Australian Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1526, 18 November 1873, Page 19

Australian Items.

The Wealth of Melbourne.

The Daily Telegraph says:—A good deal of money is spent in Melbourne, and a good deal is saved. Nobblers, theatres, concerts, tailors, milliners and jewellers take their share ; but savings banks and building societies are also busy, vide Mr Archer's " accumulative " statistics for 1872. Here are a few figures. In the Post-office Bank there are 30,128 depositors, whose average account is £lB 0s 9d, their total being £543,430 ; in the General Savings Bank there are 22,G21 depositors, whose accounts average 38 2s sd, or a total of £862,308. The enormous sum of £3,240,926 was loaned out last year on mortgage. In addition to this, the building societies have 16,500 members, and their assets are stated at £1,853,375. Last and greatest come the trading banks, with deposits not bearing interest, £5,305,000, and deposits bearing interest, £6,992,000, or a total of £12,290,000. No other community in the world has so much money in proportion in its banks as this, and it would be a great deal better if we had less —that is if individuals saw their way to private investment in trades and industries. Trade would be more brisk, and the country would be more prosperous. To the political economist it looks as if we were too much driven to bury our talent.

More Tichborne Stories. The Tichborne case has given rise to innumerable stories in the Australian papers, to most of which very little credence can bo attached. The Hobart Town Mercury, of the 14th of October, says:— A singular and important piece of evidence was yesterday brought to lightthat of Mr Horace Brown, of Macquariestreet, in this city., Ten or twelve years ago, Mr Brown, who is a chemist and druggist by profession, was in the employment of Dr. M'Carthy, the present medical officer of Tasmau's Peninsula. At that time Mr Brown remembers perfectly well the fact of George Orton, who was then in the service of Mr Wilson, a butcher, having accidentally cut his hand across the palm with a knife or a chopper. Orton came for several days to Dr. McCarthy's dispensary for the purpose of having his hand dressed, and so serious was the WOund,that Mr Brown frequently cautioned his patient to be careful as to his habits of life, &c, as tetanus or lock-jaw was likely to supervene. If, then, according to Mr Brown, the present claimant be George Orton, formerly of Hobart Town, he has a cicatrix across the palm of his left hand that he will carry to his grave. But should that cicatrix not be there, as he stands upon his trial at this moment, why, then, the inference is that he is the veritable Koger after all. On the above facts being yesterday communicated to Mr Graves, that gentleman at once telegraphed their substance to Captain Saunders of the Tamar, justin time to catch him before the ship sailed for Melbourne. Captain Saunders was requested to communicate, with the agents on both sides when he aWivesin Victoria, and it may be that one s\de or the other will telegraph to Look out for a scar across his left hand." The Gcelong Advertiser asks ;—How many more real Sir Koger Tichborncs are we to hear of ? A small farmer, residing within a mile or two of Geelong is positive that he knows where the veritable baronet is, and can produce him in six hours; but he scorns wealth, as the man, who is to produce him when occasion

offers, says; ho shrugs his shoulders when advised to go home before the claimant has been finally settled in a jail 'or in a palace as cose way be. He does not care how the trial terminates ; ho can be identified as the real Sir Roger whenever he chooses to go home. He speaks French, "possesses the necessary tattoo . marks, even remembers the very room in which he was born, and knows all about the claimant, who, lie says, is Tom Castro, a former mate of his at Wagga Wagga.

Improving the Security. A very good story comes from the Melbourne County Court. A well-known money-lender had made an advance on a bill of sale of household furniture. It transpired in Court that when the transaction was being negociated between the lender and the borrower the former asked if the furniture had been paid for. The latter frankly admitted that it had not. " To make the security better, then," said the money-lender, "you had better get some more." And more was got aecord-

The Game Laws. The Geelong Advertiser has been informed by a gentleman having property in the Wimmera district that he has been served with the following notice :—" I intend to bring twenty-eight horses and two packs of dogs to hunt upon your run, and having a Government license am not answerable for any damage that may arise to your fences or stock in pursuit of my occupation as a licensed hunter."

Judge Stephen's Farewell Address. There was (says the Australasian) something of more than the ordinary pathos and solemnity attaching to farewell speeches in the address with which Sir Alfred Stephen, Chief Justice of New South "'/Vales, the other day announced his retirement from the Bench and took leave of Ills brethren of the bar. The address represented the close of a long, useful, and iu many ways remarkable caveer. In the thirty-four years during which Sir Alfred Stephen sat on the bench, he had seen the roll of barristers in Sydney grow from twenty names to sixty-five, and that of solicitors from fifty-two to two hundred and forty-three. And while new names have been added, the old ones have disappeared from the list. Said his Honor, in weighty and feeling terms : —" It is painful for me to remember that, of the small band of practitioners first mentioned, four barristers and seven solicitors alone are now living. Of the judges with whom I originally sat and those who next succeeded none now remain in the colony, the greater number having gone to their long rest; and of the profession whom I address, the far larger proportion have entered it—many of its members have been born—since my accession to the office. Truly it is time for me to retire and leave the field to younger men. Of my own career I have nothing to say—it must be jndged of by others. I ask no extenuation of my shortcomings ; I have no fear that anything will be set down against me in malice. But I would beg those who may be disposed to think lightly of the judicial office, or its work, to be assured of this one thing—that nothing but evil to the country can result from depreciation of either. No object is or ought to b<s of higher moment, of greater interest to any community, than the integrity, the independence, and the learning of the judges of the land—and therefore the preservation of their station from reproach, and their characters from unthinking comment or undeserved obloquy."

The Kidnappers. A smart pen-and-ink sketch was circulated in the Legislative Assembly (says "iEgles " in the Australasian) during the Mount and Morris debate., A couple of vultures are flying off triumphantly with derisive screams. The Attorney-General has just discharged his double-barrel, and loquitur —" Bless my soul, I forgot to put the bullets in ! "