Colonial News.

Colonist, Issue 19, 25 December 1857, Page 2

Colonial News.

NEW SOUTH WALES

The brig Emma, Captain Halford, arrived here yesterday (Thursday), having left Sydney on the 13th instant.

The polling for the election of a representative of the North Riding of Cumberland, in the Legislative Assembly, in the place of John Bay leyDarvall, Esq., resigned, took place on December 11th. On the whole it passed off quietly, a, slight disturbance occurring only at Parramatta. The candidates were Mr. Thomas Whistler Smith, and M*. Henry Parkes, the former polling 89 more votes than the latter.

Great excitement was being created by the agitation of the Land 'Question.. Monster meetings: by torchlight were being held in Winyaf d-square,; Sydney, denouncing what is cialled " The Gigantic Land Swindle of Squatters and Land-jobbers," and calling upon the people to inaugurate a Land League. From the Herald we gather that the clause'in the1 Ministerial Land Bill, reducing the upset price of the Crown Lands of the colony from XI to-6s-per acre f wiaa cawied:on the 4thlinstant. .;

We iriake the followhig'extracts :— Odd Fe£lows' Reunion.—At the Odd Fellows' Hall, last evening* a dinner was given in celebration of the anniversary of the Loyal Fountain of Refuge Lodge, M.U. The large room was well filled, the company, including visitors from various other lodges of the .district, comprising nearly one hundred of the fraternity. The room was decor-' ated with the fine flags of the district, —the lodge affording a great pictorial and emblematic display" of the nature and philanthropic-objects of the; institution. The chair was taken by the Noble Grand, Mr. James Lenrioh, supported on the one hand by R. Campbell, Esq., M.L.A., and on the pthei^by the Right Worshipful the Mayor, whose arrival was greeted by the strains a baud stationed in the balcony. The stable having been cleared, the chairman, opened the-second part of the business by briefly alluding toihe noble objects of the order, and proposing the: health of the Queen, and the other loyal toasts, Which were received with many cheers, and followed by suitable music from the band. He then gave 'The Army and Navy,' adding a few words of eulogy on the meritorious sevices they had lately rendered, and the toast was received with r vocifer- i ous cheers. The health of his Excellency the Governor-General was-also drunk; with loud applause. Mr. Cracknell then sang 'The Red, White, and Blue.' The next toast was the health of the invited guests, Mr. Ry Campbell, and the Right Worshipful the Mayors the chairman remarking that, having been in the colony, from their infancy, they were too well known to require any opinion "of their merits from him. Mr. Campbell and his -Worship responded^"expressing their, thanks .for the invitation they had been favoured with, and the honourable manner in which their' nairies had been received,, also -tlie ■ pleasure and gratification they felt at beiyg. piifisent at.;an assembly, the members of wiiidl engaged in carrying out the noble, philanthropic^ and humane purpose, for which the* order was established, add-" ing that it would be among the most lkely and pleasing recollections of their lives. Then was ; proposed the health of the Grand. Master and! Board of Directors^ to which, Jafter being received with the honours of the orders Mr, Crisp, D.C.S., responded, explaining the important nature of the duties and responsibilities of those' officers, also describing the general organisation of the society, and stating that the order n*?w numbers 265,000 members clear on the books. In alluding to the recent change in the government of the order in this colony, he said it had been considered that they could do better by obtaining a supreme power, which local appeals, etc., might be made, and that such an alteration having taken place in the neighbouring colonies, the Odd Fellows of New ; South Wales had now taken the same'steps, but still they remained under the auspices of the Manchester Unity, and the same facilities for joining would be afforded to those proceeding from the various parts of the British dominion's. ;!i?He.thanked them for the good feeling.evinced towards the Grand Master and Board, and trusted in its continuance. The ' District and its various Lodges! was responded to by Mr. Cracknell. The next toa9t, received with acclamation, was * The Widows' and Orphans' Fund.' The Provincial Grand Master, in responding, congratulated the brethren upon the respect which the order had obtained for itself both from the rich and the poor, stating at the* same time that the above fund, which was only, established in 1849, and gave relief for the first time in 1850, had since then answered the calls of 64 widows and 134 orphans, at an expense of £960; but that there still remained to the credit of the fund the large amount of £1087135. (Cheers.) Mr. R. Campbell proposed the. 'Health of the Chairman,' -'which having been briefly and appropriately responded to was followed by that of the 'Medical Officers,' when Mr. G; A. Beck, on behalf of himself and Mr. Buchannan, returned thanks. The chairman suitably: replied to the proposed health of the 'Officers and Brethren, and Success to the Loyal Fountain of Refuge Lodge.' The toast was drunk with the honours Of theorder and cheers \of three times three.' Recitations, songs; and dancing brought the anniversary to a! conclusion. . '■■'■■•: ■-■* ■■••■■■ ~>

Inquest.—-On Saturday, an inquest was held at one of the inns, Ma.cgrath-hill, jbefoije Dr-fJEJowe, cordher, arid a jury, on the b§^y .\of Alcorn, fanner, of Windsor. _ It Speared frorii the evidence, that the day previous Mr. Al corn had been indulging rather freely in intoxicating liquors ; was barefooted, and had by some means or other sustained a severe cut in one of his feet, probably falling down; on going to sleep, lie had, according to the medical testimony, bled so much that the juryreturned a verdict of" died from hemorrhage, induced by the accidental cutting of one of deceased's feet." The deceased was ah old native of this district, the owner of a valuable farm at Macgrath's-hill, and has left a wife and numerous family surviving him.-— Herald Decetnber 12. Severe Thunderstorm.—At the station of Mr. Leslie, Moteton Bay, a seryere thunderstorm hapEened on the 19th ultimo; in the night. At the cad station 270 sheep were killed by a single stroke of the electric fluid, and 30 more at another station about seven miles distant from the former. The agitation jprodiiced among the flocks was very great, and had it not been for the faithful watching and vigorous activity of the man in charge, assisted by others, many more would probably have perished.:— Herald, December 12.V . Shocks of an . Earthquake.—-On Thursday last about 10 o'clock, a.m., the shock of an earthquake was felt at Gunning, and a second one was experienced about 2 o'clock on the same'afternoon. It was felt at the west of Gunning anU Southward as far as Ben Barker's at the Run of Water. - Persons residing about two miles on the other side of Lodge's state that their hut appeared tjo, sway from side to side. The direction the earthquake took was east to west. The atmosphere was sultry and hot a breath of wind stirring.— Herald, pec.XZ.