AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2278, 25 August 1870, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

From the JurUt we learn that Messrs Bencraft and Smith, acting on the behalf and under the directions of Sir Michael Prendergast’s brother, the Attorney-General have succeeded in placing Mr Prendergast in Mr Harcourt’s private lunatic asylumn at Cmnorne, Richmond.* The unfortunate gentleman was a- consenting party to this, as, under Sec. 17 of the Lunacy Statue, 31 Vic., No 309, he signed the necessary form, voluntarily submitting to his seclusion for twelve months. It is a pity that a great many more people cannot bo induced to forego their personal liberty in the same manner, for it is certain that a twelve months’ seclusion would be very beneficial to many well-known public characters. There is a strange story of a theft of sovereigns on board the good ship Kent on her voyage to England round that Cape which ,thc Flying Dutchman could never weather. It is stated in the English journals that the three interesting young Victorians whose sovereigns disappeared, went on board the ship a t Queenscliff , undey false names. At the Thames Police Court one of the three gave as a reason for theip adoption of pseudonyms that, “one of the party did’nt wish it to be known to hig mother in Australia that he had left for England." Now 1 don’t think that this was exactly thejtruth. I can add a link or two which has been missing hitherto ih the uarrative. Most people will remember the name of Miss Dickson, who, in Now South Wales, was charged with stealing race-horses. A peculiar accomplishment this for a young lady, but really, I am not clear that Miss D, did actually appropriate my thoroughbreds, although I believe she was arrested on such a charge. However, Miss Dickson had money, and being in Melbourne some time ago, made the acquaintance of Messrs Weston and Counsel, which were the real names of two of the gentleman who lot their money on board the Kent. After some uatqral feminine hesitatiqn as to which of the two she preferred, Miss R. bestowefj. her hand upon Mr Counsel, who was the larger of her lovers. The bridegroom was restless, and appears to have had a higher appreciation-for money than’matrimony, for, without bidding formal adieu to the wife of l}ia choice, he carried of at least a thousand pounds of her iqoney, and levanted under an alias by the Kent, in the company of his friend Weston and another. His illgotten sovereigns didn’t stay long with him, and the qh.ances arc that they have got into hands quite as clean as his own, A curious little dodge for obtaining tickets for the mayor’s ball is said to have been tried on pretty extensively. It is said that many people who have not been asked have written thanking the mayor for his kind invitation, which it gave them much pleasure to accept, and so on, and ending by requesting tickets for their wives or daughters—trusting that the list of invitations would not be consulted before forwarding the tickets! It is scarcely likely that this scheme will be at all practicable, after having been once found out.

An interesting letter relating to Charles Dickens, was received by Mr Kingston from his brother in London, winch supplies some particulars worthy of mention? ; -'The writer says s—“ A fow weeks ago, I mot, Dickens on Sunday, at Jack Straw’s Castle, at Hampstead, where also were Maclise and John Forster. Dickens was |Ja great walker, and to Hampstead was one of his favorite routes. Of these three, Maclise and Dickens have suddenly gone from us. The third, Forster, is Dickens’ executor, I acted as the agent for your theatre company in engaging Miss (?lyn, f apU about a week after life wiboye' event had to meet Dickens on that business, he kindly acting on Miss Glyn’s behalf In tho matter of the terms of the agreement. In its margin Dickens made many emendations and suggestions, all of which were much to the purpose. .We had two meetings about it, and much argument, and both had to give way in order to settlement. That agreement I sent out by last mail. It bears, as also does the one Miss Glyn will brin/, the signature of Dickens. Dickens also acted as the friend and negotiator for Feebler, whom I am also endeavoring to engage for Harwooij ai;d Co.,laud his letter to Fech? ler ou the subject still awaits the latter’s answer, Pechter being still in America. Dick* ens was buried in the early morning before offices were opened or business men bad left their breakfasts. It seemed sad to bury him so secretly when .all London would have hastened to : give him more than'a kingly funeral, byt it was his own wish, and if) bonus tl)fi,t was, of qqnrsg, befqre alj. No one of the public knew qf the funeral' They have laid him with Sheridan at hia feet, and Thackeray forking down upon his coffin, 'So sleeps Dickens in Westminster ’ Abbey.' That great house of worthies 'contains hone worthier. It is difficult to' realise that he has gone from amongst us, so sudden ha£ . been the event. When he said, at hid last reading, ‘ From thpse garish lights I vanish now for evermore,’ he could have had no previsipn tliat the vanishing was so soon to fomp. Only a few days ago the ipieeu sent for him, and offered hini choice of honors and titles. He declined them, as well he might, ‘ ny addition or alteration would have spoilt hid name for us ad. We should, notfmve got used to it. While refusing the "coronet offered, tberc was 'auother preparing for him of more value j for w>H>ls of wisdom tell us that' Death is the crown of life.' 1 And ‘Edwin Drood ’ will remain more a ‘ mystery ’ to ud than ever Dickens could have imagined when he so entitled it. Ho told ns in his introduction, lately written to one of the republished stories from Master Humphrey’s Clock, that the lost books of the world have always beep deemed the) moat valuable. For the reason sq givep, tEifwip nevf lost to us fqr ever, may be the raqre esteemed - a soft qf legacy left to all of ps, which wo can never got. HJs last words wore, ‘»I have the toothache, close that window. ’ His last letter (posted) was of the ffth June, and was to Pulvermacher, the galvanic chainmakers, enclosing them a Post-office order for chain scut to him. When he received this galvanic chain, the ‘ silver ’ one was loosening, and the golden bowl about to be broken. So Charles Dlokens, the friend of our youth—the friend to us, and best known of Englishmen, sleeps in Westminster Abbey. How quickly are tho great names going from amongst us!—E. P. Kingston. —London, 10 th June, 1870.”