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Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 31, 15 August 1863, Page 6

New South "Wales.—The fearful prevalence of crime in the colony of New South Wales has been made at length the subject of a remarkable discussion in the Parliament of that province. The long continuance of outrages upon life and property in the interior and upon the great high roads, committed by organised bands of robbers and murderers, and the failure of the police force to put any effective check upon this wholesale system of brigandage, led to a motion of censure upon the Government, who were held to be responsible for the due maintenance of law and order. Mr. Cowper, the Premier, based his defence of the Administration upon the establishment of a case against the social condition of the colony, in order to avert the responsibility from the Government. His statements were certainly of the most astounding character, and will doubtless furnish materials for adverse comment upon the boasted colonization of Great Britain by the enemies and critics of England. The Premier of New South Wales gives a picture of colonial society to which it would be hard to find a parallel even in the countries of Europe which have achieved the worst reputation for lawlessness. According to the statements of that gentleman, nearly four thousand persons had been arrested within a period often months for crimes of great enormity. He says there have been 79 apprehensions for murder and other capital offences, 189 arrests for highway robbery with arms, 1149 for manslaughter and assault, 876 for burglary, 116 for forgery and embezzlement, 192 for arson and wilful damage, 331 for cattle stealing, and 768 for other felonies. In commenting upon this extraordinary statement, the Sydney Morning Herald declares the statistics <to be incredible, seeing how large a part of the country is pastoral, and how generally the people enjoy the means of material prosperity. The same journal suggests that a large number of these cases terminated in favor of the accused persons, but adds—" in many instances this was to the disgrace of public justice, and proved the utter demoralization of whole neighborhoods by the false verdict of jurors." At a subsequent period Mr. Cowper took occasion to state to the House, that he had ascertained the returns which had been furnished him by officers of the departments, to be exaggerated, and that he had telegraphed to overtake the mail, in order to modify somewhat the unfavorable impression that might be produced at home. The vote of censure upon the Government was negatived, but much di|satisfaction was freely expressed. The Moa.—The Dunstan correspondent of the Otago Times gives an account of another reported discovery of the Moa, made by a party while pro-

secuting an expedition from the Shotover to the West Coast. The following are stated to be the particulars, furnished by the discoverers :—" The bird stood about nine feet high, and made its appearance at the camp one night and thrust its head over the fire, but only remained 3 short time; the dogs gave chase, and they heard it for some time making its way through the timber. The impression left by its feet was about eight inches in length and about four in width, and pointed in the form of a toe at each end, and from appearances the leg bone must be situate about the centre of the foot; in places where the soil was soft and spongy, its feet hadsunk in some six inches. They baited some large eel hooks, having strong lines attached, with portions of the bodies of wild pigeons, which bait it must have took, as the lines were found broken, and some goodly sized logs capsized, with which they formed a sort of trap. They consider this bird very much like the Emu of Australia. The party, after obtaining a supply of provisions on Saturday, started for another expedition in the same quarter the following day. They are very sanguine of making a capture of this extraordinary bird this trip." An Editorial Brutus.—An editor out west thus talks to his non-paying subscribers and patrons. '« Hear us for our debts, and get ready that you may pay; trust us for we are in need; as you have been long trusted, acknowledge your indebtedness, and dive into your pockets, that you may promptly fork over. If there be any among you—one single patron—that don't owe us something, then to him we say, step aside—consider yourself a gentleman. If the rest wish to know why we dun them, ttiis is our answer—not that we care about ourselves, but our creditors do. Would you rather that we went to jail, and you go free, than pay your debts to keep us moving ? As we agreed we have worked for you—as we have contracted,we have furnished our paper to you—but as you don't pay us we dun you. Here are agreements, contracts for subscriptions, promises for long credit, and duns for deferred payment. Who is there so green that he don't advertise ? If any let him slide—he ain't the chap neither. Who is there so mean that he don't pay the printer ? if any let him shout, for he's the man we're after. His name is legion, and he's owing us for one, two, three, four, five, six years—long enough to make us poor and him rich at our expense."— American Piper.