INTERCOLONIAL

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 331, 5 July 1875, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL

AUSTRALIAN NEWS. The following extracts are taken from our exchanges received per Albion : A meeting of auctioneers, importers, millers, grain merchants, and others interested in the grain trade, was held in the Criterion Hotel, at noon, to consider the present price of cornsacks containing grain. There was a large attendance, Mr Samuel Ramsden occupying the chair. After some discussion it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Robb, seconded by Mr Hunslow, that on and after Ist July all grain be bought and sold with the bags weighed in, and no tare or charge allowed. The wool clip of Riverina, from information carefully collected by the Pastoral Times, promises to be about half a pound per fleece lighter than the clip of 1874, and its quality will be inferior in something like the ratio of weight quoted. We understand that the mathematical department at the Ladies’ College is to be put under Professor Barton, who is coming to reside in Melbourne for the purpose. Mr Barton was a scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge, and graduated in honors as twelfth wrangler. He was for some years Professor of Mathematics at the Rojal College, Sandhurst, and left England to settle in South Australia. Miss Gresham, whose appointment we lately roticed, will assist Professor Barton; These arrangements are consequent partly on the great increase of pupils at the college, and partly on the appointment of the present mathematical lecturer, Miss Bolton, to the headship of the state school in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. We understand that Miss Bolton was chosen for her new appointment out of twenty-six candidates. Mr J. C. Ray has issued a writ for £2OOO against Mr Monckton Synnot on account of the recent prosecution for fraudulent conversion. “ Strange arguments,” the Inglewood Advertiser remarks, ‘‘have been advanced at times by laud selectors in proof of their bona fides, but one of the most peculiar we have heard was given at Wedderburn on Wednesday. A person present at the sitting of the board on that day wished to represent another person who was unable to attend, and gave as a proof of the latter’s good intentions that he was sixteen stone weight, and stronger than any man there present.” The next lecturer at the town hall will probably be Mr Charles Bright, who has, we are informed, a lecture in preparation, entitled Victoriana, Or Ins and Outs of Political and Press Life in Victoria. Its first delivery is, by engagement, to take place at the Mechanics’ Institute, Ballarat, in the course of next month. The experience Mr Bright has had in the matters upon which he proposes to lecture, and the ability shown in the lectures recently delivered by him at the Temperance Hall, are a guarantee that his discourse will be highly interesting. Judge Dunne has sent in to the SolicitorGeneral a lengthy report, dealing minutely with the circumstances connected with the recent accusation against him of strange; conduct on the bench at Maryborough. The judge positively contradicts the assertion, that he was under the influence of drink, and states that he was suffering intense agony from pain in the side and influenza. He had previously consulted Mr Gillbee, and< had been acting under his advice, but finding himself worse he sent for Drs Macgregor and Laidman. and they gave him the certificates he had forwarded to the Law department. He was suffering greatly on taking his seat on the bench on the day in question, but he nevertheless remained until between 1 and 2 o’clock, when an adjournment took place for luncheon. He then went into his own room, where he was seen by Mr Carr, P.M., who would be able to testify whether he was intoxicated or not. He resumed his seat after the refreshment hour, but felt so ill that on two occasions he was obliged to have recourse to. chlorodyne, which Mr Cockburn saw him mix with water. He remained on the bench until 5 o’clock, notwithstanding that he continued to suffer great pain. He had been informed by several persons that his manner was somewhat abrupt upon the bench, and that one of his judgments had the appearance of being contradictory. Some days afterwards he was asked to grant a new trial in the case complained of, but after careful consideration he found he would not be justified in so doing. The accusation of intoxication was a vile slander which no man who knew the pride he felt in preserving the dignity of the Bench could for a moment believe to be true. This explanation is under the consideration of the Solicitor-General. The friends of Mr. R. H. Horne will be interested to learn that by last advices he was hobnobbing with Louis Blanc and Victor Hugo in Paris, where the veteran author had received quite an ovation. Le Rappel and several other French newspapers contain all sorts of complimentary notices of the author of “ Orion," and hint that we are shortly to expect something startling from his pea. One French newspaper announced him as the greatest living English poet!

