NEW SOUTH WALKS.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 246, 28 February 1860, Page 2

NEW SOUTH WALKS.

NOTES OK THE WEEK.

Saturday, 28th January to 4th February. The great topic of the week has been the intercolonial Crjcket Match at Melbourne. During the last three days, while the game has been in actual progress, tlie excitement has been most extraordinary.

Parliament has been sitting daily, but has made little real progress in its work. The Estimates still remain in abeyance, and a vote of credit lias been given for another month. Sir Daniel Cooper has retired from the Speaker's chair, and has been succeeded hy Mr. T. A. Murray. Sir Daniel Cooper was evidently much effected in leaving a House over which lie has so long presided. And he left amidst the regrets of all. By none was more strong testimony home to his zeal, ability, and intregrjty, as a presiding officer, than by the present head of the Government. Boariiig in mind the recent difference of opinion between these gentlemen as to the right of filling up vacancies iv the clerical staff of the Assembly, and the Parliamentary; struggle to' which that difference gave, rise, this tribute of Mr, Eorster to the merits of Sir Daniel Cooper was very graceful. The elevation of Mr. T A. Murray to the chair was also accomplished by an unanimous vote, ami was followed by the customary congratulations from both sides of the House. On this occasion it was Mr. Jones who addressed thf* chair as leader of the Opposition. He expressed, however, some doubt as to whether he was right in assuming this position. With reference to the dispute between the late Speaker and the Colonial Secretary, already alluded to, the Assembly has received an assurance from the Governor-General that the Speakei shall be con-suited upon all future appointments on the clerical staff of the Assembly.

The new Speaker had hardly got well seated in his chair, when his patience and firmness were tested by one of these protracted and irregular discussions, which must hive proved so wearisome to Sir Daniel Cooper. Mr. Arnold, who has acquired the unenviable notoriety of being the most violent and abusive member ofthe Assembly, insinuated first that another member was the nominee of a party not in the House, and secondly, that tin. Chairman of Committees was a political partisan, whose rulings, consequently, were not to be relied upon. There was a great deal of disgraceful shuffling in order, if possible, to explain away the plain meaning of these aspersions, and three hours were, in this way, most un profitably consumed. There was the usual retraction in the end, but it came with a bad grace. And at the time when the Assembly was thus bringing itself into disgrace by profitless and disorderly chatter, there were several questions of importance awaiting consideration. But thus it will remain, it seems, until the end of the chapter, for the Assembly instead of improving in tone seems to have retrograded, A vote of thanks has been unanimously awarded to Sir Daniel Cooper. This was the first thing done after the new Speaker had been installed in his chair and confirmed by the Governor-General. The Legislative Council has also, upon the motjoi) of Mr. Deas Thompson, awarded a vote of thanks to its late clerk, M-. Macpherson. The official career of the latter gentleman was thus described by Mr. Thorn'on:—" He (Mr. T.) had been a fellow laborer with his respected friend for a period of thirty years, and during that long period every year had added to the strength of his opinion of the merits of Mr. Macpherson, and he must now declare that during the whole of his experience it had not been his lot to know a more honest, faithful, and zealous servant of the public. Mr. Macpherson had held a number of high and important offices, and the whole ot the duties of those offices he had fulfilled to the perfect satisfaction of the Government. Mr. Macpnerson came out here in October, 1829—as Collector of Internal Revenues—and when in 1837 that office was consolidated with the office of Colonial Treasurer, he was appointed clerk to the then Executive and Legislative Councils. Thes« offices he held for five yens;—he was 4 then appointed Registrar of the Supreme Court on 14th January, 1842 ;'this office lie held but a short time, for he fwnd that on Ist July, 1843, he was appointed Clerk ofthe old Legislative Council —and when the present Council came into existence, he was appointed its Chief Clerk."

