LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 692, 2 August 1870, Page 2

LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

We cull the following items from late files of Australian papers: — The trial of Mr H. Q-. Supple for shooting the late J. S. Walshe, took place iu Melbourne on the 20th ult. The facts of the case were briefly these:—On the 17th of May, while Mr Gr. P. Smith, a member of the Victorian Legislature, was on his way to the Parliament-house, he was met in Spring street by Supple, who fired a revolver at him. Of four shots fired at Mr Smith one took effect in his arm, and before a fifth shot could be fired Walshe, who happened to be near, seized Supple and threw him down, both men falling together, and in the scuffle the remaining shot was discharged, which struck Walshe in the back and caused his death. Iu defence of the prisoner, it was contended that the shot which killed Walshe was accidental, and that the offence could not therefore amount to more than manslaughter; but it was further argued that the prisoner was insane, and not morally accountable for bis act. A verdict of guilty was returned, but the Chief Justice reserved the question of insanity for a full Court, which will not sit before September. Six sailors, belonging to the ship Kirk wood, have been drowned in the bay, through a boat capsizing; one body was recovered —that of a man named Roland Burley. Michael O'Grady is elected for Villiers. Patrick Smith, a fisherman, residing at Hotham, brutally murdered his wife, and has been committed for trial. The Opera Company is again drawing good houses in Melbourne. Madame Simonsen's Maritam is spoken well of. Great Moods are reported in Queensland. At Gyinpie the storekeepers have been flooded out, and at Ipswich the wharves were under watfcr. The reef at Waterhouse, Tasmania, has yielded 30| ounces of gold to 100 tons of atone.

THE INDO-AUSTRALIAN TELE GRAPH.

At the first general meeting of this company, held in London at the beginning of May, the report stated that the section of the cable to be laid between Singapore and Australia was in the hands of the contractors, and was to leave England in August. The Eastern Oceanic Company adopts what goes by the name of the Western Route, and which, leaving Singapore out of the line, goes from Ceylon to Java Head, and thence to Western Australia. This company professes to expect to be at work by the end of next year, and has even gone so far as to announce that its tariff will only be £3 10s for a message of twenty words from any part of Australia to England. The postal as well as the telegraphic movement seems to beadvancing. The Italian Government is working energetically to develop the Brindisi route. This is said to have been in steady operation during the whole of the winter, and to promise a saving of three days between England and India. By that route we observe that the Times of the 13th of May had extracts fn.m the Sydney Morninq Herald of the 26th of March. Even the Southampton route seems to have been expedited, for the English public were surprised by the delivery of their letters in time to answer by the outgoing mail —a thing that has not happened to them for a long time previously. Perhaps a reason for this expedition may be found in the fact that the Southampton route was on that occasion running a race with the first experiment by the San Francisco route, for it will be remembered that the Bteamers with mails for the two

different routes left Sydney on the same day. The P. and O. Co. won the race on this occasion ; but there will be great fault somewhere on the other line if it is allowed to continue the same boast; for though the San Francisco line may not at first compete successfully viith the Marseilles or the Briudisi route, it ought to do so with, that via Southampton.

PROTECTION.

At a meeting of persona favorable to the imposition of Customs duties for the protection of native industry, held in Melbourne on the Bth, the following resolutions were agreed to :—" That this meeting deplores the depression now felt by all sections of the community, and attributes it to the importation of articles which could be produced or manufactured in the colony, and especially to the improper interference of certain Government officials with our own industries." " That this meeting, observing the enormous falling off in the expenditure upon public works, and the alarming decrease in the circulating medium, is of opinion that the working-men of the colony should unite to protect themselves against the dangers which threaten them." " That this meeting is of opinion that the only effectual means by which prosperity can be secured, and the evils complained of in the former resolutions remedied, is to secure the return of repsesentatives to Parliament pledged to all the reforms demanded by the people, and to establish a daily journal especially devoted to the defence of native industry against foreign importations." NEW SOUTH WALES SUGAR CROP. The Sydney Mail, which has been instrumental in encouraging the cultivation of sugar in New South Wales, publishes full returns of the sugar crop for IS7O. The total number of acres under crop is which the Mail concludes shows an increase on the previous year of 1,313 acres.

