AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 3650, 3 November 1874, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

pESf RTED AND ALONE. A shareholder in one of the cq-operati e companies in Scsrsdale, v .o has only b eu marrie 1 about two mouths, hj ivmg (sajs the ‘Conner’) btained a wife by in. ans of a matrimonial advertisement found on returning home from the night shift that his wife had departed, without giving him any warning of ber intention of doing so. and had taken with her his last fortnight’s dividend. The unfortunate Benedict states that his wife had not been satisfied wi ! h hi r p isition, and complained that the disparity of years between them was too great to allow the marriage to be a hi’pjn one. The husband appears to be quite r-signe • to his fate, and is so wed satisfied wim his brief experience of married life that he is content to remain single to the end of Lia days. His fellow workmen have shown their sympathy for him by hoisting the flags on the poppetheads half mast high. A LUCKV GIRL, The Ballarat correspondent of the ‘ Pleasant Creek Slews’ relates the f.flowing story: —“ By the last mail from Eng and, ayoung woman, at present engaged as a domestic servant in the house of a well-known fa -fly, resident in the south ward of the city of Ballarat, r.icdved a s- mewhatoilici dlooting letter, which tor some moments abe almost dreaded to open, so different did th; missive appear to anything in the shape of letters Miss Bessie had ever received b fore. However, the letter did not-turn to be so dreadful after all, as it contained the ve y welcome, though startling news that an old aunt of Bessie’s had just bidden farewell to this wicked world, and left behind her a good-used bundle of ‘ , omps and vanities,’ representing L25,(j00 of good and lawful money of the re Bra To ‘Bessie’ was bequeathed L 20,000 and to that young lady’s ‘ pa’ and ‘ mu’ the odd L 5,000. 80 much for facts. Mow Miss essie is. 1 believe, a very estimable young por,-on o f nineteen > ears of age, and has besn fortunate enough to engage herself to a lady who bus taMen _rea.. pains to improve her, and render her as happy as possible. The fortunate young woro.ni has not, I learn, ‘ lost her hea l’ over the business, but intends doing just what she should do to educate uerseit tor a year or so with the best assistance possible, and then, when of age, to proceed home to enjoy the slice of luck bestowed upon her. The matte, has created quite a flutter of excitement in the south ward, wh ne the fortunate girl is well a .d favorably known to hosts of people ”

LIQUOR REFORM CONFERENCE IN MELBOURNE Letters were ad!reused • to the Licensee! Victuallers’ Association, fee Permissive Bill Association, and the TVmpvrauce .Societies’ Central Committee, by the Liquor Law Amendment League, asking the consent of thoau bodies to a eoi ference, for the purpose of c n idering <•' hat amendments upon the present liquor 1. w wculd meet with the joint support 01 tbo various organisations, Kepre.

sentatives of each of these bodies, with the exception of the Permissivts, who acted with their usual intolerance, attended the conference, and a treaty whs formed. The agreement arrived at provided for the amount and dispos d of license iees, and for their issue or the contrary ; aud that no new license should he i sued, ex epting at the wish of the majority of the ratepayers. It was agreed that no new house should be licensed unless it contained six rooms, built of brick or stone, each of 120 superficial feet, and ten *eet high ; or if it were within one-eighth of a mile of already licensed premises in cities or towns, or half a mile elsewhere. It was agred th it there should be inspectors who should cause liquors sold to be analysed, and also that the powers of the police in respect to entering houses should be extended. licensing Magistrates were to be elected, and any three ratepayers might oppose the issue of a license, costs io follow the decision. Penalties fur sly-grog selling should he increased, and the vendors of adulterated liquor should he liable to a penalty of from LlO to LSO, or the forfeiture of the license. The sale of liquor with a brand intended to deceive should be attended with a fine of from LlO to LIOO, and forfeiture of the fictitious stock. No person under fourteen years of should be allowed to buy liquor, and there should be heavy penalties tor serving intoxicated persona with it. The disqualification of a licensee after repeated off ;acts was also provided for. Drunken pers >ns should be fined from 10s to 40s, and all publichouses should have a private entrance for the sale of liquor not to be drunk on the premises. The Licensed Victuallers’ Association reserved to itself the right, when the Bill, the draft of which—after an interchange of compliments upon the courtesy and spirit of fairnes? which had marked the discussion—should be before Parliament, to seek “the insertion of clauses permitting five hours’ Sunday trading, and for the issue of night licenses to houses in the vicinity of public markets, and to oppose permissive clauses. The Temperance Societies aud Liquor Law Amendm nt League reserved io themselves the right of opposing Sunday trading and night licenses, and of seeking the abolition of Colonial wine licenses, and ♦he insertion of clauses throwing the onus of proof in certain cases upon the licensee ; to raise the publican’s license fee to LSO ; also, that the ratepayers of any corpo ate district should have the right, by recording a majority of votes thereon, to reduce the number of public-houses in their district, in five yearly reductions, to a maximum of one to every 500 inhabitants (present average 147). In eff c ing these reductions those licenses fo be refused vvh re tie licensee had evaded the law by Sunday trading, selling to intoxicated persons, or vending adulterated liquors; or where the house was not respectably c>nd noted—to determine which the evident e of an inspec tor, poliee or three respectable households s would be conclusive; where the houses afforded the least accomodation, or the applicant was not a bond file tiroprio’ tor This clause the Liccu-ed Victuallers’ As ociatiou reserved the right rf < pposing, on the ground of its being a permissive principle, and an interference with vested rights, ” Ibis brought to the close a conference of a somewhat unique character, ANOTHER RUNAWAY WIFE. A respectable hotel-keeper in New South Wales, recently, at the earnest solicitations of his better half, s >ld his business aud arrived by steamer in Sydney and proceeded with his wife immediately on lauding to a respectable lodging-house not far from the domain. On reaching the house, the wife entered, having in her hand a black leath°r bag eon* ainiug a few hundred pounds, her husband waiting outside to pay his cab fare. This done, he too entered the house, and on inquiry for his “beloved one” found she, had left quietly through the Jock gate, taking with her the big of money. He waited patiently fox her return, aud she not putting in rn appearance he caused inquiry to be made, bat without success Then, after some time, being convicted th tt she had left him, he gave information to tne police, hut, up to the present time, no clue has been obtained as to her whereabouts. It appears the couple were married in England some two years ago, aud short-y afterwards came out to this Colony. The missing lady is young aud rather prepossessing in appearance.