Obituary of Notable Persons

LIEUTENANT D. O'BRIEN CASEY died at Greenwich Hospital
on the 27th Dec. This gallant old officer was midshipman of
the Hermione in 1797, at the time that the crew mutinied
and barbarously massacred all the officers with the exception
of the master and himself.

THE REV. FRANCES HODGSON B.D., Provost of Eton College,
died on the 29th Dec, in the seventy-second year of his age.

GENERAL THE EARL OF STAIR died on the 10th inst. at his
seat, Oxenfoord Castle, Mid-Lothian, in the eighty-second
year of his age.

DR. PEREIRA F. R. S., died suddenly on the 20th inst. at his
residence in Finsbury-square, in his forty-ninth year.

MR. THOMAS HARPER, the celebrated performer on the
Trumpet, died suddenly on the 20th inst., in his sixty-sixth
year.

THE EARL OF OXFORD died at his seat, Eywood, near
Kington, Herefordshire, on the 19th inst., in his forty-fourth
year.

EARL BEAUCHAMP, died on the 22nd inst., at his house in
Portman-square: he has left no issue.

COLONIES AND DEPENDENCIES.

The latest accounts by the Overland India Mail
from Bombay are to the 17th December, and from
Rangoon to the 26th November. General Godwin, in
person, commanding a force of 1200 men and two guns,
took Pegu on the 21st November. The town was strongly
fortified, and the garrison is variously estimated at from
3000 to 5000 men. In order to storm the enemy's position
at its weakest point, the British forces advanced along
the edge of the wet ditch defending the front of Pegu;
and as our troops advanced through the tall grass, the
Burmese marched along the ramparts in a parallel
direction, keeping up a constant fire. This operation
lasted for two hours; and the British lost six men killed
and thirty-two wounded. At length the shallow part of
the moat was reached; the troops dashed through the
mud and water, the Burmese fled, and Pegu was taken.
The flying enemy were not pursued. It will be
recollected that early in the campaign Major Cotton, with
300 men, captured Pegu without a single casualty.
Subsequently the town was abandoned; the Burmese
again took possession, and made the most of the interval
by strengthening the fortifications. The main British
army still remained inactive at Prome under Sir John
Cheape. It is remarked in the correspondence from
Rangoon, that the Burmese have been very diligent,
and mostly successful, in picking out commanding points
along the Irrawaddy between Rangoon and Prome, for
the erection of batteries, to obtain a full range of the
channel in order to interrupt the course of the steamers.
They have repeatedly fired upon the smaller steamers.
A little below Prome, there is a height called Akoktoung:
Captain Gardner was sent with some native infantry in
the Enterprise to this point, with orders to visit it every
day: he landed for the first time on the 18th November,
and safely marched over one of the elevations; next day
he landed again, and marched up to the other, on the
summit of which are two pagodas; as he approached a
fire was opened, by signal, from a party in ambush.
Captain Gardner and his havildar were killed; and the
rest of the party fled to the steamer, leaving behind the
body of their commander. The Calcutta Englishman
states that the annexation of Pegu and Prome has been
determined on, but that General Godwin has been
strictly forbidden to operate beyond the line of the tract
of country to be annexed. If this is true, there will be
no advance on Ava, and we shall have simply seized a
portion of the Burmese territory. The Aeng Pass is not
included within the proposed limits; and the Burmese
were erecting stockades on their own side of the Pass.

The last Australian Mail has brought letters and
journals from Sydney to the 9th and from Adelaide to
the 18th November. The Legislative Council of New
South Wales adjourned on the 2nd October till the 23rd
November. As Sir John Pakington had placed the
gold-revenue at their disposal, fresh estimates of income
and expenditure had to be framed; and a select committee
was appointed, with power to sit during the recess and
report at the opening of next session. Beyond this, the
only important legislative news is that the government
had obtained permission to bring in the two companies
of soldiers, which the governor, unconstitutionally, as
it was alleged, applied for in 1851, when no council was
sitting. There was a bill before the legislature for
imposing an export-duty on gold. The most striking
news is from the Diggings at Mount Alexander. There, on
the 23rd October, the diggers held a "monster meeting,"
and agreed to a memorial to the lieutenant-governor of
Victoria praying for an efflcient police to protect the
lives and property of the diggers. At a place called
Moonlight Flat, Forest Creek, the centre of the mining
district of Mount Alexander, a temporary stage was
erected, and around it nearly four thousand diggers
assembled. The proceedings are of remarkable interest.
Mr. Wells moved the adoption of the memorial to the
lieutenant-governor, which was seconded by Mr.
Perkins Wood. Mr. Wood expressed his firm conviction,
that as government would continue to do nothing,
something must be done by the diggers themselves. He
might be thought too sanguine, but it struck him,
looking at that vast collection of stalwart frames and
intelligent faces, that the anniversary of their meeting
would hereafter be regarded as a red-letter day in the
Colonial calendar—a bright page in the history of young
Australia—a day that they would hail with pride, and
their descendants regard with grateful reverence. He
had heard within the last few moments that his Excellency
the governor was likely to pass that way during
the meeting. What a singular coincidence! He hoped,
if such were the case, that his Excellency would be
respectfully invited to remain and witness their
proceedings. (Voices—"We'll put him in the chair.")
No, don't do that; he has to arbitrate between many
interests, but should not be identified with any particular
one. Treat him with the respect due to his station, and
give him credit for acting up to the information he
receives from his subordinates. He was satisfied that
many of their complaints never reached the Governor's
ear. Permanent prosperity was incompatible with
robberies and outrages such as they suffered from. If
the Governor complied with their request, he would have
no need of troops from England. He could command
"the services of a grateful people, and rest assured that
fifty thousand diggers would, when necessary, become
his body guard—"his special constables." Mr. Taylor
recommended respectful language, and strong measures.
He wished for a clause intimating the intention of the
diggers to withhold the license-fees until the 15th of next
month; and if their just demands were not then in
course of being complied with, to refuse payment of the
fees altogether. If they stopped the supplies, a police
would soon be established. It was indeed said that
police were coming out from Ireland; but in the mean
time was the present state of things to continue? Were
men to be beaten and robbed when they had money, and
shot by the bushrangers when they had no money?
Let the diggers show his Excellency that they meant
what they said, and were resolved to have protection.
Look at the frightful atrocity committed recently at
Friar's Creek, where four monsters in human form
violated a helpless female. Was it for permitting such
things that the governor should be lauded or his memory
respected? (Cheers.) If he was powerless to prevent such
things, why should he waste so much of their money
with the mockery of protection? There was a scheme
in preparation by which probably security could be
attained; but that would now perhaps be set aside to
wait for the arrival of the Irish police, and in the mean
time robbery and violence would run rampant through
the land. Mr. Bryce Ross asked how many would
refuse to pay the licence-fee? "All!" was the answer.
Voices cried out that they must stick to each other, and