VICTORIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 137, 21 April 1864, Page 4

VICTORIA.

[from the Sydney Mail," April 9.] An important addition to our native industries" will be in active operation in the course of a few we'ks, in the form of an extensive manufactory of starch and maizenu. Messrs. Uric, Munn, and oung. who have had considerable experience in the conduct of tins hu>iness in <«reat Britain, are now erecting spacious premises on the slope of the right bank of the Y arra, above llood-level, close to Hawthorn ilridg<—the ground mken ibr tiie purpose exfending down the river. Tiie building, which will be of hluestone. has already risen to tins basement of the second tier of window.-. The boilers ami other fittings for the engine-room are on the ground, and the whole work wiii be rapidly in a state approaching fini>h. Kxtensive filters will be constructed at the rear of the building, so that the watar obtained from tiie river may be in the purest possible state. It is stated that, im analysis of water taken from the Yarra has given very satisfactory result?. An illicit di.-;i(icry, with nil the requisite apparatus, ami in lull working operation, was discovered by the San-lridgc poliec, early on Sunday morning. It appears that, for at least some weeks past, the police have hud suspicions of a process of this nature Inning been carried on in premised immediately adjoining t_ rock ford's Chetjuers Hotel, Jiay-street. A search Warrant was accordingly procured, armed with a party of police, consisting of inspector Keavcr, sergeant O'Brion. senior-constable Tobin, and another constable, proceeded, shortly after midnight on taturduy. to the locality. The otliccr disposed of his men in a manner which rendered the escape of uny one on the premises a matter of impossibility. Leaving a man in front of the house, M. lh avcr and sergeant O'Hrien entered by the rear of the hotel, passing along one side of Croektbrd's stores aud coach-house, while Tobin entering nearly at the same point, look up a position on the other side ofthe same shed, standing within a few inches of what was alterwards discovered to tie a most ingeuiously contrived trap door. They looked and listened for somt. time, but apparently without success, for there was neither sound nor light to guide them. At length one of the party, smelling li.juor in a state of fermentation, followed' up the S'-ent. which led him to a wooden house, situate at the baekaud within about four leet of the dweHing-houso occupied by onelJinuh Waters, who ostensibly carried on the business of milliner ami dressmaker. A key hanging outside the door of this house admit ted the police into the stillhouse, where were found a new and old copper still,, 700 gallons of wort, and forty gallons of low wine. Within a fe»v feel of the still-house are Croekford's stores, and a communication was kept up between the two by means of a trap-door, only discovered by reiiKU ing from Ihe side of the latter a hoard which had been looselv fastened bv two screw nails. In this store the police found tin' c:ip of a still, the worm, nineteen of Mi;:ar and eighteen hags of charcoal. Continuing their researches, they also di-eo*ered a tunnel (ifu-onc feet in length, leading from the si ill - house into Crocktord's premises. :md having a trapdoor at both ends. Three persons were found on the premises, name! v, a eo}ou red man, who is suspected ty be no novice in the matter of djstillation, a man named Wortcn. and Ihe women Waters. The last two were in bed, when there slumbers where somewhat uuceriinouiotisly disturbed by the entrance ofthe police.

| A dreadful accident occurred between ton and eleven o'clock yesterday morning, at tin* new buildings. at Ihe Sandhurst gaol, 'l'ho AY/r v says :— 4t A bricklayer named Thomas Spinks was working on the scaffolding ut about tliirly feet from t he ground, when, from some cause not vet. ascertained,he lost hisfooting, and fell, his head first coining in contact with the ground. Assistance was promptly rendered, and lie wan removed tothe hospital, but we regret lo add t hatlie expired before reaching the institution. Deceased was a married man, and hud a family. Ife was between forty and lil'ly years of age." It appears th:ii the All-Kngland Kleven are likely to pay a second visit to Marlborough. The mulch for the silver quoit, commenced at Collingwood on Monday last, was iinished yesterday, and resulted in the prize being placed in the bunds of Court Friar Tuck, in whoso poj>cssio» it will remain until next Kaster Monday, when the competition ibr it will be again resumed. We learn Iron: last- night's Ucndigo Ecenniy 2Vr«w that it was reported yesterday a fresh rush had taken place a Jew miles from Kay wood, and that payable gold had been struck. A brigade order lias been issued, by command of lJrigadicr-(ionei\d Chute. It has reference to the recent encampment and review of tho Volunteers, and is couehed in the most complimentary terms. Ceneral Chute states that it would be an injustice to the loree were lie not to express the great satistaction experienced by iiiui in witnessing the correctness with which the e;nnp was pitched and the soldier-like manner in which the several duties have been eonducted." The order also states that the General " will always bear in mind wilh sincere pleasure theeflicienl and creditable manner in which the several corps acquitted themselves uti the two brig:d' parade., on Suubiiry I'i'iin*, wlien he had the h -m ur of commanding them, their proficiency in drill uid steadiness under arms Jar exceeding his ir.o«t janguine uxpectiitions ; and he begs moal earnestly to taank all ranks ot this tine force iur their zeal, ability, and intelligence. being eonvinred thai, tliowld necessity unfortunately require it, every muu will do his duty, with honour to himself, his Queen, and couiiUj - . 1 '

