Intercolonial News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 245, 20 May 1876, Page 18

Intercolonial News.

The l’elief of shipwrecked mariners has cost Melboui’ne for the last ten yeai’S at least £IOOO per annum. The total quantity of land alienated from the Crown up. to the end of last year in Victoria was 16,849,948 acres. The mechanics on the Tasmanian railways have struck for the introduction of the eight houi’s system. The inci’ease on the total revenue of Queensland for the twelve months ending March 31, is £89,145, or about 10 per cent. The Intercolonial Exhibition at Sydney was attended during the first week by 64,448, exclusive of ticket holders, who were numerous.

The Victorian revenue returns for the quarter ending 31st March amount to £1,115,555, showing an increase of £116,248. The total l’evemie for the year was £4,331,733, being an increase of £375,873. Samples of silk, the produce of coons educated by Mr. John Clayton, at the Government magnamer, at Claisebrook, Western Australia, and reeled at Lyons by Messi-s. Louis Degrand and Co., are reported to be of vei’y superior quality. The cost to the country of the last genei'al elections in New South Wales is stated in a return recently laid before Parliament to have amounted to £6858 Is. 2d. West Sydney electoi’ate stood highest—the expenses were set down at £351; whilst the lowest was the Narellan election, which only cost £9 Bs. A Victorian paper asks :—ls it a mere coincidence, or what, that since the Stevenson inquiry has been in progress the amount of Customs duties received has suddenly increased from £30,000 to £40,000 a-week ? 111-natured people, of course, chuckle at the notion of there being nothing in it, whilst even those who ax-e prone to “think no evil” confess that the circumstances appear to be remax'kable. A feature in the Victorian educational system is the establishment of night schools in the larger cities. Recently a school of this character was opened at Sandhurst, and on the opening night 141 persons were enrolled. This provision gets rid of the plea so often made use of by parents when proceeded against under the compulsoi’y clauses of the Act—that they cannot afford to lose the services of the elder children in the day time. A Carlton (Melbourne) dairyman has had the effi’ontery to state that the public thei'e are alone to blame for the adulteration of milk, because they won’t pay a remunerative price for the pure article. He also says that pure milk is too strong for the infantile stomach, therefoi’e he diluted with water on principle. He considers the swindle as perfectly justifiable. Would it not be well to pay the dairyman with Brummagem pennies ? An enterprising publisher in Brisbane has just issued a skeleton map of that city, showing all the public-houses, and the position of each in every street in the city. The Telegraph says it is a most interesting and instructive picture in more senses than one. Attached to the map is a list of hotels—seventy-eight in number—which is explained as follows :—“ Those hotels numbered in red ink are the fii-st-class hotels of Brisbane, because they provide good accommodation for ti’avellers, and are generally wellconducted ; those numbered in black do not appear to encourage a trade of that kind, being as a rule mei’ely di'ink shops. The half-yearly balance-sheet of the Moonta Mine (South Australia) has been issued. Dui’iixg the six months ending March 20 no less than 10,162 tons of 20 per cent, fine copper were raised ; and there were 3379 tons on hand when the half-year commenced, making a total of 13,541 tons. A net profit of nearly £42,000 was left for disti’ibution among the fortunate shareholders. The ore now left on hand is valued at £39,000. Two dividends of 10s. earcli per share have been paid, and aixother of 10s. has been declai’ed, payable on the 31st instant, representing a total of £48,000 paid away to the proprietai'y in the course of six months.

Mi*. Goydei’, Surveyor-Genei’al of South Australia, is at present on a visit to the colony. It will be remembered that the South Australian Parliament has recently authorised an expenditure of some millions on a scheme of public works in some degree similar to the New Zealand scheme. Mr. Goyder was sent over here on behalf of the South Australian Government to make general inquiries as to the New Zealand scheme of public works, more especially in regard to our railways, their gauge, grades, and general construction, for the guidance of the South Australian Government. A Dunedin paper states that during his stay in that city he has made good use of his time. He is now in Christchurch, and will in a few days arrive in Wellington.

