VICTORIA.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 10, 30 November 1863, Page 5 (Supplement)

VICTORIA.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) [A large portion of the intelligence contained in this letter, has appeared ih our columns before ; but we republish it ia our correspondent's letter, itt order that the journal of Victorian events which we have hitherto supplied our readers, may be unbroken. — Ed. Times.'] Melbourne, 14th November, 1863. At length the weather has moderated, but the chilly mornings and evenings feelingly remind us, that although in the 'middle of our first summer month, cau•tion in casting off flaunels is most •requisite ; and the recent prevalence of rheumatic fever is a pregnant proof of "the alteration in 'the climate of Victoria, 'which is as unlike whaftit was in 1843 ■as Spitzbergen to the south ef Italy. I mentioned in a former letter, that •our magistrates had -kindly -consented to the stay 'hereof a West Australian ticket of (leave until some litigation in which he waa involved was settled. The ease was tried -on Saturday before thdChief Justice, whoexprcssedihis wish " *that the geiitlemen of 'the Ring would keejp their actions to themsel>ves,or : •settle them before theirown tribunals, '' -and said** he feared that the rules of the Supreme Court would not accord **' with those of "*The Pugilists Benevolent* Association,'", a remark which excited •considerable latigfater — absurd as the title looks it is correctly quoted. The 'merits, or rather demerits of the question at issue were these:: — Mr William Levey, brother to the M. L. A., and late whipper-in, is Editor of the Bell's Life 'in Melbourne, and in that capacity held the stakes of £100 a-side in a prize figfot which was to have taken place on the 25th August, between one Bill Clarke, the plaintiff, and another professor of "** thumhology,'' known as .Jack Robson, two pitlarsef the *' fancy " world here, in which works of imagination ■are altogether eschewed, in favor of the solid realities of heavy blows nad •consequent bruises. This was the "third occasion on which these rival gladiators had met, the police interfering on the first, and night intervening •on the second ; whether on this, which was to have been the decisive event, ; Mr Clarke's courage, like Bob Acres" ; -oozed out, did not appear, but on arriving at the ground he declined to rfight, upon a quibble that there were ....^o ropes and stakes provided to make "-.•^ne ring. His anta onist in vain offered to co-operate with him in procuring them, and at last to stimulate his dormant valour offered to " fight him for •a bellyful,'' with "the inviting assurance that he could lick 'him (Clarke) in ten minutes. -Rven this prospect of a speedy termination to his doubts and fears could not tempt him, and all parties returned to town from tshe Little River, disgusted with thesr fruitless journey. Some days after this Clarke demanded his n>€>ney back, but Mr Ei3v<y declined te cotwply with his request, and ultimately handed it over to Kobson, whom as stakeholder and referee he considered entitled to it, as having been ready to carry out the original agreement. Upon this Clarke brings his action, and the Judge having explained the law, — that in a contract such as this, tainted with illegality throughout, either party was at liberty to rescind at any time before the money is actually paid -over, — the jury returned a verdict for the plaintiff, who will thus be enabled to return to the Western •colony in full feather, leaving tlie unfortunate editor to pay the costs, and get back the hundred paid to Robson, the best way he -can,. As might be •expected the usual amount of cross swearing took place, tbe .reporter for Bell's Life, deposing that he went down to the spot on that morning, alone in the same railway carriage with Clarke, who then declared his iutcntioTi not to fight. This evidence was endeavored to be shaken by throwing doubt on the credibility of the witness, who it was affirmed had offered for twenty pounds to procure the stakes for Clarke, prior to their being given over ; an assertion, however, which was groundless, and only invented for the occasion, A similar instance of colonial aptitude for " tight swearing,'* as the playlul habit of perjury is generally termed, was taking place in the adjacent Court, •during the progress of the above trial. A notorious character, named David Nesbitt, a horse-dealer, generally known as Scotch Jock, was sued upon a bill for £68 by Wm. Kerr, a storekeeper, at Woodend. Defendant admitted the signature, but, to account for it, swore, that while in a public-house with the plaintiff and others, he had casually written his name on a piece of blank paper, while practising his signature, and that the plaintiff must have surreptitiously obtained it, and transmuted it into the bill produced. The jury declined to accept this hypothesis, and returned a verdict for the full amount. f; Orpheus, we are told, made tears roll down Pluto's iron cheeks, and a similar event, in a small way, took place in the Geelong prison the other day. When the hangman, a most sinister looking ruffian with ' one eye, a named John Bumford, the colonial Calcraft, was introduced into the cellof the man Murphy, executed for the murder of the constable, he burst into tears alt the sight o£ the prisoner, who j bad been his intimate friend in Tasmania, and was for some time unable to execute his grim office, which, however, he ultimately managed to do. One reads of many strange meetings and extraordinary recognitions in life,

