PRIZE-FIGHTING IN VICTORIA.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 447, 6 January 1869, Page 3

PRIZE-FIGHTING IN VICTORIA.

Prize-fighting still evidently ranks among the pastimes of our Melbourne gents, cads, and what not—to whom it seems a particularly fine thing to patronise rufiianism disguised under the taking title of " the manly art of self-defence." One of those beastly exhibitions took place the other day, between a well-known pugilist named Harry Sallars and another of the same stamp mamed Carstairs, for £2OO aside and " the championship of Australia !" I Great interest is said to have been felt in the display, and soma of the enthusiasts were so outspoken a3 to ■ attract the notice of the autho-ities fi (so the story goes). Warned in time, | the police, as in duty bound, took up a I strong position on the spot where the I entertainment was expected to come t; off, resolved upon putting it down I with a trenchant arm. But unfortuI nately, there was no opportunity for I displaying their zeal. The heroes of I the day and their friends quietly proI needed in quite a different direction, I and pummelled each other for nearly I an hour and a-balf, Carstairs (so they I say) coming off second best, with awful I punishment. Well, so long as there is I a taste for this kind of thing, it seems I likely to satisfyitselfinspite of decency, : humanity, and the law of the land; , but surely a civilised community ought i • to insist that, if the authorities" cannot i " prevent, they shall not patronise such : brutalities. There are not a few who ' I believe that some of the superior 1 officers of the force were perfectly < well aware as to the real when and I where of the fight; that sending the ] constables to the wrong place was i merely a ruse to guard against the i charge of having been caught napping, 1 and that certain officers were actually s present at the brutal performance 1 itself. This may not be true, but 1 such conduct would be quite on a par '. with other peccadilloes already proved < against certain members of the force ; c and, at all events, when we find such 1 statements widely circulated and al- i most universally believed, it shows ' the low esteem in which certain official i cads are held by the Melbourne i public.— Leader. \