INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4360, 11 March 1875, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

VICTORIA. At the Central Criminal Court, Francis H. Byrne, lately corresponding secretary of the Hibernian Australasian. Catholic Benefit Society, was charged witli embezzling money belonging, to the society. His defence was that he had accounted for the money to the treasurer. . There was a similar charge against him in November last, on which the" jury acquitted him. On the present occasion the jury ' also, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict of npt guilty, and he was discharged. ~ The contractors have commenced active /work on the new line of railway to Inglewood. At. the,Police Court, Maryborough, on February 22, before Mr. Warburton Carr, Samuel Middleton, a publican, charged Robert Farmer, a chemist, and a very well hhown and old resident, with cheating, by means of improper dice, at a game known as "sweat." It appeared that defendant and another man, who cannot yet be found, went • into Middleton's hotel, and by spending some money induced Mjddleton to play. Middleton produced the usual dice, but after he had lost some money a bystander noticed that iu twelve .consecutive throws either fives or threes invariably turned up, and these were the numbers backed by Farmer and his companion. This bystander at length seized one of the dice, and examination showed that it had two fives and two threes marked thereon; upon which, handing the dice to Middleton, he said, ','Why, you are being robbed." A row ensued, and a search was proposed, to see whether Farmer or his companion had the proper dice about their persons. On this both men went out to the yard,' and shortly after returned. Middleton accused Farmer of complicity in the attempt to swindle, and Farmer subsequently served upon him a Supreme Court writ for £IOOO damages for defamation of character. Then Middleton took the present police court proceedings. Mr. Carr, the magistrate, said there was no evidence to show that Farmer had been a party to the substitution of the improper for the proper dice, and his companion should ceriainly have been before the Court. Sergeant Fahey intimated that the man was in Melbourne, but would be proceeded against. Farmer was discharged, but the case will come on again. Both Farmer and Middleton are very old townsmen, filling respectable positions, and the affair, therefore, caused a painful feel-

mg. :■••:. . An energetic little villain, about 2ft. high, who, though so small as to seem scarcely entitled to a name at all, yet rejoiced in both a name and an alias —the former William Williams, and the latter James Mtillins—appeared before the City Bench, at Melbourne, ,on February 23, on a charge of larceny. About ten months ago he was sent to the IndustrialSchool at Sunbury, his mother being dead, and his father employed at" Climes. During the ten months he escaped from the school, and was caught again, four times, -and a,'fifth time he escaped and managed to elude capture by exchanging the school uniform for more ordi-nary-looking rags, and keeping himself out of sight of the police until Monday night, when he stole a pair of boots, and was given in charge by the person to whom he offered them for sale.. When arrested he was searched, and it was found that his sole possessions consisted of an old clay pipe and, some matches. He was only nine years old, but was a confirmed smoker, and explained that being out of tobacco he stole the boots in order that he might raise the money wherewith to purchase the pleasant weed. He was sent to the Reformatory at Coburg for six years. At Dunolly Police Court, on the 23rd February, four youths,- named respectively Fred. Humphrey, Chas. Butters, Henry Butters, and John Harris, were fined each. £l,- or seven days' imprisonment, for, carelessly lighting a fire on the Avoca Paver while fishing. The fire spread in the direction of a comstack belonging to a farmer named Nevin. The fire destroyed a hut, and Mr. Nevin stated that it was with the utmost difficulty that it was prevented from destroying his stack of com, containing 2500'bushels, and the adjoining crops. . ■ ' ■ 1 i CASS OF O'FEKRALIi. \i