It will gratify the friends and well-wishes of the late Mr. W. H. Gresham to know that his daughter, Miss Ada Gresham, who was one of the successful candidates at the last matriculation examination, has been appointed to one of the assistant teacherships at the Presbyteiian Ladies’ College. The subject Miss Gresham has undertaken (mathematics) is one in which she excels. - Miss Bolton, who has hitherto taught mathematics at the Ladies’ College, has, we understand, accepted a lucrative appointment in New Zealand. A somewhat extraordinary application was made to the Supreme Court. Mr W, F. Watson, overseer of the Rockbank Station, in January last placed two of his daughters with Mr and Mrs Gedye, of Sandridge, to be educated. Some days ago be went to the school, and intimated his intention of taking the girls home for a holiday, and told them to be ready to go home with him on the 19th inst. When he went for them he was refused access to them, and a subsequent demand made for the children by his solicitor was also refused. Und<r these circumstances the Court was asked for a writ of habeas corpus, requiring Mr and Mrs Gedye to produce the children, and show by what authority they detained them. It was stated that the respondents alleged that the children had been sent to their school for twelve months, and they considered that the parents had no right to take them away before the expiration of that time. The writ of habeas was granted, and was made returnable on Thursday next. Letters of administration were granted yesterday to the widow, Mrs Emma Dawson, in the estate of her late husband, Mr Michael Dawson, which was sworn at £228,600. There is a considerable estate in New South Wales, administration to which will of course be obtained in that colony. The Geelong Advertiser refers as follows to the discovery of a human skull mentioned in our telegrams yesterday—“ A rather curious discovery was made at Limeburners’ Point a day or two ago. Some of the workmen engaged quarrying dug out afossil human skull, at a depth of 15ft from the surface. The skull was embedded in limestone and was in a good state of preservation, the bones and teeth being in their natural condition. How many years it must have rested in the place where it was discovered is a question deserving the attention of geologists, because it tends to show that Australia must have been populated at a tolerably remote period. Administration was given in the Supreme Court recently to several large estates. In addition to that of the late Mr Michael Dawson (whose Victorian property was sworn at £228,500), there were the wills of the late Mr J. F. Strachan, £65,500 ; the late Mr J. D. Pinnock £42,000; an estate, £15,900: another £10,000; one of £6500; and several of smaller amount. The handicaps for the Metropolitan and Melbourne Cup were pretty freely discussed on 22nd among racing men. In the former race Kingsborough and Sterling were considered to be very advantageously weighted, and there was a rush to back them at 100 to 10. The price was then raised to 100 to 12, at which both horses were backed to win several thousands, when the bookmakers stopped laying the odds. Afterwards Kingsborough was backed at 500 to 65, Llama was backed at 100 to 7. This mare is considered to hold the light-weight division safe. The cup is looked upon as a much more open race than the Metropolitan. Goldsborough, Diver, Kingsborough, and Sterling were each backed at 1000 to 50. Echo would have been backed at 1000 to 40, but H O to 5 was the best offer. Newbold was backed at 1000 to 30. Mr. French, of the Botanical Gardena, has kindly forwarded for publication the follow ing letter, which he has received from Mr. W. F. Petterd, one of the naturalists in the New Guinea Expedition ;—“Barque Chevert off Port Denison, 30th May.—We arrived here all well. We all like the ship very much. We collected several very fine things at the Percy Group, where poor Mr. Strange and his companion were so cruelly murdered by the natives whilst collecting. We expect, if all goes well, to reach New Guinea in about three weeks, I shall write again from Cape York.” “ Rather an amusing circular,” the Hamilton Spectator says, “ has been transmitted to the local inspectors of stock, requesting them to furnish replies to certain questions, as a basis for legislation if required. With the circular is a printed form, to be filled up by each sheepowner, and it is gravely expected that the inspectors of stock will be able to get answers to the following queries : —I. What is the number of your 2. The locality where departured ? 