AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 3641, 23 October 1874, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

A. thief-trap baa been adopted by one of the booksebers of Melbourne. A brick ia wrapped in brown pap; r, and this is connected by a string to a pile of books, so that if the brick ia removed, the books are thrown down-J-a circumstance which is sure to attract attention to the culprit. A remarkable death occurred at Campr bell’s Creek the other day. A man named Henry Wadsworth, who bad for some time suffered from dropsy, attempted to tap himself, but be unfortunately pushed the blade into his bowe's, the result being that he died in a very short time. Mr Ohar’es Burrett, of f-ureka station, in IS.SW., was recently killed by bis horse carrying him against a tree. A strange fatality hna attended the Biuret family of late. Within a few months death has laid ' his band on no less than five of its members —father, mother, sister, and the two eldest brothers. An atrocious act of cruelty was perpetrated the other day near Ballarat. A goat got into the garden of an individual who scarcely deserves the name of man. as he went into his house, heated a poker red hot, and after capturing the goat thrust the red hot poker clown its throat. A fatal accident that occurred the other day to a poor woman at Carlton shows how very few people are able to learn wisdom from the most bitter experience of others. lighting a fire, and, to“savetroue, 'j P some keroi cuo on the burning wood, the kerosene can, -also to “ save trouble, being allowed to stand clcs i by. The result was similar to that in many other trouble-saving cases: “Next day her remains were followed to the grave,” &c. A very good plan for making a woman become a Good Templar was recently followed out by a workman in Hobart Town whose wife would persist in going out to spend his bard-earned wages in drink, instead of keeping it to buy bread for the little ones at home. As he could not labor at the same time and watch Adam’s rib, and keep ter away from a defect of our nature, he be-

thought himself to burn all the paraphernalia (petticoats included) of own dear Eveq and, as a c nsequence, she has for some time past had to keep her coucb, supplied with all necessary comfort, but sans certain articles of apparel. What a good idea,, says the ‘ Mercury,’ as to how to make k Good Templar, for there she is now, as sober as on the first day she saw the sun. The A delaide agitators for funeral reform have adopted the capital plan of publishing a few a ;tual invoices from undertakers. In one appears thebe items (the whole account being L 114) :—To best hearse and coach, eight horses, and attending funeral. T. 3,1 ; to carriage for bishop, Hlto best coffin, two cedar, one lead, L2O ; to three drivers, 30s each, L 4 10s; to eight silk hatbands, L 5 17s 6d ; to two best scatfs and hands for bishop and Mr pair best kid gloves, L 3 17s; to travelling expenses, thirteen persons (including bishop, and ten horses, L 26 os ; to undertaker’s fee, L 6 6s. HoW TO STOP LARRIKINISM. The Crimes and OliVuces Prevention Bill introduced into the Victorian Assembly by the Government, proposes that persons assembling in any public place for the purpose of annoyance to others, or to the danger of the public peace, shall, unless they are under the age of twenty-one years, be liable to imprisonment for six months, with or withput hard labor. Larrikins under that age are proposed to be dealt with by whippings, with solitary confinement added on the second conviction Offnders under sixteen years for the first offence will be liable to twenty stroke s of a birch, rod, or cane ; and, on the second offence, to thirty strokes ; larrikins over sixteen laying themselves open on conviction to forty strokes. All the whippings proposed are to be inflicted in private, under the supervision of a magistrate or surgeon, who is given power to remit all or any portion of the punishment if he considers the offender incapable of sustaining it. LIBERAL CLERGYMEN. The Rev. A. Gosman, of Melbourne, who is well known for the manly independence of his views, disavows all share in the fear some of his cloth entertain ot terrible consequences that would ensue if people are allowed to read in public libraries or visit public museums on Sunday. ‘ For myself,” says Mr Gosman, “I confess I should only be toe glad to see public libraries and read-ing-rooms opened on tbe Sunday, if by such means general intelligence and public morality could be promoted,” Ho adds—“ Sunday is to me a day of the richest-enjoyment; but mjr pleasurable emotions would be very muck lessened if I believed that I contributed in any way to circumscribe the sphere of legitimate and healthy exercise on that day. which the highest authority [ recognise has taught me to regard as intended for the b nefit and welfare of the whole human family.” The Rev. Dr Bleasdale also has taken the occasion, on behalf of himself and the members of his Church, to disclaim any partin the fanatical ideas prevalent in some seels as to what is the proper way of spend; iug Sunday. In doing so, the rev. doctor made the candid avowal that since he had been in the Colony his efforts on behalf of moderation had been but a c instant striving “ to soften down the aaperiths of one set of bigots towards another.”

