VICTORIAN ITEMS.

Westport Times, Volume IV, Issue 666, 2 June 1870, Page 3

VICTORIAN ITEMS.

The Agricultural Distillery and Beetroot Sugar Company have been successful in raising a large amount of sugar-beet from their plantation at 'Footscray, and it is probable that before long the sugar expressed from the plants will be a marketable commodity in Melbourne and its suburbs.

At the Criminal Sessions, held May 18th, James Duncan, James Watson, alias Irish Johnny, and Thomas Baxter, were charged with breaking into the shop of William M. Anderson, on the night of the 4th of May, and stealing therefrom a quantity of jewellery, valued at £4OO. The premises were entered by forcing open the back gate of the Anthropological Museum. A piece of glass was cut out of the window of the lecture-hall, so that the catch might be withdrawn and the window opened. The thieves then went down a small trap door, made for the purpose of getting at the gas metres, made their way under the floor of the hall to a small pantry or cupboard at the back of Anderson's premises, and by breaking away some boards they were able to get into the back room, and thence into the shop. Baxter was . arrested the same morning with all the . goods in his possession. He stated ifoit he got them from Duncan and I Watson, who were also arrested. The ; prisoners freely exercised their right of challenge, no less than 29 jurors being tnrned back. The jury, after retiring for a few | minutes, found Duncan and "Watson guilty of burglary, and Baxter guilty 'of receiving with a guilty knowledge. The prisoners had had several previous convictions recorded, against them. Duncan had been .convicted fora the Nelson gold robbery, and several cases of burglary and assault. Watson had been convicted for the gold robbery at the English and Scottish Chartered Bank in 1856. They were remanded for sentence. Draper's trial was postponed until, Monday, the 23rd May, on the application of counsel for the defence.

Two m6re "neglected children" were brought before Mr Sturt, E.M., recently, the parents in each case avowing their inability to control the evil impulses of their offspring. In the case of one, a little fellow named Urns. Dunn, the father declared the boy could not be kept in the path of righteousness ; but he wris interrupted by a woman, who, having a well-de-

veloped squint, was enabled to keep one eye fixed on the ceiling while the other gazed stedfastly at one corner of the magisterial bench. This woman, in a loud harsh voice, announced herself to be the stepmother of the youngster, and a good stepmother she had been to him she averred, never failing to wash him with hot water and soap, and deck him in his Sunday clothes whenever he returned, like the prodigal Bon, to the habitation of his father. All the boy's wickedness, however, was, she continued, due to the father, who encouraged him in resisting her authority, and set up all his children over her, even going so far as to box her ears before their eyes. She was sorry she had ever married the man, and for all she knew the man himself might be equally grieved. The woman made as much noise as a sawmill, and it was only by the combined threats of the police sergeant, and the admonitions of the Bench, that she was induced to let the magistrate speak a few words, to the effect that between the father and the stepmother the boy was certain to go to the bad, and he would be therefore sent to the training ship for three years, the father to pay 4s a week towards his support. The other lad, Charles Myers, was still smaller than the first, but the father, who appeared to be a German, said he was unable to maintain any authority over him, though he was willing to send him to school, and pay for his education. Mr Sturt said that parents ought to be ashamed to come into a court and state that they were not equal to controlling little children like this one, who was about 3ft nothing in height. It was merely an excuse to get the trouble and expense of bringing up their children properly, off the har.ds of the parents, and as he would not be a party to any such imposition, he would dismiss the application.

The statement of accounts of the Post-offiee Savings Bank in Victoria for the year 1869, shows that the deposits received during 1869 amounted to £230/112 Ms, while a balance had been brought over from 1868 of £166,061 3s 4d. Kepayments to the amount of 4s had been paid during the year 1869, leaving a balance due to depositors of £243,478 15s 6d. The interest allowed to depositors during the year amounted to £7,272 2s 2d ; the other expenditure in connection with the bank being £2,177 12s 6d for salaries, and £750 for contingencies. A young woman, named Emma Staunton, who attempted to drown herself in the Tarra on the evening of May 17th, was brought up at the City Court the following day. She said that her parents were at Ballarat, and that she had intended to make away with herself, but that she was now sorry for it. Thepolicestatedthatshehadrun away from her parents at Ballarat, and had been living in town for about two months. The Bench remanded the girl for seven days, in order that the police might communicate with her friends at Ballarat.

A fire broke out in tbe shop of Mr Stephenson, watchmaker and jeweller, 71 Elizabeth street, next door to Mr Or. Robertson's tbe bookseller, early on the morning of the 19th. Constable Dowling, who was near tbe spot, heard the screams of a female from the window over the shop, and noticing the fire in the shop, gave the alarm. He burst open the shutters, and succeeded in removing some watches and jewellery, but the fire spread so rapidly that the whole interior of the building was quickly gutted. Two members of the fire brigade, who had scaled the verandah to ply the hose in the upstairs rooms, met with an accident, the verandah giving weigh under their weight, and falling upon them. One man appeared much injured, and was at once removed to the Hospital. The brigade succeeded in arresting the spread of the flames to the adjoining premises of Mr E. Eosenwax, pawnbroker, which at one time appeared to be in considerable danger. In the Legislative Assembly, on the 18th inst, in reply to questions by hon. members, it was elicited that as early as possible a bill would be brought in providing for the completion of the Cnliban water scheme; that it was intended to appoint a commission to take into consideration the whole question of penal dicipline in the colony; that the question of reduction in the number of forms required for passing Custom-house entries was now under consideration of the department; and that it might perhaps be possible to bring in a short bill this session, remedying one 'or two defects in the present insolvent law, leaving the larger question of a new act for consideration at another time.

The floods in the interior of New South Wales are not yet at an end. Wagga "Wagga, as its inhabitants a few days ago had reason to apprehend, has again been inundated, the Murrumbridgee having risen to within 23in. of the level of the late flood. The weather at Sydney on Wednesday was again threatening. On Monday morning the 16th inst. a fisherman discovered the body ef a still-born female child in the bows of a boat lying at :St. Kilda jetty. An inquest was held the 18th inst. but no light was thrown on the matter, and an open verdict, to the effect that the child was left exposed by some one unknown, was returned.

At the Footscray Police Court, on the 18tb inst. the inspector of slaughterhouses for the Braybrook Eoad District, proceedep against the Melbourne Meat-preserving Company for

an infringement l of the Abattoir's Statute, in neglecting and refusing to pay the sum of £B7 as fees for the slaughter of cattle. The magistrates, however, dismissed the case. Captain . Lawrence is to receive £1,900 to clear the Lightning out of the fairway channel in Corio Bay. It is anticipated that there will be sufficient cargo in the wreck to pay all the expenses. Some correspondence, it is reported, has taken place between the Government and the banks, respecting the withdrawal of the defaced silver coinage at present in circulation. The Tasmanian census returns show that the increase of 9,000 in the population was chiefly in the northern districts, only 2,000 out of the 9,000 being in the midland and southern portions of Tasmania.

There is stated to be great scarcity of labor on the Tasmanian goldfields. Good miners readily get £2 10s a week.