LATE NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 343, 5 September 1868, Page 3

LATE NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA

(From the Sydney Morning Herald.) The last American accident, by which term all horrible massacres and wholesale destruction of life and property are designated, occurred on the 14th of April, near Port Jervis, on the Erie liailroad. By this accident forty lives were lost, of which a dozen or more were consumed by fire, while enclosed in the cars. The wickedness of Nebuchednezzar in casting Shadrach and his two friends into the fiery furnace, was no greater than that of the parties to this murderous work. The directors knew the dangerous and unworthy character of the road ; they knew that it could be traversed only at the greatest possible risk ; they knew that vast numbers of rails were broken, laminated and wholly unfit for use ; yet, in the full possession of this knowledge, they continued to run their trains until the event, which they had every reason to expect, actually occurred, and this reckless, sinful, wicked destruction is termed an accident. Had such a thing taken place in England, or on the European continent, the directors would soon have found themselves the inmates of a prison, with a strong chance for the gallows. The worship of the golden calf exists to-day with quite as much subservient zeal and disgusting idolatry as in the time of Moses ; but we have no Moses to punish the sacrilegious crew.

The accounts of mortality from yellow fever are absolutely appalling. In Calla©, two thousand people had died of it in six weeks, out of a population of twenty thousand. The mortality from this cause, in the Argentine Republic, had reached 28,000. It is asserted, as positive, than the Emperor of Brazil, Don Pedro 11., has determined to abdicate his throne, and has called a conference of the principal personages in the country to arrange the terms of his abdication.

The Christchurch papers contain more detailed accounts of" the effects of the great tidal wave, but they are mostly of the same character already given. On Banks' Peninsula, the inhabitants of the various bays were aroused at an early hour by an extraordinary irruption of the sea, rolling with fearful force up the various bays and tidal rivers, carrying away bridges, fences, and everything else obstructing it course. There was no apparent agitation of the ocean ; the sea appeared perfectly calm, and the tide receded to an extraordinary distance. The very rapid flow and ebb at very irregular intervals, varying from fifteen minutes to an hour, continued through the day, were such as never hav ebeen witnessed here before. The highest rise occurred about the time of high water, and it was estimated at not less than twenty-five feet, from the lowest to the highest level of the wa ter, during the time the phenomenon continued. In Okaio Bay, at two miles distance from the sea, the water rose over the top of the fences, completely inundating the lower portions of the locality. Very considerable damage has been done to both public and private property, and unfortunately many thousand feet of timber and posts and rails,&c, have been irrecoverably washed away. In several cases the inhabitants had to leave their homes, and took refuge on the

hills. La one or two cases the houses were destroyed or Washed away. A. very distinct shock of an earthr quake was felt during the forenoon on Monday. Considerable damage seems to have been done in Little Akaroa, and indeed in all the settlements on the coast.

The London papers of the 18th May have the following amusing paragraph: -—" In the House of Commons, on Monday, Mr. Taylor asked whether a prisoner in Mount joy Prison was sentenced to the penal cell on refusing to declare his religion. The Earl of Mayo said that the governor inquired, in the usual manner, what was the religion of the convict, who stated that he was of no religion whatever, and that he never attended any place of worship. He added that he was a pagan—(a laugh)—and refused to be instructed in religion of any kind. The director being a military man, ordered him to select his religion immediately. (Loud laughter.) The governor stated that he told the priso- ! ner what w&s required of him, but he objected to go to any place of worship, as he did not believe in any religion. He was, therefore, put on penal diet for three days, (Much laughter.) Two days afterwards, namely, en the 4th of August, he was removed to the hospital, and after he left the hospital he was again placed on penal diet for three days—(Oh, oh !') —at the expiration of which time he selected the Soman Catholic religion. (Eenewed laughter.)"