After a three days' investigation, O'Ferrall,; the Lands Office defaulter, has J been committed for trial The Bench refused bail, although it Is' said that it would have been proffered, to any amount, a significant indication of the sympathy that, is manifested for genteel criminals. The examination of Mr. Francis Jones, one of the audit commissioners, showed innumerable flaw 3 ;in the system of checking accounts at the Lands Office. More • than. twelve months' before O'Ferrall loft the. colony the commissioners found a deficiency of 650 license books, and, asked for an explanation, but could get' none ; and it does not appear in evidence that they have been. accounted for to this day. The' butts of certain license books repre-' senting £7093, which o'Fe'rrall. had were found in the office, '.but in the absence of, the others referred to, the presumption is that embezzlfcment to an extent at present unknown, has been practised. ' As regards the .Government Printing-office, there is no check* whatever as to the number of receipt forms 'that maybe printed and passed surreptitiously to other departments. Considering that I 'one of these small slips of paper when filled up by O'Ferrall sometimes represented hundreds of pounds, the looseness with which such forms were scattered about the Lands Office was simply disgraceful, and well calculated. to tempt unprincipled officers ,to manipulate the public funds for their own benefit. When the auditors asked for a supplementary return of. such forms, it took two years,''Mr. Jones. says» to obtain it. .'Dwing three years O'Ferrall contrived, under.this admirable system, to steal £10,465, sending in every week to his superior officer cash statements, which were innocently passed as correct. It is, understood that' Mr. Ireland, who has been retained for the prisoner, will make a strong point of the" temptation thus offered to commit embezzlement, and that his instructions are to expose .to the fullest ex : tent the gross misrule of the Lands,'department. - . • '-■ ' ; THE ''HUMOURS OF COPPIN. _ , .- In reply to a letter asking Mr. Coppin to assist in an entertainment in aid of the funds of the Geelong Free Public, Library, the Advertiser states that Mr.' Stitt Jenkins has received the following amusing and characteristic reply :—" Pine Grove, Richmond, Feb'ruary 16, 1875.—Dear sir,—Absence; from home, enjoying the pure air of Sorrento, must excuse my delay in answering your note. I enclose cheque for £5, as a small contribution towards your Free Public Library, for the sake of 'Auld Lang Syne.' My vicissitudes associated with Geelong are very interesting, and the visit to which you so kindly allude in your note, when I introduced Mr. Torrens for the purpose of exciting public, attention in favor of a measure to simplify the transfer of, real property, is a strange contrast to the timei when I first entered the town without sixpence in my pocket, and made a comfortable little fortune in the short space of eighteen months. When managing the theatre in those golden days I frequently had to trim my own lamps, sweep out the theatre, stick the playbills about town after the night's performance was over — blundering down gullies, at the risk of my neck, where you now have well made streets'— but-then one night's receipts paid my week's expenses, and it is astonishing what pluck and perseverance it gives a man when he can pocket five nights' takings out of six. Although I lost every half-penny of my Geelong fortune, I have retained a grateful remembrance of the many acts of kindness I received from my fellow townsmen. I take a great interest in free education, no matter in what form it can be accomplished, and I regret extremely that a clause in our deed of partnership for the Theatre Royal forbids my taking part at any public entertainment, or I would most willingly have given the assistance you ask. In wishing your Free Public Library the success it deserves, I must express my regret that I am not in a position to contribute a larger amount to assist in promoting the education and happiness ; of your inhabitants. The. very many claims upon my purse—the horror I feel at displeasing the Argus by magnifying my own name !—tho i parental duty I owe to a large small frtmily of ' Coppins-s-s-s—and the high tariff upon little boots and shoes, must plead my oxcuso. I shall; watch tho progress of your institution with \ great interest.—Yours, &c, Geo. Coppin.. Mr. Stitt Jenkins."

: NEW SOUTH WALEST : : The public accounts show that £IOO,OOO credit balance was ' handed over / by, [the ; late Treasurer to his successor. . Mr. Herbert Irving, son of the late Mr. Clarke -Irving, once., a member, of , the New South Wales Legislature/and a large squatter in the Richmond River district, has been received into the Roman Catholic Church. His family are staunch' Protestants. The young man was partly educated on the Continent.,: . ? The Government intend; placing £SOOO on the Estimates towards the representation of the colony at the Philadelphia Exhibition.: : SOUTH AUSTRALIA. At. the Agricultural. and Horticultural Society's annual show the-prize cnp for wine was taken by J. Richman, and the first prize for wheat by J. Riggs, whose grain weighed 671 b. 7oz. •■ ■; ''•■ Queensland sugars' have- been sold at £22 to £34 a ton.' '•' ' Mrs. Vincent, wife of a baker at Glenelg, was drowned whilst ■ bathing in the sea on Sunday evening, February 14. A. London private telegram of the 20th February reports wheat as being 4s. lower. ~ B!ondin remains here another week. He' is drawing an attendance of about 10,000 nightly. NORTH AUSTRALIA. Ealmerston is. very,,dull(Feb, 18.) ..Many of the people have left by the Gothenburg. Good accounts have ' beeh ■ received from Stuart's Gully. The Scots Company's battery, has been started for public crashing. The first dividend, £I,OOO, has been declared by, tlie Union prospectors. ... The local court has been adjourned to the 3rd March, there not being sufficient justices to form a.quorum. •.-. Joseph Skelton' has been fined £IOO for a breach of the Customs Act.

QUEENSLAND. At Ipswich, on February 15, the defendants who had been found guilty on the previous day of charges in connection with the riots at the School of Arts (on the occasion of the Rev. Mr. Porteous's lecture on Luther), surrendered to their bail. Mr. Blake, Q.C., addressed the Court in-mitigation of sentence, and stated that the defendants regretted exceedingly l the position in which they found themselves, and would never again be found in a similar position. " His Honor Mr- Justice Lilley addressed the defendants, pointing out the serious nature of the charge which had been'made against' them, and stating that he agreed perfectly in the verdict of the jury. He dwelt at some length upon the conduct of the defendants, and in the case of the defendant James O'Sullivan he spoke in very'Strong terms, con-; demnatory of his conduct throughout. He sentenced the defendant Ryan to imprisonment for six weeks, and to be fined £5 ; the defendant Keogh to be imprisoned for six weeks, and to be fined £10; the defendant O'Sullivan to be imprisoned for six weeks, and to be fined £ls ; the defendant ■ Portley to be imprisoned for three weeks, and to be fined £3 ; the defendant McCormack to be imprisoned for three 'weeks, and to be fined £3 ; the defendant; Shaw to be imprisoned for three weeks, and to be fined £3 ; the defendant •' St. Ledger to be imprisoned for three weeks, and to be fined £3. John Hackett, John Farrelly, Miles Reilly, James Murphy, Edward Kelly, and James Diaeen, then surrendered, to their bail on a .charge of. having indulged in riotous conduct at. the School of Arts on the sth November last. They pleaded not'guilty,, and were, with the consent of the Crown, allowed to stand out on their own recognisances to appear if called iipon by the Crown at the next assizes. . .-,.' ■—•'■■

