AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 108, 14 April 1883, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

[ THE S.S. a.U«TRAL. DANCING SALOONS AND THEIR EVILS. PEDESTRIANS AND TRAINERS. A SALVATION ARMY SCANDAL. COOLIE OUTBREAK. DIFFICULTIES' OF IHE SUEZ CANAL. [Per as. Wakatfpu.l Sydney. The Austral is rapidly regaining the handsome appearance she had before she sank m Neutral Bay ; indeed, looking at her as she now lies alongsi Je the hzroy dock, there ie but little to indicate the disaster which befel her. This rapid change has been effected by the busy hands of 450 workmeD, who are now engaged upon her. Thft wbole of the hull, both inside and outside, has been cleaned and painted, with the exception, of course, of that part m the water. The interior fittings have been removed, and the machinery is being cleaned and overhauled. The whole of the machinery is, comparatively speak* ing, uninjured ; all it requires to get it into working order is cleaning. It has long been known that Sydney suffers much from the evils of what are known as • dancing saloons/ which are too often but the stepping-stone to vice and profligacy. Mr A. G. Taylor has asked the Government whether they intended to take steps to license such places and put them under police surveillance. Mr Stuart replied that the matter was under consideration of the Government, but that it was surrounded with much difficulty. A case, Hanstsad v. O'Leary, excited a considerable amount of interest at the Water Police Court both the parties being well known m sportin* ene'es. The plaintiff, who is also" known by the name ot ' Dutchey,' tried co recover the sura of £10 from the defendant, the well-known pedestrian, for services rendered m the shape of training him for the late waking match. The plaintiff, who desoribed himself as a teacher of the noble art of seikdefence, called Mr Forster, of the Theatre Royal Hotel, who admitted engaging Haustead on the authority of O Leary, whom he advised to get a trainer m consequence of drinking two bottle 3of port wine a day. For the defence, Daniel O'Leary deposed that he never engaged Dutchej. He admitted, however, that Dutchey had attended to him, but stated that he offered to do so for nothing, ao he had a lot of money < bet on him,' and wanted him to win the rae 3 . Mr M-trsh, after hearing the evidence, nonsuited the plaintiff. Melbourne. A married woman named Bridget Kelellwas admitted iato the hospital supposed to be suffering from poisoning. She alleges that her hnsbsnd, with whom she has been living on bad terms, put tbe poison m her tea ; but although the woman was very bad, the doctors were unable to find any trace of poison. : A prominent member of the Salvation A rmy, named Edward Tuckwell has been fined £3 3s, and three guineas costs, or m default of payment three months' imprisonment, for brutally assaulting two women, whom he knocked down, kicked, and jumped upon because they had remonstrated with for ill-treating another woman. The report of the Lunstio Asylum shows an increase m the number of insane persons last i year amounting to 114 . The total number now is 8179. The sentence of death recorded against a coloured man named William ThomaSjWho broke into the dwelling of a man named Campbell, near Kilmore, and attempted to murder, him m bed, has been commuted to 20 years' imprisonment with hard labour. The police are still engaged making enquiries with a view to taking criminal proceedings against Mr Palmer, of Tooram, .who shot one of his coolie labourers recently during a disturbance which arose between the coolies. In consequence of statements that Mr Palmer had treated his coolies harshly, he has offered to give e*ch of the men I £10 and pay their passages to India. The whole of the men, however, unhesitatingly refused to accept the offer, I stating they were well pleased with their employer, and would prefer remaining and completing their engagement. Detective Duncan, iiaving concluded his J formal enquiries, arrested Mr Palmer, on warrant, charging him v with feloniously slaying Sirdar Khan. Bail . was allowed the prisoner on his own recognisance m £100. Captain M urray, of tbe B.M. S . Shannon, which has just arrived, states that the passage through the Suez Canal is now assuming an appearance of difficulty. Delays are numerous and protracted, owing to the silting up of the channel ; and lately a lot of boats have grounded m it, m consequence of heavy gales blowing across the land and shallowing the water. Dredging operations are required, it is said, to" be more vigorously conducted. There is a strong feeling of discontent with ithe existing arrangements, and the project of another canal is mooted.