The subject of telegraphic communication with England has been very fully discussed in the Assembly. Tlie result of this discussion is the recommendation of a subsidy of .£9625 per annum for twentyrpne years, on condition that the work itself be completed in 11-ree. years; that the line be kept it) working order j th<j_t the concurrence ofthe colony be requisite iv establishing the tariff of charges; and that the subsidy cease when the telegraph shall be paying 3 profit of ten percent. The Hue is described in the vote of the Ho.use as one from Sydney to E Ist Java, omitting all particulars as to the points where it shall join the land ; Thus leaving these points still open to question and arrangement. The Attorney-General has introduced a bill into the Legislative Council to amend the existing law, or rather practice, relative to new trial motions. The course hitherto pursued has been to permit the movement for a new trial, upon counsel's certificate that there were grounds for such a motion. That which it is proposed to substitute is the Eugli-h practice of compelling application, for a rule nisi in the first instance, so that, unless a prima facie ca.se for further inepjiry can be made out, the party who lias obtained a verdict is not called upon te defend it. This will be decidedly a change for tlie better, and one which we have long since urged in the columns of the Herald. It is true that, even at present, there are some restvicive regulations under which the delays consequent upon a frivolous motion for new trisJ_ may be guarded against. Practically, however, these regulations remain a deadletter. " " .- **•- Dr. Lang's bill for the establishment of triennial Parliaments has been rejected on a division' of 21 to 19. Tlie suppression of the despatches relative to the Assessment Bill is still the cause of a good deal of angry discussion, and will in a fewyfdays be made the basis ofthe parliamentary debate. The public have been startled by the sudden shutting up of one ofthe Government departments —that of the Colonial Storekeeper's. Not only has the head of this department been suspended, but the place itself has been closed and piaeed under the charge of the police. Of eoiirse, tlie Finance Minister would not have taken such extreme measures unless he conceived them to be called for; ai)d, as i'tiight naturally be expected under such circumstances, a great many very ugly rumours are current.' But It is daj-i^TQ.^ to place reliance on any of these. The matter is being investigated before a special Board, whose report will doubtless be made public.' people of Albury complain loudly of having been dealt jj/i h unjustly by the Government of" New South Wales;' p\e chief trade of this place they say, is with Melbourne, '&iyj to impede this trade the Sydney authoi'ities have deliberately subjected them, as they contend,'-'to heavy punt du.e^ &p., at the same time delaying to build the bridge bypp tjjfp Murray for which funds have been soiling voted." f A Tfc'e ne\vs fronr .the Snowy Rij. c? aiid the Peel Rivet* %ging.s, con/in-jes to be very cheering, ' _ . ; An association styled the New South Wajes \ f^reoQlc^al _)Q#.y, few tyte Wfwuwa* «s

nature fthd objects arrstifficMitly indicated by its name.

A new Episcopal Church at Bishop's Bridge, in the Hunter River District, has'beeii Consecrated. It is dedicated to St. Andrew.

The annual meeting of the Australian Benevolent Society was held.on Monday evening with the hon. E. Deas Thomson in the chair. There was some discussion as to the treatment of inmates, hut it was finally agreed to have the matter investigated by a select committee.' The officers for the ensuing year were appointed. The annual meeting ot the subscribers to the Sydney Infirmary and Dispensary was held on the following evening. A deputation from the Paramatta Volunteer Fire Brigade have been entertained by the Sydney Volunteer Fire Company No. 2. The Australian Celtic Association has held its first annual meeting, and has made all the necessary appointments and arrangements for the ensuing year.

By the efforts of Mr. j. Deane, Commissioner of Crown lands for the county of Cumberland some thirty or forty acres of shifting sand, lying between Chelsea-street and the Randwick J&oad has been covered with a luxuriant crop of grass.

The second of what are termed " the people's concerts," i.e., concerts at which with a low admission fee-first rate talent is obtained—was held at the Temperance Hall on Monday evening The members of the Sydney Yacht Club' have decided upon presenting a testimonial to Mr. W. T. Blakeny, on his retirement from the office of secretary to that body, which he has so lon°* and so worthily filled. °

A railway goods truck caught fire,on Tuesday morning, between Newtown and Sydney, but tho fire was very.promptly extinguished by the railway officials, Again, however, we ask, why is not * the American invention for spark catching made available hear ?

A general meeting of the subscribers to tho Maitland Hospital was held on Wednesday last at which several business matters connected with the institution were disposed of.

The usual weekly meeting of the New South Wales Alliance for the suppression of intemperance, was held on Thursday evening. Among the speeches delivered on this occasion was one by a lady, a Mrs. Henslow. It is contemplated to hold a meeting on Thursday next for females in particular.

A female named Mary Ann Thompson, known among the class with whom she associated a3 "Cranky Annie"—endeavored to drown herself at Jacpues' Wharf, but was rescued and handed over to the police for protection. There has been a a most distressing case of selfdestruction at Windsor. Miss Adeline Fitz, a lady of thirty-two, who had been engaged as a governess at Mrs. Dight's, Richmond, put a period to " her existence by swallowing prussic acid. By a ■post mortem examination Miss Fitz was found to be enci:nte< and the verdict of the coroner's jury was that she had taken poison to conceal her condition. By papers subsequently discovered, it turned out that she had been driven to despair by one James Doyle, her cousin as it would seem, having refused to marry her, becausp, as he said, his relatives were opposed of his doing so. The seducer offered in his letter, to provide for her; but as she lovedhim this was but poor consolation to the betrayed woman. From another letter which was found addressed by the deceased to her aunt, it was plain that the combined pressure on her mind from this desertion, from her condition, and from the fact of her being out of a situation, and induced her to contemplate the fatal act which hurried-hei into the presence of her Maker.

