NEW SOUTH WALES.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 113, 19 November 1858, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

Our files by the Louis ami Miriam extend to the 2nd instant. Telegraphic communication is now opened between Sydney and Mulbourne and Adelaide. The first message was sent on Saturday, the 30th ultimo; it was from the Governor-General to the Governors of Victoria and South Australia, and was as follows:—': I rejoice at the shortening of the distance between us." Three hours was the time occupied in the transmission. A letter has been received from the Herald's " Special Commissioner" at Roekhampton. He reports that but few are digging, and getting only a few shillings a day; that the prospecting parties sent out by Captain O'Connell in all directions have entirely failed in discovering gold ; that all are at the very last point of helplessness. The Yarra Yarra returned to Sydney from Keppel Bay, and reports the wreck of the barque Timandra, which left Newcastle on the 9th October, with 105 passengers, by striking on a reef, about four miles from CapoKeppel,andimmediately sinking. The whole of the passengers, with the exception of four, were rescued from a watery grave, after floating about the harbor on pieces of the wreck for several hours in most cases, by the exertions of the captains and crews of the Monarch and Rialto. The Bank of New South Wales has declared a dividend at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum, after passing £1 5,000 to the reserve fund, which amounts to £175,000. A very large and influential meeting was held in Dean's Auction Rooms, Sydney, to consider what steps ought to- be taken to alleviate the situation of those diggers and others, suddenly thrown out of work by the failure oE the Port Curtis diggings. Mr. Charles Kemp presided, and the meeting was addressed by W. Dean, Saul Samuel, George Thorton (M.P.), S. Cohen, T. Holt," ah'd R. Tooth (M.Jp.), a digger named Harris, W. B. Allen, John Fairfax, and J. G. Raphael. After a resolution had been passed affirming that it was desirable to assist the large number of practical diggers now idle, to reach the gold-fields of New South Wales, it was agreed "that a public subscription should be opened for the purpose of sending to the different gold-fields of the colony such numbers of diggers and others as may be deemed expedient." And, "that, in addition to any other measures that may be determined upon, it is also the duty of the Government, as the trustees of the public, to offer employment on the railways, or other public works, at the current rate of wages ; and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Honorable the Colonial Secretary." A committee was then appointed, and the business terminated. According to an advertised list £1160 had been subscribed. We glean the following particulars relative to lately discovered extensive smuggling transactions from the Herald: —On the 3rd of September last, the schooner Louisa, King, master, having entered outwards at the Customs on the 27th of the preceeding month, left Port Jackson, having cleared for New Caledonia. Her cargo of dutiable articles, in addition to some few assortments of oilman's stores, consisted of 2510 gallons of brandy, 1910 gallons of rum, 782 gallons of geneva, 400 gallons of whiskey, and 3319 lbs. of tobacco. The customary bonds were entered into by the agent, to the effect that these dutiable commodities, taken from bonded stores in Sydney, should be landed in a port of New Caledonia, according to the ■tenor of the Louisa's clearance. The duties which would have been payable at the Sydney Custom House for this cargo, had it been taken out of bond for sale, or consumption in the colony, would have amounted, according to our tariff, to £3350 18s. The Louisa sailed hence on the 3rd September, and returned to Port Jackson, in ballast, on the 7th instant, having completed what was deemed a trading voyage in search of sandal wood, and other produce of the South Pacific Islands, in thirtyfour days. Captain King, however, produced a clearance from the authorities of New Caledonia; but he immediately cleared out again, from Sydney to the South Sea Islands, via Newcastle, and left this port on the following day. Suspicion was awakened by reason of the quick return of avessel, in ballast, which had so recently sailed on a whaling voyage, laden with dutiable goods. Inquiries were instituted, and, upon searching at the Customs for the bonds entered into by the agent who passed the entries, one only, out of three could be found. In the meantime, information was given to the Executive Government in respect to the unshipping and reloading the spirits, wine, and tobacco on this coast; and the Collector of Customs was directed to suspend the following officers, namely, Mr. J. H. Maddocks, second clerk and cashier ; Mr. C. H. Man ton, clerk, Mr. John Brain well, landing waiter; Mr. M. Brown, and Mr. E. Newton, tide waiters. Upon this being made known, Mr. J. Stewart, the Custom House Agent, who had shipped the spirits, tobacco, <&c, at once offered to renew the missing bonds. This was, however, declined by the Government, it being intimated that the Crown Law officers were instructed to institute proceedings in the Supreme Court, under the 59th section of the Customs Regulation Act of 1839 (3 Viet. No. 5), which provides that any person unshipping, landing, harboring, or having in custody any prohibited or unaccustomed goods, or being in any way concerned in the same, shall forfeit treble the value of the goods, or pay a penalty of £103. The bonding licence for the stores in the occupation of Mr William Stewart, in Macquarie-place, has been revoked. A Board, consisting of Captain Ward, Deputy Master of the Mint, Captain M'Lerie, Inspect or-General of Police, and Captain H. H. Brown, Immigration Agent, have been appointed to enquire into the late smuggling transactions. The following account of the narrow escape of the Rev. Mr. Vanderkiste, a Wesley an Minister, from a miserable death from starvation in the lone bush, will be read with interest. It is taken from the Northern Times: —On Saturday week last, the Rev. Mr. Vanderkiste, Wesleyan Minister, of Dungog, left that place on horseback to proceed to the Allyn, upon his ministerial duties. Four days afterwards (on Wednesday), four young men were out in the bush, between Dungog and the Allyn, to collect a mob of cattle. Having gathered together, they were proceeding homewards, when one of the men was thrown from his horse. In the confusion this accident caused the cattle strayed out of the line of march, and the young fellows in their endeavors to drive them together again, got separated from each other. They naturally began to cooey, to indicate their j whereabouts, and, hearing this noise, a man, I strangely gaunt and famished-looking, dirty, draggled, wet, and woebegone, crawled from out of a rude covering of bush, cooey'd feebly too, and held one of his boots out upon a stick to attract attention. The boy who had been thrown, rode up to the place from whence this unfortunate had issued, and, seeing so strange a creature he immediately rode off again, frightened, and told his mates he had seen a bushranger, or something worse. These men knew that the place was not a likely one for a bushranger to take up his abode, since it was scarcely visited once in ten years, and they therefore went back, confident that it was some benighted person who had lost his way. When they returned, one of them recognised in the forlorn stranger, the Rev. Mr. Vanderkiste, whom he had piloted through the bush when he first crossed from Dungog to the Allyn. They lifted up the rev. gentleman, put him on a horse, and took him to the nearest cottage, eight miles off; medical advice was obtained, and we are glad to learn that Mr. Vanderkiste will probably recover. The young man who discovered him reported the news here, and on Saturday last the Rev. Mr. Chapman and Mr. Wm. Currey left town to visit their unfortunate brother; they found him perfectly collected in mind, but much reduced in body. The escape of this gentleman from a miserable death is remarkable. From Saturday to Wednesday he was without food or fire; he was exposed to the pitiless rain of Saturday night, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and a portion of Wednesday, and it is evident that unless this Providential rescue had occurred, he must soon have died^ and added another-to the long list of those who have perished, alone, unaided, and forsaken, in the wild bush of Australia. We may add that the horse ridden by the rev. gentleman left him on Monday, and has not since been seen.