3. The acreage ? 4. The acreage under English grasses? 5, What percentage of fluke is in your sheep? 6. What remedies are employed, if any ? 7. What percentage of worms is in your sheep? 8. Name the remedies. 9. What percentage of footrot is in your sheep ? 10. And the remedies used ? 11. What percentage of any other disease, with the names of diseases, and remedies employed? 12. The number of your cattle? 13. The locality where depastured ? 14. The acreage on which depastured 7 All we can say is that if future legislstion is to be based on the answers received to these queries, we shall regard the forthcoming measure with some degree of curiosity.” At the meeting of the Sandridge Council it was decided, on the motion of Councillor Swallow, seconded by Councillor Burroughs, that the scheme proposed by Captain Stanley, of a ship canal commencing at the beach immediately west of the Hobson’s Bay railway, and ruining towards Melbourne, was the most feasible plan which had been suggested, and that the Chief Secretary be requested to receive a deputation from the Council in support of the scheme. It was also resolved that the Parliamentary representatives of Emerald hill and Sandridge, and the members of the Emerald hill Council, be asked to accompany the deputation. The case of the ship City of Calcutta was brought before the Legislative Assembly by Mr G. P. Smith. Prom the reply of the Premier it appears that the Imperial Merchant Shipping Act of 1873 is not in force in this colony, and therefore the Customs authorities have no power to refuse a clearance to a vessel and prevent her proceeding to sea, merely because she is unsea worthy. With regard to the incarceration of the seamen who deserted the ship, Mr Kerferd was not in a position to give any information, as he had not yet received the report from the presiding magistrate, Mr Mollison, P.M. It is quite time that the Act referred to was made applicable to this country, so that the Government may exercise a proper control over seagoing ships. In the Legislative Assembly recently, in jiply to questions by hon members, it

was elicited that any person not legally qualified practising as a medical man could be proceeded against by any member of the community, who could recover for his own use the sum of £6O. The London and Lancashire Insurance Company was sued in the County Court by Mr John Barrow, formerly of Sandridge, baker, for £loo’ being the amount of loss which plaintiff alleged he had sustained through defendants not paying him for damage he had sustained by fire, against loss by which he had insured his property with the defendant company. The plaintiff insured his furniture and goods with the defendants in December last for £IOO, and shortly afterwards a fire occurred on his premises, by which whatever property there was on the premises was destroyed. It was suspected that the plaintiff’s wife had wilfully caused the fire, and she was prosecuted on the charge of having done so, but the jury at the sessions acquitted her, and the plaintiff afterwards brought his action to recover £55, the value of the property he had lost, and for other damages sustained through the conduct of the defendants. After the plaintiff’s case had been heard, it was submitted that he had not proved that he had sent in a written claim to the defendants for the amount of his loss, as he was required to do under the terms of his policy, and his Honor Judge Cope held that he ought to have done so. He therefore nonsuited plaintiff with £l7 costs. An eventful voyage has just been concluded by the Duchess of Edinburgh, a new iron clipper ship, which arrived in port on Saturday, from London, This vessel, it will be recollected, at the commencement of her voyage got dismasted, and was towed from Corunna to London to refit, and after receiving her new masts she left again for Melbourne on March 26th, and between the Cape of Good Hope and this port she was overtaken by unusually heavy weather, from which she did not escape scathless, nor yet those on board. There was a good deal of damage done on deck and to the stores, and the third officer was washed overboard and drowned, while one of the crew fell from aloft and died from the effects of the fall. The board appointed by the Government to inquire into the allegations made by Richard Pryor with reference to his illtreatment by some of the warders at the Kew Lunatic Asylum during his incarceration there, has held a lengthy sitting. The whole of the members were present. All the warders employed