The departure of the missionary ship, the Day Spring, having been fixed tor yesterday, about fifty and gentlemen. tri< nds of the mission, attended to bid farewell to the Kev. Messrs. Morrison, M'Culloch, and Gordon, miosionarieo for the Newtlebrides, to fail in that vessel. The final adieus were preceded by a religious service 011 dock, in which the Hevs. J. Clarke, A. D. Kininmout, G. Maekay, — Kamsey, and Hamilton took part. Numerous presents were brought by the visitors in aid of the missionary cause, amongst which was a presentation of books to the crew in consideration of the good report Captain Frasorhad given of them. The Rev. J. Clarke, on behalf of the ladies of the Presbyterian Church of William Mown, said' thev had presented the ship with a. flag (then waving at the masthead) of silk, blue ground with white border, I'liion Jack at the top corner, and a white dove with laurel branch in the centre. Mr. Hogan, a solicitor, residing at Kmc mid Hill, was accidentally killed 011 Wednesday evening last. He was crossing the Sandridge road, when he- was knocked down and run over by a cab, and almost immediately expired. At the Sandridge police court, yesterday, about six hours were occupied in hearing a charge against Edward Wooden. Diauah Waters, and James Crockford (the landlord of the Chequers Imj, Hay-street); of having an illicit fetill 011 their promises. The evidence left no doubt in the minds of the Bench that the defendant Wooden carried on the still, and that Crock ford supplied the materials. The arrangements wert) of a most ingenious and systematic character, and preparations were being made to extend the business on a large scale. The charge against Mrs. "Waters was withdrawn, but the other defendants were fined £100 each, or, in default, six months' imprisonment. A snake-bite accident, which was nearly terminating fatally, occurred yesterday, to a \vnod-outter, named Uobert Wilbon, residing at Doncaster, in the district of I'ulleen. While loading bis dray with wood, for town, a snake, about filteen inches long r sprang out of a Jog and bit him 011 the second joint of the foi'eiinger of the left hand. lie immediately hastened home, and, after taking some brandy, rot'e towards town. When between Kew and the Red Lion Hotel he fell troiu his hor*e. Some people re.iiding in the neighbourhood went up to iii 3 assistant:!:', and, learning from him what hud occurred, took him into a cottiigo and then came un to Richmond tor Mr. Jones, chemist. Jones went out with the mo.-.si-ny fcr, lanccd the wound, and administered brandy and ammonia. It was, however, some time bel'ure Wilson recovered from the stupor occasioned by the snake poison. He is progressing favourably, and is now con.sideiud out of danger. The following incident of last Tuesdays'review is given by the Geeloiitj Advertiser:—The Geciongcorps were so reduced in numbers that they could not form a company by themselves, and they were joined to a portion of the .St. JCilda corps under Captain il'C'uiloch (Chief Secretary), 'l'he men of both corps were thus put 011 their mettle, and they deployed before the Genera! with ,»o much exaetnessthat he raised hishands in admirution, and exclaimed, 'Beautiful! beautiful!' The men and their captain were, of course, much gratiiicd, aud when the. review was over the Chief Secretary gave expression to his feelings ' shouting' for the whole company. The scene that followed must have astonished the bystanders, for each mail seized his bottle of ale o;' porter, and using his bayonet to knock oil'the neck, went through this little piece of active se.vice with as much adroitness as he had handled the iicld guns the day beib.'e."

