INTERCOLONIAL.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 33, 8 July 1874, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL.

VICTORIA. Some interest has been occasioned, says the 11 Argus,” by rumours which have been circulated relative to the transactions of an importing firm in the boot and shoo trade, Wc learn from the Customs authorities that the firm alluded to is Messrs Callaghan and Co, and that ail the goods in bond belonging to this firm have been seized, and the Coranrssiouer has resolved to prosecute the firm in the police court. It appears that some years ago, when the lIonT, T. A’Bcckettwas Commissioner of Customs, attention was called to the very low figure at which the goods imported by Callaghan and Co were invoiced. In explanation Messrs Callaghan said that they sent the money home to the manufacturers, that the goods were specially made for them, and that, the invoices submitted showed the price charged them by the English makers under these circumstances. The Customs authorities, according to Messrs Callaghan, accepted this on condition of 25 per cent being added to these invoices. This arrangement has been in force ever since, but recently the officers of the department have considered that the department was not being fairly treated, inasmuch as the goods thus invoiced were sold under an ordinary trade invoice. Messrs Callaghan maintain that this is an advantage to which they were entitled, as by supplying the money they were virtually the manufacturers in England. The Customs authorities demur to this view, and, as we have already stated, the case will come before the police court. “It is said,” the “Murray and Hume Times” states, “that a tobacco manufactory on a large scale is about to be started at Wodouga, and we have been informed that orders have been given for the erection of the building. We are not in a position to vouch as to the truth of the report, but we feel certain from the quantity of tobacco grown on the border that were such a manufactory to be established, it could not fail, in practical hands, to be a paying speculation.”’

About twenty years ago a movement was started to erect a statue of Mr J. P, Fawkner, since deceased, iu recognition of his public services, The subscription was limited to half-a-crown, and the sum of £64 10s was collected. The matter was lost sight of until recently, and the other day throe of the committee appointed to carry out tho .object met at the office of Mr James Service, M.L.A., to consider in what manner the money should be disposed of. It was decided that circulars should be sent to the surviving committeemen or their representatives, asking them to attend a meeting to deal with the subject." A young married couple named Hoystcd appeared at the Wangaratta Police Court on Thursday, to answer charges of a serious nature. The “ Wangaratta Star ” gives a lengthy report of the proceedings, from which we learn that a young lady, whose maiden name was Winifred Johnston, and who was under sixteen years of age, left the protection of her aunt, Mrs Larkins, about three weeks ago at the solicitation of Hoysted, to whom she was married by the Yen Archdeacon Tucker on the Ist instant. Hoysted had previously told Mrs Larkins that he “ would have the girl” in spite of her or anybody else, and had been warned that if he did legal proceedings would be taken against him. Hcysted was charged with abduction, and his wife having made a declaration that she was over twenty-one years of age, was charged with declaring falsely. The defendants w sre both committed for trial at the Beechwortb. Circuit Court, bail being allowed.

lit S. J. Wesson, a grocer living in Brunswick, was cued iu the County Court by a carter for ELOOO damages caused through the negligent driving c£ defendant’s son. His Honor Judge Cope, after hearing a good deal of evidence, said he considered tha the accident arcse from the incompetent driving of't.be defendant’s con, and that the father was answerable for the conduct of the son, as he was going ■ -v business by his parent’s orders. He therefore returned a verdict for plaintiff, damages £U>O. George Batefeart, broker, was recently lodged in the city watchhouse charged, on warrant, with haying felonious 1 y uttered and put off a cheque purporting !o be drawn by James Tyson, cd the Bank of Yictm la, for ,£IOO, knowing the same to be tcreyd Ho was. during tho afternoon, bailed cc.i; '■>. his own bond in £SOO and two sureties r.£ £350 each, to appear at the City .Police Court on Monday. It will probably bo remembered that Butcher':. was arrested c;.i a charge of forgery some months ago, and was then placed iu the CrcmorriG Lunatic Asylum c i the ground that he was insane. It was mentioned; a couple of weeks or so back, that he would shortly be discharged as cured. A police officer r/as constantly iu attendance at the asylum to arrest him an seen as lie sho' Jd he discharged. NEW SOUTH WALK’S. The " Sydney Morning Hernia” c, ntairr-;' a full report of the Eer-.-'.-inr held a' s.Sydney to eor.sider tho prepr; ■ <: ' Jv.’.lis' 'mg la 1! ;v. Bcuth v'/rfi ‘ i :e eJicieot niA ur.se fie rim, oyptem of public instruction. There whs.

