VICTORIA.

Southland Times, Issue 1230, 29 March 1870, Page 3

VICTORIA.

Ballarat had her second national grain show yesterday (says the Argus of the 19th),- and; there was no improvement to be noticed on 'the show of five years since. The quality of the grain was good, but no better than on the former occasion, nor was there any- greater quantity of roots or fodder plants to show that this branch of good farming is more attended to in the district. And there is , mo. r no . reaBonthat it should not be, for the few exhibits of the kind always brought forward on these occasions clearly prove the capabilities of the soil and cli nate of this part of the country for the growth of such roots as would gladden the heart of the most ardent advocate for rotation and fallow crops. It seems to be a settled thing that the land of a new country must be .worked out before its value becomes fully understood, and it is 'certainly a pity that the rich land around Ballarat, which grows such fine grain crops, should not have a little more rest now and again before the weeds begin to preponderate over the grain each year. However, the show must stand on its own merits, and if not better on the whole than the show of five' years since, it was no worse, and that is something to be thankful for. Although the prize-list for this year is a liberal one, there were none of the special prizes for large quantities of grain which assisted so much in filling the sheds before. A rough estimate would make it appear that there were some 1,500 bushels of grain of all sorts in the yard, besides the flour, seeds, fruit, vegetables, flowers, dairy produce, &c, so that there was something of interest for all classes of visitors, th,e attendance of whom was fair, but not large: ' ' ' It appears that the difficulties arising out of the late champion pedestrian match between Harris and Hewitt are likely to give some employment ~to the > lawyers. The match being declared a drawn one, the stake deposited by Harris has been handed back to him. It appears, however, that he deducted £100 before handing over the money to his backers, giving as a reason that he won two races out of the five, and that he was promised half the stake if he won. He also retains another £100 as the stake for a match made with Hewitt for 300 yards, which has yet to be run off. The persons finding the money for the champion match of the best of five races, refuse to accept this settlement. They agreed to give Harris half the winnings, but as the match is declared off, they claim the whole of their stake back, thinking :that the third of the gate; money, amounting to nearly £400, is suflicient consolation to Harris for losing. The matter has been put into the hands of a solicitor, and unless the money "is "paid over on the 21st, legal proceedings will be commenced. By- this mail intelligence has been received of the death, 6n the 28th January, of Mr Samuel Bright, senior, of the firm of Messrs G-ibbs, Bright, and Co., of Liverpool, and father of Mr Samuel Bright; of Messrs Bright Brothers and Co., of this city. "We are informed that Messrs Dalgety, Blackwood, and Co. and the Australian Mortgage, Land, and Finance Company have receive^, two consignments of Professor G-amgee's preserved meats by the mail steamer just arrived, and that it is their intention to submit these to inspection, some day next week, at the stores of Messrs Gold^rbugh. and Co. . AV'the Talbot police court on the 18tbJ Studman was committed for trial, on a charge of murdering his wife in a fit of jealousy. Bail was taken, himself in £1,000 and two sureties in £500 each. The intercolonial cricket match, Victoria v. Tasmania, was played at Launceston on the 14th. The "Victorians, in; their first innings, made 238 runs, while the Taamaniansgot only 202 inilieir two

innings. The Victorians thus won in one | innings with 36 runs to spare. j Many persons are suffering from sandblight in the Bellarine district, and in j some instances it is so bad as to cause j blindness for a few days. Influenza is • also very prevalent at present. It will be remembered that after the murder of Mr Amos Cheale, the manager of the St. Arnaud Company, Andrew Vere, the assassin, escaped, and was supposed to have made his way to South Australia, The Adelaide telegrams state that he has at length been arrested at Normanville, near Yankalilla, a few miles . , south of Adelaide. He will be remanded to this colony. The action by Spence Brothers against the well known millers, Messrs Duffield and Co., was brought to a conclusion in Melbourne on Monday afternoon, after a protracted inquiry extending over four days. The verdict was for the plaintiffs, with damages amounting to £1496., Tbe Age publishes the following paragraph : — " We learn, by private telegram, that drafts of the Commercial Bank on London have been protested for non payment. Draper, it will be remembered, manipulated the foreign remittance account, and the balance at the credit of the bank in London was short to the extent of his defalcations. We understand, however, that the management anticipated this contingency, and as soon as the defalcations were, discovered, remitted ample funds to meet all claims onthe bank in that quarter, so that the embarrassment will only be temporary. It is through the branch of the Colonial Bank that the. Commercial Bank transacts its London business." Potatoes are now selling in Warrnambool at from £1 2s 6d to £1 5s per ton, with very little prospect of a rise. The operations of the Ballarat •meatpreserving company are assuming large proportions. For several weeks past great numbers of cases, each containing , one hundred weight *of/ the , preserved . meat, have been brought' down "by railway to Geelong, and the' quantity of wholesome and nutritious food thus prepared for sending— to -less favoredcountries is something enormous. Nearly the whole of what arrives by rail is transferred to lighters, and then ' conveyed to 3 ships lying in Hobson's Bay. ; There* ; is also a considerable 'quantity of (tallow , comvrig down, the greater- portion *of which is forwarded from the works of ; the same .company. /■•>.')<....;: ■ A bust of Mr Edward Wilson, by Mr Woolner, the well-known sculptor;, has jbeen placed in the Public Library in Melbourne. It is described as being at once a striking likeness and ; .a splendid work of art. The bust was subscribed for by some of Mr Wilson's friends in Melbourne. ..., Commodore Nutt, it is said, has challenged the Hon. John O'Shanassy to a game of billiards ! Such a game would ' be an extremely amusing one. A large force of mounted police has been detached for the express purpose of hunting Power, the bushranger, out of the colony, if he should prove too cunning to be captured. The total rainfall in Victoria since the beginning of this year is 3*lßin.- This, though considerably above what fell during the same period of 1869, is yet below the average of the last twelve years, which is 3'6sin. The young man Edwards, charged with the murder of Susan Egan on the night .of the 24th ult., was on the 18th committed for trial by the city magistrates after an investigation lasting five hours and a half, but the evidence mainly consisted of a recapitulation of that already given at the inquest. An attempt was made to prove an alibi, but the magistrates decided upon committing the prisoner for trial, although it is doubtful whether the Crown.will file an information against him. Bail was allowed him in two sureties of £300 each, but he was uSable to find the necessary bondsmen. -"-•. 0 _____