The annual iiutumu exhibition of the Port Philip Fanner's Society was held yesterday, in the Kxhition liiiililiny. The show of grain, seed, farm produce, wines and "rapes, wits not so larye lis 011 previous occasions; but- tin- generality of the prize exhibits was very good. The Sandhurst District Agricultural and Horticultural Society again occupied a prominent plucc in the prize list, carrying off the palm in wheat, hurley, and red and white wines. The society had also a line show of grapes, the greater portion ot which were placed at the disposal of the public ill the afternoon, and there was a great scramble to secure the luscious fruit. The wheat which took the lirstpri/.e weighed 6-S-J- lbs., ami, when sold by miction, realised i/.-. 11 bushel. The show was pretty well attended, and many of the exhibits attracted considerable attention. The monthly meeting of the Acclimatisation Society was held in the jUech;uiics' Institute vesterduy eneiiMr. 10. "Wilson occupie< 1 the chair. Dr. Mueller stated that ho had sent on hoard the l)ay Spring, missionary ship, two black swans fur the South Sea islands ; and two pelicans by the Bride of the Ocean, under the charge of Captain Kyle. The secretary reported that he had also sent by the latter vessel nine kangaroos, three emus, and three native companions tor the Zoological Gardens, London. Mr. JJuttield read a paper on the cultivation of cotton in this colony. He commenced with some observation relative to thteultivatioji oi the plant in Peru during t lit* time of the incas, wneit, even in tliat rainless climate, a population numbering a hundred millions weie supplied witn clothing the p:oduee of native cotton, lie next adverted to tne stimulus tin* American war had given to the cultivation of cotton in Peru, remarking that the shipments to Kngland had increased i'roiu 10,0-m i;wt. in KSMI to 3l,joocwt. in ISG3, and would probably reach GU,OUO cwt. duiing the present year, lie tnan alluded to the progress of cotton cultivation in thelOa.-.t Indies, andsevei.il other Pritish dependencies, and urged the advantages likely to arise from attention being given to mioii an industry in the colony. In the course ot a conversational discussion that- lollowel, Mr. Duliield staled that the price of Peruvian cotton ranged irom Ite. 4d. to Jis. Sil- per pound, and tiiat the earliest period at which the plant produced pods was when about- three years of age. Dr. Mueller exhibited tome specimen of Algerineand Egyptian cotton plants, grown in tlie colony, which, he wiid, ho considered were superior to any other kind. Mr. Martclli than addressed Mime observations on the while mulberry plant, as suitable to the colony for the development of silk culture. Mr. AVatts exhibited a trout lie had recently caught in the Yarra, which was pronounced bv Professor M'Ooy to be a species of grayling, of the genus Salmoniihe. The letter gentlemen, in the course of a lew remarks, stated that the lish commonly designated bream was only small schnapper. Mr. fctutxer next addressed the meeting 011 the subject of deepsea fishing, advocating* the use of trawl-nets, as necessary to obtain a coinpleate knowledge ol the linny products of the Australian seas.

A highway robbery underarms was }>erpeU-ate«i on SatunUy about nine o'clock, on the vutul leailIrum Talnot lo .Maryborough. It appears, tavs till! 'l'uthut J.ititit i', that ;i man named Marshall was returning l'iuin lln: Springs to liiirnt Creek, ami that, when In' had t l'avi lied about uiit: milt: past the Liverpool Arms Hotel, a man stepped from behind a true and a;>keil him whether h<- hud not been thresing at the Springs. l : pon Marshall replying in the atlirinative, he wa> i'nthur questioned us to whether he hud any money about liim, and on his replying that he had, he was told to deliver it up, or he would have his head blown oil'—action being suited to the word by a revolver being levelled at him. Marshal threw a pocket-book down, saying he was a poor man and had worked hard lor the little money in his possession. Tile rudiaii replied that he did not care for that, as ho wanted money. He than opened the pocket-book and took all that was in it, namely, live £1 notes, throwing the book haek, saving he did not require that. '.I he rascal than decamped into tli« bush. Marshall hud been working for six weeks on Mr. Young's lann at the Springs, ho had culled in Talbot 011 Saturday night to make a purchase ot' drapery lor his wie, and wiiti ail lie had lefi, iiainelv £'■>, he was 011 his way to rejoin his wife at JJumt Creek when the robbery was committed.—Sydney Mm'/, April 9.