AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3144, 10 March 1871, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

[From Ihe Ahgus.] Under the heading "A Sweet Thing in. Candidates," the " Tarrengower Times" has the following ; — " John Christopher Wesdiorp, who advertised iv this journal his willingneas to become a candidate for the representation of Maldon in the Assembly, if invited, is one specimen of the sort of men who rise to the surface to make a grub at the £300 bait. His clumsy address was sufficient to damn him with all intelligent people ; but, in his intense ignornorance, lie thought not. Not being invited, he came to Maldon on Monday, but soon saw his best way was to clear out for Melbourne. The ' poor printer' applied twice for the settlement of his ' little bill,' and, it will scarcely be believed, this precious would be. candidate went round with the hat, and, being unsuccessful with the teetotallers, although, according to his address, he has for thirty-one years honored them with his patronage, he actually went to an ' abominable publican,' whom he had never seen before (Mr Page, of the Royal Hotel), and asked him to become responsible lor the small printing account. Of course the impertinent mendicant was refused, and on Tuesday morning he fairly made a bolt for it by the 9 o'clock coach, but this being seen by the creditor, a summons was immediately obtained, aud a trusty honchn a:i stilt to intercept the ' skedaddler,' who was ' bailod-up' and served, whereupon he wrote a letter to Mr Williams, ex-M.P., and insisted on reading ii over to the pjocess-se.Yer. Its -purport was, that if Mr Williams would settle the bill, he (W"csthorp) would retire from the contest. The upshot was, that the printer got his verdict, but has not yet got his money. Can the force of impudence further go than that shown by this impecunious, ignorant, and impudent greengrocer of Albert street ?" ■ " During the progress in the Circuit Court on Tuesday," saj's the " 13endigo Advertiser," " of the Queen v. Crameri and Whyte, Mr liymer, the well-known attorney, asked his Honor Sir Redmond. Barry if he would take any other case after the one in progress, the time then being 5 o'clock. Sir Redmond, in his blandest manner, said, ' I don't know you, sir,' on which the worthy attorney suddenly collapsed. This reminds us of a celebrated judge in England, who, upon a young barrister appearing before him in a white wnistcoast, or not otherwise properly costumed, the learned judge said, ' I can't hear you, sir. 1 The modest junior, thinking it was a defect in his Honor's power of hearing, still continued his remarks, only to receive the same reply, ' I can't hear you, sir.' The amusing scene was not brought to a close until a more experienced senior counsel whispered to the young lawyer that it was contrary to bar etiquette to address a judge in court when not properly robed." A copy of a petition to her Majesty has been sent to us, which Mr Arthur Shenton, proprietor of the " Perth Gazette," West Australia, has prepared and forwarded home in reference to the conduct of- Chief Justice Burt in sentencing the petitioner to imprisonment and fine for commenting on a decision of the judge. The petition concludes bj praying her Majesty " to remit the said fine of £1 00 imposed on your petitioner, and that your Majesty will also be graciously pleased to cause an examination to be made into the conduct of his Honor the Chief Justice of Western Australia in imposing such line, and generally as above stated." A fresh case of bushranging in Australia has been reported to the police. Robert Maxwell, a hawker, at Kyneton, informed the police on Saturday that he had been stuck-up between Costerfled and Spring Creek, at about two o'clock on Friday afternoon, and robbed of £85, in ten £5 notes, and thirty five £1 notes. The robbers were mounted on bay horses, one of the latter having a white face, and wore, one a drab Yankee hat and blue blanket over his shoulders, and the other likewise a blue blanket, set off with a black billycock hat, while both had their features concealed by black crape. Both carried revolvers, and one a musket also. Maxwell could identify the white faced horse, but not the men. Of the £5 notes, three belonged to the Colonial Bank, one to the Bank of Victoria, and six to the Bank of New South Wales. Relative to our former fellow townsman, Fred. Younge, whose melancholy death the telegraph announced yesterday, Mr J. Kingston supplies us with interesting items, taken from a private letter : — " Amongst our Australians, the great excitement of the month has been the sudden taking off of Mr Fred. Younge. From his brother, your wellknown Richard Younge, and his oldest friend, T. W. Robertson, the dramatic author, I cb'ained the following particulars : It was a strong belief of Fred's that he would finish his life in the way that he did. He often alluded to it when those distressing railway accidents happened, from which you Australians are so exempt. He had that idea of his death, and this hope — that, please Providence it would be instantaneous ;