but to meet a friend under such very peculiar circumstances must be a truly novel sensation, even in these " used up '* times. As the Ballarat down train was on its way to Melbourne on Friday, the engineer perceived something moving which he imagined to be a goat, but which, on nearing it, proved to be a little boy who had strayed on the line, having unperceived followed his father, a workman living near the spot. Being jt o late to stop it, the engine struck the child on the head, throwing it between the rails, when the whole train passed over it, providentially without any injury except a slight fracture of the skull. It was at once conveyed to the Ballarat Hospital, and is likely to recover. Monday, being the birth-day of the Prince of Wales, was kept as a general : holiday, all the Government offices, banks, &c, being shut, and business almost universally suspended everywhere. A suite of Turkish baths was opened at Ballarat on Monday with great eclat, and so long as the novelty lasts, will no doubt take — here, they speedily went out of favor, and have been obsolete for these twelve months past. For some constitutions they may do very well, but after taking one, the patient is apt to inquire, as the French sportsman did of hunting, " whether people ever did this sort of thing twice/ An appalling case of human depravity has just come to light at Maryborough, a miner, named James Carney, having been committed for trial for criminally assaulting 'his own daughter, a child under eight years of. age. The mother it -seems was dead, and the children, two "boys, a baby, and the girl in question, lived in a tent with the father and two other men. The poor child gave evidence as to various repetitions of the offence which, from the threats of hex unnatural parent she had concealed, untilquestioned by Mrs Mahogey, with whom the father had left&er, as to what was tbe matter with her. The details, which are quite unfit fer publication, fully established the guilt of the accused, being also borne out by the medical investigation snade, which proved the violence vrfiich had been used in perpertration of the offence. It is' all up with the squatting party in Victoria at last; the "Four Farthinged Thunderer" ef Great BouTke-street has definitely declared against them, vide the following furious blast from the " Fenny Trumpet " of the 16th:: — '''Before Victoria can become prosperous, the present squatting interest must be annihilated }'' how, it goes on to say, is of no consequence, but concludes with asserting that *' the motto of the Liberal party, as applied to the squatters, must be \Delenda est Carthago.'" Call ye that nothing, miserable bucolicals^ this is worse than your threatened compulsory exodus across the Murray, before tlie avenging stockwlrp of Charles Jardine Don, the 'Colliajgwood Gracchus. And to crown your,, dismay, even the great chameleon of the Melbourne press, .the Editor of the Argus, has for the fortieth time, on this question, turned (that inimitable reversible paletot) his official mantle, and talks authoritatively i-of the necessity of dividing over-grown runs. To drop metaphor, the pastoral interest just now is in a great ferment, having >had to pay the assessment irrespective of the arbitrate r;' award?, and the intentions of the Ministors are kept so profoundly secret, that the most sinister apprehensions are indulged in. It is doubtful whether any definite plan has yet been decided -on fey the ' Cabinet, : which is well known to be divided upon (his question, and as the next session will be so brief a one, the new Parliament will be left to decide finally upon it. In the meantime, with tlie instinct. of rats for leaving a falling houve, tlie Herald has w pronouueed,"' as we say at Madrid, and the Argus is evidently on the old ** wheel-about '* system, which defections may be likened to a kind of literary ""scab and pleuropneumonia'' overtaking these forlorn owners of flocks and herds, whose grievances must perforce remain unutterable, save through the channels of those twin luminaries, dough's Vircidar and The Yeoman. The Melbourne Town Council held its usual meeting on Monday, at which the new Mayor, the inevitable " John Thomas," was installed