VICTORIA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1101, 7 February 1872, Page 2

VICTORIA.

[MELBOURNE PAPERS TO 22nD ULT.J Mathew King, the individual who was trusted by the tribute party of the Cardigan Consols Company to sell their gold; but who levanted with the proceeds, has previously seen the inside of a gaol, as the Police Gazette' s f -ates that he is identical .with Mathew King, a cattle stealer well known in the Maryborough district, and who was discharged 31st December, 1867* • It is not ail peace at Sandhurst, or the ,; Independent is misinformed! That journal says :— An -exciting fracas, arising from an alleged repudiation, occurred^in the Verandah on the 10th January. As the dispute— originally between two partieswas conducted in anything but 'an. undertone, the bystanders gradually learned the particulars, and treated the matter as a public question. The case was one of frequent occurrence, The broker had : been instructed in writing to sell some Bellvue and 'New Chum Railway shares, and on offering the cheque the principal stoutly refused to deliver the scrip. Considering how very frequently similar cases occur, the eager interest displayed, and the violence afterwards indulged in by the crowd, can only be attributed to idleness and a spirit of frolic. The bystanders hooted and abused the unfortunate principal, and subsequently was. literally pitched out in the road, aa i'a standing cx r ample to all other: defaulters. Explanations of each side of the question were subsequently posted publicly. An accident occurred in the Hustler's Reef Company's shaft, Bendigo, by which the manager of the company, Mr John Morrison, was killed. The deceaaed, and a miner named Whitford, had been employed repairing the pumps at the 360 ft. levej, and having finished whst they were abou t got into the cage, and gave the signal to be raised.. Some, bolts were in the bottom of the cage, and deceased stooped to alter their position to prevent them falling put, when at the moment the cage commenced to rise, and deceased's head was-caught on the framework of the shaft, and he.was dragged out of the cage; and fell to the bottom, a distance of 250 ft. Whitford, it appears, was standing up in the cage, and could render no assistance. The moment the accident was discovered, the signal was given to lower the cage, and Whitford, and a miner named Young, went down ■to the bottom, and brought up deceased's body, quite' dead^ The t

head was completely smashed, and it was found that the sole of one of the deceased's boots was torn off, probably in the crush between the cage and the timbers. Mr Morrison was an old Bendigonian, and much respected, and the news of his end caused a very painful sensation in town. ;■••.' Eta : had only ;; recently been^ap--pointed manager of the company, as successor to Mr J. f Millin. ?■•—•■■ 1 .1 f. ,< t / The steady increase in the gold yield of the colony, commencing early in theyear^ 3871, continued to the close, giving us on the 31st December last, exclusive of NewZealand transhipments, 119,9360zs in excess of the yield for 1870. The revival of ' gold mining in the Sandhurst and Castlemaine districts had much to do with our increased gold exports last year ; and as • there is no sensible diminution in -the: yield from these sources, we may confidently expect production to go on increasing during the present year. There will be some difference, however, in the character of our gold exports, in . 1872. ; The Victorian Mint will commence coining in April next, hence our shipments in : future will consist largely in specie father than the raw material, -this supposition being favored by the circumstance of the proposed Victorian sovereign being pf higher value than the coin struck in London. . , . „