SYDNEY. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 555, 19 July 1862, Page 3

SYDNEY. (FROM THE DAILY TIMES CORRESPONDENT.)

June '21si. The gang of desperadoes who have for so long a period rendered travelling on the roads of the southwestern inteintr n matter of grij.it danger to life aiid l>ropcrty, li.ucat length capped the clinm of their previous \illauies by sticking up the Government escort, ami cany ing off ca->h and gold to the amount of £Ii,OUO. This daring and successful robbery took place on the 16th. instant, between Forbes and Orange, under the following circumstances : — The coach containing the mail and gold boxes in charge of four police and the driver, (the guard being in the vehicle) had reached a difficult pait of the road, about forty-five miles from Orange, when some diays were noticed drawn across the road in a rather peculiar position, causing the coach to swerve from its course to avoid them. While in the act cf doing this, a number of armed men suddenly appeared and fired a volley into the vehicle, wounding the driver and three of the police. It was dusk at the time, and the horses, startled by the discliarge, at once broke away, capsizing the coach, and scattering its contents in the road. The robbers immediately secured their booty, and have not since been heard of, though parties of police and settlers are out in all directions, and the I Government have offered £1000 reward for their apprehension. It is supposed that the no oiious Frank Gardiner is at the heiul of the gang. The wounded men are not seriously hurt, but strange to say one ' constable who was with the escort, named Haviland, was shot, dead after the occurrence, while the coach was leaving the Post Office at Orange after reporting the robbery. Whether he shot himself by accident or whether ho committed suicide, the coroner's jury were unable to determine. Probably his carbine went oft" by accident through the jolting of the vehicle. He leaves n, widow and two children. This daring piece of business I need scarcely tell you, has created immense excitement, and sonic blame is attached to the authorities for sending escorts without mounted men to form an advance and rear guard. So far as is at present ascertained, the loss will fall on the Banks. The police are not blarneable for the issue, for cooped up as they were in the coach, they were completely at the mercy of the attackers, and had no opportunity of firing a shot. It has been > ascertained since the occurrence that the drays spoken of were previously stopped by the ruffians, and tho parties in charge forced to place them in the position described ; after which, they were marched into the bush, and an armed man put sentry over them. They were kept thus for the space of three hours, till the escort came up. Another feature in the ci.se was that the villains compelled one of the draymen to open a case of gin, that they might refresh themselves prior to the contemplated assault. Up to the present time (21st), there is no intelligence of their capture. While on the subject of rascality, I may mention another case of robbery, committed recently by a Mr. Dunstan, of the Telegraph Department. Thisgentleinan bad £350 a year as a clerk and cashier, but this was not sufficient to keep him from committing what is commonly and s^enteely called " a defalcation," to the extent of about £1,000. It appeal's that one day last week he left the office, telling the Inspector he would be absent but a few minutes, and, not returning for some two hours or more, a suspicion arose that all was not right, and an examination of his books and cash at once revealed the fact that an immense 1 abstraction of cash had taken place— the exact amount not being known. Mr. Dunstan i 9 now missing, and all the ingeuuity of the detectives has failed to discover bis secret lurking place. It is rather strange that he ohould ever have got such a situation at all, for it appears that he performed a similar feat in South Australia not very along ago. Iv the political world everything at present looks hazy and uncertain. The Assembly proves a most unmanageable body, and the two bills (Church Lands and StAte Aid) have brought about much feeling raid excitement. The rumor that a. dissolution will speedily ensue gains ground every day, and may be looked upon as an almost certain event nt no distant day. To tell the truth, it is much needed, for a number of men have got into Parliament of a most unsuitable character— men whose pretentious ignorance is disgusting to all who value responsible government, and whose vaaaries have brought ridicule and discredit on our institutions. A general election is an expensive affair to the country ; but any amount would be well spent that would rid us of many of the ignoramuses who have the privilege ofdubbing themselves M. P. A great cry has been raised against the Government out of doors by the friends of the '* poor man," in consequence of a Bill having been introduced for compelling adjoining land holders to bear share and share alike of the cost cf fencing. This Bill it is contemplated will completely nullify the advantages of "free selection," given by the Land Act. The objection is hardly a fair one, however, because it is provided that where a man determines upon fencing, his neighbors shnll have the privilege of* 10 years' credit, while it is further provided that the nature of the fence to be erected shall be determined by aroitration. But it furnishes " a good cry," and I have no doubt if a general election ensues, we shall have an immense amount of blathering about the Bill, more particularly as it Imppencd to receive the support of the squatting members. My own opinion of the measure is, that it is a wise and necessary one, and that it will tend to prevent much litigation arising from disputed boundaries, and the trespassing of cattle.

The Queen's Birthday Ball, which had been postponed in consequence of Prince Albert's decease, took place at Government House last night, and was an brilliant affair There were 1500 invitations, and the Ball-room at midnight presented a scene of beauty and auimation rarely witnessed before. Another event siinilur in character, and almost equal brilliance — the St. Vincent's Hospital Ball, was held on the preceding Tuesday, and resulted in a large accession to the fuuds of that truly noble charity. Recent news from the Lachlan gold fields confirms what I have previously written as to the character of the diggings there. The field is limited in extent, being confined to the two leads already opened, while the sinking is exceedingly deep. The returns, moreover, though at first sight they appear large, bear no proportion to the population of the place, which is now estimated at 15,000. A great number of persons must, consequently, bo doing little or nothing. It is not, in fact, a field that holds out any attractions to the man of small means. There is no shallow workings, as in Victoria and, at Braidwood, and large sums of money liave to be sunk before any returns can be expected. Colonel Kempt, Mr. Christopher Itolleston, and Mr. It. M. Isaacs, the three commissioners appointed by the Governor to inquire into certain charges made against Mr. Pritchard, the British Consul at the Feejee Islands, sailed on Monday last for the islands in Her Majesty's sloop Miranda, to take evidence and prepare their report. lam told as a fact that Mr. Isaacs, who is a barrister, Morec.eiv«lQguin§swa

day for the job, the salary dating from the day of his appointment to the day" of his; return. He will occupy the position of Cliairman of the Board. The whole of this expensive "muss,"' I am 1 led to believe, has been brought about indirectly by the mischievous meddling of the missionaries, who have, from some cause or other, been most anxious to have the islands taken possession of formally by England. Can this have been done from any view of ultimately securing legal titles to lands obtained on nominal purchases from the natives ? If so, the English Government have escaped, fortunately, from being involved in future quarrels about land grauts. The long promised Bill for framing the Legislative Council on an elective basis," has been introduced into the Upper Chamber by the Attorney General, and referred to the consideration of a select committee . It is not likely to pass, and, indeed Ido not believe the public out of doors are at all desirous that it should. The present Assembly is bad enough ia all conscience, but to have two such Houses would certainly ensure the wreck of our responsible system altogether. The present Upper House, at any rate, has respectability, wealth, and education to recommend it, while it has shown an amount of independence and sterling patriotism on many occasions that puts to blush our so-called "patriots "in the Assembly. The weather ha 3 recently broken, and much to the delight of the farmers and agriculturists, we have had some timely fall of rain — not in excess, but sufficient to make the herbage look green and beautiful, while it has not interfered to any extent with business in the city.