Our Contributors.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 530, 12 August 1881, Page 3

Our Contributors.

ECHOES OF MELBOURNE.

(Fkom guv OwxV Correspondent)

Jaly 27, 1881. The Ferret conspirators have been dealt with and somewhat severely- The, prisoners, after a long trial, were had up for judgment on the 23rd, and in answer •to the usual question as to whether they had anything to say before sentence was proved. Henderson made a speech of nearly an hour's duration, in which he argued his case a hundredfold better than his lawyers, showing himself to be .a man of superior ability, and possessed of a thorough knowledge of maritime law and custom. His main contention was that the stange proceedings of those In charge of the vessel, and the remarkable papers were caused by their being in the employ of the Peruvian Government, ■Alien at war with Chili ; in first ho declared the Ferret *as a blockade runner, further, he nUVged the ship was fully insured, so Unit no matter what happened

to her the owners would not lose, and he •contended that more than ordinary latitude should be allowed, bcci.use he was really engaged upon an adventure with her. 11. Henderson's eloquence, however, had no effiact -m Judge Williams, who sentenced himself and Wallace, tLe purser, to seven years' imprisonment, 4Wid Wright, the cnpt.-.in, to three years and a half. Of all Hw prisoners, Hend«a son alone appeared to feel the sentence, and he has been very dejected since, 'lhe true story of the Ferret conspiracy would make a thrilling eoinaaice. The inauguration of the Winter Steeplechase meeting has been a great success ; nearly all the sporting men of Australia who attend the Melbourne Cup being present. The most remarkable event was the winning of the Grand National by that wonderful old liorse Sussex, though handicapped with Ist. lib. Twilight, who was second, only carrying list. Sib. The time was 7min. 2|sec. Multitudinous are the means by which men make a living in this metropolis and marvellous the simplicity of the dupes. Ono «o«ld have thought the ■matchbox trick had been exposed sufficiently to put the queerest on the guard, ( but we have cases weekly that show such is not the case. Mr James Irwin was ]md up last week for swindling a farm ' laborer of £10, and proved to be a venerable gentleman, well dressed, who \ resembled Chadband, asid who could easily be taken for a High Church clergyman. It turned out he had not loi:g ago eased a seaman of £100 on the same old game, but had escaped on a point of law. Nearly £200 in money was found upon him, and his lawyer thought to get hioi oft' on the point that this money constituted " lawful visible ■means of-support," but the Bench sent the old hypocrite to gaol for six months, •and tliose who tio the " respectable dodge " will shake in their shoes. The visit of the man-of-war to our , %siores is likely to result in several marriages in high life. I have that Lord Charles JScott, commander of the Bacchantce. and eon -of the Duke oi Bucelough, is engaged to Miss Ada Macedon, sister to Dr diaries the medical hero of Plevna, whe was so highly thought of by Osmar

Pasha. A most extraordinary case lias occurred at Maryborough. The adopted daughter of a couple culled Hillder, who was understood to be betrothed to Dr Jacksun, ft friend of the family, died from suspicious causes; after accusing the doctor of having seduced her. Milliliter has now made an extraordinary salinory declaration in which he states that L l r Jackson kept him for months' in a state of stupidity by making him drink gin and chloral,' and that while under the influimw) he got him to make a, wilt in ilisA Hilklur's favor, und i:]&o lo lend hhn the whole, of Mie moiicy he hflin th'i b?.vM f. ; oine £-JoO. V.'lion ti.-;e<l with tins. Dr Liihlor said ho hiid .rivca tho mom* to lilvi Hil'-lir. .Or

Jackson further claims all the property, under some deed of gift obtained from Miss Hilder under her adopted mother's will, Mr Ilillder thinks. It is a very strange case and is being enquired into narrowly. Dr Jackson denies the statements made by Hilder. There was a great Berry demonstration in the Temperance Hall last week, but the late Premier was extremely guarded in his statements, and spoke in very general terms, his principal thesis being, that the Literals shod i be satistied to obtain desired reforms in a steady manner. The meeting was at first very noisy, but there was a strong force of police present, and they ejected the dissentients, breaking cue man's leg. Several old supporters' of Mr Berry were present, and desired to denounce him, but were howled down.

The Police Commission visited Mrs Byrne's house near Beechvrorth, on their last trip up there. The byrne farm is vastly different to that of the Kelly's, At the Kelly's place desolation reigned and poverty and crime seemed to have set their seal upon it. Mrs Byrnes farm en the contrary is a pattern of neatness and agricultural comiort. Mrs Byrne herself is described as a tidy industrious woman, apparently of the " boss" species. The Australian Medical Jottrnal condemns football. It points out that owing to the youth of these colonies being fed on meat, without farinaceous diet, the bones are very brittle, which is not the case with English youths, consequently they cannot play football with such immunity. The absence of boneforming material in our foods is a gnat deterioration of the race, a-< is evidenced by the bad teeth of our youth. We are dull in the amusement line. Mr .Dewhurst has appeared in Richelieu and several Shakespearean plays, but lias not secured the appreciation of the public. This was to be expected as we have had muoli great tragedians hero, and ■Mγ Dewhurst is budly supported, and the pieces put on the stage with the proverbial niggardliness of the Theatre Royal management. Professor Dewton, the American scientific lecturer and elocutionist has delivered the first of a series of lectures on geology, and pleased his audience. ,He is a trifle too highfalutin after the Transit lautic portion, and lias a little of the Yankee nasality so offensive to English ears, but for all that he is a really good speaker andlias a thorough knowledge of his subject, lectures oil which are a novelty here. Mr Denton is studying our local geology, and-promises ±o give us some practical lessons on soil, etc, before he leaves ; this is just what we want.