The Chronicle of February 15 mentions that on Saturday "evening as' Burbury's "coach, conveying a portion of the members of the Royal Italian Opera Company, was proceeding along' between Green Ponds and Melton Mowbray, it broke down within three miles of Green Ponds. The whole of the passengers, including, several ladies, had to take to -the bush, where; Signor Rosnati and other gentlemen lighted a fire, as the air was chilly. - The driver procured another coach from Green Ponds, and the passengers again started en route -for Campbell Town, but their troubles were not over.". One of the horses shied soon after, dragged: the others'across the road, and' jolted the coach sOi that four passengers were pitched off. One.of these'was so seriously injured that it wasfound , necessary to .leave him at the. Campbell Town Hospital. The coach at length arrived without meeting with any more serious casualties. . A rough washing up of 550 tons istone, from the prospecting claim dfithe' 'Gleninire Rfief:at,:: Gympie yielded llOOozs. of gold. • There-,-are: about "another thousahd'tons 'to" go through the machine. ■ '■- . " ' :: • ' THE'ABORIGINALS. "The'old type-'of the Australian black is fast dying 1 , out," .observes the Northern Argus, "and its place .supplied by the civilised darky, who is'by,no'means an improvement upon his breed, the best part of which, like • potatoes, are under the,ground. Formerly, a piece of ' baccy, plour,' and tugar,' were able to work wonders—a.nd- 7 "many, a good day's"'work has been bartered for'a fig* of'colonial and a'paii-; nikin' of flour; but this was in the good old; times, when the crack of a stockwhip was asign to the hutkeeper to sling the kettle, and not, as is now too often the case, to close the door. The black bargains now with all thy shrewdness of a white man, .and is quite if not more independent ;',the fact is, labor is so. scarce and high,,that .people would onlybeto'o' glad to employ black'or'any other kind of labor if they could get 1 it; and our fragrantsmellinjf"friendr have cbhsequehtly'' : fot' more exacting and lazy. .They get 'paid, too, outrageously for the little they do;- A-short time Binceysoma coast 'darkies caught'a turtle,, and\ when • offered 15s. 'for it-r-a fabulous sunrin < other days—said, 'No,th6y would eat it themselves, unless they got £l, which they .wanted for brandy.' Formerly, a "pidce .of stilt..junk and a little sugar would have been considered ample payment for any service ; .but iblacks have been so much in demand since the population has increased, and labor of any kind has become so scarce, that they have raised'the prices. In fact, the blacks are on 'strike,' and able to hold out as long as possums and Wallabies are to be found. We have no doubt rthat by and by as they rise in the labor market, our Exeter-hall ; friends will suggests the propriety of giving them a ' member.' "-.'. :.-;:■: TASMANIA. "" The following with regard to the new iron industry in Tasmania is from a late number of the Ardrossan Herald: —"The ship Cape Finisterre was brought here to take in as cargo the complete plant for smelting iron ore in Tasmania, in which province, this valuable metal has been discovered in large quantity, and of superior quality. The works are to be erected near Launceston, about two days' sail from Melbourne, by the . British and Tasmanian Charcoal Iron Company (Limited), andjt. is interesting to notice that this is the first exportation of blast furnace plant to the Australian colonies of any importance, and may be the beginning of a large trade of this kind. • We learn, too, that the furnishers of the plant are all Weßt Country firms. , Messrs. Andrew Barclay and Sons, Kilmarnock, Bupply the machinery and ironwork; Messrs. A. Kenneth and Son, Kilwinning, and Messrs. Loudon and Russell, Newmains, the bricks and furnace blocks. 1 In addition, the vessel takes out all the necessary tools of every description for carrying on the works when started. About a dozen mechanics go out to assist in the erection, and in the smelting operations, the : management, we understand, having been entrusted to a gentleman of considerable experience—Mr. Robert Scott, late of Coltness Ironworks and Addiewell.Oil Works. Messrs. Janies McEwah arid Co., of Melbourne and London, are tie shippers, and act as agents for the company in this country ; and it is not the least interesting circumstance.in connection with this shipment that a member of the firm in Melbourne : is Mr, William Kerr Thomson, an Ayrshire man,""and 'ttf^'SOn'-of '*"a"~fdrmer"prOvOst of Irvine." The. Cape Finisterre,is anew vessel, and some particulars concerning .her, will be, : found in our shipping columns. •,._.. « '• Burdon's coach factory at Hobarton was • burned down on Feb. 22, causing an immense

conflagration and great destruction of: pro--'perty. The flames gained such rapid mastery, that but little was saved. . '. .The roof of the Mercury office—and of .several; other places— ; caught fire ; and the whole block had a narrow escape'froni destruction.