for the seventh time, to the lasting disgrace of the City. Two vacant aldermanships, occasioned by the retirement of the Mayor and I Mr Gallagher, were filled up, one by ; the unanimous re-election of the former for Bourke Ward. For Lonsdale Ward the votes were equal for Councillors Hill and Cohen (the ex-Mayor), each having eight supporters, when the scrutineers, Councillors Jones and Edwards gave a casting vote for the former. Jn addition to this rebuff, upon the usual vote of thanks being moved to the late Mayor, it was violently opposed by Councillor Jones, who accused him of " shameful neglect in dispensing the Municipal charities.'' This was vehemently denied by Councillor Cohen, and a stormy scene ensued. Councillor Goldsmith objected to the vote, as involving the expenditure of £20 for engrossing the address. Ultimately, after a great deal of angry discussion, the mal-contents left the Council Chamber, and the motion was passed by the remaining members — rather a sorry requital for Mr Cohen's services during the past year. Possibly, non-invites to the "fancy ball," made as many bitter enemies as the reI verse did hollow friends ; at any rate, ! the denial of the Alderman's gown to his late Worship is supposed to have originated from pique connected with that memorable Jubilee. The great attraction for Monday's holiday was the Annual Melbourne Re-

gatta, which came off on the Salt Water River at Footscray, and attracted nearly five thousand holiday keepers, including His Excellency, Ladyj and Suite, for whom, by the way, the accommodation, or rather, want of it, was disgraceful to the stewards. The races were numerous and well contested, and had the weather remained fine, everything would have gone off pleasantly. Up to four o'clock a more splendid day could not have been desired, when, on a sudden, with barely two minutes' notice, there came on such a squall as has rarely, if ever, been witnessed —a whirlwind of dust arising which extendid from the horizon to the very sky — causing temporary darkness, succeeded I by a storm of the heaviest rain, which drenched every one who was not lucky or wise enough to have made for timely shelter, the wind being at the same time so violent as to render it almost impossible for pedestrians to keep their feet, several persons being blown over bodily, especially those encumbered with any impedimenta in the shape of pic-nic baskets, &c. This put a stop to all further proceedings, though but few of the events remained to be contested at a future day. The first race of the day was for the " Footscray Cup/ which was won by Cullin of the Leander, Newell, of the Ariel, being second, and Ross, of the Elswick, third. The " Chall nge Sculls," were wrested from the holder, Mr J. W. M'Cutchsen, of the Elswick, by Mr A. Nichols, of the Ariel, who won easily. The fouroared match for the " Ladies' Plate," was won by the Richmond Club, who took the lead, and kept it throughout ; the Leander, Prince of Wales, and Elswick arriving in the order named. The Ariels were late at the start, and did not row. A protest against the race was entered by them at its close, which will hive to be'deeided. The " Challenge Oars" followed, nnd proved an easy victory for the Ariel erew — Messrs A. Nicholls and J. Mitchell ; the Leander men, Hall and Massey, being the only competitors who had a chance. The "Waterman's Sculleis Race" for a Purse of Sovereigi.s, was stoutly contested, and fairly Won by Boxleade, beating Ward and M'Laren. The next was to have been the event of the day, being for the Grand Challenge Cup, value £50, and four presentation cups, value j624 ; two cracK crews being entered— the Leander, Messrs N. and J. t Cullen, W. Cooper, J. Mitchell, J. Williams, (coxswain).; and the Elswick, Messrs G. Coates, M. James, S. Smith, J. W. M'Cutcheon, Richardson, (coxswain). This, which from the known powers of the crews, particularly the latter, was expected to be the mo>t exciting contest ef the whole programme, proved a hollow affair; the Leander men rowing clean away from their antagonists ; the Elswick crew, contrary to all expectation, quite belying their former reputation, and tarnishing their frequent victories in days pa>t. The '" Footscray Plate, consisting ef four cups, value -£-24, was carried off in gallant style by the Richmond €iub, who, although only formed a few months, beat the Ariel, thus winning two of th" races. The crew consisted on both occasions, of M. TI. Campbell, J. Mitchell. R. Mitchell, H. B. Thompson, and J. Williams, (coxswain). Following this camethe " Victorian Challenge Oars," with two presentation cups, for which five pairs competed, viz : — Leander, Mvs-rs N. and J. Cn'.l'U ; Melbourne, j*. W, Chomley, and M. Ik Trying ; Ariel, J. Mitchell, an 1 N, Nicholls ; Melbourne, M. Byron and 11. A. Williams; Monitor, E. Williams, and G. Wilson. After a short stretch, the Ariel drew