NEW SOUTH WALES.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1839, 15 January 1880, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

[MOM OTJB OWH COBBESFONDKNT.] December 31

Owing to the usual adjournment to permit of legislators enjoying the Christmas holidays, parliamentary affairs have been at a standstill since I last wrote. But, somehow, the world has continued to rovolve notwithstanding that deprivation. Captain Mathieu, of the French warship Rhin, who is also the Commissioner representing France at the Sydney Exhibition, has had it in charge, on behalf of the French Republic, to present the city of Sydney with a token of haute consideration, in the form of a magnificent vase of Sevres porcelain. In order to make the presentation with fitting eclat, Captain Mathieu invited many of the leaders of society and of public affairs to be present on board his ship, and arranged for them a splendid entertainment, in which the ceremony of presentation to the Mayor of Sydney was but one feature. It is now intended by the citizens to give a ball in honor of Captain Mathieu and in recognition of the compliment paid to the city by his Government.

While these and other gaieties are in progress, or in contemplation, the condemned cells in Darlinghurst Q-aol contain two unhappy wretches, bereft of their last hope of life. The main facts, that Scott (Moonlight) and Bogan have been, by the Executive, left to expiate their crimes on the gallows, and that the younger prisoners, Bennett and Williams (alias Johns), have had their sentences commuted to penal servii tude for life, the first three years in irons, you will have already learned by cable. The decision as to their fate was comenunicated to Scctt and Bogan on Christmas Eve. What a mockery the seasonable phrase, " A Merry Christmas," must have seemed to these unhappy creatures during the following day. Scott received the tidings with apparent callousness. He said he had anticipated that Buch would be their nature. Since then, he has evidently been feeling the terrific narrowing of his time—the end coming momentarily nearer—and has been passing his hours in writing voluminously. Ho evidently meanß to speak to the public after he is dead. But, presumably, there will be an official censorship exercised over these posthumous works. Rogan, on the other hand, appeared smitten with stupefaction when he learned that he was cast for death. This man's organism would appear to have been of a low order, and his imagination deficient. He had not, apparently, fully realized his position. Hanging, until the sentence became an absolute one, appeared to have had only an abstract meaning for him. But when the sentence was confirmed, and the day (January 20th) definitely fixed, he broke down. A coward in combat, he showed no more moral than he had displayed physical oourage. Some surprise has been expressed that he, who took no part in the fight, and obviously could not have been the murderer of poor Constable Bowen, should be cast for death, while Williams and Johns, who were taken with weapons in their hands—Williams having a Colt's revolver, such as the bullet extracted from Bowen's body would have fitted—were allowed a commutation. But it had been ascertained that Bogan is an habitual criminal, an old associate of Scott and Nesbit, and probably participated with them in devising the scheme of bushran. ing in the carrying out of which be was taken.

Something like a thrill of consternation ran through Sydney on the 20th inst, when the morning papers announced that two lepers, in an advanced stage of their horrible complaint, bad been tliscovered in a tenement off the Botany road. The discovery had been precipitated by the death of one of the unfortunates, and the survivor was speedily escorted by tremulous policemen to an isolated, not to say airy, situation at Botany Heads, where some sort of shelter was provided, and an attendant of his own race procured. The latest intelligence respecting this too interesting exile, is to tho effect that he is frightened of his attendant, who is suffering from his disease in a more malignant degree than himself. The public alarm has subsided on the appearance in print of Bundry assurances that leprosy is not infectious, or even contagious, to the present generation of Caucasians, although our ancestors both in England and Scotland Buffered from it. The conditions favorable to leprosy appear to have been scanty sustenance ooupled with personal uncleannesß. Tho former condition may be said to be almost unknown in Australia. As to the latter, I am more dubious. But certainly here in Sydney we give every encouragement for some dißease to make its appearance, and fill the place which leprosy held among our ancestors. I have in former letters mentioned how abominable is ihe sanitory condition of both city and harbor. The suburbs on the ocean beach have their Bhare of the evil arrangements which recder tho atmosphere of the city itself, and even of its landward suburbs, absolutely pestilential, but hitherto they have been able to count with confidence upon the countervailing influence of the ozonic sea breezes. The suburb of Manley, situated on a neck of land whioh conneots the North Head with the main land, and facing the ocean, has had its dream of eecurity rudely broken in upon by discovering one fine morning after rough weather the beach strewn with decomposing offal. This turns out to have been the refuse from the city abbattoiru on an island up the harbor, which is daily discharged into punts, and these towed out some distance to sea, where their loads are dropped into the the deep waters. The punts had not gone far in the rough weather, and wind and wave had cast their burden upon the beach at Manley. The affairs of the Sydney Corporation remain in their normal condition of tangle. The sum of £9OOO falls due for intereßt on sewage account on the Ist January, and the Corporation being in the N.S.F. condition as regards payment, one of the aldermen brought forward a motion to the effect that with the view of obtaining an advance from the Union Bank, the Municipal Council should pledge itself to raise a sufficient sewage rate for the year 1880 to cover all such obligations. Thoreupon thero was a subdued row, and the plain fact came out that the resolution had been as good as dictated by the Union Bank, thus exemplifying the power of sheer money to control the deliberative acts of even representative bodies. There was ssmo frothing at the mouth anent this intrusion of extraneous influence, but the Mayor simply assured the Aldermen that " they were in a hole and couldn't help themselves." Nevertheless, they would not eat tho leek without shredding off a leaf or so, and the resolution was ultimately passed in the modified form that in order to provide the £9OOO the Council pledged itself to raise a sewage rate sufficient to cover that, amount. Dent, the defaulting paymaster of the corporation, has surrendered, and will stand his trial. With regard to the main bulk of the corporation accounts, the professional gentleman charged with tho investigation has furnished his report, which is of the most pleasant character. He finds that there has been uniform excellence of system and of carrying out that system for years back ; cordially applauds tho way in which the books, checks, and records have been kept, and except for sundry unimportant recommendations with roferonce to additional books, his suggestions bear almost entirely on the necessity of providing additional assistance to the existing Btaff, who he represents have each and individually been for a long time doing twice and three times what would be reckoned a fair day's work in any ordinary counting house. Kailway aocidents have of late succeeded one another with rather discomforting frequency. The latest has been, I think, nbout as extraordinary as ever occurred, on account of the nearness with which a host of people approachod destruction, although not a single life was lost. Tho official investigation which haß taken place has been merely departmental, with the object of fixing the responsibility. But a more extensive one is forthcoming. Meanwhile, as the departmental inquiry haß been held with closed doors, I can only give you the gossip of special reporters and of the public _ The acoident occurred at the Paramatta Btation on Boxing night, when an excursion train filled ■with holiday makers wag stationary at the

