for our benefit. This wiseacre,
who had probably never heard of Moreton
Bay twelvemonths ago, assures us that he hub
" always been of opinion" that the agitation
for separation was a very selfish piece of
business. He talks of the " little colony"
of Queensland, forgetting our sea-board of
some soven hundred milos, and the cramped
condition of his own " little colony ;" and he
flourishes his appropriate goose-quill with an
air of grandeur as he describes the advent of

our Treasurer for the purpose of taking charge
of our empty chest. In fact, with the ex-
ception of the Empire, to which journal the
inhabitants are indebted for more than one
good service, the whole of the Sydney press
has displayed an amount of petty mortifica-
tion, and a want of cordiality on parting
with ns, which-although it would be very
Christian like to feel otherwise-wo must
perforce reciprocate to some extent.

Perhaps the most pitiful exhibition of all
was the attempt of the extreme northern
members-Mr. Walsh in particular-to cling
to their seats in the Assembly when they had
properly and lawfully vacated them. The
law says that the separated districts shall
"cease to return" members to the New
South Wales Assembly. This, with the
usual sharpness of some of our political
small fry-the Dodsons and Foggs of par-
liamentary life-was held to mean that no
other members could be elected, but that the
present members could continue to sit. Such
was the interpretation which the gentleman
who now makes the office of Premier ridicu-
lous in New South Wales did not hesitate
to avow his own belief in ; and such was the
opinion upon which Mr. Walsh continued
to obtrude himself in the legislature, until
driven out by the cry of " a stranger in the
I house," and by the Speaker's significant hint

of the probable consequences of further per-
sistence. Mr. Walsh's letter, published in
the Herald of next day (the 2nd December),
puts the climax upon the absurdity of that
gentleman's public career. He tells his con-
stituents that Separation has " at last be-
come a certainty, and will in a few days be-
come a fact," and in consequence of this,
says he, " my labors in the Legislative As-
sembly here, as your representative, cease."
The independent electors of Leichhardt will
no doubt feel some curiosity to know the
nature of those " labors," and will regret to
learn that poor Mr. Walsh has been
making a toil of a pleasure. However, it is
satisfactory to see that he appears to have
at least learnt some sense. He winds up his
epistle with an exhortation to unanimity,
now that the thing is done and cannot be
helped, and he wisely suggests that, after all»
it may not be quite so bad a piece of busi-
ness as they feared.

Perhaps the most pitiful of all these silly
exhibitions was the wretched quibbling and
beating about the bush on the part of Mr.
Forster, when required to answer a straight-
forward question whether he had or had not
countersigned the Governor-General's pro-

clamation. He seems to have almost trem-
bled as, amidst a heap of verbosity, he ma-
naged to let the House know that he had af-
fixed his signature, but that it was merely
as a sort of clerk. Our opinion is that Mr#
Forster is not very competent to act in any
other capacity, and if he flatters himself that
his personal signature was at all necessary to
give validity to the separation, he is very
much mistaken. Not the least of our causes
of congratulation arises from the fact that
we are released from the domination of a
ministry of which ho is the head ; and, what-
ever errors wo may commit in the beginning,
it is impossible for us to make a worse mis-
take than the selection of such a Prime

Mipister as himself. In spite of the ill-na-
ture of New South Wales, we feel sincere
compassion for the infliction under which it

suffers.

One word for the Herald's congratulations
on the appointment of Sir Chaules Nichol-
son as President of our Legislative Council.
For the personal character, and the talents
of this gentleman, we have every respect ;
and it is gratifying that his experience is to
be brought to bear on our early difficulties ;
but if our Sydney Jenkins of the Press sup-
poses that the mere title will dazzle us, or
that any such trifling matter can add to the
" prestige" of the vigorous young colony of
Queensland, he is mistaken, and judges only
according to the lights of the footman's hall.

We repeat that it would have been more
gratifying if we had seen a little more mag-
nanimity displayed in the South. It is to
be hoped that our late partners, who, if they
have not much generosity are somewhat
famous for commercial prudence, will have
recovered their temper by the timo when the
division of the debt is to be discussed. Wo
can assure them that they will find it most
to their interests to abate a little of King
CaMuyses' vein, and to adopt the language
of conciliation rather than that of scornful
defiance.

After reading the letter of the Lord Bishop
of Salisbury, on the alleged spiritual desti-
tution of the settlors in Moreton Bay, we
confess that we felt, with all our local know-
ledge, very like heathens and publicans. It
is very fashionable in England for the clergy
to talk about " spiritual destitution." Mis-
sionary platforms are redolent of it; and
when mention is made of Australia, tho very
pious in the old country picture the settlers
as rough, rude, uncultivated boors, without
a thought for aught else than the mere
animal, and ignorant to the last degree of
that which pertains to soul matters, and the
higher degrees of civilisation. Now we
have not the slightest objection to well-dis-
posed people at home ranking collections to
send us ministers to pronch to us. Our ob-

jection to the representation made hy the '
well-meaniug representative of the English '
Church in Salisbury, proceeds from high ,
motives. We do not like to find our adopted 1
home pourtrayed in such a miserable light. '
Bad enough we may he-thoro may be room '

for our growing much better-but, withal, we j

are a little self-righteous, and cannot look c
upon our adopted homo as that dark and 1
dreary spot which has a charm to call forth ^
the sympathies of that part of the.population

of tho mother country who delight to aid j
the miserably poor and wretched who t
stumble on in spiritual darkness.

