AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1814, 22 July 1891, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Wednesday, July 8. THE QUEENSLAND PABLUMENT. The Queensland Parliament • sembled latt week. The Governor's Speech made reference to the incidents of the late shearers' strike in decided terms. Regret was expressed that, notwithstanding the exceptionally fovoratle seasons, the prosperity of the colony had been most injuriously affected by an organised attempt to override the reign of law Mid order, and to prevent the carrying out of one of the most important producing industries. In accordance with the dictates of an irresponsible tyranny the operations of this organisation, which sometimes seemed to assume an insurrectionary character, extended over a very large ares of the interior, and for a time there appeared ft grave danger that the freedom of the men to pursue their lawful avocations under the protection of the law would be seriously impaired. The Ministers recognised it as the first duty in every civilised Government to secure this freedom to its citizens, and took prompt measures accordingly. The ordinary police force being naturally insufficient to deal with so extensive a combination, it was found necessary to call out large bodies of the defence force and the civil power. The conduct of the officers and both forces, often under circumstances or extreme difficulty, had been such as to reflect the greatest credit on them, and showed that Queensland possessed in its defence and volunteer forces a body of troops who might be relied upon to discharge their duty whenever called upon. These organised disturbances being now ended, happily without bloodshed, but not without entailing a vary large direct outlay, as well as shaking public confidence, and materially interfering with the settled industries of the colony, it was hoped that the ill feeling engendered by the prolonged straggle would soon pass away, and that all classes of the community, employers and employed, recognising that their interests were common, and not diverse, wonld endeavor to arrive at a basis of mutual understanding, without which the great resources of the. colony could not be satisfactorily developed, or the social relations of the people continne on a lasting and a peaceable foundation. On the motion for the Address- in- Reply, Sir Samuel Griffith said that if it had not been for the action of the Government during the strike there would have been nothing less than insurrection, which would not have been quelled without bloodshed. In regard to the financial condition of the colony being out of order, he asked : How could anyone expect it to be otherwise when the circulation of money was stopped by the refusal of capitalists to launch any enterprise ? Was not that explanation enough ? If men were not to be allowed to expend capital in the way they desired, the result was stagnation of business; and while industry was thus paralysed, could there be any other result? Was it not well known that real property was utterly unsaleable at the present time ? It was idle to throw the blame on any others than those leaders who instigated this state of affairs. He trusted these men who had the power to do so much evil would alter their tactics, and do some amount of good. A NAVAL CATASTROPHE. H.M.S. Cordelia, which arrived at Sydney on Monday after a trip amongst the South Sea Islands, brings news of a terrible gun accident which occurred on board on tne 29th nit., resulting in the death of two lieutenants and four men, together with the injury of thirteen others. At the time of the explosion the Cordelia was about fortyfive miles from Fiji on her way to Noumea. The crew were engaged at the quarterly gun practice, and the gun which burst was a ( 6-inch breech-loader, and was in charge of Lieutenant Gordon. Six rounds had been fired, and the seventh, which was to have been fired at a target 2,000 yards distant, consisted of a fall charge of 341 bof powder, in addition to which there were the usual shells, and the bursting charge of 7slb. From some cause or other the charge, instead of having the usual effect, shattered the gun to atoms, spreading death and destruction around. Captain Grenfell, the commander of the Cordelia, was watching operations, and many officers and men who had been taking part in working the other guns were grouped on deck. The shock was so terrific as to cause the vessel to rock and tremble in an alarming manner, and to throw many who escaped without injury prone upon the deck. So sudden was the explosion that it was some time before it could be realised what had happened, but when the consternation somewhat subsided a horrible scene was presented. The deck was littered with the shattered remains of human beings and wounded men, and running with blood, which was spattered in all directions and covered many