says the “Argus,” a largo attendance, biciuding many clergymen. The mayor of Sydm v. Mr S, 8. Goold, presided. The pr-.«-ii>ai speech of the evening appears to bav. ••Keen made by the Kev J. Greenwood, M A., /.!,<> contended that the Public Schools Act of 1866 did not meet the educational wants of the community. The school going population of the colony was about 150000, but only 107,000' appeared by the teturns to be attending at any kind of school, leaving 43.000 apparently without education. Referring to the existing Act, the rev gentleman said :—“ Its basis is such that the more widely it operates the greater will be the dissension and animosity which it must inevitably create Our present educational policy is one of the most cumbrous, uncertain, compromising, and controversy-creating systems that ever could have been devised as a 'basis of education for a whole people.” Speaking of the denominational character of the Act, he said : —“ We are all equally free to hold our religious convictions, and teach them, so far as we do not infringe the equal rights of each other : but we must teach them at our own expense; and for any religious section of the community to attempt to throw any part of the support of its religious teaching upon the whole community never can produce anything but discord and discontent.” The Rev. G. Woolnough advocated a system of education that would take the work entirely out of the hands of the churchesand the Rev Dr McGibbon announced that ho “was for going the whole hog, i c., for free, compulsory, aud secular education.” After some further discussion, it was unanimously agreed, on the motion of the Rev Dr Stanley—“ That this meeting is of opinion that the time has now arrived for making our system of public instruction uniform, uusectariau, and more generally available and efficient.” A committee was appointed to prepare a scheme in harmony with this to be submitted for approval at a future meeting. The following account of the recent robbery of the Mudgee mail is given by the “ Sydney Empire”:—“About two p.m. ou Friday, Play 29th, the Mudgee mail was stuck up by two armed men, and robbed. The coach was on its way with the Sydney mails, and had reached a part of the road known by the name of Aaron’s Pass—a spot twenty-four miles from Mudgee, presenting every facility for concealment and, then sudden appearance of robbers—when two armed men came into view, and presenting revolvers at the driver of the coach and at the passengers, gave the usual order

to‘bail up.’ The coach was stopped, and the passengers having been made to alight were searched and robbed of what money and valuables they had upon them, and then the mail-bags were taken. The name of the driver of the coach was Robert M'Gartnoy. There were six passengers in the coach, and they were robbed of about £6 only. The robbers were disguised, having sacks over their bodies, with holes in the sacks for their arms to come through, and their faces covered with pieces of cloth like dirty calico. A shot was fired by one of the bushrangers before the mail bags were given up, but it has not transpired at whom the shot was aimed. There were seven mail-bags,, and they were opened and taken away by the bushrangers. The bags were afterwards recovered by the Keen’s Swamp police. The mail-bags contained the following mails : Gulgoug for Sydney, Mudgee for Sydney, Mudgce for Bathurst, Mudgee for Wallarawang, Mudgee for Parramatta, Cudgegong for Ilford, and Cudgegong for Wallarawang. There were no registered letters for any place but Sydney, and very few for Sydney.” The correspondent of the “ Argus” writes : —The Loan Estimates have been passed with very little discussion, the principal dispute being as to the expediency of erecting an entirely new lunatic asylum on the Balmain Peninsula, where the Government recently purchased an estate. The necessity for a new asylum has long been very pressing, the existing establishments being dangerously overcrowded, and Dr Manning has always urged that any new asylum should not be too far from town. A small sum of money was also voted for lengthening and improving the Government dry dock at Cockatoo. This will admit of longer ships being taken iu than can at present be accommodated, but it will not give the full depth of water required. The Government, however, has resolved on it as a temporary measure, leaving the question of a larger and deeper dock to be considered hereafter. A shipment of nickel has arrived at Newcastle from Noumea. Mr Richardson, managing director of the Mutual Life Association, has died suddenly to-day. Father Dunham, Catholic priest at Roma, is supposed to have perished in the bush on the road to St George. A shepherd named Elsworth has perished in the snow in the Cooma district. The Lcichardt Search Expedition starts in the first week of July. They take nine horses. • The Electoral Bill has been shelved for the session, on the technical objection that the Council has introduced a money clause.