AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 570, 18 March 1870, Page 2

AUSTRALIA.

(From the Argus, Feb. 28 to March 7, inclusive.} During the present month there are no less than eighteen race meetings advertised to come off in Victoria, several of which extend over two days, and thus give a day's racing for every day in the month. First in importance stands the V. B, C. Autumn Meeting, at which the club gave away the sum of £15£5 added money. Very good prospects are reported as having been obtained from the Tasmanian gold-fields. We are informed that 1 cwfc of stone from Messrs M'Donald and Grant's ground, at Mangana, Fingal, on being submitted to Mr Patterson, assayer to the Bank of Australasia, yielded 26 gra of gold, or at the rate of i oz 1 dwt 16 grs to the ton. .■ ' The ship Eliza, which was on the point of proceeding on a voyage to Baker's Island from this port, was totally destroyed by fire yesterday, in Hobaon's Bay* The fire was discovered about 4 a.m., and made quick havoc, notwithstanding, the efforts made to subdue it. A new method of scuttling was practised, namely, the placing of. a torpedo under her and exploding it, and it seemed to operate suceesef ully. The departure of the men of the 2- 14 th Regiment draws' near, and before the 20th inst. they will embark for England in the Walmer Castle. .The garrison will- afterwards consist; of two companies, containing about 120 men of the 18th Kegiment CRoyal Irish), The .ranks of the 14th Regiment have been so thinned by expired service and desertion, that although all the companies are novr collected in Melbourne, not more than about 400 men are left to go home. > Jt is stated in the Sydney Morning \. Herald that Messrs Hamburger Brothers, who by the last mail received their appointment as agents in. Sew South Wales for the Suez Canal Company, have received intelligence from their home partner, resident at Paris, that a French mail Bteam company to run boats to Australia ia about being started, the terminus of which 18 to be Sydney ;. and that the Messageries Jmperiales will probably submit proposals to the colonial Governments to carry mails, Sec. A society for the promotion of morality has been established in this city, and is now in active operation. The object of the a ciety is thus stated in the prospectus — " By the promotion of morality is to be understood the promotion generally of a standard of principle and practice, opposed to the common sins of. .licentiousness, intemperance, gambling, the desecration of the Lords-day, and whatever other debasing and profligate habits are prevalent among the people, and especially the youth of this country. Among the first means to be tried m order to arrest the alarming progress of immorality is the judicious usa of tie press, the platform, and the pulpit, for the formation of a healthy public opinion on social questions, and the exposure ia faithful terms of the deadly consequences of vicious courses. Efforts will be made for the belter protection of female immigrants and young women employed at a distance from- their natural guardians, against the perils to virtue incidental to their respective positions in life.

The reclamation of failed women-will claim ! a large share of the society's attention, and careful inquiries will be prosecuted into the working of the various institutions that have been established, here and elsewhere, for this and kindred objects." -The committee is composed of a large number of influential gentlemen and clergymen. Two sub-com-mittees ,of their number have been formed, and are actively engaged in collecting information and statistics for the guidance of the society's .future efforts. The society is formed for a good object, and it has undertaken a herculean task, but the amount of good which will be achieved by its tfibrts wilt depend uppn the manner in which the work is carried out. Messrs Caldwell and Robert M'Cracken, the promoters of the Victorian Meat-preserv-ing Company, gave a champagne luncheon at Messrs Hastings Cunningham and Co. '3 wool stores yesterday, for the purpose of affording an opportunity of testing the merits of the meat which Mr M'Cracken, who has had long experience in. the business, has been preserving.with so much success within the last two years for the markets of Europe, where it is sold for Id a dish. The Emperor of the French has recoromended this meat for the use of his navy, and it is now beginning to be extensively consumed in England, France, and Prussia. The Hon. Neil Black presided, and the vice-chair was occupied by Mr VV. A. Brodribb. Among those present were the Hon. A. Fraser, Mr H. Loughnan, chairman of the Melbourne Meat-preserving Company, several of the Melbourne bank managers, and some leading squatters and merchants. The luncheon was served by Mr B. TJ. Miller, and the various kinds of preserved meat took the appetising form of braised rollade of beef, boiled mutton and caper sauce, corned beef and carrots,: braised mutton ; with sauce piquante, Irish stew, haricot; mutton, forcedmeat balls, dry hash, mincemeat and mashed potatoes, curried mutton and potatoe pie. The different dishe3 were all pronounced excellent by the company, who fared sumptuously on the provisions before them. In the course of the proceedings, a letter was read stating that the Hon. P. Bear and Mr E. P. S. Start, P.M., had recently visited one of the shops in London where the meat preserved by Messrs. Caldwell and M'Cracken 's process was sold, and had been supplied with a large plateful for a penny, the conductor informing them that he sold 1200 plates per diem. Mr Caldwell gave some particulars of the exertions being made in England to bring, the preserved meat within reach of the poorer classes, and stated that as he and his partner were not strong enough for the increasing work of the undertaking, it had been determined to put the shares upon the market. A letter was read from Mr Tallerman, giving some details of his interview with Napoleon 111., and stating that he had machinery in London which cooked 5000 dinners at one time, the coals only costing Is 6d. Mr W. P. Muir stated that when recently in London he was present at some of the preserved meat dinners, and the raw meat he saw there was as good as that, which bad been exhibited from the works that day. The Adelaide papers of March, 2, contain particulars of the disturbance created by the unemployed workmen of that city on the previous day. " Shortly before 12 o'clock," says the Register, " a crOwd of men, consisting chiefly of strong, healthy-looking, able-bodied labourers, collected opposite the Treasury buildings. As it soon became evident that mischief was intended, the police were summoned, and about 20 men, under Inspector Bee, made their appearance. Their services were soon called into requisition, for several score of the men rushed into the Government offices, and commenced ascending the staircase, shouting, howling, and vowing vengeance upon the Government. The constables placed them? elves in the way^ and attempted to clear the passages, but, their united strength was unequal to the task, and a number of the civil servants, who had been attracted to the spot by a spectacle so. unusual in the quiet retreats of the Government offices, went to their assistance. By sheer strength the lat ter succeeded in expelling labourers and the police indiscriminately, and then all (he doors were securely bolted. Exasperated at the defeat of their attempt, to gain the presence of < the Ministers, the assemblage endeavoured to hustle the Commissioner of Public Works. The Commissioner of Police interposed, and Mr Colton judiciously retired. Mr Hamilton then, as a precautionary measure,, sent for a body' of the mounted police. -This order was promptly carried out, and half a dozen troopers, under Inspector Searcy, took up their position at the corner of Waymouth street, to be ready in case of emergency. At half-past- 1 a band of about 50 men, marshalled with something like regularity, marched along King William street; and directed their course for the Treasury. . More than a score of policemen essayed to hold the steps against them, but were, pushed aside, and a most vigorous effort waa made to drive in the Treasury door, which shook before the pressure. brought to bear against it. The police forthwith grappled with their assailants, prominent, amongst whom was a determined looking muscular fellow, who evidently was regarded as the leader of the baud. ,As the men showed fight the police drew their truncheons;, and a general melee was imrni nent. At this raomeat the mounted troopers, under Inspector Searcy, advanced at a hand gallop, and speedily cleared 'the pavement' opposite the Govern ment' block, beyeral of the men made a semblance of resistance, but j they were forced to beat a .retreat. Tincrowd re-formed opposite the old and new post-office buildings, whither they were f ol- ! lowed by the troopers, who found it necessary occasionally to use the flat of their swords to clear the way before them. Stones began to fly freely, and shutters were put up in some of the neighbouring shops. The police ultimately called upon the bystanders to arrest one or two of the ringleaders, whom they in dicated, and by 2 o'clock the men were

