INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 592, 2 November 1869, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

By the arrival of the s.s. Rangitoto from Melbourne on Sunday night, we are in receipt of dates to the 26th alt., from which we make the following extracts : — Melbourne, Oct. 26. Captain 0. B. Payne, of H.M.V.S. Nelson has been appointed a member of the Steam Navigation Board. The wrecked ship Victoria Tower, as she lies~near Bream Creek, was disposed of yesterday at public auction by Mr H. A. Coffey. The cargo (except so much as against the selling of which protests have been lodged by various firms in town) was also sold with the wreck, and the amount realised on the whole transaction was L 6400 cash, a higher limit than "was generally supposed would be reached. The purchasers were Messrs T. Warburton and Blair, who have already had some experience in such speculations. The wreck and cargo of the ship Hurricane in Capel Sound were sold by Mr James Lawrence yesterday for Ll3O. "Our rivers are swollen," says the Gipps' Land Times of Tuesday last, " but, remembering the recent heavy rains, not unusually high. Much of the low-lying country is partially inundated by storm waters ; but unless the late heavy weather 1 as melted and displaced the snow in the mountains, we may escape the threatened ft mete." The I7ooz. nugget already referred to was found by Thomas Noble, at Adelaide Lead. The Maryborough Advertiser states that "he lately got possession of the claim from Rohert Rowles. in exchange for a pig. In addition to the large nugget, several small ones were washed out." The pardoned Fenians have quickly got tired of the non-penal Colonies of Australia, and are already making preparations to proceed to Europe. We are informed that 10 of these men arc now on their way from Sydney to Melbourne, preparatory to setting out for England, their passages having been taken in one of the vessels which are announced to leave Hobson's Bay in the course of a few days. It is rumored that some 50 of "the boys," whoever that somewhat vague epithet may be intended to indicate, have formed a resolution to repair to Sandridge and give the returning "exiles" a parting cheer. The quondam prisoners will not, of course, be allowed to land, and they will, therefore, be kept in the bay until such time as the ship may be ready to convey them from the Colony. ■ At Mr Robertson's station, Mount Emu, 22 men employed as shearers were poisoned by the cook having used arsenic in the water employed to boil the cabbage in instead of carbonate of soda. The quantity used was enough to kill 200 men. Dr. Johnson, of Bpaufort, and Dr. Nason, of Carngham, were immediately sent for # and Mr Robertson promptly administered such antidotes as were available, pending the doctors' arrival. All of the men are recovering, but they have undergone severe suffering. It is said that a cook who was discharged recently, at the instance of the shearers, told the new cook that the bottle contained carbonate of soda, whereas it was really arsenic. This is regarded as so suspicious that the police have taken the matter, in hand. At the meeting of the Executive Council on the 25th October, Mr Thos. Moubray was appointed a magistrate for the district of the city. This is a compliment which the mayor has well deserved. Councillor Amess, the mayor elect of Melbourne, was introduced to the Governor on the 25th October, and congratulated by his Excellency on the election to the position of Mayor of Melbourne. A special meeting of the committee of management of the Melbourne Hospital was held on Saturday afternoon, October 23, for the purpose of inquiring into certain charges brought by an out-patient named Mrs Tiller, against Dr Barker, an honorary surgeon of the institution. From the evidence given before the committee, it appears that Mrs Tiller was in the Theatre Royal on the night the alarm of fire was raised, and in the rush of persons making their escape she was thrown down aud her collar-bone broken. She went to the hospital, and remained there four days, and then became an out-patient, going there every two or three days to have her arm bandaged. On Tuesday la»st, according to the woman's statement, she went to the hospital for this purpose^ and was in the consulting-room with Dr Barker alone, when he pulled her on his knee, and kissed her twice. She resisted, but did not cry out or raise her voice. Dr Barker then gave her a piece of paper with his address on it, and told her to come to his house the next day, and he would attend to her arm. She also stated that he made an improper inquiry as to her conduct with men other than her husband. She did not make any complaint on coming out of the room. She mentioned the circumstance to the cabman who drove.her home and to her neighbors, and, acting on the advice of the latter, she told her husband when he came home. He went to Dr Barker's house, but he was not in, and he then gave the information to a person, who wrote a paragraph to a Melbourne paper. Dr Barker gave the statement of the woman a fiat deuial. He admitted telling her to go to his house the next day, but positively denied kissing her, or any other impropriety he was : charged with. A motion was made that the inquiry be postponed until next Tuesday, to which an amendment was moved, that Dr Barker be exonerated from the charge. The motion was carried. Sydney, Oct. 18. The picnic that was intended to be given to the pardoned Feuians at Clontarf has been abandoned. The Catholic clergy yesterday requested the members of their flocks to remain away. The two men, Martin andTrindell,who #ere charged with attempting to shoot Mr Knox Child, the magistrate of Maitland, have been acquitted. The Great Western Railway is opened this day as far as Bowenfels, on the road to Bathurst, for passengers aud mails only. Oct. 20. One of the diamonds sent to England to be examined and cut has been returned. The lapidaries pronounce it to be of the first quality, and valued in England at LSOO. A man named Shepherd accidentally shot himself near Tamworth to-day. Mr Grant has been elected Moderator of the General Assembly, defeating the Rev. Dr Lang. The Australasian Steam Navigation Company have purchased the steamer Havilah for L 6200.. Oct. 21. Intelligence has been received here that

