Colonial Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 37, 4 January 1889, Page 2

Colonial Notes.

AN occurrence took place the other day at Butherglen police court which hardly reflected very creditably" on tbe authoutie* there. Two men, named respectfully Emms and Cockburn, had a fight outside the door ot the court, and on their being arrested and brought before tbe bench, Emms refused to enter the dock with Oockbnrn, declaring that he feared for bis life. He, however, was obliged to do so, and the event proved that hi* fears bad not been groundless. On sent* enoe being passed. Cockburn, who had, as the aggressor in the quarrel, received the heaviest penalty, sprang a r Emms and stabbed him in the region of tbe heart, inflicting a wound that on examination by a doctor proved to be four inches deep, and which must have been Instantly fatal had not tbe knife struck against a rib. The interference of the police s rgeant prevented Cockburn from dealing another blow as be attempted. But this interference Would seem, nevertheless, to have come rather late, and the fear expressed beforehand by tbe wounded man should certainly have led to a greater degree of watchfulness.

Another great success has attended the boring of an artesian well, this time at Mr. Armytage's Nocoleche station, on the Paroo river, in New South Wales. The boring was begun with the intention of going down 2000 feet, if necessary. At 860 feet, however, a supply of pure fresn water, capable of yielding 400,000 gallons a day, has been found in the gravelly clay, What makes tbe result obtained more apparently valuable is that, owing to the failure of tbe water on the surface, the work bad had to be interrupted for a time, and it was feared that the drought would force it to be finally abandoned . The joy ot finding a copious Bource in a country like this may readily be imagined.

An instance of that gentle mildness for which, we are told, the Chinese are bo highly distinguished, has occurred at the Venus diggings, near Clermont, in Queensland. A party of some ten or fifteen had been on good gold for some days, when an English digger named Hice, with two compauions, began to peg out a claim in the lino of tbe wash. The Chinamen called out against this, but, as the ground was unoccupied , Bice and bis mates took no notice of them, Tbe consequence was a spirited attack in which the white men received some rough usage, and were more or less seriously hurt. Nine of the Chinamen have been arrested, and it turns out t hit only three of them are furnished with miners' rights. Chinamen, although so mild and moral, are quite capable of taking advantage of any opportunity that offers, and the pqlice force on the diggings wu inadequate. The affair has caused great excitement.

Sydney has been visited by some violent thunderstorms, and the rain has been heavy in several parts of the colony. The downpour, however, in tbe city and suburbs was quite exceptional. At St. Mary's Cathedral the roof drains and down pipes were not sufficient to admit of the water's running off, and, as a consequence, the building was flooded. No permanent damage was, however, done. Marvellous escapes from lightning are reported, among them that ot a young lady who was holding in her hand one of those balloons that children play with, and which was completely ecoicoed.

The sensation of the hour in Melbourne is the frauds on the National Bink of Autralasia, which has been victimised to tbe extent of several thousands. Tbe defaulter is a confidential clerk named Onyons, who, for the 12 years that he had been connecte.l with the bank, was looked upon as a model of all that was trustworthy and honest. He bad risen Bteadity from the first to the responsible position occupied by him now at the age of 28. The silver boom, with its temptation! to speculate, is said to h »ye been the cause of his fall. To facilitate his speculations he abstracted securities of which he had charge and negotiated them outside. On being accused by the manage* he made a virtual confession. When arrested he was found in posteasioo. of a loaied revolver, and a bottle of brandy with which it wae suspected he meant to nerve himself to the commission of suicide.

The Government geologist reports favourably to the South Australian Government as to tbe coal seams in the Irwin district. The number and si«e of the seams, he says, added to the ease with wnicn thfy may be woiked, will make them a valuable property.

The foundation stane of the memoiial statue to be erected at a cort of £4,500 to the late Dr. Lang, has been laid by the Governor, in Wynyard square, Sydney, Sir John Robertson, who was the principal speaker on the occasion, and who described himself as the first pupil that had attended a school opened by the Doctor, to »id in building the first Scots' Cbuch, related several incidents of his career, attributing to him noble sacrifices in promoting immigration. Sir John, however, did not mention that on the Governme it's refusing to give land grants to certain immigrants whom Dr. Lang, oo such an understanding, had induced to come to Queensland, or the Moreton B*y settlement, as it then was, the Doctor had himself purchased land for them out of his own resources, rather than seem to break his word. It had beci considered, s*id Sir John, that Dr. Lang was a•• bit of a bigot," but he was not. He was firm in bis own convictions and z alous in asserting and defending them, but he was tn favour of fair play to ail. The speaker also described an interview wLich had been brought about by his own intervention bat ween Dr. Lang and Archbishop PoldiDg, when his Grace was on his death-oca.

Among the more interesting events at the Melbourne Exhibition has been the concert given by the children attending the Catholic schools of the city, and ia illustration of the system ot education pursued there. The children, whether in separate schools, or in an the •cbools combined, acquitted themselves oapitally and desetrea

tbe applause of the crowded audience present. A gymnastic display was also given by some girls of the school at Richmond, and a sewing class which subsequently took place likewise met with much approval. The evident and proved excellence of the Catholic system was such in fact as to put the advocates of secularism to open shame.

The action commenced by Mr. Joseph Winter agiinst tbe Age newspaper for certain statements published in a letter written to tbat paper, and seeming to throw doubts on Mr, Winter's honesty in bis capacity as honourable treasurer of tlie Irish National League, has been withdrawn. Tbe solicitors of tbe Age bave made, on behalf of their client a full acknowledgment of the falsehood of any such charges— which, however, they disclaim any intention of making — and express themselves satisfied, on an examination of the books of the League, that all Mr. Winter's engagements have been honourably fulfilled and that he has not personally benefited to the extent of one penny by tbe matter. Mr. Winter, however, has taken the opportunity of resigning the office filled so ably bj him and for hie disinterested and valuable services in connection with which he was ao ill requited in some pretentious quarter?. He has been requested by tbe executive committee of the Irish National League and Parnell Defence Fund to reconsider his resignation but this he declines to do. Hif decision in this respect is much regretted, for bis services in tbe part bave been such as to make it evident that it will be extremely difficult if not altogether impossible to find a worthy successor for him. The ignoble cavillers who have led to mch a result have indeed, done little in the matter to identify themselves as friends of tbe Irish cause.