Retired Officers in Australia.

Evening Post, Issue 175, 30 August 1865, Page 2

Retired Officers in Australia.

-It is not one of the least strange things in this strangest of all strange countries, India, to hear old officers, who are about to retire, sometimes talk of turning farmers

in Australia, and investing the proceeds o f the sale of their step in the pur^j^ase of sheep and land in that region. Cernfmly, that saying of the witty Frenchman must be true, that nearly the whole world are unconsciously msd. But of all forms of midsummer madness, that of an old Indian o nicer taking to ploughing and sowing, alter he has done with drills and reviews, appears to be the most fantastical. True, an old retired Indian is, generally speaking, more robust now-a-days than he used to be " In our hot youth when George 111. was King." Our advice to every such misjudging enthusiast always is " Hang yourself rither than go there !" "Go to Wales, go to Ireland, go to Scotland, go to France, go anywhere rather than to Australia !" For if ever there was a strictly true application of the saye ing " a fish ont of water," it is in the instance of an Indian veteren turned Australian emigrant. — Bengal Hurkaru, June 30. The report of the select committee appointed to inquire into the Leeds Bankruptcy Court transactions was issued on Saturda3', June 24. It acquits the Lord Chancellor of any corrupt dealings, but finds both his lordship and Mr. Miiler, the chief registrar of bankruptcy, guilty of indiscretion. Further, it recounts some dealings of a very doubtful character between the Hon. R. Bethell, the Rev. Mr. Harding, vicar of St. Add's Wandsworth, and Mr. Welch, registrar of the Leeds court. The Rev. G. R. Harding, who acted as Mr. Bethell's friend in the matter, sa3's it was agreed that Mr. Welch should pay down £500 to Mr. Bethell, to use his influence to procure an appointment from his father iv favor of Mr. Welch, and on obtaining an appointment should pay .£IOOO more. Mr. Welsh admits that he lent .£SOO, with the hope that Mr. Bethell would exercise influence with the Lord Chancellor in obtaining an appointment for him. lie further states, that l>e was in the habit of lending money to persons possessing influence, in order to obtain their assistance. Mr. Bethell says that he may have told Mr. Welch that if he saw there was any reasonable chance of succeeding, he would mention his name to the Lord Chancellor ; but beyond that made no direct promise. The amount of the "loans" from Mr. Welch to Mr. Bethell appears to have reached, between May G, 186-1, .and April 30, 1865, iv all £1050, without interest. Mr. Bethell Bays that Mr. Harding's statemeut is a pure invention ; he also saj's Mr. Harding sought me out, and threatened that unless I gave him money, or induced Mr. Welch to give him money, he would come down here and ruin us both. Mr. Harding on the other hand, sayo that he used no threats to Mr.Bethell, but that Mr. Bethell said if you appear and give evidence, I will shoot you. The Rev. Mr. Harding was, according to his own statement, to have received one-third of the further £1000 when paid, and he afterwards actually applied by letter to Mr. Welch for that portion of the sum : Mr. Welch took no notice of the letter ; Mr. Harding then sent a friend, and afterwards employed a solicitor, Mr. Coyte, to write ; but ultimately gave up the claim on being informed by his solicitor that he could not enforce it.