platform, the engine juat detached tor •' Bhunting" prior to mating a start. The danger signals were up, and all seemed secure, when a special suddenly appeared ooming at tremendous Bpeed down the line, right towards the crammed train. A wild ahout for people to leap out on to the platform, a frantic waving of arms at the approaohing train, a moment foil of horror, fainting, and shrieks of women, and deadly paleness of men, unable to look and aee the catastrophe, and the special crashed into the excursion train, of which only the rearward carriages were emptied of their late occupants. These were smashed into matchwood, the engine leaping over the ruins of one to crunch another. Scores of people were injured, but not a single person killed. The fact appears to be—only difcsverable now that the sensational features arc allowed to fade a bit—that the special was very nearly pulled up by the time it struck the other train. It had been aoming along at forty miles an hour, believing the rails clear or a loop open for it, and the rails being greasy with rain and the approach on a downward incline the most desperate application of the brakes failed to prevent the collision. The only outcome thus far of the official inquiry has been that the engine-driver of the special train has been suspended, a fact which excites much comment in view of the circumstance that at the time of the accident the traffic manager was himself on the engine. I believe I referred some time ago to the committal for trial of a Sunday-school teacher on a charge of violently assaulting one of his pupils. The trial has duly come off, and has resulted in the acquittal of the prisoner, while the presiding District Court Judge expressed his surprise that the case had ever been sent for trial. Following upon this the leading journal, which has always been regarded as somewhat infatuated on the BUbject of Sunday schools and tea meetings, whioh still occupy a prominent although diminished share of its "local" space, has made seme bitter attacks upon the magistrate who granted the warrant, and also the one who tried the case at the Police Court. The first mentioned is Mr Smart, the latter is Mr Solomonc Mr Smart has written in his defence, and marie out, I think, a conclusive case. Heshowß that he had a sworn affidavit before him alleging very violent assaults, and that ho had also medical representations that tho boy's life was in danger. Mr Solomon's refusal to grant bail was due to the same circumstances. It turns out, however, that the boy's complaint, abscess in the abdomen, may have been caused otherwise than by his teacher's attack, and that in many respects his allegations were exaggerated and untrustworthy. The defendant had, in fact, intended, under legal advice, to plead guilty to a common assault, but at the last moment saw his way to plead not guilty. It appeared that he hsd reoeived very great provocation, the promising scholar having been insolent and rowdy to the last degree. Among the novelties in the way of " sport" recently afforded by the enterprise of caterers for the publio entertainment has been a " Ladies' Pedestrian Tournament," a fortyeight hours' match, which sundry females contested, the inducement being prizes of money. It turned out a miserable spectacle, the competitors becoming, after the first dozen hours, physically broken down, and those who managed to go through with it, tottered ultimately along the track, haggard, enfeebled, and wretched. Kelly and Leon have erected a Bijou Theatre of their own, on a good central stand, and are doing well therein with opera bouffe, " The Doctor of Alcantara " being their opening piece. " Pinafore," after thirty-five nights' run, has given place to the Pantomime at the Royal, and so too at the Victoria has " Our Girls," with J. L. Hall's great character, "Captain G-ingah." Mr Hall plays clown at this theatre, and the pantomime there has been "localized" by B:c--mond Thatcher, whose evidence in favor of Moonlight turned out, by the way, to be moonshine.