A child named Henry Bale, aged seven, has died from sanguineous apoplexy at the Benevolent Asylum.

Mi*. James Lupton, younger brother of Mr. John Lupton, J.P., of Berrembed, has been drowned in the Murrumbidgee while bathing. Alexander M'Crae has been accidentally, shot at Smithn'eld, near Liverpool. He went -.vitli tyq gun into an orchard to. shoot birds, accompanied by two children. He gave one of these, Harriet Dummett, aged nine, the gun to hold, but the child having played with the lock, it exploded, and the whole contents lodged in the unfortunate man's neck, lie died almost immediately.

Alexander Macarthur has died suddenly from the bursting of a blood-vessel.

Arthur Bennett Halloran, aged six, of Edgecutnl. Cottage, Parramatta road, has bee*} d ntally drowned in a waterhqle,

Matilda Caroline Smith, aged two and a-half years, has died from the effects of a scald received some time back.

Captain Mansfield, of the barque Matilda, died suddenly at sea from the effects of some acute inflammatory attack the precise nature of which could not be ascertained.

A frightful accident has occurred on the Northern line of railway, near Newcastle. A butcher, named Burgess, having purchased two bottles of rum, had drunk one of them, and had fallen in one of the hollows on the line which have been made to carry off the water. His body was concealed in the long grass, but he rested his neck on the rail, and by the next passing train his head was completely severed fiom the body. Death has been so instantaneous that not a muscle stirred. The head was carried to a considerable distance from the body, blame whatever was attributable to the railway officials. The body was sq concealed as to be invisible to, the'men at the engine jintiltocj near to avoid it.

Mr. Alfred Cane delivered last night, a lecture on electro-biology, at Waverly, in connection with the local School of Arts.

The Rev. Alexander Salmon, who has been so long and so eminently useful a laborer in Australia, will deliver his farewell sermon to-morrow, being about to depart for Europe.

Postage on Newspapers- for Australia, &c. —A public notice was given in March last that in order to pay the cost of transit through.Egypt (a cost which has been largely increased,' owing, in part, to an important improvement in the service) newspapers sent via Southampton and Suez addressed to the East Jndiesy Ceylon, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Chiiia, Australia, or any other country or place eastward of Suez, will on the']st of Janu : ary next and thenceforward, be subject to an additional charge of Id., making the rates as follows': —Upon a newspaper addressed to the East Indies, 2d., when not exceeding 4 oz. in weight; 3d. when above 4 oz., and not exceeding 8 oz. in ■-weight: Id. being added for every additional 4 oz. or fraction of 4 oz.' Upon newspapers addressed to any ofthe other countries or places referred to, %\. for each newspaper, of whatever weight. No alteration will be-made ip the postage of book-, packets sent by this route, aa they already pay,a transit rate : nor will any change be made in -the postage of newspapers sent via Marseille^ the present charge on such newspapers being sufficient to cover the cost of transit through Egypt. No alteration, moreover, will be made in the postage of any newspapers which may be directed to go "by private ship.'' The charge on these newspapers will remain as at present, Id. each. The public are further reminded that, as the exclusive privilege of the Postmaster-General extends only to letters, it is not compulsory on any one to sepd newspapers through the post, and that they may he forwarded by Other channels.—By command of the Postmaster-General, Rowland ' Hill, Secretary, "G.eugn.l fost Office, December I, 1859.

FLying Buck. —The famous Flying Buck-wm brought up for sale at Kirk's bazaar, on* Wettties day last, aiida bdna'fid. offer '6f seven hundred and twenty pounds bid for him. His owner had estitnated'his value at a higher price, and the colt was accordingly brought in.— Yßells Life in Victoria, ' ■' ' ' '' , In the qentyal Criminal Court, Sydney, Monday, February 6,'Mrf Ajbrajii.il> Hc:ac);, the notorious auctioneer,'was charged with having outlined;i!l^ fro-ft Mr. Xlofiatt the attorney; under false jjretene'es, ' tjb had borrowed'the iiiohey upon the Security 'of Certain property, of which he had'falsely ' represented as tne. owner. The c.-arge was fu'ify profed'a'gafnst' lhim', $»d !>.>s§ m!*JIW& t(? three y«ar^, tyqfl;-Jfibor $f| t^'rQ^i" . r • " .'■'