spectators. As soon as order was restored, men were set to work to remove the dead and wounded. It was then found that five men had been killed out--right and fourteen injured. The killed included three of those who were working the gun— viz., Lieutenant George M. Gordon (who had charge). Gunner Langford, Powderman Hill. Besides the above, Lieutenant W. P. Hillyer and J. C. R. Brown, ship steward's boy, were killed. Private Darvill, who was helping to work the gun, had his skull horribly fractured, and died next day. Three others attached to the gun which barst received injuries. The full list of the killed and wonnded is aB follows :— Killed : Lieutenant W. P. Hillyer, R.N. ; Lieutenant George M. Gordon, R. M.L.1, ; Gunner Wm. John Langford, R.M.A. ; Herbert Hill, ordinary seaman ; J. C. R. Brown, ship steward's boy ; Private G. Darvill, R.M.L.I. Severely wonnded : Bombardier John Healy, R.M.A. ; Joseph Armitage, R.M.A. ; Sergeant J. M. Barber, R.M.L.1. ; John Henry Lukes, A.8. ; George Frederick Kyge, A.8. ; James Lee, ordinary seaman. Sergeant Barber and John Henry Lnkes are married men. The following were slightly wounded:— Mr R. C. K. Lambert, midshipman; Mr P. A. Bateman Champion, midshipman; Mr C. Moore, midshipman; Edward Docker, ordinary seaman; Edward Gullich, A.B. ; Edmund Hastings, leading seaman ; Private Walter Coomber, R.M.L.I. The wounded men were removed to the lower deck and their injuries attended to, and next day the remains of the dead were bnried at sea. Commander Grenfell had a narrow escape. He was standing on the bridge at the time of the explosion, and a piece of the shattered gun, just grazing him, struck midshipman Champion in the stomach. After the explosion the course of the Cordelia was at once altered and shaped for Sydney. DEATH OP A WELL-KNOWN SUBGEON. I have to announce the death of Dr J. G. . Beaney, M.L.G., one of Melbourne's leading surgeons. Dr Beaney's professional status was very high ; he was acknowledged among his brethren of the lancet and scalpel to have attained to an eminent degree of skill in. the surgical art, and flattering notices of bis attainments in his profession have ap--Speared in the medical journals, not only of the colonies, but also of England itself. Indeed, the 'Lanoet' has more than once referred to his great skill, and on one occasion, speaking of his capacity as a surgeon, stated that the operation of tying the innominate artery, one in which the deaths ftvenged 90 per cent., was an operation in which his record »s ft suocenf ul surgeon had never been surpassed, if it had been equalled. There were, it is said, only a few medical men in the world who had performed one success-

ful operation «f the kind, and Dr Beaney was the only practitioner who had succeeded twice— » high tribute coming from so great an authority. In what is generally known as the operation for the radical cure of hernia he has had over 400 cases without a single death, and this is a record of which few practitioners can boast. Dr Beaney had been ill for some time. Twelve months ago he had a serious attack of la grippe, and after that left him he caught a severe cold at the law courts, where he was engaged as a witness in the Watson-Kitz case in the Riei Prius Court. Though suffering much from his illness, he continued following the practice of his profession. About the beginning of the year, however, he listened to the advice of bis friends, and took a month's holiday in tho seclusion and quiet of Black Rock, and feeling much benefited by his respite, he returned to the city and labored again, but not for long. Symptoms of rheumatic gout appeared, and then followed the long and painful illness, which terminated fatally. Four weeks since Dr Beaney was forced to keep to his bed, and when serous apoplexy developed his medical friends, Drs Williams, Lewellin, Owen, and 'Fox, who were unremitting in their attendance upon him, saw the case was hopeless. He himself did not expect to recover from this illness, for he told his housekeeper some time back that he knew from bis feelings that there was no hope of saviDg his life. He told her also that he would sink into a comatose state twenty-four hourß before his death, and would breathe his last at four o'clock in the morning, Ia his prediction he was but five minutes astray. The deceased amassed considerable wealth during his thirty-three years of life in the colony, and according to the terms of his will it is to be distributed principally among charitable and educational institutions. It bequeaths LIO.OOO to the Mayor and Corporation of Canterbury for the purpose of founding a free library, to be known as " The Beaney Institute for the Education of Working Men " ; and L2,200t0 the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury Cathedral, on condition that a tablet is erected in the aisle to the memory of the testator} L 1.200 is set apart for a