There seems to be no limit to the extension of business and increase of population in London. That city is now fast absorbing local institutions, and becoming as much a synonym for Great Britain as Paris is said to be for France. The Scottish Banks are finding it to be necessary to have an establishment of their own in London, and now the newspapers are following suit. The " Scotsman " —a well known Edinburgh paper —has been a favorite in liberal circles for fifty years, and from its commencement has taken a front rank in journalism. In evil times it vindicated the principals of liberty and progress, and it has aided in establishing the literary celebrity of " Modern Athens." Since the repeal of the old newspaper stamp duty, " The Scotsman" has appeared as a daily and weekly, and its circulation has enormously increased. The spirited proprietors have now, in order to meet increased business requirements, opened a Branch office of the " Scotchman " at 84, Fleet street, London (next to "Punch Office), where the papers are kept constantly on sale for the trade and the public. The Literary and reporting arrangements for the -supply to the ■' Scotsman " of London News, Parliamentary Debates, City and Market Intelligence, &c. ; all of which are telegraphed to Edinburgh by a special wire, reserved at night exclusively for the use of the " Scotsman", are now concentrated at 84, Fleet street; and the servises of a special City Editor are retained. This is progress indeed, and must appear striking to those of our readers especially who remember the office of the " Scotsman" in old times, up a dirty outside stair in the High street of the Old Town. As will be seen by our correspondent's letter, those who have taken out licenses at Addison's Flat very reasonably complain of the laxity with which illegal grogselling is treated in that locality. There is scarcely a store that does not openly sell liquor, and there are only a very few not half-a dozen we are told, licensed houses. This is too bad, and we are not surprised at people refusing to pay any longer, when they find that their neighbours who pay nothing, can enjoy just as great privileges as themselves. Whether this is the case at the Caledonian or not we do no , know but it is very probable, and indeed altogether the manner in which Ihe Licensing Act is set at defiance in the district is anything but creditable to the authorities. The " Wellington Independent" is informed on good authority, that the Postmaster-General has given notice, both to the Panama and New Zealand Steam Navigation Companies, that all the existing contracts for interprovincial mail steam services will terminate in September next. What effect this somewhat sweeping measure will have upon our system of postal communication in New Zealand, remains to be seen.

Writing for colonial newspapers seems to be a most congenial employment to the followers of Sir John Falstaff (the father of lies). We do not, however, recollect, (with a single exception) any of them having attained such a notoriety in their profession as the correspondent of the ' De Boerenvrienda" (Cape of Good Hope paper), who, writing from Eland's Biver, states that a spider has just been killed on the farm of Mr Rautenback as large as a

turkey-cock. The writer asserts that the insect killed three dogs, and received three charges of a gun before he was despatched. A fight between blacks of the Brisbane and one of the coast tribes took place on the night of the 30th July. The Brisbane Courier gives the following account: —" Many of the Brisbane blacks have lately been working for settlers in the neighbourhood, but so quietly had the arrangements for the fight been kept that little or nothing was known of it until an unusual stillness in the camps directed attention to something unusual being on foot. It was then found that the blacks were making a general muster, aud about nine p.m. fierce yells showed their whereabouts. Some whites attracted by the noise, were soon on the field of battle, but all their efforts could not stop a fight from taking place, until many of the blacks were wounded, not a few of them seriously. The women of the tribes seemed the most eager for the fighting, and by their yelling encouraged the men to 'go in' again, after some of them evidently, if left alone, thought they had enough of it." The " Sydney Empire" states that the accounts of mortality from yellow fever at Callao are absolutely appalling. Upwards of 2,000 people had died of it in six weeks, out of a population of 20,000. The mortality from this cause, in the Argentine Eepublic, had reached 28,000 up to latest date. The Perth (TV. A.) papers state that thirteen tons of pearl shells have been exported to England within a few weeks from the north-west coast of Western Australia. These shells are worth a large sum of money per ton. The end of the Victorian dead-lock was followed by the passing of probably the largest money vote evens proposed in the Australian colonies. On the 13th ult,, say the " Argus,"—"A Ways and Means Bill for £2,950,000 passed both Houses of Parliament, and received His Excellency's assent. The Treasury was once more unlocked, and public payments resumed on the next day, £950,000 was for the service of the year 1867, and £1,000,000 for 1868."