: QUALIFICATIONS FOR EMIGRANTS. Some amusing proposals are made by a correspondent of the ‘ .South American Register,’ as to the tests which should be applied to prove the eligibility of persons who offer themselves at Home as working men desirous of emigrating. Holding that it is’ genuine working men wanted, and not pretenders, or shams, “ A Northern Farmer,” submits three tests, to which all candidates .should be-subjected. One of these is the hand, with regard to which “the fingers should be short and square at the ends ; if over thirty years of age a little knobby’on ths knuckles. The palm should be hard and dry, and when the owner is'asked to put his ‘hand flat on the table it should be found resting on the wrist and tips of the fingers.” I'he next is thehandwriting. “Araanshouldnotbe condemned because he is able to write his owu name, but to a good farm-laborer it will be an effort requriug a sigh after it is finished. Any attempt at a flourish should cause a man’s rejection.” fiis third testis “speaking capabilities,” and with reference te this he says:—“ Make the applicant stand on a chair and ask him a few questions ; if he speaks as readily as when en the ground be doubtful of him, but if he shows the least tendency to wave his arms condemn him at once—he is a born or dor and if brought out’ he v, in never work himself, and will try to p event others from working, but will possibly get into Parliament, or come to some bad” end ” There is of course, some wisdom at the bottom of this humor. SLRANGE ATTEMPT TO POISON. The ‘Ballarat i-'ost’ erivea the following account of a strange affair;—“Mr Mark Gill, whose wife is the proprietress of the Britannia Hotel, Bridge -.street, has been recently confined to his bed from sickness. Under these circumstances Mrs Gill engaged an old woman of fitky.three, named Mary Ann Clay, well known in the East for her immoral associates, to administer comfort watch over the sick husband. Mr Gill s tale to the police is that he lay in his bed unable to sleep from aches and pains, but the old woman not similarly afflicted! fell into an uneasy doze, in the course of which the sufferer was horrified to hear her exclaim, ‘No ! No ! I cannot poison him ! I will not poison him.' The thought struck Mr Gill at once that the remark applied to him. and seizing the old woman he woke her up, when she confessed that she had been em loyed by Mrs Gill to poison her husband, and gave him a bottle containing the deadly mixture. Information was at once sent to the police, and Clay was conveyed to the lock-up, and charged at the Court yesterday morning, before the Mayor, that she did ‘ feloniously attempt to administer a certain poison to one Mark Gill, with intent to murder him.’ ”

GOVERNMENT LIABILITY TO RAILWAY PASSENGERS. . 1 A Bill has been introduced into the South Australian Parliament, by the Minister of Justice, to make the Crown li Able for injuries caused by the negligence of its servants. It is a short and cctop ct measure. As the law stands there at present, whatever damage damage may be wrought to life or property by the Government railways, no action can be against the Government, on the old plea that the Queen can do no wrong. The new Bdl is intended to do away with this injustice, and to make the Government liable in the same respects as private companies are liable. That is, a right of action will exist, if the-measure be passed, against the Commissioner of Railways in the same way, and to the same extent as it would exist against the propricto a private railway company. An aoiL-o for damages may be brougne m tlie Oourt, and if negligence be proved ag.v.nst the servants of the Government the C'.-iu.iifcsioner will be liable. The measure is so fat.- on the face of ib, and will remedy nuch a grievous wrong, that we have no doubc it wdl be passed, says an Adelaide contemporary, it will also get rid of a very objectionable practice, which has grown up in conscqyci.ee of the present state of the law—that of making app,ala to Par liamenb for compensation in special cases. When the Bill is pa sod. persons suffering damage by the Government railways will be ; able to invoke the aid of the law to right them ; and this will be greatly preferable to

suing i7i forma pauperis to the Legislature, asking as a benevolence what ought to be claimed as a right. SUBURBAN LARRIKINISM. A case brought before the St. Kilda Bendn goes to show that larrikinism is as rampant in that quiet suburb as in any portion of the metropolis. Three young men, named respectively Wm. Panchon, (leorge Robinson, aod James Haffey, went to the Victoria Hotel, and called for drinks. Their language to the barmaid, however, was of such a disgusting character that she refused to serve them, and called out James Griffin, the brother of the landlord, to take her place. While Griffin was in the act of handing a drink to Robinson, the latter made a most savage assault upon him, striking him vioIsntly in the face. The other larrikins joined in the melee which ensued. Griffin seized a whip, and defended himself very courageously, at the same time calling upon his assailants to quit the premises. He would, however, soon have been overpowered, had not his brother come to his assistance, and by their joint exertions thoy succeeded in ejecting the larrikins, although they offered a most violent resistance At this juncture the police made their appearance, and the youths were given into custody, but were almost immediately afterwards bailed out by some of their associates. Ihe Bench considered the two charges clear y proved against Robinson, ringleader of the gang. The Chairman said that the prisoner’s conduct amounted to a kind of terrorism, and the magistrates were determined to put it down with a strong hand. The o’her two were each sentenced, to fourteen days’ imprisonment, with hard labor.