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Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue XXII, 23 November 1867, Page 5

TnE Postage Stamp Scandal. — The following paragraph is from (ho Melbourne Herald : — When the hon. member for Bailtirat East, Mv Jones, undertook the defence of Sir James Pnlnun*, ' for the alleged misappropriation of postage stamps, ho was silent as to his own share in the transaction. But the report submitted to tho Legislative Council, yesterday, by tho Library Committee, names him as the grand tippropriatov of the public stamps. According to the report, tho Librarian addressed a letter to tho Chief Secretary, stating that in two days lie furnisher! an hon. member with 235 fourpenny and 210 . twopenny stamps ; the same gentleman had signified his intention of applying for two thousand fourpenny stamps to defray the carriage of letters to hie constituents. The hon. Mr Mitoholl, who read the Librarian's letter, did not numothemciu* ber, but simply referred to him as an lon. member in another place ; but on handing a ooppy of this lettor to the press, tho name of Hi' O.K. Jones was found very clumsily erased from it. The occasion on which Mr Jones desired so many postage stamps was not for the purpose, as stated, of addressing letters to his constituent!!!, bnfc to forward a pamphlet containing some of his set speeches extracted from Hansard, at a time when his popularity was on the wane, owing to his defection from the ministerial ranks. A Hoax. — "In times of excitement, ag the prosent," remarks the Kyneton Observer, " when the arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh is the chief topic, jokes of amusing character are often forced upon the too-confiding public It has been tho practice for the manager of the Kyneton telegraph office, on tho arrival of the mail, or on anything of general importance occurring, to post a notice outside the telegraph office, giving publicity to the news. The custom was taken ■ advantage of by some wag er another on Sunday, night, who pasted up the following -:—-« Cape Otwoy.— Fivo p.m.: Galatea outside the Heads.' Of course, the bait was speedily swallowed, and no littlo excitement was caused by tho announcement — tho public, as a rule, taking it as authoritative The bubble did not burst till the arrival of tjie. Melbourne papers on Monday, when those who had given it credence began to feel how easily they had been gulled, ns no doubt the Galatea v ' outBide the Heads ! '"