ahead, closely followed by Chomley and Irving.who rowed a goe-d second the Monitor being third, ! Melbourne, fourth, and the Leander last. Next on the list was the "Junior Four-Oared Gig Race," by lads under 18, four cups, value IJ2. Just as this race commenced, tire storm broke over the course, and rendered the boats almost unmanageable ; the Lea tder craft was capsized* but beyond a ducking, the parties received no harm. The other two boats, the Brunette, and Richmond, rowing on, the 1 rst named, after a hard pull, arriving several lengths in advance, the race was, however, awarded by the umpire to to the latter, on the ground that the former had started without a proper signal. This decision gave are t dissatisfaction, and the swarthy lack's friends talked largely of protesting, liy ' this time the greater part of the spectators had disappeared, and it was generally supposed that the Gig Race for the Mayor's Cup would be postponed, but the Elswick Club rowed over the course, meeting the Leander boat in their progress, and thereupon claimed the prize, against which the latter lodged a p rotes', which, with other matters, will be entertained and decided upon afc the next committee meeting. This terminated the proceedings, but the scene at the railway is better imagined than described. The rush into the carriages, ladies being literally dragged in through the windows, and the impromptu steam bath arising from close packing in damp habiliments, made a most unpleasant finish, to what one of the fair damsels, grumbling over dilapidated finery, testily denominated "this here rubbishing regatta." Mrs Beasley, a schoolmistress, resident on Ballarat, was found dead in her bed on Sunday last, from disease of the heart, which occasioned so .vie sensation there, her son having recently ! died at Ararat from a similar cause. I 1 A Chinaman was a day or two since, i interred in the Scarsdale cemetery, with a nugget placed in each hand, and one in his mouth. The funeral took place on Thursday, and on the Sunday morning following, the body was found hanging to a tree, by a rope round the neck, his

passage money oyer the Styx, being of course, gone. Another instance of sudden death, so prevalent in these colonies, occurred at Newstead, oh Friday. A man named George Finn, who had just dined, commenced spitting blood, and went outside, when his wife found him clinging to a stump; he had only time to ejaculate, "God bless you s I am dying," when he fell a corpse, at her feet, having ruptured a bloodvessel in the lungs. The Very Rev. Dr. Shiel, has been raised by the Roman Catholic Bishop, to the titular dignity of "The Venerable Archdeacon of Ballarat.'' A grand soiree in aid of the Presbyterian Church Missionary operations to the aboriginal and Chinese populations, was held at the St. George's Hall, Greatßurke-street,onTuesdayevening, the Reverend, the Moderator of Assembly, in the Chair. Upwards of one thonsaud persons were present. Forcible appeals in aid of the peculiar object, were made by the Rev. Dr. Cairns, A. J. Campbell, D. Frazer, A. Robertson, A. Hagunaner, and others. From the report, it appeared that since its commencement in 1859, the movement had increased in success, the revenue for the first year being L 126, that for the last, L 765, and although the expenditure had been such as to leave the mission L2GO iv debt on the 30th September last, yet that the proceeds of the soiree and collection made, together with L 1.00 received frum Mr John Henderson, of tbe Park, Scotland, would clear o'ffthe liabilities/ A very pleasing collection of music was performed during the evening, and the proceedings, which gave universal satisfaction, were protracted to a late hour. Mr John Warner, nephew of Mr George Warner, merchant, Ryrie street Geelong, was accidentally drowned on Monday, while boating in the bay. A small terrier dog belonging to the de ceased, having either jumped or fallen overboard, he, without any intimat'on, sprung overboard to" save it, and was swimming with it on hi-s shoulder., when, before the boat, which had gathered great way from the strong breeze, could be put around to reach him, he suddenly sank, it is supposed either from cramp or the bite a of shaik, as he Was an excellent swimmer. The body of a shepherd, lately in the employ of a Mr Buchanan, was found at Rokcwood, on Monday, in au advanced stage of decomposition. lie had been missing for three weeks, and is, no doubt, another victim to the recent floods. The Victoria Turf Club Spring Races are fixed for the -oth and 21st. inst. Mr G. Levey, M. L. A., had another interview with Mr Verdon on the subject of disbanding the Western Volunteers, and the non fortification of the Ports fn that district. The lion. Treasurer, however, was inexorable, saying he had made up his mind, that he had no guns or funds to supply them, and refused to re open [he question, upon which Mr Levey