ARRIVAL OF THE RITA. AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 109, 14 February 1872, Page 3

ARRIVAL OF THE RITA. AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

A CHILD ROILED TO DEATH IN MELBOURNE. SUICIDE OF A RELIGIOUS MANIAC. FEARFUL HEAT IN VICTORIA. SHOCKING SUICIDE OF AN OLD MAN AT PEXOLA. The brig Rita arrived in Auckland harbour late on Monday evening, and we have been furnished by Captain Edwards with files of Australian papers, from which we make tho following clippings:— MELBOURNE. The. European Assurance Company relinquished tho guarantee business. The policies were allowed to lapse, the business not being taken up. An illicit still lias been seized by the police at Nunawnding. Some pure-bred stock lias come out in the Asia.

The officers of the German war-ship Nymph have: been entertained at the Town Hall by tiie Mayor. Several members of the Ministry were present.

The Postmaster-General of New Zealand intends to visit Melbourne with a view of making arrangements respecting the Californian mail service.

The inquiry into the circumstances attending the loss of the Sussex is still p roceoding. Miss Ernestine, the actress, has arrived by the ship Asia. The thermometer lias generally ranged in Melbourne from Dlideg'. to lOtldeg., in the shade ; lmt even this appears to be moderate compared with flic stale of allairs in some of the up-country towns. A correspondent writing from Eltliam informs us that on Monday the thermometer in 11 ig sun stood at, 1-IDdeg., and inside the schoolroom, in tiie shade, at lOtideg. In Sandhurst the thermometer registered lOOdcg. in the shade, while a solar radiating thermometer showed I77decr.

Tne first prosecution since the present drought against householders for waste of the Yan Yean took place on Monday in the District Court, when a coloured man, named Kemp Kostin, living in Rccbive-lane, off Lonsdalc-stroet, was summoned for this offence. The principal witness was a neighbour, who stated that

the water had been running to waste for nearly a month. The Dench indicted a penalty of 40s, with 20s costs, or one month’s imprisonment. Mr Call remarked that a man who could allow tho water to run waste during the recent hot weather, when many people were in actual want of it, deserved more severe puisliment.

Dr Youl held the inquest on (lie 1 >od3* of the man named George Brown, who was accidentally drowned in the Ynrra. The deceased and a friend named Gilbert Jennings were on board the cutter Elizabeth and William. Jennings had a quarrel with one of the seamen, ami the deceased interfered and tried to prevent Jennings from lighting. In the struggle, he and Jennings fell overboard, and lie was drowned. Both men were under the inllucnce of drink. Jennings was arrested on the charge of causing the death of the deceased, but the jury were of opinion that he was not answerable for the death of the deceased, and returned a verdict of accidentally drowned. An inquest was held on the body of an infant, named Lucy Collis, aged three years. The deceased was the cliild of a labourer, at Warren Warron. On the 3rd January, the child was playing about in flic kitchen, where there was a pot of boiling water on the floor. She fell backwards into it, and was much scalded on the hack and arm. A verdict of accidental scald was returned.

Horace George Hay, aged nine years, the son of Dr Bay, of St. Hilda, hail been on a visit to Mr White, brewer, Latrobestroef. lie was playing at the brewery with other children. lie went up-stairs, and was watching the boiler, and accidentally fell through the opening of the floor into the boiler. He was got out in less than two minutes, hut was quite dead.

The death of a man named James liaise Warren, an inmate of the Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum, occurred on the 10th ult., under circumstances which at first sight appeared to point to maltreatment on the part of some of the attendants or patients in the institution. The post mortem examination disclosed the fact that two of his ribs were broken. A searching inquiry was instituted by Mrh'liandlcr, the district coroner, and the result has been that, although no direct evidence of the cause of the fracture could he produced, the suspicion of cruelty on the part of anyone connected with the asylum lias been entirely dispelled. A lad named Thomas Leavold. 1 - years of age, was accidently drowned in tiie Yarra. at the foot of Cremonie-strcet, Kielimoud. He went with two or three companions to bathe, and being able to swim, dived into the water. lie rose to the surface almost immediately afterwards with bis bauds placed on the crown of hi.*, head, and he subsequently ro-nppcnrul with them in the same position, and sank to rise no more, his companions being too young to assist him. It is conjectured that the deceased must, in diving, have struck his lmad against a root, the blow causing insensibility.

Mr Chandler held an inquest at Nori.licote upon the body of Win. Jas. Lawrey,

who committed suicide the previous day by cutting bis throat with a razor. Deceased bad latterly exhibited symptoms of being out of bis mind, caused, it was supposed, by bis having had a breach with the church, and his receding from it. A verdict was returned that he cut his throat with a razor while labouring under suicidal mania.

The adjourned inquest upon the body of Thomas Taylor, architect, who died from Hie effects of injuries received through a collision at Ft. Kilda, was held on Monday by Mr Chandler. Wm. Roy, a farmer at "Western Port, the driver of tho second vehicle, bad been arrested on warrant and brought down. He was present in custody at the inquest. Further evidence was adduced showing that the occurrence had been accidental. Roy had been driving in a spring-cart in Iho direction of Brighton, between six and seven, on the night in question. lie stopped at the Junction Hotel, at St. Kilda, to water his horse, and was driving across the road to get upon his right side when lie came into collision with the vehicle in which was the deceased, driving in the opposite direction from Elstcrnwick to Melbourne. The jury did not consider that Roy was ’accountable for the death of the deceased, and returned a verdict that the occurrence was accidental.

Dr Void held an inquest upon the the body of Thomas Byrne, who was found in a dying state on the wharf on Monday morning. He was a great drunkard. He was about thirty-two years of ago, and was respect,ably connected in Ireland. On Sunday lie had been drinking very heavily, lie got wet and lay down to sleep where lie was found. He was taken to tho hospital, and died almost immediately. Dr Addison made the post mortem, and a verdict was returned that the cause of death was alcoholic poisoning. In the District Court, Mr Call, P.M., had occasion to complain of disrespectful conduct shown by a solicitor named Whiting, who appeared in Court under the iniluence of drink. He several times interrupted the business by mumbling, talking out loud, and otherwise misbehaving himself. Mr Call ordered him to leave the Court, and remarked that in future steps would have to be taken to prevent the recurrence of such annoyances. This was not the first time that this solicitor had misbehaved himself in this manner.