FAILURE OF MACKINLAY, BROS., AT SYDNEY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1077, 24 August 1869, Page 3

FAILURE OF MACKINLAY, BROS., AT SYDNEY.

It appears that Mackinlay, Brothers, purchased the schooner Snowbird for £1750, and after appointing Captain Snow to her command, commenced to load her for Sweer's I Island. The vessel cleared on, June 24 with I a large general cargo.. The whole of the cargo, with the exception of two waggbna and seven packages, are said to have been j on account of Mackinlay Brothers, by whom | insurances were effected on account of cargo j for £4000 in the Australasia, and £50,000 in the Victoria offices. The vessel is also J insured for £1750. The Snowbird arrived at Cleveland Bay for some purpose, at present unknown, but left again on July 13th for Sweer's Island. Since then, the firm having stopped payment has caused enquiries to be made, and it is said that a large portion of the cargo cleared by the Snowbird was surreptitiously removed prior to the vessel leaving this port. It is possi- j tively known that a quantity of the drapery goods, sold and shipped by Messrs. Prince, Ogg, and Co., per Snow-bird, on account of Mackinlay Brothers, was sent to Melbourne per City of Adelaide, and sold there byjjauction on last Thursday. It is also statedjthat the Schooner Welcome Home has taken a large quantity of the Snowbird's cargo to Auckland. The latter vessel finished loading here on Saturday, the 17th ult., and sailed the next morning. The cargo consisted of the following goods, as per Customs entries: — 30 tons bone dust, Mackinlay, Brothers ; 155 packages tea, 139 bags sugar, 78 cases oilman's stores, J. Bourke ; 654 bags flour, 32 bags salt, 224 buckets, 2 bales paper, 2 cases pills, 3 drums turp9, 250 boxes pegs, 8 sets scales, 30 quarter casks currants, J.Rodgers. At a meeting of creditors in the estate of Mackinlay Brothers, held on Friday

last, Mr. H. Prince and Mr. C. Smith were appointed to act for the benefit of the creditors, and these gentlemen immediately instituted active inquiries respecting the Snowbird and her cargo. It was found that the persons who had charge of the goods which, found their way to Melbourne had obtained an advance of £1000 from the auctioneers prior to the sale. Steps were at once taken to detain the balance of the proceeds. Yesterday ; morning, Mr. D, . Mackinlay placed the estate in the Insolvent Court, and soon after a telegram was received from Cleveland Bay, stating tbat the Snowbird had been burned at sea, and that the captain and crew had arrived there in the ship'a boat. The barque Kate Conley, also owned by Mackinlay Brothers, left Auckland on April 21st, and has not since been heard of. In the present stage of the affair we refrain from mentioning some of the circumstances which have come to our knowledge, but we may >t~te that Mr. D. Mackinlay was yesterday arrested upon warrant, charged with obtaining goods upon false pretences. Warrants were issued also for the arrest of Captain Snow, of the Snowbird, on a charge of conspiracy, and for George O'Brien and James Rod- J gers, who are said to be implicated in the transaction. The further, development of | the case will be watched with some interest.