monument over the grave ; and sums of LI, OOO each are left to the Melbourne University and St. Thomas's Hospital, London, for the purpose of founding " Beaney Scholarships for Surgery " ; a scholarship of equal value, to be known as the "Beaney Scholarship for Materia Medica," being founded at Guy's Hospital, London, while the British Medical benevolent fund benefits to the extent of LI.OOO, without conditions. The Kent and Canterbury Hospital and the Canterbury Dispensary receive sums of L2OO and LIOO respec;ively, and LIOO each is left to the Melbourne Hospital, the Benevolent Asylum, the Außtin Hospital, the Alfred Hospital, the Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the Women's Hospital. These sums, however, represent only a small part of the testator's bounty to local charities, as the last-named seven institutions, with the Melbourne University, benefit equally in the residue of the estate, and as less than L 22.000 is disposed of by direct bequest, it is estimated that a sum of nearly L 30.000 will remain for distribution, A DETECTIVE PU3ZLE. A strange burglary was reported to the Melbourne detectives yesterday morning by Mr James M'Guigan, a partner in the firm of Messrs Henry M'Guigan and Co., wine and Bpirit merchants. The firm, which consists of Mr Henry M'Guigan, air James M'Guigan, and Mr Moore, carries on business in the Hibernian Hall premises, Swan&ton street. The firm's offices open out on the street, and also on the hallway, and the latter entrance communicates directly with the firm's private office, in which the safes were kept. According to Mr James M'Guigan 's narrative to the i police, he locked up the offices on Monday night at six o'clock and took the keys with him to his home at Manningtree road, Hawthorn. Mr Henry M'Guigan is generally the custodian of the keys, but hia brother James took them on Monday night, because it was his intention to return to the office after dinner to do some work which had fallen into arrears. When he got to Hawthorn he altered hia mind, and determined to stop at home. He did bo, and retired to bed at half-past eleven o'clock. The office keys were then in one of his pockets. Next morning, about eight o'clock , Mr M'Guigan arose and prepared to dress, but he discovered that almost all his clothes had disappeared and the keys with them. He put on another suit, and searched the house and premises, but no sign either of ' clothes or the keys could be traced. It then struck Mr M'Guigan, and particularly as nothing ehe in the house had been stolen, I that he was the victim of a designing thief who robbed him of his keys with the intention afterwards of plundering the office. Thinking thus, he hurried into town, and going to his office found that his fears were justified. The office doors leading to the hallway were closed, but unlocked, the two iron safes were standing wide open, and LIOO in cash and LBO in cheques had been abstracted. The missing keys were found on the floor, and as the doors bore no marks of violence it was evident they had been used to effect an entrance. Yesterday afternoon a workman employed in the vicinity found the missing coat and vest at the rear of the Hibernian Hall. THEATRICAL AND MUSICAL, The auction sale of the Beats for the opening performance of Madame Bernhardt's forthcoming season at Sydney took place last Thursday. There was a large attendance, but the bidding was not very brisk. The first seat was knocked down for L 2 Ss, amid considerable cheering, but after that the price fell rapidly until LI was the call, and at this figure a good number of seats were disposed of. Then the demand slackened. One or two seats were sold for 193, others for 16s, several for Ida, and then 12s 6d was reached. An attempt was made to purchase below this sum, but the auctioneer said that this was the least amount that would be accepted. The sale by auction then ceased, but purchasers were allowed to select their seats at 12s 6d. At this time about fifty seats in the dress circle, and a large number in the stalls were untaken, but a good many were afterwards secured. In a letter received by the Orient from Madame Fanny Simonsen, and dated from Italy, she states that she has engaged for her Italian opera companies for Australia one baritone, one bass, two prima donnas, two tenors, an orchestral conductor, one contralto, and some leading members of the ballet. Madame Simonsen had thus almost completed the engagement of one of her companies at the time of writing, and a message which has been received by cable states that she has now engaged her two distinct companies. Madame Simonsen will arrive in Melbourne in three weeks' time, and will open at the Alexandra Theatre on the Bth of August in the opera of ' II Trovatore.' Miss Clara Merivale has had to turn insolvent. Her liabilities are set down at L2,048958d, and her assets at LI, OBO, leaving a deficiency of L 966 9s Bd. The insolvent attributes her failure to the heavy losses sustained on the production of the operas ' Falka ' and * Poor Jonathan ' at the Operahouse, Melbourne. The debts owing to secured creditors amount to LI 80, and those to unsecured creditors to L 1.866 93 Bd. The value of the insolvent's property held as security is estimated by her at L4OO, and of her property not held as security at L 675. The principal unieoured creditor U G. Mayer,