TURPENTINE WOOD

The Sydney Mail refers to the difficulty of procuring wood capable of resisting the attacks of th 6 teredo navalis, and says that the jarrah wood of Western Australia does not possess that quality. The palm is given to the turpentine, a piece of which had been under water for nine years, and was found to be as sound as ever. Mr Shoobert has recommended the use of this wood in the construction of the new wharf at the head of the Darling Harbor, which will thus cost only £30,000, as compared with £70,000 or £BO,OOO if iron were used. IMPORTANT MINING'CASE. In the Supreme Court, Melbourne, on the 6th, it was decided in the case of Reeves v. Ninham, that where past shareholders of a mining company were sued for contributions, it wa3 for the magistrates to determine, as a question of fact, whether the present shareholders were unable to satisfy the debts of the company. If they were not so satisfied, the past shareholders were not liable to be called upon to contribute.

A WILD WHITE MAN There is a wild white man on the Herbert River, somewhere in the northern districts of Queensland — above Cleveland Bay. He has been seen and spoken to several times within the last four years, and is evidently as completely savage as the aboriginals with whom he herds. He has forgotten even the language of the white men ; and the only phrase which he can render comprehensible to English ears is " Budgeree fellow me !" He can hardly be called a white man now, for the hue of his skin assimilates very closely to the blackness of his companions. He has rather light-coloured hair; is in all respects a perfect savage; and evades capture. How this man got among the blacks is of course a mystery; but he must have spent the greater part of his life with them.

HORRIBLE MURDER OP A WIFE. The Kanajaloon correspondent of the Ooulburn Herald gives the following brief particulars of the murder of Mrs G-ray by her husband :—" An atrocious murder was committed last Wednesday night, or early on Thursday morning, by a man named G-ray, residing just under the Calderwood Mountain, about seven miles from here. It appears that some time ago this man became jealous of his wife (report says without cause), and he committed a violent assault on her, and she prosecuted him. He was committed to prison for six weeks. He threatened that when he came out he would finish her; but apparently it was looked on as an idle threat, for no means were used to prevent him carrying his design into effect. However, on Wednesday night he got up, and with an American axe inflicted such serious injuries on his wife that he left her insensible, and she afterwards died. He then went to Mr M'Kenney's, and told him that he had killed his wife, and then proceeded to Mr Mote's, J.P., and gave himself up."

FREE TKADE. There are several articles in the Australian papers on this subject. The Sydney Morning Ilerald of the 9th says no colony in the Australian group is in a better position to stand the rack of intercolonial competition than

is New South Wales. It goes on to show that the existing ad valorem duties are injurious to the trade of Sydney, as its interest is in making the trade of that port as free by law as it is by nature.

THE " GENERAL GRANT." In Melbourne the prospectus has been exhibited of a proposed company, to be called the "Aucklanda Islaud Exploration Company " (limited), to be formed for the purpose of exploring the islands to recover the large treasure lost in the shipwreck of the General Grant, prospecting for gold, or, as a last resort, doing something in seal-hunting if the other objects fail.

ATTEMPTED MTJEDER. On the afternoon of the sth, a carpenter, named James Davis, entered the Old Post office Hotel, and saw Mr Musika, the landlord who turning suddenly round, presented a revolver, saying, " 1 bought this for you ; prepare, for lam going to shoot you." Davis requested him to hear what he had to say first,; but Musika replied, " I will hear nothing; you have seduced my daughter." He then pulled the trigger, but the cap only snapped, and the charge did not go off. As there was only a distance of about three yards between the uien. Davis regarded the matter as a joke; but Musika speedily convinced him that he was in earnest, by again cocking the weapon and presenting it. Once more the cap snapped without igniting the powder, and Davis again asked that he might be heard. Musika replied, "I will hear nothing, I am going to shoot you and almost immediately fired, striking the man on the left side. Davis said that if the shot was fatal he would forgive Musika if the latter would only listen to what he had to say. The other, instead of complying with his request, remarked that if the wounded man did not clear out he would make it fatal. Musika subsequently met Davis going out of the front door, and told him to remain where he was, saying that he would get a doctor for him and a policeman for himself. The revolver, which was once the property of a man who committed suicide in Williamstown a few weeks ago, was purchased at auction by Musika last Saturday. A subsequent issue of the Argus says : —" The prisoner was remanded on achargeof shootingwith intent to kill. Since the occurrence his wife and daughter have been taken ill. Prom further information which has been elicited regarding this unfortunate matter, we gather that Davis was at one time living at Musika's Hotel, when he became intimate with Miss Musika. When he proceeded to Gripps Laud a few months ago, he corresponded with her, and, knowing that she was enceinte, he returned a few days ago with a view of making arrangements for marrying her. The father had also been absent from "VVil liamstown for some time. He returned last week when he was much incensed at discovering the relation which Davis occupied towards his daughter, and expressed his intention of proceeding to Gipps Land in search of him. He did not do so, but remained at home drinking ; consequently, when he met Davis he was partially intoxicated. The wounded man still expresses his wish to marry the girl."