“ Considerable amusement was caused at Port Adelaide, on the 22nd April, by the freaks of a hoi'se which was being shipped to Wedge Island per the ketch Lotus. The animal,” says the South Australian Register , “ submitted quietly enough to being slung, and walked to the place appointed for him without any hesitation. The man in charge, thinking him safe, left his head for a few moments to assist in l’aising another horse which was being shipped and evidently disliked the operation. Seeing himself free, the fii’st animal evidently thought it was a good time to escape, which he did, much to the consternation of the onlookers. He walked on to the vessel’s poop, looked up evidently measuring the height, and with one boixnd landed clear on the wharf, and made for his stable, where he was recaptured. The tide was rather low, and from the poop to the wharf must have been a height of quite 7ft. What made the jump more difficult was the fact that the ci'aft was close alongside the wharf, and the deck giving poor holding ground-

to start from. The jump was quite perpendicular, and had the steed missed his goal and come with his foi’e feet against the walepiece of the whai’f he must have broken his back. Mi'. Levi was so struck with the animal’s pluck and jumping powers that he shipped another horse instead.”

At a meeting in Melbourne of gentlemen representing the Chamber of Commerce, Shipownei’s’ Association, Underwriter's’ Association, and the committee of the Sailors’ Home, the following resolutions were passed :—“ That a shipwreck relief society be now formed, with the following objects—l. The relief of the widows, oi’phans, and aged parents of seamen articled to vessels registered in Victoria, who may lose their lives in the execution of their duty. 2. The relief of passengers and crews of vessels wrecked in or near Victorian waters. That in oi'der to reduce the working expenses of such society to a minimum, the management should be vested in the committee of the Sailoi’s’ Home.”

Writing on the Victorian trade returns for 1875 the Border Post says the exports of Victoria proper were a trifle over £12,300,000 ; of that amount £5,413,089 in gold—bars and specie—is included. Thei’e was £6,373,676 worth of wool, in which some of the fleece of Rivei'ina is included. Gold and wool are the only items of export ! Where are the industL’ies ? Where ai’e the exports from the factories coddled by protectionists ? They are not to be found in Hayter’s figures. To show what drones in the hives of the world’s industry Victoi’ians are, it is only necessary to say that during the year 1874 they imported £566,659 worth of grain ! and expox’ted £70,050 worth. At a recent meeting of the Hobarton Chamber of Commerce Captain Eisher took the opportunity to mention what had long been a gi'ievance among commercial men, he referi'ed to the pi'actice of bundles of shingles being sold and shipped as containing 100 shingles, when in fact they frequently contained as few as 83. He had noticed as many as two millions of shingles shipped fi-om this port in a single month, the bundle only averaging from 80 to 81. The result had been an injury to the trade, and frequent complaints were made in New Zealand and other places, and he would wish that the municipal authorities would frame a by-law compelling the full number being sold in bundles, under penalty of forfeiture or fine. The Chamber generally approved of the suggestion.

Signor Eduardo Majeroni made his first appearance upon the English stage at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, on April 24. The piece selected was a l'omantic drama, entitled “ The Old Coi-poral,” in which Signor Majeroni has played with great success in his native land, and wliich has been translated from the Italian of Enrico Bellotti expressly for him. The Herald, in speaking of his performance as the Old Corpoi’al Simon, remai’ks : “He has attained a good appreciation of the English language, and speaks it with fidelity, though it by no means comes glibly to him, and he has as yet not overcome a foreign style peculiar to his nation, and which nothing but familiarity with our vernacular will enable him to master. His acting is as vivid and graphic as it ever was, and he delivers his part with appropriate effect, but his enunciation is faulty. He had completely the sympathy of the assemblage, who applauded him again and again, and applauded him twice at the termination of each act. A number of beautiful bouquets, bearing Italian streamers, were also thrown to him.”