retired, stating that the matter would be brought before Parliament so soon as it met, which will not, it is believed, be until the middle of January. At the fortnightly meeting of the East. C'jllingwood Municipal Council held on Tuesday, Mr Councillor Adeock made his threatened motion that the sum of £150 be allowed to the Mayor annually, to maintain the diguity of his office. After a long pause, no one else appearing willing to do so, that functionary seconded the proposition himself', to the disgust of the other Councillors, who unanimously rejected it, the Council he : ng already overdrawn and the Bunk having refused further advances. Trying on this little dodge will probably cost the proposer his s^-at, he having to go before his Constituents for re-election very shortly. The job was the more glaring, as indepe'dent'y of the impoverished state of the finances, it is a very poor district, and in no other of the Municipalities has any salary been attached to the office. Meetings of gentlemen who propose to form a Settlement at Martin's River on the Western Coast of your island, were held at Scott's Hotel, Gr?at Collins-street west, on Monday and Wednesday evenings, MrNeilly taking the Chair on the latter occasion After some discussion as to the best mode cf effecting the object, it was determined to leave the matter in the hands of a Provisional Committee, to be then appointed, with instructions to prepare a report with the greatest, dispatch, and to give public notice by advertisement when ready, and call a meeting for confirmation. The Committee was then elected, the following gentlemen being chosen :— Messrs. C. Lew s, Finlay, Scott, Ramage, Miller, Benjamin, Iluckle, M.Hall, Neilly, Barker, Wm, Bell, Thompson, Allingham and C. G. Jones, A block of pure transparent ice weighing scwt., manufactured by a patented process in Sydney, is exhibiting at the Vestibule of the Theatre Royal, and was inspected on Wednesday by oir Charles Darling, General Chute, and a nnmber of leading gentlemen, whose judgment was most favorable. The process is said to be very simple, no steam engine being required, and the article which is equal if not superior to the best Wenham, can be manufactured at a very low figure, where a large quantity is required. Harrison's ice machines will be quite at a discount, and their machinery is complex, and the ice produced too opaque, and liable to great waste. That old-established paper, the Mount Alexander Mail, is in the market — plant, goodwill, book debts, &c, being for sale by private contract, failing which, it will be shortly put up to public auction. At half-past 9 on Wednesday morning, the last sentence of the law was carried out on the persons of Elizabeth Scott, David Gedge, and Julian Cross,

the Jamieson murderers. Great exertions had been used by those philanthropists who are conscientiously averse to the infliction of capital punishment, to obtain a commutation of sentence, particularly in the case of the female prisoner, no woman having hitherto been handed in the colony. The Executive, however, refused to interfere, the murder having been of an unusually premeditated character, and it was felt that it was impossible to spare the woman without the others, she having been the sole instigator of the crime. On leaving the cells for the purpose of pinioning their arms, the prisoner Cross, who was the first, was tolerably firm, continuing his devotions, an attendant holding a crucifix before him. Gedge contained himself for a time, but at length burst into a flood of tears, which continued without cessation until the fatal moment. Elizabeth Scott, on the contrary, showed not the slightest emotion ; neither eye nor lip quivered, no limb trembled, nor did any paleness of the cheek denote any horror at the preliminaries to the sad result. Perfectly unsexed, she ascended the scaffold with an unfaltering step, and when on the gallows, after the cap '. had been drawn, declared that " she ■ was wholly innocent of the crime,'' when the bolt was drawn and stopped her utterance. Neither of the male prisouers said a word. It is satisfactory to know that both Cross and Gedge admitted their guilt, the former declaring that he had been made drunk by the woman Scott, or he should not have done it. It appears that on One occasion Gedge had broken his leg, and had been very carefully attended to by Mrs Scott, between wdiom and himself the liaison sprang up which has conducted both to an early and shameful grave. The unhappy woman was, it is stated, forced into marriage with the murdered man by her mother, against her will, tit lhe early age of fifteen, being only three-and-twenty at the I present time. Two children, boys, ate | the offspring of this ill-starred union — orphans, with no heritage but infamy. On removing the bodies for the usual inquest, the faces of the male criminals were not so much distorted ; but the