INTERCOLONIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 3342, 7 March 1879, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL.

From our exchanges to hand by the Arawata,-we have compiled the following summary of news : — A numerously and influentially signed petition for a mitigation of the sentence on Ireland who was convicted of embracery, was presented to the Executive Council. As there were other embracery cases in connection with Ireland's trial pending, it was resolved not to assent to the prayer of the petitioners — "'at least for the present." Rumors, says the Argus of the 22nd, have prevailed for [a few days past of some fulmination on "the part of the AttorneyGeneral against the Ai-gus, and accordingly yesterday an extraordinary notice appeared in the Government Gazette. In an excited vein, it warns the public against putting any credence in the' Argus. His friends will perceive that Sir Bryan O'Loghlen requires looking after. ■ A member of the detective force reports that a respectable looking woman named Ritchie, living at 134 Park-street, Emerald hiU, informed him that she found a carrier pigeon in her bath-room.*' She noticed a small piece of paper tied to its wing, and upon examining it found the following message written in pencil : — " £4000 reward. Ned Kelly. Take , care of Mm at home." . "- - The proceedings at the West.Bourke election were of a most exciting character, and it would seem that the Government brought pressure to bear to ensure the return of the liberal candidate Mr Deakin. At Newham the. election stopped owing to the ballot papers ruuning out, and it was understood that the polling would be resumed on the following day. The Government, however, ascertaining that their candidate was not the', favorite stopped further polling notwithstanding that 175 electors had.. not voted. , This excited much dissatisfaction, and' an indignation meeting was held, at which the arbitrary conduct of the Government was denounced. It was .positively affirmed that if the Newham vote had been completed Mr' Harper, the Opposition candidate, would have been returned. . , A shocking case of cruelty to a horse was heard at the Gardiner Police Court. The defendant, a cab-driver named Chamberlain, drove a weak horse to death almost, and when the poor animal gave in left him lying on the roadside, where it was found with both fore tetlocks broken, and" the hoofs turned up, showing that the wretched creature had been walking on the "stumps. The inspector of -the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals took the matter up. The horse, which had been left lying all night,was destroyed next morning, and the cruel wretch who owned him wa3 arraigned and j let off with l a paltry fine of £5, or .one month's imprisonment.' The body of the horse was covered with marks of ill-treat-ment. The political condition of Victoria is graphically described by ' the Kyneton Guardian, which wonders whether the people lack gall -to, make oppression bitter, and with reference to the West Bourke election says: — " That other measures of corruption, and even were resorted to there is strong reason to believe, and the Lancefield Examiner expressly w _ mentions, that wliilst the deputy electoral -'" registrar at Eiddeirs' Creek worked" unre- . Btrictedly f or the Government candidate,- --• -- when some member of DeakinV Rom'sey 1 > , committee informed Mr Woods that a . gentleman holding a position of trust there -was in.* favor .Mr JHarp©r 7 ;-fch© Minister, yrjth, characteristic ' prompitude, reported

the delinquent to the head office in Melbourne. Conduct such as this of Mr 4 Woods would in any community of freemen not only excite general disgust, but draw down upon his head a public prosecution under the 135 th, or bribery and intimidation section of the Electoral Act. It is quite evident- that from the Parliamentary Elections' Committee justice would not be expected, but surely, the fear of dismissal would uot prevent the judges of the Supreme Court from doing their -duty, although we do not know where to look "amongst the county court judges or the police magistrates for one man who would discharge his duty in an action oftms character without fear of dismissal. They are all, as Mr. Templeton, P.M., truthfully expressed himself, on the occasion of **eceh ing a testimonial to his upright conduct as a magistrate, 'acting as if they had halters round their necks.' " With regard to the Ministerial action in connection with the Melbourne Argus, the Bendigo News, a strongly Ministerial organ, says:— "We need scarcely say that we 3 are extremely sorry the Acting Chief Secreiary has resorted to this extreme mea- , ure. We have always been staunch supporters of the present Government. But while we believe. in the policy they havein the past enunciated, we cannot commend the action of. which Sir Bryan O'Loghlen has now been guilty. The withholding *of , Government advertisements from an Opposition journal was an action about which there might be two opinions ; but when it is openly. declared by the recognised head of the Government that information is absolutely denied by him to the leading organ of the colony simply because it does not truckle to those in power, and in addition warning the public against believing anything that may chance to appear in its columns, it is rather more than human nature can bear. The Kelly scare is unabated. A telegram from Corowa, dated the 24th, says :, — In consequence of interruption to the telegraph line between Corowa and Howlong, there has been much excitement here to-day. Communication with Albury has been carried on via Melbourne, and information has been received from them that the line has been cut off between . them and Howlong, also that a man just j returned from a few miles this 'side of Howlong says the line was cut, and hanging from the posts. Later news states that communication has been restored with Howlong. The telegraph operator reports the line was cut about a mile each side of the office with a tomahawk. The authorities think that the line was destroyed bycon federates of the Kellys for the purpose of drawing the police from other localities into Howlong, and- thus giving an oppor-* tunity for the outlaws to attack the most exposed township. There is much excitement in the border townships, and the police force at Corowa, Wahgunyah, and Eutherglen has been reinforced. At Colac a young man, named Kimber, who was suffering from love affection, attempted suicide by swallowing an ounce of crofcon oil, and then cutting his'throat with a razor. . The overdose of oil made him sick, and Ins condition was then ascer-' tamed. Subsequently , he died from the effects of the dose.