no lingering, nor hospital operations. Poor fellow ; his prescience was good, and his wish gratified He was travelling in a -first-class carriage from Sunderland to Newcastle when a collision took place. The result was that he was forced up through the roof of the carriage, knocking in the back of his head. Death was instantaneous. Hib life was insured in the Accidental Death Insurance Company for £1000. It is supposed by those who study verdicts by juries that his wife and family will re. cover at least £5000 from the railway company as damages. Recently he had been paying £12 a week to Robertson for the right to play the various pieces of the latter, and last year his profits were about £2000. He has left some property, chiefly banked money, but he was not of a saving disposition, and lived pretty well up to his means. His brother Richard seems terribly affected by the disaster. Our old friend Pond proceeded to organise a large benefit for the family, but it was thought desirable to postpone any public sympathy in that way until the railway company had done their duty. Little Nelly Younge, whom you remember as being born in Melbourne, is now a pretty child of eleven years old, and at school in London." If a country paper is to be believed, Sir Francis Murphy has determined to withdraw from parliamentary life altogether, and has ordered the officials at the Houses of Parliament to remove all his effects from the Speaker's rooms. The "Warrnambool Examiner" prints a letter from Mr H. E. Michel, or, as he gives his address, " 11. E. Michel, Esq., Mundarle Villa, Studley street, East Collingwood." In the course of his letter, after setting forth his political opinions, he says: — " i\!y own history I touch but lightly on. ] am a younger son of a good family in England, and my father sat in the English Parliament for Belfast for some years, where I was born. My grandfather also sat for Lyme Regis. 1 am a BA.. of New College, Oxford, where I took honors. lam a deep read man, and supposed to be a good speaker. I am 30 years in Australia, having brought capital to the country, and commenced as a squatter, which occupation I am out of for upwards of twenty years. I have been a digger, farmer, and storekeeper in my time. I am about 50, married, and have children. I am essentially wliat is commonly called a gentleman. So much for myself, and now for my terms. lam not in a position to spare any money on election expenses, therefore I should require, after tho electors had satisfied themselves about my abilities and political knowledge and integrity, that they should subscribe the expenses of my visit to your district, and also the £50 deposit, and the printer's bills," &c. Mr Michel adds the remark — " Should my suggestion bear fruit, you will oblige me by at once placing yourself in communication with me. Should the electors, on the other hand, scout the idea, write at once, as I propose running for another constituency." The following is also from the "Examiner:" — "By the way, Mr Gresham is free to enter again, now that he has been defeated for Evelyn, and as he has addressed himself to the whole of the colony, we wonder that he has not received more numerous invitations. Apropos of that gentleman, we heard a good story while the election for Villiers and Heytesbury was pending. — Indignant publican (loquitur) : — • There's to be no contest for the counties ! Do you tell me that ? It's a darned shame. Give me his address, and I'll wite to Mr Gresham immediately!'" The proposal to found an art union of Victoria has been very favorably re ceived, and although no canvass has been made, 130 persons have already intimated their intention of paying the annual guinea which is to constitute membership. A r .eeting is to be held in the Mechanics' Institute on the 2nd March, for the purpose of electing officebearers and adopting rules. The number of nominees sent for under the immigration regulations from July 1 to December 31, of last year, was as follows : — From England, 497 males, 580 females ; from Ireland, 364 males, 497 females : from Scotland, 118 males and 1 50 females ; and from other countries, 13 males and 14 females. In the case of Beaney v. Jonnes, heard in the County Court yesterday, (he plaintiff, who is a surgeon, sued the defendant for £1% 12s, amount due for medical services. It was shown that the plaintiff had performed a very dangerous operation, and one which required much skirl, on the defendant, and had only charged £12 12s for il, because the defendant said he was a poor man. Mr Grillbee, surgeon, who was called for plaintiff, stated that the charge was a very moderate one. It was mentioned, after the evidence appertaining to the. case had been given, that the defendant had received £1,000 damages in the Supreme Court from the National Bank for the dishonoring of three of his cheques, and one of the grounds on which the damages were sought was that the illness of Jonnes was in a measure caused through the anxiety he experienced by the dishonoring of his cheques. The defendant, however, said that what with the lawyers and others he had received very little of the £L,OOO, on which the managing clerk of Mr Clayton, solicitor, who had conducted Jonncs' case in the Supreme Court, and who was in the County Court yesterday, said that Mr Clayton paid Jonnes a cheque for £950, and gave him some more money afterwards. His Honor Judge Pohlraan gave a verdict for plaintiff for the amount claimed with costs. HOTEL TO BE LET.— Tho PHCENIX HOTEL, corner of Wiokstedand Campbell streets, W anganui. Tho above well-known house, having been thoroughly renovated, will be let for a term of years. Terms liberal. For particulars apply to Messrs A. P. Stuart & Co, Wellington ; or John W. Liddell, Wanganui. /"i AKEY'S Indiaeubbbe KNIFE BOARDS \J From lo 6d each.