SYDNEY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 934, 14 April 1868, Page 3

SYDNEY.

A special Court was held in the Debtors Prison, Darlinghurst Gaol, Mr. H. H. Voss, the Water Police Magistrate, presiding, to inquire into the charge against Henry James O'Farrell, of wounding with intent to kill, His Eoyal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, on the 12th ult., at Clontarf, near Sydney. Messrs. Vial, Eawlinson, and Musgrave proved in what manner the attempt was made. On the second day of the enquiry Sir William Montague Manning was examined. At the conclusion of his evidence, the prisoner said : I have no question to ask, but I would make a remark. If he had not come forward, I would have shot the Duke a second time.

The Crown Solicitor : Will the prisoner repeat what he has just said ? Prisoner : If Sir William Manning had not rushed between me and the Duke, the Duke would have received a second shot. He rushed right at me. The Prince would have received a second shot, and I should have shot myself ; but I had not time to do it. Of course I had nothing to do with Sir William Manning. The whole of the depositions having been read by Mr. Lees, his Worship called upon the prisoner to stand up, and then asked him if he had anything to say, at the same time administering the usual caution before committals.

Prisoner: I have nothing to say but that the task of executing the Duke was sent out, and allotted to me.

The Crown Solicitor : Will you repeat what you have just said ? Prisoner : The task of executing the Prince was sent out to me, but I failed, and I am not very sorry that I did fail. That is all I have to say. He was then fully committed to take his trial at the Central Criminal Court, to be holden at Darlinghurst, on the 26th ult. The Argus of the 25th ult. says .— " It is stated by our Sydney correspondent that the homeward voyage of H.E.H. the Duke of Edinburgh isr likely to be made by way of Torres straits, and will probably commence a little earlier than has been hitherto reported. This, at least, is the news, as it comes to us by telegram. The Sydney Morning Herald of the 19th inst., however, states that there is still a probability of the Duke continuing his voyage, at least as far as New Zealand, and then proceeding on to England. The news of the mock funeral at Hokitika, published in Sydney on the 19th inst., may, at the same time, have determined the Duke to take another route home. To all this, we may add, on the, authority of a private telegram received yesterday from a trustworthy source, that no determination whatever has been arrived at as to the future movements of the Duke."

Speaking of the plot to assassinate the Duke of Edinburgh, the Sydney Morning Herald of the 19th ult., says :— " There is no evidence forthcoming that O'Farrell was in the treasonable confidence of any one in New South Wales, no evidence that any one here knew of his purpose, much less that he had any confederates on the ground. How far it may be possible further to unravel the secret history of this plot we cannot yet say." Mr. Aspinall and Mr. Pavey, the counsel and solicitor engaged for the defence of O'Farrell, went to Ballarat on Saturday, for the purpose of prosecuting inquiries bearing on the defence of the assassin. The Sydney papers state that the trial of Mr. Macpherson and Mr. Lee, for the late/racccs in the House of Assembly, hns been fixed to take place, at the Central Criminal Court, in May next. Monday, March 23, 10 a.m. The Prince walked about the Government House yesterday, and afterwards was wheeled about for nearly two hours in a Bath chair in the Domain. He visits the Galatea to-morrow.

Reports are current of his departure earlier than was anticipated. The voyage home is likely to be made via Torres Straits.