Mr Pritchard, the American Consul at Fiji, is dead, and that the brig Rona and the brigantine Samoa have been wrecked at Manchiki. The crews were saved. A small ketch foundered off Port Macquarie yesterday, and all hands were lost. The Christiana Thompson, for London, takes 2000 cases of preserved meats. "Mr Oliver Francis Kelly, clerk of the Legislative Assembly, is dead. The telegraph line is to be extended to the Rand wick racecourse, in order to afford facilities for the prompt transmission of racing telegrams. Oct. 22. Proceedings are being instituted against Dr. Wolfskehl for alleged perjury during the trial respecting the validity of the will of the late Dr. Mitchell. The remainder of the prisoners at Cockatoo have been removed from the island and placed in ga01. ,. The inquest on the fire at the railway terminus failed to elicit anything definite. Oct. 23. There was a scene in the Assembly last night whilst the House was in committee. It was occasioned by the Commissioner of Public Works declining to accept the ruling of the Chairman. About twenty of the pardoned Feniana sailed yesterday for California. The s.s. Wonga Wonga has been placed in the Auckland trade. The brig St. Thomas, for Sydney, has been wrecked at Fiji. The crew and passengers were saved. Mr Cook, manager of the Polynesia Company, was amongst the passengers, and has arrived here by the Young Australian. He reports the company's prospects as good. The ketch Eliza Davis has been capsized off Manning River, and the crew drowned. Oct. 25. The schooner Donald M'Kay, whilst cruising in the South Seas in search of native laborers, had two men shot by the natives of Erromanga. ■ The feeling in political circles indicates a speedy dissolution of Parliament. Maize is quoted at 4s to 4a 2d. Breadstuffs are dull. Adelaide, Oct. 16. Rich silver and lead ore has been discovered near Ougaston. A nugget weighing Hog. was found yesterday at the Barossa mines. Oct. 18. His Excellency the Governor has invited the producers of stock to meet him on Wednesday respecting the sending of sample of horses to the Indian remount commission. A strike has taken place amongst the painters on account of a refusal of their employers to grant half-an-honr's recreation during the afternoon. Oct. 20. In the House of Assembly last night the Treasurer introduced his " Ways and Means," estimating the expenditure at L 640,000, aud the deficiency at the end of December, 1870, atL7S,OGO, This he proposes to pay by bonds extending over three years. The entries for Saturday's steeplechases are not successful. For the Maiden Steeplechase Launcelot, Jolly Dog, Skyscraper, and M,onk are entered, but for the three mile steeplechase there are none nominated. Four entries have been received for the Handicap Plat Race. Oct. 21. Nearly all the tenders by Messrs Cobb and Co. for the performance of the mail contracts have been accepted. Oct. 22. / The Moonta Mine case was settled thia morning by the Attorney-General withdrawing it from the Supreme Court by concent. In the Assembly, the Estimates will be further delayed by the Speaker ruling that it is competent for the House to. reduce the totals, and leave the Government to arrange the particular items on a reduced scale, so as to bring them within the aggregate amourt sanctioned by the House. Oct. 23. The newspapers draw special attention to the necessity of the Government watching the various schemes proposed of opening up direct telegraphic communication with England, with a view to the interests of South Australia being recognised. Oct. 25. The English cricketers on their way to Australia are r— Messrs W. G. Grace, J. Smith, Alfred Shaw, Atkinson, Emmett> Lockwood, J. Rowbottom, Charlwood^ Edgar WillsherJ Southerton, and Jupp; Pooley will be twelfth man. They were to sail from Liverpool on September 20. Mr D. B. Mitford, well known as editor of Pasquin, and from his connection with. the great Moonta case, died yesterday morning from inflammation of the lungs. [The deceased was a member of the Redesdale family, we believe, and related to. Mary Russell Mitford.] The com market is firm. Sales of wheat aie reported at 5s lOd. Tasmania, Oct. 25. We have the gratifying opportunity of announcing the first capture of the salmon in the waters of the Derwent. The announcement was made shortly before 11 o'clock that the fish had been brought into town, and were on exhibition at the rooma of the Royal Society, and the news spread so rapidly that in a few minutes the room was filled with eager spectators. Amongst those who hastened to the scene were Sir Robert Officer, Mr Morton Allport, Mr Buckland, and several members of both Houses of Parliament. It transpired that the fish were caught in the meshes of a seine net by two fishermen (one of whom was Mr Robert Ikin), at Beauty Bay, last night. Mr Allport at once recognised them, and it may be mentioned that the salmon has peculiarities of construction and appendage that are sufficient at once to fix their true character. The larger of the specimens exhibited measured lOin. in length and sin. in girth; and the other one 9in. in length. Of the fish being the true salmon there can be no doubt. Sir Robert Officer and Mr Allport at once recognised them, and it may be mentioned that this fish is theonly one having teeth on its tongue. Mr Allport'said he was -prepared to "pledge all he was worth that the fish were the smolt of the real salmon, and the fruit of spawn spawned iv the Derwent." The body of Mr J> H. Pink, a butcher in Hobart Town who was missing, was. found in the river off Cornelian Bay on the morning of the 17th inst. There was. a bullet wound in the neck. It is supposed that he walked out ip the place, about 100 yards from the shore, having a rope round his waist with a stone at the end 20 or 90 pounds weight.