AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 564, 11 March 1870, Page 3

AUSTRALIA.

(From the Argus, Feb. 25 lo Feb. 28, inclusive.)

At the recent meeting of the Church of England Assembly, it was resolved that three clergymen and three laymen should be chosen from among the members of the assembly, to represent the diocese of Melbourne in a general synod, to be constituted of the dioceses of the province of Australia —it should have been Australasia, as the dioceses of New Zealand will be included. The following gentlemen were elected : — The Dean of Melbourne, Archdeacon Stretch, Rev. G. O. Vance, Sir W. F. Stawell, Mr G. W. Rusden, and Mr H. Henty.

The excitement caused by the presence of Tom Thumb's carriage in the principal streets is so great that very narrow escapes from accident frequently occur, and it would be a wise precaution for the General to proceed in a more private manner to and from the Polytechnic Hall. On Wednesday afternoon, in the busiest part of Bourke street, the crowd occasioned by tbe sight of the miniature carriage almost stopped the traffic. A girl who was in the road with a child in her arms -get so frightened at seeing no escape from a cab coming along, that she dropped the child and ran away. The cab horse luckily stepped over the child, and the wheels went on each side of it ; but the escape was a most miraculous one.

Some recent gold discoveries in South Australia have begun to attract attention. The alluvial ground at Barossa has been system" atically worked, and the prospectors are still spreading themselves around in the scrub. Reefing companies have not succeeded, owing to the absence of defined leads, the gold being disseminated through a peculiar cement. From au ounce to an ounce and a half per ton has not been a rare yield for the cementcrushers, of which there are now two on the ground. When Barossa bad had its day, Balhannah showed up. This deposit— a conglomerate of gold, silver, bismuth, and several other metals not yet identified — is on private land, up the river Onkaparinga. It has been partially developed by an Adelaide company, and shipments of bismuth have been sent to England. Pending tbe determination of its market value, operations are not being rapidly pushed. The Blumberg discovery professes to be a reef, and it is on private property. The speculators, who purchased it from tenants holding under a pre-emptive right, have so far done well with their bargain. It cost them £720 altogether, to cover which they issued 60 shares of the nominal value of £50, and reserved other 60 of the same value as promoters' shares. The latter have been inflated by a judicious exhibition of specimens to £130, and the former are selling at 100 per cent, premium. A telegram from the Barossa gold diggings states that the only party who had tried deep sinking have struck the lead at 80 feet, and are getting one ounce and a half of gold to the load. Over 60 claims have been at once pegged out in the immediate neighbourhood. Further sinking at the Blumberg has resulted in the reef being struck in two places. A meeting of atockowners and sheep and cattle salesmen was held at Scott's Hotel yesterday, to take into consideration the desirability of making some change in the method of disposing of stock sent to the Melbourne market's for sale. A considerable number of gentlemen was present. Mr W. A. Brodribb was in the chair. A resolution, affirming the desirability of disposing of all stock brought into the market by public auction, was proposed by Mr G. Hebden, a stockowner of long experience both in New South Wales and Victoria. Mr Hebden said he had sent sheep to Sydney for sale by auction, and had always found he realised better prices than if they had been disposed of by private sale. Mr R. Patterson seconded the resolution Mr W. Lyall, a squatter at Western Port, moved an amendment, to the effect that the modes of selling sheep or cattle should be left to the discretion of the salesman, unless specific directions as to tbe mode of sale were given by the owners. He said the experience of many years had led him to believe that, on tbe whole, more advantageous sales could be effected by competent salesmen privately than would be obtained if the stock were submitted to public auction. Mr J. Robertson, of Keilor, seconded the amendment, observing that the meeting would be better engaged in devising, some method of reducing the expenses charged by salesmen than in altering a system of eale the advantages of which were obvious. Mr R. K. Hammond, of the firm of Ryan and Hammond, stock and station agents, strongly opposed the proposed change in the system, but stated tbat he had no doubt, if owners expressed a wish to have their stock sold by auction, tbat the salesmen would readily fall in with the arrangement. It was incorrect to suppose that higher prices would, as a rule, be obtained at auction, for he knew of instances at which sheep had been so sold for 2s a-head less than could have been obtained privately. The system of public sales by auction had been frequently tried, both in Victoria and New South Wales, and had never given satisfaction. Mr J. Graham, of D. Campbell and Co., stock salesman, was of the same opinion, and stated that the auction system, when adopted in Sydney, bad given ri6e to a class of speculators whose operations were equally disadvantageous to the owners of stock and small butchers. Mr J. Finlay pointed out, that although sheep on runs might be sold to advantage at auction, yet the case was very different when sent to Melbourne, as if good prices could not be readily obtained at once, there were no paddocks near town where they could remain until again offered. Another objection "to the public system of sale was that a few wealthy butchers might buy up ul?: the fat stock, and thus compel tbe smaller tradesmen to buy off them at their own prices. Mr J. G. Dougharty, stock salesman,