appearance of Scott was truly rightful, her head and face being swollen immensely, and the features of a purple hue — a striking contrast to the rather prepossessing look she had possessed a short hour before. The head was nearly severed from the body by the violence of the fall (five feet), so that death must have been instantaneous, as indeed was the case with her companions. From the report of the clergymen in attendance, the two males seem to have been brought to a fitting sense of their awful situation, but little if any impression had apparently been made on the other, whose detet mined demeanor, coupled with the uttered falsehood at the last, evinced how littl-e fear either for the present, or future, occupied her mind. As is generally the case, all three of the condemned slept soundly the night preceding their death, and did j not betray any amount of mental suffering when aroused to meet their fate. Scarcely lias the earth closed over j this last sacrifice to outraged humanity's laws, than intelligence has reached town of another awful murder of two unoffending men, travelling as hawkers and pedlars. The scene of this new atrocity is a place known as Carr's Plains, in the Pleasant Creek district, situate about, thirty miles from Stawell, and s!x f een from Glenorchy, the nearest township, and only a mile and a-ha!f from Dennis's home station, the victims be'ng Wiiliam Selby, a young man of about twenty-five years of age, and a lad of eighteen, named John Barnett. The former had been travelling throughout the country parts as a licensed hawker for some time past, and on the 1 6th October, started from the store of a Mr Magnus, at Stawed, Pleasant Creek, in company with Barnett, taking wiih them a spring cart and dray, containing about £1000 of clothing, jewellery, &c, the principal portion being the property of Mr Magnus, and the remainder belonging to Selby. The parties were last seen \ alive near the scene of the murder on the morning of Monday, the 2nd instant, and it is supposed that the crime was committed that evening, as, when the bodies were discovered on the Saturday following, they were in such au advanced state of decomposition as to : show that they had been dead some J days. 0:i Friday, Mr Magnus not j having heard from Selby, as arranged i between them, began to be anxious, J when news came to Stawell that the j cart had been found upset near the road j on the Plains, near Dennis Rnvhers, old and new stations. Early on Saturday morning, Constable Ryan proccded to the spot, followed almost immediately by Mr Magnus, Mr Krafft, Mr Pollock, and other gentlemen, and, on arrival, found that both men had been murdered, the bodies having been discovered only half aii-honr previously hy the constable aud one of the Messrs Dennis. A most fearful spectacle they disclosed; the, unfortunate fellows having tieen tied back lo back with rop?s round a sheoak, about half a-mile off the road, gagged. They had handkerchiefs tied over their eyes, their heads beaten in, and J several wounds, evidently inflicted with j a tomahawk, across their faces and chests. One of them, Selby, had a horrible continuous cut from the cheek right down to the chest. When found, the poor creatures had been bound seemingly in a sitting position, and their battered heads were hanging down, with the brains and blood scatteied about, the ground, a most appalling sight to witness. No cine has yet been obtained as to the perpetrators of this tragedy, Captain John Rolls, of the steamer I Edina, trading between here and your I port, was charged before the Melbourne

Police Court on Saturday, with smuggling, and it having been proved that certain cases were taken from the vessel to the captain's house, at Prahran, where, upon search. being made, similar ones filled with spirits, and having the bond marks obliterated, were found concealed, a penalty of £25 was inflicted. A second information was -then heard/ charging him with having made a false report of the spirits, &c, on board. The Customs officer deposed to finding certain quantities of rum, brandy, gin, whisky, and beer, hidden under a quantity of ship's stores, but which were not mentioned in the return signed by Capt Rolls. The defence was that he was not cognisant of their being in the ship, but the Bench considered tbe case fully proved, and fined him a further sum of £100. Notice of appeal was given in both cases. i Mr Patten, of Melbourne, has received the premium awarded by the Agricultural Society, for beef corned in colony, which had borne the Voyage to Europe and back ; but it is only justice to the other competitor, Mr Elsworthy, of Sandridge, to say that his sample was so very slightly inferior, that the judges could hardly decide between the two. j The Geelong District has been full j of casualties to human life, lately. Last week a man named Pearson, who had been working on the railway line