INTER-COLONIAL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 104, 5 February 1870, Page 6

INTER-COLONIAL.

If all that is known of some of our Otago Provincial Councillors behaviour, in their respected positions, were reported as faithfully even as their speeches — and that is not by any means fully if faithfully — we believe the following description of the Victorian Parliament, given by the " Australasian," would apply with equal truth to our Ofcagan senate: — "The associated teetotallers, it is said, are about to organise an active campaign, and endeavour to make their increasing numbers felt in the political history of the colony. We are aware that there may be a fanaticism of temperance leading men astray as completely, though not as mischievously, as the stupidity of excess, but the good work lying befoi^e the total abstainers in this colony may well excuse some obtrusiveness of zeal in the cause. If the teetotallers can help in creating so strong a distaste to drunkenness in this community that it will be impossible for a representative of the people to show his face again in Parliament after having once appeared within its walls in an inebriated state, they will render society no small service. Such an achievement on their part would go far to reconcile us to the presence of their particular pride, Mr. Vale, in the Legislative Assembly. It is a disgrace to Victoria that it should have to tolerate the membership of some of its choice and mellow representatives. On more than one occasion during the last session the neAvspapers passed over Avirh slight comment the escapades of men Avho, from the conspicuous position they occupied, ought to have been examples to others, in place of warnings. It is currently reported that at one of the latest and closest divisions affecting the Macpherson Ministry, the vote of one member was recorded for instead of against the Government, because he was not in a condition to move Avhen his friends crossed the floor of the House. This is by no means a solitary instance of a member of Parliament rendering himself publicly ridiculous by this most umvorthy infirmity, and we shall gladly Avitness any effort the teetotallers may make to clear our rejjresentative institutions of similar causes for reproach iu.«£he future." ,-Tlie neAv steam route across the Pacific has been advertised, and I am told that 20 cabin passages have already been applied for by the first steamer. The arrangements are not yet absolutely concluded, but Mr. Hall, the American consul, is in treaty with the dh-ectors of the Australian Steam Navigation Company for the use of tAvo of their vessels with which to start the line. The Rangatira and Balclutha Avere at first selected, but it is probable that for the latter the Alexandra Avill be substituted. The route is to be from Sydney to Auckland, and thence diiect to Honolulu, where a connection will be made with the American line already running from that port to San Francisco. The pas-sage-money by this route to England Avill be £40 from Sydney to San Francisco, £18 from that port to New York by the railway, and £16 from NeAv York to England. This Avill include victualling for the Avhole distance. The New Zealand Government gives a subsidy of £15,000 a year, the United States has been applied to for £10,000, and application will be made both to New South Wales and Victoria for proportionate assistance. — Sydney Letter, Jan. 6.

As illustrating the chances of goldmining, a Victorian paper relates the following : — Last week an unfortunate digger, who had bought a 6Gft. allotment at Berlin for £1, found bottom at 3ft., and seeing no appearance of gold, pronounced it a " duffer," and tried to sell out to his neighbour for ss, without success. T.wo Chinamen, "new chums," who were passing, looked at the hole, and, after much persuading, ventured to give 12s and a nobbier for the claim. Before sundown, they had taken 671 b. of gold from the hole, which produced them £3296.

A Launceston telegram says: — Much indignation is expressed at the great Tasmanian fraud, but there is every confidence that Watcrhouse will yet prove to be a rich gold-bearing district.

The first land sale of the year took place on Tuesday at Messrs. Gemmell, Tuckett and Co.'s rooms, and was one of the largest sales held for many years. The attendance was exceedingly good, almost every one present being a purchaser. The land that was submitted for competition is situated at Carlton, near the new cemetery. The upset price of the ground ranged from £200 per acre. In two instances lots measuring 1 rood 2 perches each fetched the sum of £340 a lot, giving an average of £1300 per acre. The amount realised by the sale was £6950 10s.— Melbourne paper.

Diamond-mining in Australia is attracting considerable attention. The Melbourne papers report 59 diamonds as having been received by Mr Crisp for the Australian Company, 161 by Mr. Clark from the Two Mile Hat, about 22 miles from Mudgee.

The great demand for female general servants is not confined to New Zealand, as the following paragraph from a Melbourne paper will amply prove : — The hiring of 30 immigrants by the Charlotte Gladstone took place on Friday at the Immigration Depot at 11 o'clock. The number advertised was 23, and fully 90 applications were

made by employers. All the immigrants open for engagement were hired in five minutes after the advertised time ; tile principal number were general servants, and the wages ranged from £20 to £30 per annum — mostly at the latter figure. They were nearly all engaged for town situations. The " Rockhatnpton Bulletin " gives an account of the execution of the convicts Palmer and Williams for the murder of Halligan. Palmer made a confession, which was reduced to writing ; but Williams, who appears to have been a most hardened ruffian, addressed the crowd from the scaffold in the following terms, and the scene

