INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1184, 15 May 1872, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

Considerable excitement appears to exist at the present time amongst the laity of the Church of England in Tasmania, respecting the alleged ritualistic practices and heterodox teachings of some members of the clergy. One clergyman in particular, it is said, has distributed to certain of his flock, books in which the doctrine of transubstantiation and the institution of the confessional are laid down as recognised principles of the Churcln So much feeling was at length aroused that a memorial to the bishop (the Right " Rev. A. C. H. Bromby) was determined upon. It obtained some 800 signatures, and was presented to the bishop the other day by an influential deputation. The Daylesford Mercury understands that "after Wilkie was sentenced to death on Wednesday, removed to the condemned cell, and placed in irons, he seemed for the first time to realise his position. The miserable man's fortitude appears to have given way, for when seen by our informant he appeared to be in tears. Upon being visited by Archdeacon Crawford, Wilkie received him respectfully, but requested that the Rev. James Smeaton, of Ballarat, might be sent for. Before the Rev. Mr Smeaton left Daylesford for his present charge, the convict being a Presbyterian, attended that gentleman's ministry. It has been ascertained that his real name is James Christy Wilkie, and that he arrived in Kfelbourne last April by the mail steamer, under the assumed designation of James Anderson." The danger to the public health from the burning of arsenical pyrites in the. neighborhood of dwellings, is illustrated by the following case, which has been

brought under the notice of the B&tvdvcjo Independent : — " Some time since a man living in a hut with a galvanised irori^roof situate in close proximity to Koch's crushing-machine, in Long Gully, was taken ill, and ' removed to the hospital. He was there, the symptoms being slight, though the disease appeared serious, treated tentatively, and recovered sufficiently to be discharged. Hardly had this been the case when his ! mate, who was suffering from a precisely similar form of disea3e, was admitted into the same institution, and the coincidence at ionce attracted attention. An examination proved that the usual sign of arsenical slow-poisoning was present— the white line on the nail — and Dr Macgillivray and Dr Stuart drove out to the hut, where they found, not only the roof coated with an arsenical compound, but an arsenical sediment in the tank of water attached to the premises. The first man again betrayed symptoms of poisoning, and an examination proved beyond doubt that a second poisoning had commenced. Under proper treatment both are out of danger." Prince Joseph Oelus, son of Cakobau, who is being educated in Sydney, was present last week at a farewell demonstration to Mr Charles St. Julian, the newly-appointed Chief Justice. He responded to the toast of "Prosperity to Fiji" as follows: — "I thank you for so. v heartily drinking this toast. Speechmaking is a new thing to me. You must, therefore, please excuse ray words being few. I come from a once dark land — a land of cannibal cruelty ; but Christianity has raised us from the lowest degradation, and now we are a Christian people. We are now trying to establish law' and order in our land, and I ask you to help us. We most earnestly desire the, establishment of law, arid if you will help us it can be done. We want to govern Fijj in every respect as this land is governed. / I have come to white man's land to be trained at Newington College. lam anxious to be taught. You were born in the light ; lin the darkness. You were born in a Christian land ; lin a heathen , country. I wish to be trained here that I may be of service in the Government ' of my own country. Again I thank you for so heartily drinking prosperity, to Fiji." (Applause.) ' Evidences of the destruction being made amongst the rabbits are everywhere 1 apparent along the main road to Colac. Here and there their dead carcases may be noticed close to the metalled track, and in some places even the telegraph. , wires are decorated with them", is if the crows and hawks were hanging them there to dry. Heavily laden teams are met J .with, containing rabbits strung together in hundreds, suspended to the upper framework and beneath the waggonsr— in fact, wherever they can be packed. Road- ' men may be seen carrying them home of 1 an evening, slung over the handles of j their hammers, when they retire from . work. If, as it is said, they have been ' exterminated in some parts, their increase i in other places to which they migrated 5 has been rapid, for on the whole there ; seems to be no diminution in the supply that continues to be forwarded to market. , Lovers are never tired of inventing " sweet surprises for their mistresses, but • we never heard before of a young gentleman presenting his beloved with a double i perambulator before marriage, whatever necessity might arise for the use of one afterwards. At the Sandhurst Court rei cently, however, a Mr Eustace sued a , Miss Gill for one of these articles of do--1 tnestic convenience, whish he had presented as a gage of affection while they s were making up their minds connubially, and which, when the match was off; she had neglected to return with his letters. Unfortunately for the reporters, who expected some fun, the plaintiff did not ' appear, and Miss Gill remains the proud 1 possessor of the perambulator. In the Sandhurst Circuit Court lately, 5 during the hearing of the case Regina v. Cliff, a brief discussion took place respecting the common practice of examining r children as to their religious -belief, and the nature of an oath. A little boy, seven years of age, named Bryant, was t about being sworn by the crier, when he " was stopped by Sir Redmond Barry, who asked the Crown Prosecutor if he thought I the boy capable of taking an oath. Mr Smyth said the child had been sworn at the Police Court, and he saw no objection 1 to his being sworn in this Court j as to • his comprehension of an oath, that was solely a question upon which the Court would have to satisfy itself. The; boy was then asked if he knew whether it was right to tell a lie, arid he said no, it was wrong ; he believed people were punished 3 in a burning fire who told lies, but he did j not know when ; nor did he know who : God was or what was prayer. Mr Smyth said it did not matter whether a child had J a full idea of all the conflicting theological questions' of the day or not; it was sufficient that he had a knowledge of the difference between right and wrbng. His Honor wad of the same opinion,- remarking that it was impossible to expect > a child of tender years to have a correct r idea of subjects upon which grown-up people entertained a variety of opinions, | and respecting which they could not i agree. MrMartley said he hoped that , the world would soon arrive at that ad- , vanced state of civilisation when oaths . would be done away .with^and when men, . on entering the witness-box would only t have to make a formal declaration. The witness was then sworn by the Judge, and gave his evidence in a very satisfac- ■ tory manner.