at Skeleton Creek, left his companions to . go home, and being slightly intoxicated, lay down upon the main line, it is sup posed, to sleep, when the up-mail train went over him, and cut his body to pieces. Being dark, no blame attaches to those in charge. At Modewarre, a man n mcd John Thomas Baglan slipped from the pole of the waggon he was driving, and falling between the horses, received injnries which caused his death. At Inverleigh, an inquest was held on the body of Benjamin Cooper, who was accidentally drowned on Sunda)*, the Bth inst., while trying to save his cows, which were insulated by the flood on some land in the middle of the river, : to which the deceased Was trying to make his way on horseback. On Saturday last, the body of a man named Samuel Dower, residing at Huntly, Bendigo District, who had b. E.i missing since the 31st October, was found in the dam of the V.ctoria Crushing Machine, very few yards fiom his own house, deceased having missed his way returning home from the Sir Henry i Barkly Hotel, a distance of about half a mile, which house he had left per- ! fectly sober. When discovered, the ; body was bolt upright in the water, and ; part of an orange which he had been i eating, in the mouth. At the Fitzroy police court on Thursday John Evans, a genteely dressed man, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labor, for indecently exposing his person on the morning of Sunday the 25 th October, in the Victoria Parade. The case had been twice remanded to enable the prisoner to produce rebutting evidence, which being unable to do, he was punished as above and in the words of ; the old song "mounted the van and he went away, a fit warning to such beasts. :j A sad accident ocurred at Belfast last week to a li tie boy of eleven years of age named Norman, who was liter- ; ally dashed to pieces. His father, • Christopher Norman Esq., of Koroit, who had just returned from Warnaunbool having dismounted, the lad got upon the horse, putting his feet in the leathers instead of the sti rups, but in trying to turn the animal, unfortunately fell off, one foot remaining fast ; the animal" being frightened, started off, dragging the poor boy for a considerabl distance. When taken up he was quite dead, his bead being dreadfully mangled, together with other severe injuries, and his clothing torn to atoms. The distress of the family and friends, as may be supposed, is intense. Retrenchment is to be the order of t!-c day next Session, Government having announced a reduction of 20 per cent in all classes of salaries. Friday's GazetCe contains a further prorogation of Parliament to the 18th December, should it even meet then, i can be but pro-forma, as the Holidays will prevent the transaction of any business. Tbe Martin's River Association held another meeting on Fiiday evening at the Exchange Hotel, William-street, when a Committee was formed to issue a Prospectus and Shares, and for the general formation of the Company, after which, further proceeding? were adjourned until Tuesday afternoon uext, the 17th instant. Some indignation exists at the refusal of Sir Charles Darling to patronize the performances at the Theatre Royal j the other evening, for the benefit of the j Benevolent Asylum, on the ground that it would injure the Keans' who are \ playing at the opposition house, the \ Hay market, and who, it is stated, brought introductions from the Duke of Newcastle to several of our Colonial , mafnificos. This is Sir Charles' first ; step downward in popular esteem, and j is likely more to prejudice than to serve \ the cause of these would-be illustrious itinerants, whose career here in spite | of puffery, is a dead failure, although j the lady is confessedly clever, -I The description of two men, supposed j to be the murderers of Selby and i Barnett, near Glenorchy, is published ' in the Gazelle, and as the villains took a horse and quantity of jewellery, the disposal of these articles may lead to their apprehension. Vesttrday's Bendigo papers contain the details of a fatal accident to a miner named Thomas Brown, who was working in a road claim at the bottom of Vine-street, when the earth gave way and buried him ; his mates had just thrown out the stuff, and the poor

fellow called out that he should be^^H right, when a still larger nrtassfel^H and crushed him to death. He hadfc^H previously warned th it the grofund dangerous. ' . : -^H A Queensland paper states I^H Madeline Smith, the Glasgow poisos^H has arrived at Brisbane, per the Sur^H a nice addition to the colony,: to > ws^H also, it appear, the Dalhousie is on^H way with convicts, despite rem^H strauces. Cornelius Danton, servant to Kent, of Boorondara, was killed yes^^H day by the upsetting of a dray wr^^| he was driving, while' in a stat^^B intoxication. . Two days telegrams from Sydney no mails robbed, New South W^H is surely improving in its morals... :^H