secured, although not without much trouble. In the struggle, which for the time being looked far too much like a real riot to be at all pleasant, a few of the unemployed were wounded by the police, but not seriously. On the other hand the troopers did not; escape unharmed. Inspector Searcy was struck on the temple with a stone, and his horse fell under him. Trooper Tirrell had his right arm cut, with a stone it is supposed. Trooper Humphreys was struck on the back of the head, and lay insensible on his horse's neck for several seconds. The trial of a road locomotive, manufactured by Messrs T. M. ' Tennant and Co., of the Bowers-hall Iron and Engine Works, Leith, Scotland (after a design patented by Mr R. W. Thompson), and recently imported by Messrs A. Macfarlan, of Little Flinders-street, yesterday occasioned some little commotion in the streets through which the engine steadily steamed along. The idea of street locomotives is- not by any means a new one, attempts having been frequently made of late years to adapt the iron horse to the crowded and busy thoroughfares of cities. In Leitb, for instance, several of these traction engines are regularly employed in drawing heavy loads of iron and timber, and some steam-omnibuses have even been introduced into fashionable Paris. Street locomotives are, however, novelties on this side of the world, and the trial of the one above referred to was regarded with considerable interest. One of the special features of this new and improved traction-engine is that all the parts are high off the ground, the lowest being fully two feet clear. It has three wheels, each I Sin. wide. The leading one, by which the engine is steered, as it were, is five feet in diameter, and the two driving wheels each sft. 9in. in diameter. The latter are fitted with friction-breaks, by means of which, in turning a corner, the wheels accommodate themselves to their respective curves. The front wheel works on an angle-iron turntable, resting on two carriage springs, and the axle of the driving wheels rests on two rubber blocks bix inches thick, which obviates the sharp jarring so destructive to ail road engines, while the friction-breaks on the wheels prevent any undue strain on the machinery. In order to give the wheels a good grip on the ground pieces of iron are fitted diagonally across the tires, but in somj of the newest machines the necessity for these lias been obviated by using stout indinrubbir tires, which answer better still. The boiler, which resembles those used in ordinary locomotives, has a large firebox and furnace-door specially adapted for burning wood, though coal can be used with equal facility. The engines, one on each side, are entirely outaide the framing, and every part of them is easy of access. The boiler is made very short, to allow of steep gradients being surmounted with safety, the covering plates being carried the length of the smokepipe, to give it the appearance of an ordinary locomotive boiler. The engine-shaft extends outside the framing, for carrying a driving pulley, so that the engine can be turned at once from traction to stationary purposes. The B low rate of speed obtainable is about four and a half miles an hour, though the engines are so fitted that a speed of 10 to 12 miles can be obtained if required. The speed can be altered at any moment by the driver on the footplate. Two men are required to each engine, one to steer and the other to attend to the fires and otherwise look after the machinery. No difficulty was experienced in steaming from Sandridge yesterday, though the road having been newly metalled was not particularly favourable for a trial. The weight of the engine is between seven and eight tons, but the wheels are so broad that the ponderous machine does no more damage to the road over which it passes than any ordinary vehicle. Corners were turned without the least trouble, the engine answering th? guiding hand of the steerer as readily as could be desired. Swanston, Collins; William, and other streets, were traversed in safety, the locomotive being at length deposited, in Btll's bond, Little Collins street, without any trouble. A few horses showed symptoms of nervousness when confronted with their new rival, but no mishap occurred in consequence. The distance from Sandridge to town was traversed in something under half an hour, which, with a heavy load attached, would be a very r spectable speed for even an iron horse to attain. When the advantages of these traction engines become better known and appreciated, we shall no doubt see them in frequent use in Melbourne.