in the asylum were called in, and those who were identified by Pryor and Cuthbertson as having been guilty of illtreating the patients were informed, that they would be called up to answer the charges one by one. The board then commenced to take evidence, and three cases were investigated. These were against Michael McGivern, John Flynn, and Edward Nash, Edward Purser, and Henry Dougherty. Pryor in many of the cases gave his evidence in a confused and hazy manner, while some of Cuthbertson’s statements appeared considerably exaggerated, and will scarcely bear close investigation. At 5 o’clock the board adjourned until 10 o’clock on Monday next, at the Kew Asylum. The Sydney Evening Mail of June 15th says :—“ A few days ago our Queensland telegrams disclosed the fact that a conversation between two prisoners in Roma Gaol, overheard by an officer, connected one of the parties to it with a murder committed in this colony some years ago. It has transpired since that the murder alluded to was that of the brothers Pohlman, at Narandera, in March, 1868. Upon the 4th of October, 1870, one Robert Campbell was tried at Wagga Wagga for the murder, and condemned to death, but it was known that he had associates who were concerned with him in the commission of the crime—that of murdering the two Pohlmans under a dray, near Narandera. A mate of Campbell’s was traced to the neighbourhood of Rockhampton, but all clue to his whereabouts was afterwards lost. Campbell was at large for two years after the murder, and if Roma prisoner be the accomplice, he will have escaped justice for seven years.” The Gippsland Times states that “ a natural curiosity of a peculiar character, to be seen on the Mary vale run, near the Morwell, has been reported to us by a gentleman who has lately returned from that locality. Some short distance from the Mary vale homestead is a small round waterhole of about ninety yards in diameter, which so far as has yet been ascertained has no bottom, although several attempts have been made by going in the middle in a boat with all the available line and sounding for several hundred feet. The hole is in the basin of the surrounding hillocks, and the formation round the sides is of a ligneous character, A singular fact is the influence the moon has on the water, as at full moon the level is highest, but after that the water slowly ebbs till at the first quarter of the next it is quite three inches lower, again rising imperceptibly till it attains its maximum height at the next full moon. It has been discovered that the sides of the hole overhang a few degrees, and the water is highly mineralised, tasting, so says our informant, something like the mineral water from Ballan or Hepburn. It certainly appears as if some subterranean communication existed with the ocean; or can our savants else account for the rise and fall ? It is intended to send to Melbourne fora few deep sea sounding lines with which the bottom may be reached. The general appearance of the locality points to the supposition that the hole has been the crater of an extinct volcano, which must have been of no ordinary magnitude.” It appears from the American newspapers that the Philadelphia Centennial Committee have issued a printed 'slip wherein it is urged upon the leading municipalities of the United States —such as Boston, New York, Baltimore, Chicago, and other cities —to furnish for the exposition miniature historic models, in plaster, cork, or papier mache, of their corporate limits, streets, whar /es, warehouses, public buddings, &c. “ These cities,” say the committee, '• have it in their power to thus contribute a very striking illustration of their share in the almost marvellous growth of the country.” The Victorian commissioners, (says the Argus') ought surely to turn this hint to account. A model of Melbourne and its suburbs would be a notable object among the contributions from this colony. A splendid nugget of solid gold, larger than a man’s fist, and weighing 108 oz, was found (,saya the Clones Guardian) on Friday evening by the tributors in the new Lothair mine.' This very welcome and beautiful piece of good fortune was discovered snugly waiting in the washdirt, only about 12ft from the face left by the workings of the company.

Tt e Border Post says that from the returns prepared by the various Shire Council officers on the Murray Border districts of Victoria, it is ascertained that tons of tobacco leaf have beeu grown in the locus in quo last year. This at, say 8d per lb, would yield the handsome figure of £29,866 13s 4d.