AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 961, 12 April 1872, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

The wife of Councillor Hay ton, of Spring Bay, has been committed for trial at Hobart Town for introducing a novel and disgusting mode of punishing her domestic help. A youug girl named Green was her servant, and now she complains that her mistress was in the habit of correcting her with a red hot poker, and medical testimony is to tho effect that there are over 30 wounds on Green's person, which have tho appearance of having

been caused by such an instrument as the poker. An instance of remarkable sagacity on the part of a hor.se is related by the "Ararat Advertiser" as having occurred at Stawell last week at one of the mines worked on tribute. The animal in question is employed in hauling quartz, &c, from the shaft by means of a whim, but on the occasion referred to all the men of the party, to the number of four, had gone below, leaving the whim boy on top to drive the horse when they wished to regain the surface. This occurred at dinnertime, and having got on the " toggle," they pulled the knocker wire, aud were hauled slowly up the shaft. Wishing to increase the speed, they gave a signal to that effect, but immediately became stationary. On ringing again, however, they once more started, and were in due time hauled to the mouth of the shaft, where, to their surprise, they discovered that the driver was absent, and that the horse had drawn them up of its own accord. There appears a limit to the animal's sagacity, as it was unablo to distinguish the number of knocks, and dealt with each signal as a single rap, which is an order eitherjto start or stop. Still its powers of observation must be great, and almost beyond what may be accounted for by instinct. A case of some importance was decided in the Melbourne County Court recently, which ought to act as a caution to landlords and proprietors who let their houses to immoral persons for immoral purposes, and who, if they do so, must suffer the consequences of their encouragement of vice. In the case of Walsh v. Spencer, heard in the County Court some time ago, it was shown that the keeper of a publichouserin Stephenstreet had let a house to a woman of ill-fame, well-kuowing that it was to be occupied for purposes of prosti tution. The action was brought to recover rent due, and the defence was that the landlord at the time of letting knew the house was to be used for immoral purposes, and, therefore, that he was barred from legal remedy. The judge held the defence to be good and nonsuited the plaintiff. A similar, though a stronger case, occurred some time ago in Loudon. An upholsterer supplied a large quantity of furniture to a house of this character, and on the same defence being set up, the same result followed. The price of Adelaide butter in the Mauritius is Is. 6d. per lb. Opium growing seems to have been successful in the Waugaratta district, Victoria. An acre of white poppies is said to yield about £ls worth of opium.