OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11044, 23 February 1898, Page 3

OUR AUSTRALIAN LETTER.

(Fbom Ode Own Coekesfondent.)

February 16,

One of the interesting events of the week has been the prosecution of some of the Orangemen who walked in procession list July, when the ".green" gave furious battle, and the Sunday afternoon saw a riotous scene. Years ago, away b&ck in the diggings days, when orange and green fell a-fighting in a similar way, a. "Party Processions Act" was passed to prevent all each incidents in the future. Just how far it will prevent an Orange procession is the present question. . The Government, took one legal opinion on fcha point, which was that theact did not apply. Bat the Catholics have taken two or three opinions also, which are that it; does apply; so they set towork ata'd sabscribed funds to tesb the question, and the prosecution is the result. la Brunswick the riots took place, and Bruuswick was consequently the scene also of the proeecution. Never, or scarcely ever, in the history of prosecutions was there a more flagrant travesty of a judicial proceeding. Of course everyone was perfectly well aware from the beginning that the Police Court decision would not settle the matter. It was ridiculous to suppose that a bench: of justices was to settle the important and delicate legal question involved. It is onefor the Supreme Onurs bench undoubtedly. Bub even under these circumstances the public otsire to see at least s, pretension to judicial impartiality. -Not a pretension was" apparent. The bench was composed of four or five J.P'a. All but one were Orangemen, and the one was' a Catholic. The Orangemen " barracked "■ for the defendants throughout; the Catholic for the prosecution:' At length,.after a two days' hearing', the expected result took place. The Orangemen all went for an acquittal; the Catholic was " unanimous " for a committal, and he 'boldly did' his duty; on his'sole responsibility he committed the defendants 'iot trial. It w\s his duty unquestionably, for. the question'was 6n6 far beyond the: capability of .the justices. "■';'' ; ■''" . "-'.' ■■■ ' ' •".■.•■'■'

; It the* Supreme Court decide that the Orange processionists.'committed a hreach of the .act there will te "'.fiero'e joy in .the Catholic camjp. ' The question will then arise, Is a git. Patrick's Day processionist' also a breaker of' the act? Possibly the Supreme-Court if they decide against the Orangemen will widen their decision to;' cover this (question. If they don't there will certainly "bij-a 'prosecution of, the "gifeen" next St. Patrick's Day. The proceedings before the bench were lively and amusing. The Rev. John Caton, » Church of England clergyman, made* solemn protest' to the bench* against being ' u'baled/ before a court as a witness by" a foreign poWer " —said foreign power being,'of course, the. Pope'of Rome. The Rev. John Cation is an Irishman,but it neod not be adcied that he'is from the " black; North." . Evidently in th'eNorth they have no sense of 'hdmour.' There was » suspicion that the Rev. John' Caton was joking, but he has written a long letter tothe papers to prove how earnest he was. What he was called as a witness about was en Orange sermon he delivered on the fateful Sunday. You will be able to guons how much Christian charity and loving kindness there was in Mr Oatoii's sermon. ..

j Mr Purves was counsel for the Orangemen, land an the witnesses for the' other side i wore Catholics and' Irishmen who had to describe how the sight of yellow wag like a r«d rag to a bull to them he had plenty scopefor jocularity. And he took full advantage of it,' so that the printed reports are good reading. But all Melbourne hsu roared at how an Trish constable's ready wit brought him to confusion. It isn't very at\fi\eus . history-'-the , O'HaraFurves fight in Collins street. Dr O'Hars was a'court witness,'and the great'Q.O. pat some i insult on him, and tho Irish dootor knocked the I lawyer downpn his way past the Exchange next i morning.- Mr Purvey wrs questioning the constable about' his knowledge "'of* " the Boyne," and the drubbing the Catholics got. " Faitb, you were easily "beaten," said he. "And so were you when you met O'Hara," returned the constable like a flash—aa clever a retort, even if it was a little unfeeling, as has ever been thrown at Mr Purves from the witness bok.

A singular murder ha* taken place near Ararat.; Joseph M'Donald, a woodcutter, was i found lying in a rude hut in the paddock where he was at work, shot throngh . the head. He lived with a woman, who admitted at the inquest ehe was not his wife',.and they had two children. A sort of mate of the man.named Werscham, and the woman found the dead i body. That the man was murdered is positive, j but not a fact has been discovered so far to suggest who murdered him, or, at any rate, not a fact upon which the police can take action. Be was not murdered for money, nor was he murdered for jealousy apparently. The police theory is that the murder Wiva done through j fear. The belief is thftt-there has been a good deal of sheep-stealing in'the neighbourhood, and the theory is that someone who feared that M'Donald might "split" has taken the opportunity of putting a bulled through his brain. One outcome of tne investigation by the detectives is that M'Donald moved is a curious little community, in which tile- sacred rite of marriage has fallen into negilect,' or is made dependent upon the success of the next wattle-^ bark season; '< W«it until after the next bark, and see if we can afford to call in the pareou " is the general method of deciding the apparently unimportant church celebration of matrimony in this community.

"KING OF. DIAMONDS" AND "LOVER OF BURNS." **. Oh, wad some power the giftie gi'e us io see onrsel's as others see us ! TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—"King of Ditmondß"by his letter in reply to "Lover of Burns" well deserves the thanks of al! lovers of Burns, and all those who enjoy a good joke. His denseness is on a par with the clergyman 'who believed Mark Twain was serious when he said he had shed tears over the grava of Adam. Evidently Milton has a prodigy.—l am, fee, Dunedin-, February 22. Dticß of Spades.

P.S.—lf "Lover of Burns" had used my signature it might have saved " King of Diamonds" from making an exhibition of himself (he knows the cards),—D.O.S.

A billiard match, 9000 up, has taken place in England between Weiss, the Australian champion, and Memmott, whom he recently defeated in Australia. Memmott was allowed to use the push stroke. Weiss won by 622 points. O. W. O. Hardman, when sheriff of Tyler Co., W. V»., was at one time almost prostrated with a cold. He used Chamberlaiu's Cough Remedy, and was so much pleased with the quick relief and cure it afforded him thnt he gave the following unsolicited testimonial: " To all who may be interested I wish to say that I have used Chamberlain's Cough Remedy, and find it invaluable for coughs and colda." For sale by till leading chemists.