was rendered more awful from the fact that Williams hurled out his denunciations against all concerned amid the flashing of the lightning and the roll of the thunder: — In this trial he said all had come to a foregone conclusion. His trial was no fair one, conducted as it was by the AttorneyGeneral. His time was short, and he would not detain them much longer. He had been urged to prove his innocence there ; but no one deserving the name of a man would shield himself by shifting the guilt to another, and he would not attempt to do so now. How could he do so when such men as Jack Paton were brought against him ? He would leave him to his fate, and that other miserable wretch, Taylor, who was put into the witness-box to prove one of the greatest lies that was ever forged in hell, he would leave him to the miserable fate which only too certainly awaited him in the place he had gone to. That fiend, Pattison, whom he had to thank for being there that day, he would bequeath him and his heirs his curse, and his curse would follow his name afterwards, when he and his generation had passed away. What else could be expected from such a jury and such witnesses? What prospect was there of being released ? He had been tried by a jockey court, and he started for the great event ; and he would come in innocent, for he had pleasure in feeling that, owing to his early training in Scripture, he was prepared to meet his fate with heroism and firmness equalled by a few and excelled by none. Archibald and Taylor were brought against him, but he knew Archibald was surpassed in blackness by that fiend, Taylor, who was a thousand times worse than Archibald, and more of a serpent than Archibald, who was an innocent man compared to him, and he rejoiced he was not associated with him in punishment. He again thanked the reverend gentlemen who had consoled his last hour, and he would now dsliver himself to the executioner. — Good bye. The cap was then drawn over his head and fastened, whilst the same ceremony was being performed for Palmer. The voice of Williams, strong and determined, was again heard through the sap, saying, " Justice will yet be done to me in the world ; I leave you my curses for my death, and the sham of it." The "Bulletin" also gives an account of the execution of Alexander Archibald, referred to by Williams; the contrast between the manner in which the two men met their fate, is a study for the psychologist. Before his execution ho delivered a long extempore prayer. He came from his cell with a bouquet of flowers in his pinioned hands, and his request to place them in his coffin was granted, which seemed greatly to please him. It appears that Archibald was a native of Forfarshire, Scotland, from whence he came in 1851 to New Zealand when he was ten years of age, moved after a time to Castlemaine, then to Gippsland, then to Melbourne and Beechworth, and next to Thule station on the Murray, in New South Wales; then to Bendigo, where he got married in 1861 ; moved to Dunedin, in New Zealand, in 1863 ; and came to Rockhampton in March, 1864.

From the immigration returns published in the " Gazette," we learn that from the Ist of January to the 3rd December, 1869, there were sent for from the United Kingdom, under the assisted immigration regulations, 4,222 persons, of whom 1,948 were from England and Wales, 392 from Scotland, and 1,882 from Ireland. There were altogether 1,914 males and 2,308 females. During the month of November the arrivals in the colony by sea numbered 2,416, and the departures 1,639, showing a balance in favour of the colony of 777. — Melbourne paper.

The Theophane, which arrived in the bay on Wednesday night, brought out the manager of the Australasian Woollen Mill Company, Mr. L. F. Keogh, and his family. This gentleman left in the Great Britain last May for the purpose of ordering and superintending the making of suitable machinery for the company's factory at Footscray,' and this he has accomplished in a very short space of time, having been absent only eight months. The machinery comprehends everything complete for the manufacture of about 3,000 yards of cloth per week. — " Australasian," Jan. 15th. The "Hobart Tc^ra%ereury" of 13th January says :—^His Excellency the Governor was able to offer the guests at the vice-regal dinner-table yesterday a delicacy which the officers of the Flying Squadron have not partaken of since leaving England, nor are they likely to have a similar dish before them till their return there. Two brown trout's were yesterday

caught in the ponds at the Plenty, and through the kindness of the salmon commissioners, presented to His Excellency. The one was 22in. long, and 13in. in girth, weighing 61b. The other was 21in. long, and 12in. in girth, and weighed sJlb. They were caught at 5 o'clock yesterday morning, and by midnight were at Government House.

The following particulars as to what the Victorian Government is doing for educatian may not be uninteresting : — The total amount appropriated for the year is £10,000, viz., £4000 for building, £4000 for salaries, and £2000 for aid to schools in rural districts. The details which are given are: — Fixed salaries to teachers and augmentations forhonours,£ll4,3B3 ; results,£26,ooo j destitute scholars, £7000; training, £2500 ; singing and drawing, £1800 ; office establishment, £4500, 6s. Bd. ; inspection, £7000; miscellaneous expenses, £2910; new school buildings and repairs, £4000; salaries, vested school, £3000; non-vested, £1000; aiding instruction in rural districts, £200. In all, £176, 063 6s. Bd.

We have received further information respecting the case of snake-bite treated by Messrs. Langford and Geary, at the Kyneton Hospital, with the injection of ammonia into a vein. About 1 p.m., December 24, Mrs. Donovan, in crossing a log fence at Redesdale noticed a brown snake coiled round her foot. She fell down, and on getting up saw the snake escaping. She noticed a spot of blood on her stocking. On going home an attempt was made to scarify the wound with a pair of scissors, and the wound was also sucked. Afterwards she took two nobblers of brandy, and applied Shire's antidote. At 6 p.m., when brought to the hospital, no bad symptoms, except drowsiness, appeared, but later in the evening this increased, and more brandy was given ; in all, from the time of the bite till near midnight, 7oz. The stimulants were now stopped, but by 12.40 the patient had become much worse; could not be kept on her feet, nor awake without shaking ; pupils dilated, extremities cold and clammy. In consultation it was decided to try Professor Halford's treatment. Twelve and a half minims of the strongest liquor ammonia, diluted with twice as much water, was injected into a vein of the forearm. The patient roused instantly. "I do not feel a bit sleepy now," she said ; in a few seconds the hands became burning hot ; she now complained of headache, the veins of the forehead were distended, and perspiration broke out on her face ; she retched a little, and then said that she felt quite well, and began to walk up and down without help. At 8 a.m, she ate a hearty breakfast, and at 11 a.m. insisted on going home. She has continued well ever since. It is marvellous that any treatment could in a few seconds so change a living being from torpor to activity. But, in fact, this seems to be the case whenever in these states ammonia is thrown directly into the circulation. — Melbourne paper.