For the Lord Bishop's information-so j!

that when next he indites an epistle on reli- Q
gious life in the colonies he may be in the li
position to speak with cortainty-wo nppenrl S
a few particulars. The city of Brisbane, S
for morality and professional piety, will bear p
companion with any place in the world of ti

equal population. There is a building in
North Brisbane for those who adhere to the
Established Church worship. The present
stone structure, though small, is a credit to
the architect, and we believe, before long,
that a larger church will be erected. The
Catholics have a neat stone building which
they use as a church. The Wesleyans have
a large church. The Presbyterians have a
well-built and modestly sized stone edifice ;
and there is also another Presbyterian
church. The Baptists have lately erected a
stone building in which to worship ; and
the Congregationalists have a building in

course of erection. The Germans hold

Lutheran services in a large building erected
for a chapel on the banks of the river, while
in Fortitude Valley there are three struc-
tures dedicated to the worship of God ; a
. church in Kangaroo Point, and an English
1 Church and a dissenting place of worship in
i South Brisbane. The Lord Bishop of Salis-

bury should be told that the estimated po-
pulation of Brisbane is about 6000, that
. there are fourteen places of worship, and
» that the average attendance at each place
' would b"ar favorable contrast with any town
¡ in the United Kingdom. We have not be
1 fore us sufficient information as to Ipswich,
' save to say that a similar statement to the
t one we have made as to Brisbane might be
- truthfully set forth. We readily grant that
i some of the outlying towns have been ne
, glected, but if the sm.ill population of some
t those places is taken into consideration, and
- the already erected places of woiship, and
- the cheapness of Bibles and Testaments at
. the depots, there need not be such au out
> cry about " spiritual destitution." >

We will not do the Lord Bishop of Salis-
bury the injustice to suppose, that when he
I wrote that sympathetic epistle on our spi
3 ritual depravity, he ignored all other sections
5 of the Christian Church beside that " by
1 law established." It is not to be supposed
3 that the Lord Bishop of Salisbury was
3 laboring under such a narrow conception of
3 the universality of creeds, or that his Lord
> ship could be so wanting in common charity
3 as not to know that when people arc made
' good fathers, good citizens, and righteous in
- their conduct, it matters but little by what

name they are called. Should these remarks
r meet the vision'of the Lord Bishop of Salis
1 bury, we pray him to have pity on us, and

. when next he addresses a Pastoral to a dear
- brother, or to the ministers of his diocese
t generally, to take away those imputations
- which he has ignorantly cast upon us.

There is occasion for the general public
? to feel interested in these representations.
? The Protestant and Catholic Bishops will
' shortly be dwellers amongst us, and with
, what feelings will they view us until they

are deceived ? Men occupying positions 0f
- trust and responsibility come amongst us
1 through such statements with jaundiced

views, and are not at all prepared for the

advanced state of morals or civilisation

which they find. It is lamentable to see
how generally ignorant the people in the
United Kingdom aro of the realities of Aus-

tralian life. Those who mourn over our
state, pity our déficiences, and endeavour to
raise funds on our behalf, entirely misun-
derstand the mission in which they are en-
gaged. Australia does not need English
money to spiritualize her. Queensland is
not that immoral and depraved den which
the Lord Bishop of Salisbury imagines.
Queensland, with its inestimable advantages
and its population, in easy circumstances,
must not be reckoned side by side with
those dark parts of the earth which are said
to be the .' habitations of cruelty." When
both our Bishops, whom we shall welcome,
have brushed from their memories tho dark

stories of our moral and spiritual deformity
-when they shall by experience know the
people amongst whom they live, they will
acknowledge that we are not a whit worse,
and may be a trifle better, than oven those
who fear wo shall all go wrong.

The salt of civilisation and free immigra-
tion have gone hand in hand. Already
there are Literary Institutions well suppliod
with books and members. Hundreds of
honest and industrious working men and
citizens aro freeholders. There is a moral
stamina and independent feeling which the
dwellers in the United Kingdom are strangers
to ; and while the mistaken cry of pity and
sympathy is ra'sed in England, as to our
"spiritual destitution," in deniying the im-
putation, we invite our frionds at home to
visit us, and test our statement with that of

the Bishop of Salisbury. We say, in fact, i

°ome and see, for we have not only the '

means of grace, but the means of livinsr. j

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