the insolvent's husband, LI, IOO. She owed to the members of her company as salaries and wages L 343 19a 3d, of whioh L 65 was due to G. H. Snazelle, L2O to Hamilton Clarke, L 24 to C. M. Leumane, Ll7 10i each to W. ii. Wood and J. Wallace, L7O to male members of the chorus, L4B to female members of the chorus, and L 44 15a to members of the orchestra. She estimates that Bhe lost on the production of 'Poor Jonathan, from the 4th June to the 26th June, LI, 300 ; and on the production of 4 Falka,' from the 28th March to the 18th April, L 175. Her property and stock-in-trade consists of copyright of the operas 'Poor Jonathan' and Gipsy Baron,' with band parts, prompt book, and scores, L 750 ; dresse?, scenery, and properties of ' Poor Jonathan,' cost L7O0 — L 15 0; half interest in dresses, sceneries, and properties, band parts, prompt books, and scores of ' Falka ' —cost L600— L75 ; jewellery, held by Mr Kozminsky aB security, L 200; books of miscellaneous music, L 5. GENERAL. Mr Reihey has had to retire from the Speaker's chair in the Tasmanian Legislative Assembly in favor of Mr N. J. Brown. The discussion which has been promoted by Mr Service, M.L.C., as to the advisability of having an unconditional conference between pastoralists and shearers, still goes on, but there has yet been no practical outcome of it. It is most probable, however, that the parties will be brought together; but whether any satisfactory agreement will be arrived at is very problematical, Mr A. Saunders, a member of the Melbourne Stock Exchange, died suddenly at his residence last week. He was fifty-six years of age, and was formerly a resident of New Zealand. A novel proposition was recantly submitted to the Victorian Legislative Assembly by Mr Clark. He suggested that a Bill be passed altering the mode of executing condemned criminals, permitting them to select their own mode of execution, and to carry out the same if they so desired. The Attorney- General (Mr Shiels) scouted the proposal as unworthy of serious consideration. Probably not more than two human beings would select the same mode of execution, and this would necessitate the employment of an executioner of varied attainments, or a staff of executioners in different Btyles. Col. Smith raised the additional point of a possible deadlock if a condemned criminal elected to postpone his execution indefinitely. Mr Clark, finding the House inclined to make merry over his "happy thought," allowed it to drop. A man named Hannan has had a strange and unenviable experience at Ashburton, West Australia. He was nineteen days in a well with very little food and water, and was only discovered by an accident. When taken out he was quite delirious, and a complete wreck. An interesting libel case, Conveney v, Brickbell, proprietor of the Launceston 'Telegraph,' has been heard at Hobart. The claim was for L 5.000, for publishing letters signed " New Chum," in which the assertion was made that a Roman Catholic priest of Ireland had applauded a murder committed by an Irish peasant, the victim being a member of the constabulary, and had prayed God He might strengthen the hands of the murderer. The statement had been challenged and answered by the assertion that the priest was Father Conveney, the place Ssibbereen in Ireland, and purporting to furnish the words used. Subsequently the name of the writer of tne letter was refused, but an apology and payment of costs were offered. These were refused, but an apology was inserted, and a demand for a full apology and payment of costs was refused. For the defence it was submitted that the publication of the letter did not disclose any desire to do more than give fair play to correspondents ; that " New Chum's" letter published in Tasmania could not injure a man practically unknown there. The letter was merely one of a series dealing with a political controversy. The letter was also published under the conviction that the statements therein were absolutely true. The jury gave a verdict for Ll5O, carrying costs. ' A libel action brought by G. E. Ardill, ; director of "Our Rescue Work" Society, ; and a number of charitable institutions, v. the ' Australian Workman ' newspaper, has ' been commenced in Sydney. Ardill seeks to [ recover L 2,000 damages for an alleged libel- ' lous article published in the journal on 28th ' February last, which alleges that as director ! of the institutions under his charge he had ' conducted himself dishonestly and im- ! morally; that he debauched and seduced ' a Maori girl employed at the Home of ' Hope; that he maintained his position : as secretary of various institutions by false and dishonest pretences of philanthropy ; that he and his family used the ac- ; commodation at institutions meant for other persons ; that he used money intended for ' institutions for his own advantage ; that ' proceedings were allowed at institutions which made them a scandal and a nuisance ; ! that he was separated from his wife and carried on a criminal intercourse with his niece ; [ that he used bis influence during the late strike in the interests of the masters, and ] that generally he was a notorious hypocrite ' and impostor. These charges, it was alleged, ' had been made by a Mrs Radcliffe— at one ' time matron of the Home of Hope, but who ' had been discharged — in an interview she ' bad with the representative of the ' Workman.' ■ ' Mr Service, M.L.C., has written to the ' Argus ' strongly urging that an unconditional conference between representatives of employers and employed should be '. arranged, with the object of terminating the strained relations which at present exist between the two in several trades. It is probable that such a conference will be ' conceded by employers. The unionist shearers M'Kenzie and Riley have been committed for trial in connection with the Ebor Creek Bridge outrage. The inspector of Clermont Railway stated in evidence that had the pile of the bridge been cut at a different angle the train conveying the military that crossed the bridge on the 19th of March would have been wrecked. In a case which recently came before the County Court, Charles J. Barber sued the Committee of the Melbourne and Suburban City Misaion for LSOO damages for wrongful dismissal. Tbeplaintiffhadbeenengagedasa city missionary, and was dismissed in consequence of alleged improprieties with a young girl. He denied the allegations, asserting that he was improperly solicited, but re siated all overtures of the kind. In crossexamination it was endeavored to show that bis past record was not a clean one, and he admitted that be had been associated with the Salvation Army in Sydney, and waa accused while with the Army of blackening his wife's eye. An inquiry was held into the charge at his request, and he was exonerated ! from blame. He also admitted having been forcibly ejected by five men from the Salvation Army quarters in Sydney. The testimony of the girl Ruth Milner, with whom the improprieties w^ere alleged to have taken ; place, went to show that she and plaintiff had been improperly intimate on one occasion, and that the latter had twice afterwards tried to repeat the improprieties. The ' jury returned a verdict for the defendants. A sensational occurrence took place at Hobart on Wednesday last, when a man named Frederick Kemp, about forty-five ; years old, jumped from the window of the ' Innis Restaurant into a yard 50ft below, i breaking his thigh and sustaining internal injuries, from which he will probably die, j

He had been ill and apparently delirious, and, from the appearance of the room, he had previously to making the perilous jump attempted to commit snioide with a pocket knife. He had threatened to do this, and had otherwise been erratic. A strange fatal accident oocurred in George street, Sydney, on Friday. A horse attached' to a cart bolted near Brickfield Hill, and travelling rapidly down an incline collided with an omnibus that was going in the same direction. The force of the concussion caused the horse to swerve on to the foothpath, and before it could be stopped it had crashed through the large window of Alcock'a jewellery shop, and broken the verandah posts. Three men, named Olf Olstrom, fifty-five years of age, Peter Murphy, and Albert Clare, who were walking along the footpath at the time, were knocked down. Olstrom was killed on the spot, and the other two were so seriously injured that they had to be removed to the hospital. , A strange defence was made in a charge brought against Robert Scarlett, late manager of the Colonial Ice Company, Limited, in Sydney last week. The defendant, who was charged with embezzling L 49 19a, said that when the company was floated a number of shares had not been applied for, and the directors had instructed him and other clerks in the office to falsify the balance-sheet so as to give the company's business a healthy appearance, and induce the public to take up shares. In order to do this he had given several of his cheques to swell the credit side of the balance-sheet ; but it was understood that they were not to be presented. The accused was formerly private secretary to Sir Patrick Jennings, and was the principal witness in the libel case Dibbs v. the • Sydney Daily Telegraph,' which was tried some three years ago. The jury in the case failed to agree.