Sydney.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1829, 28 December 1875, Page 2

Sydney.

(from our own correspondent)

Monday, December 20. THE TREEVE FORGERIES AND

SWINDLES. — CONTEMPT OF COURT.

At length we have heard the last of what is known a8 the Treeve forgeries. It will probably be recollected that the day after Treeve was found guilty of forging a promissory note for £4950, the proprietor of the Evening News published an article headed "Tbe Treeve Forgeries and Swindles," in which the convicted man's past career was laid bare to the public with no delicate hand—and, indeed, there was ample material available for the historian and tho moralist; for if the whole of the crimes and frauds perpetrated by this pious rascal Treeve had only been brought home to him, he could be imprisoned for life if he had as many lives as lingers and toes. But when the article was published, there were still eight charges pending against the accused ; and the offending journalist (?) Mr Samuel Bennett, waa summoned before their Honors the Supremo Court judges for contempt of Court ; but their honors after reading a homily upon the terrible impropriety of attempting to interfere with the due and proper flow of justice" came to the conclusion to discharge the rule on payment of costa, but it appeared there were no costs to pay, and there was an end of the matter.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN A NEWS

PAPER OFFICE,

If a Court of law could be, in any way, compared to a frying pan (and I don't see why it cannot, seeing that the majority of those who go there get, vulgarly speaking, •• cooked.") Mr S. Bennett might be said, literally as well as figuratively, to have got out of the frying pan into the fire. On the evening of the day on which the " contempt of court" case was disposed of (13th instant,) the office of the Evening Neios and Town and Country Journal caught fire, and narrowely escaped utter demolition. Thanks, however, to the services of the fire engines, the building was saved, but not till property to the amount of something like six or seven thousand pounds was destroyed, chiefly paper and printing material. Fortunately the machines were untouched, otherwise the whole business would have been brought to a standstill, perhaps for several months, and over a hundred people thrown out of employment. The new portion of the premises also escaped with very trifling damage, and as Mr Bennett had in stock a complete duplicate plant, the publication of his papers was not delayed for even a single day. The loss is fully covered by insurance THE TEAS DIVORCE CASE. It was generally believed in Sydney that the gay Lothario in the Teas divorce case, James Smithers, had levanted across the border, leaving the claim against him for damages, £2000, unliquidated. This is not the case. Smithers is moving for a new trial, with what success remains to be seen, as their honors have reserved their decision. THE LIEUT.-GOVERNORSHIP. The office of Lieut.-Governor of New South Wales has. been conferred upon Sir Alfred Stephen, the retired Chief Justice, who bf»s already once acted in the capacity of Administrator of the Government, during the absence of Lord Belmore and prior to the arrival of the present Governor, Sir Hercules Robinson. This is a cruel blow to the ambitious hopes of the present Chief Justice, Sir James Martin, who however has only himself to thank for it, in respect of a certain angry correspondence between himself and Sir Hercules Robinson, a short while ago on the subject of the Gardiner liberation. In the event of the death or absence from the colony of both the Governor and his Lieutenant, the office of Administrator, with its dignified title of "his Excellency," devolves upon the President of the Legislative Council. RETURN OP A LEVANTER, Sydney C. Burt, lately Attorney-General of Fiji, who. levanted from New Scuth Wales a few years ago, leaving behind a large circle of disconsolate friends, has returned to the colonies and is now in Mcl-

bourne. - ■ GREAT DROUGHT IN SYDNEY. No parallel can be found in the past! history of the colony for the past four month ■

drought in Sydney. The country districts have not suffered so much, but still from nnmerous quarters comes the cry : "We want rain." Vegetation in and around the metropolis has almost totally disappeared, and man and beast feel the want of rain as they probably never felt it hero before. For the months of August, Septeaiber, October, and November the total raioffil has only been 4156 inches, while the rainfall for the preseut month is less than that of any preceding period ; there has been scarcely a drop.