AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5503, 2 March 1896, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

SUMMARY FOR THE WEEK. [Special to Pbess Association.] SYDNEY, Feb. 29. THE MERCADOOL CASE. In the Mercadool case interest centred round the examination of E. M. Young, general manager of the Australian Mortgage and Finance Agency Company, who was also a partner in the Mercadool Estate. He explained that the intention to offer Mr M'Master a bribe was very remote from his- mind. He had met Mr M'Master socially in 1888. At the time the manager was not aware of his connection with the Land Board. Looking at the usual intelligence displayed by the station manager when the terms of the Land Act or any question of law arose, he became uneasy on that score, and recalling bis earlier acquaintance with Mr M'Master wrote him to give advice to Mr Foster, if necessary. He was deeply grieved when he heard of the construction put on his letter. He admitted giving Mr Foster permission to lend money to selectors, but instructed him to exercise care not to have any interest in the selection. When he left the colony in 1891 he told Mr Foster to have nothing more to do with the selection. On the voyage Home he met Mr Peel, who unfolded a scheme for advancing money to selectors. Witness interested some of his friends to assist Mr Peel, arid obtained legal advice in Londonthat it was perfectly legal to lend money to selectors^ even., on- the' resunled area held by the lender provided there, was no agreement that the iender acquired an interest in the land. Subsequently he entered into a; verbal agreement with Mr Peel to advance him money to lend to selectors Dodd, Millar and Wilson, on their selections, and that he would advance money for any further selections which might be made on the run. Mr Peel was to pay him interest on the money at the rate witness paid the Mortgage Company. The selector Wilson, examined, denied that when he obtained the advance on his selection he knew he was taking up land for the Mercadool owner. MAJOR-GENERAL HUTTON. The social function of the week was the conversazione to bid farewell to MajorGeneral Hutton, who leaves next week, his term of office having expired. He said that the New South Wales force was, he believed, a pattern, not only to the other colonies, but to her Majesty's forces elsewhere. The effect of this had been to enable Government, having! put its own house in order, to go forward and propose a system of co-operative defence for Australia. They were on the verge of making a great national development. THE DEAN CASE. The Dean case promises to give more trouble to judicial functionaries. There is hardly a judge who has not in some way been connected with it. Hence the difficulty about getting a full courj; to deal with Meagher's appeal. Justice Cohen tried the case, and the Chief Justice, having consulted with Sir J. Salomon, has a tender conscience on the point. Justice ' Windeyer is away, apart from the fact of his being impossible, while two other puisne judges are debarred by illhealth.. The remainder of the bench have their hands full in their own Courts. The appeal was therefore adjourned indefinitely. A CLERICAL LITIGANT. * Mr Clarke, the litigious clergyman, ia again in evidence with a couple of actions of assault against the sheriff and Constable Thompson. When appearing before Judge Windeyer recently in one of his many actions, Mr Clarke was searched for firearms, and considered his dignity injured. The present proceedings are the outcome ; .£IOOO damages are claimed in each case. THE SALVATIONISTS AND THE WESLETANS. "Between five and six thousand ungrateful Wesleyans have left the fold." This was the statement made by Dr Sellars at the Wesleyan Conference. The Salvation Army had, he said, robbed them of these recalcitrants, who, despite the fact that churches and ministers were provided for them, turned their backs on their brethren and f avoxir the Army. MELBOURNE, Feb. 29. VICTORIAN RAILWAYS. The difficulty between the two Chambers on the Railway Bill having been effectually settled has brought prorogation within hail. Wednesday will see the cessation of legislative work. While the Conference did not explicitly deal with the salary of the manager of railways, it was on a tacit understanding that 4 the Assembly should do something to increase the amount. When the House considered the Bill later an amendment was carried making the salary .£3500, which, with an unrestricted area of selection, should enable a competent man to be obtained. It will require all his ability to restore the railways to something approaching a paying concern. A SCENE. During the discussion on the railway question, Mr Longmore launched a bolt at Mr Speight, alleging that he was wholly unfit to manage the railways owing to his drunkenness. Instantly the House was on its feet with cries of " Shame," "A cowardly stab in the back," and so on. The Speaker , being appealed to, said that a member could say what he liked about outside individuals, and that it was purely a matter of taste Mr Longmore continued, declaring that Mr Speight received subscriptions to enable him to rob private citizens of .£40,000 in the law courts. The Speaker, at this point, ruled the hon member out of order. LEGISLATIVE WORK. The Assembly disagreed with the Council's amendments in the Factories Bill, and, when the Council adjourned, it had decided to insist on the alterations. The Council passed the Federation Bill through all stages. In the Post Office Bill a clause empowering the seizure of letters addressed to sweep-promoters outside the colony was struck out. TYPHOID — A FEARFUL STATE OF AFFAIRS. The Melbourne typhoid season is at its height. According to the Age all the hospitals are crowded, the three city institutions alone having over 160 cases. In a letter in the same paper Dr Greswell, Chairman of the Board of Health, makes out a strong case for the necessity of _ radical changes in the system of sanitation and water supply. He predicts the perennial recurrence of the malady, so long as health officers are underpaid, overworked, and have so many extraneous ' duties thrust upon them that they cannot give proper attention to inspection. He considers the open pan system as abominable, and says that the method of cleaning the streets and removing refuse is specially calculated to spread the disease. In regard to the water supply he says that in many cases open catchments are allowed to pass the pipes without filtration, and the water is foul and putrid to begin with, whilst the thousand fire plugs are so situated as to entrap filth. To aggravate the evil there is a large consumption of milk, ice and contaminated water, active agents is disseminating germs. Few factories are properly supervised. He charges the people, and still more the Municipal Councils, with grave neglect and carelessness in allowing this state of affairs to continue. At the last meeting of the Board of Health a report was submitted, showing that during the previous fortnight 328 cases' of typhoid were reported — 179 being in the metropolitan area. Altogether, thirty-four proved fatal. It is stated that the hospital was compelled to refuse numbers of cases. A shipping firm wrote complaining of the state of the Yarra, the stench from the river being so bad that passengers often became ill while steamers were lying at the wharf, and the solution was so strong that it turned the paint of the vessels^ black.