A locomotive tender converted into an aquarium is a somewhat odd and startling idea, remarks the Ballarat Star. Still, that fish do travel up axid down the Ballarat and Geelong l-ailway line, and seemingly enjoy the dull routine of tender life has long been an aseertained fact. Some time ago several persons were not a little bewildered at being told that perch had been taken out of the water tanks of locomotive tenders at the Ballarat tei’minus, and clever people affected to pooh-pooh the statement as sheer nonsense. Howevei’, but a few days since Mr. Troup, locomotive inspector at Lydiai'd-street, himself took from one of the tenders a live, and apparently healthy English perch, which he presented to Dr. King. The fish is now in that gentleman’s possession, and occupies a tub on his premises. The percli is certainly not the gay, brightcolored fish we are accustomed to see taken from Wendouree, the rust-charged water of the tender-tank having had a great effect upon its scales, bxxt as far as health goes it is all that could be desired. The extraordinary part of the affair is that the water in these tanks is always warm, and sometimes so hot that its contact with one’s hand is the reverse of agreeable, yet out of this water are taken live fish. The presence of the perch in the tanks is easily enough accounted for. A quantity of the fish are to be found in the railway dam at Lai Lai station, and at the station a steam pump draws the water from the dam to supply a tank from which the tenders are fed. Spawn and very small fish are thus frequently transferred from dam to tendei'. SULLIVAN’S AFFIDAVIT. The affidavit of Sullivan, the murderer, placed befoi-e the Supreme Coui’t of Victoria, ran as follows : I, Joseph Thomas Sullivan, of High-street, Wedderburn, iix the colony of Victoria, but now detained in II.M. gaol at Melbourne, formerly publican, but now out of business, make oath and say that I was born in Ireland on the 20th day of August, 1815, and arrived in the colony of Victoria, then Port Phillip, by the brig Scout, on the 10th January, 1845, and Avas domiciled and continued to reside thei’e till the sth April, 1866. That in 1847 I purchased freehold land at Geelong, in the colony of Victox-ia, and resided thereon till I sold the same in 1849, and in 1853 I purchased other land at Eootscray, near Melbourne, and resided at Sandhurst. I sold the said land in or about the year 1857, and in 1857 I bought my present property at Wedderburn, aforesaid, and have ever since held, and now hold,

and am possessed of the same, consisting of about 1 acre of town allotments and about 20 acres of country allotments. That on the 6th day of April, 1866, as aforesaid, I went to New Zealand in the ship Albion on a visit only, and intending to return to Victoria shortly, but circumstances prevented my doing so. That Sir James Fergusson, the then Governor of New Zealand, on the 20th day of August, 1873, granted me a free pardon for the crime for which I was convicted there. That on the 4th day of April, 187’4, I left New Zealand for London, England, by the ship Hindostan, and arrived there on the 10th day of July, 1874, and I left London for Sydney, N.S.W., by the ship Parramatta, on the 4th day of September, 1874, and arrived thence on the 2nd day of November, 1874, where X continued to be and reside until Tuesday, the Ist day of December, 1874, when I left there for Melbourne, Victoria, on that day by the steamer Barrabool, which arrived in Melbourne on Eriday, the 4th day of December, 1874 ; and X left Melbourne for Wedderburn aforesaid on Monday, the 7th day of the same month, and within two hours after my arrival there was arrested by the police on a chai’ge of being illegally at large in the colony of Victoria, and was remanded to Melbourne and adjudicated on there, and on the 16th day of the same month I was there convicted of being illegally at large in the colony of Victoria, and committed to her Majesty’s gaol at Melbourne, where I now am detained under and by virtue of the warrant, a certified copy whereof is hereunto annexed marked A. That my wife and two children have for many years past resided at, and now reside at Wedderburn aforesaid, and my reason for returning to Victoria was to see them, to look after my freehold property in the colony ; but for private reasons I am not desirous of continuing to reside in the colony of Victoria. lam advised and believe that my said conviction by the magistrates who signed the said warrant of committal was illegal, on the grounds that I was domiciled in, and possessed of, freehold property ia Victoria, before and since the passing of the said Act, and still possess the same, and the colony of Victoria was from 1845, and still, and now is, my only domicile. That lam further advised and believe that the said warrant under which I am now so detained as aforesaid is infoi’mal and void on the grounds that the justices have exceeded their jurisdiction in directing my removal to the colony of New Zealand, wherees they should have directed my removal, if at all, to the colony of New South Wales, as it was from that colony that I came direct into the colony of Victoria, as in manner before mentioned ; and I am desirous that an application for my discharge, or a writ of habeas should be made by my solicitor, Mr. Kane.—Joseph Thomas Sullivan.