said he was opposed to the sale of stock at auction, and he believedit would not be to the advantage of owners to adopt that system, but, of course, if they directed him to sell in that way, he would do so. On the question being put, the amendment was carried by a majority of 19 to 8, and the meeting then terminated.

! The sentences passed by the judges of the Supreme Court have not unfrequently excited public surprise and censure, but Mr Justice vVilliams' last deliverance has fairly outraged the common sense of the community. The deterrent effects supposed to ensue from the exposure of crime and the punitive action of the law are in the case of Draper utterly wanting. There is a lack of proportion between the extent of the swindle and the duration of the punishment, which, though it seems to have escaped Judge Williams, impresses itself very strongly on the mind of every unprejudiced observer. By the penal regulations, as the judges are well aware, for first offences the good conduct of the prisoner shortens the term of incarceration one-third in all sentences of three months and upwards. The year's imprisonment awarded Draper virtually means, therefore, eiaht months. Should no further proceedings be taken against him, he will step forth into the world at the end of eight montha a free man, his misdeeds expiated, and justice — that is, Justice Williams — satisfied. And this is the proud result of the arduous steps which have been taken to vindicate the offended majesty of the law ! A whole chapter of swindles is discovered — one speoial instance of robbery, of no slight magnitude, is sheeted home to the accused, and the administrative head of the law, with whom rests the responsibility of passing judgment, condemns him to a retirement of eight months' duration. Does not this midnight freak of the judge turn the terrors of the law into a farce, and offer a premium to embezzlement ? We are pained to be compelled thus strongly to condemn the action of one of the occupants of the Supreme Court Bench, an inatitution which in all Engliah communities commands, as it in general deserves, the utmost public respect. The necessity of criticism in this case is, however, too apparent to render silence on our part possible. If the dignity and character of tbe Court suffer in consequence, with Judge Williams rests the blame. In a trial of such commercial importance his Honour might with propriety have delayed passing sentence until he had had time for careful consideration. There was no need for the haste displayed by him after the verdict of the jury had been delivered. From the question put by his Honor to the prisoner's counsel, it would almost seem as if there were a desire to coax the learned gentleman from pressing his reserved points by the leniency displayed by the Bench towards his client. We cannot suppose so unworthy a consideration had any weight with the judge, but the strangeness of the sentence invites the wildest suppositions. The administration of justice is brought into contempt by the uncertainty which marks the sentences passed by the various judges. These, at times, appear to be unduly severe, while upon not a few occasions they startle the public by. their apparent inadequacy and weakness. The anomalies which tbey now and then disclose justify the belief tbat the administrators of the law rarely take counsel together so as to secure some approach to uniformity and consistency. It is the duty of the Bench to adopt measures to prevent scandals similar to that which is now creating such widespread perturbation. If gigantic commercial swindles, when brought home to their authors, are to be awarded no severer penalty than awaits the commission of petty thefts, rogues will be encouraged to attempt frauds of magnitude, and to be afraid only of small offences. The cost of crimes of this kind will be calculated toa nicety. Embezzlement will be rated at so many thousands a month, and commercial integrity, already not extravagantly honoured will find itself a laughing stock. The colcny cannot afford thus to cultivate rascality, and judges, above all men, ought to. give it no quarter.