LAWLESSNESS IN AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8273, 20 September 1888, Page 2

LAWLESSNESS IN AUSTRALIA.

Tub period intervening betwixt noon oa Saturday and noon on Sunday appears, says the Sydney Mail, to have been one of the most eventful in the annals oE rowdyism whioh we have noticed for a length of time. A successful attempt was mado to blow a safe up at the Carriagton Grounds, and the company are £600 short in their receipts. A fi-jht took place at Narrabri, and one oE the combatants was killed. At the Theatre Royal, Melbourne, there was a free fi^ht in tho gallery, and an endeavour was made to throw a constable — who arrived to quell the diuturbanoe — aver the rails of the gallery upon the heads of those eittia in the pit. At a football match at Williamson Saturday an umpire was mobbed, and but for a strong escort would in all probability have been put past umpiring at any i. ure football matches, whilst, as a climax to tiioae interesting proceedings a prize fi^ht came off on Sunday at Williamstown beach botween two parties who hel 1 different views ns regards the conduot of tho umpire, and settled them by fighting for a stake. These aro very disagreeable ineidentß to come aoross in a morning paper. In some raspeots they are not novel, but though we hear or such things taking place from time to time, we do pot in a general way hear of the parties conoerned in them meeting with much reward in the way of penalties. No news is to hand of any punishment having boon inflicted oa the band of young rowdies who smashed a lot oC furniture at tho Exhibition in Melbourne, and went through the streets brandishing human thigh bones. The fact really seems to be that we are dealins; far too leniently with this class of cases. The law ia not over and above oxecntively strong, and i£ a number o£ people df disorderly iastinota once find out that they can beard the authorities, it is impossible to Bay to what a pass things will cosne. Once lot the law fail to punish, then all respect for its administration is at aa end, and people will take it ia their own hands.