Gippsland Guardian (Vic. : 1855 - 1868), Friday 15 April 1859, page 3


CORRESPONDENCE

Wo do not hold ouraelvMrtiponsiblifor tht opinions

of our'Correspondents.

To the Editor of the Gipps Land Guardian.

Port Albert, April 8, 1859.

As a Subscriber to the Races I request to know who instructed you to alter the first advertisement which appeared in your paper containing the programme of the Races as carried at a public meeting convened for that purpose. The rule of

"three to start or no race" was afterwards

altered in your paper to three to enter or no race," this to sporting men made a most material difference, and this alter-ation rendered the whole Races illegal, and rendered the Stewards liable to be called on to refund'th'e Subscribei's rnonfey. : I, yypujd^alspjwish' to. ask jhow^it was^tliat

two' Stew^arfl's'only acted 'wheirTfour we're chosen. Ought/not; a- jpublichriecting to bewailed aud two otherrStewards elected to^carry "'"out^the. 'rules "adopted ^af t]i*e

meeting*. ni>iJ<d'"alter!.them'. -

A, ! • ° • - >!<J > J ,1 , I. II

I!, ;jai.lover of fainjpiiy

' To the iJEdilor, of the - Gi/ips^Zahil Guardian;' *1?

r •: j is <■ • „ d > ~ — f: f*i'i L

What a falling-off was there.— Vide Hamlet.'.?-, t. • // ;_s_ ;[J ■> ■

' Sir;—^ItnisjtAvitbrimucli; pleasure ^'tlitit'• the iiihabitants I'of'. Salerai'nvinfbi'inedj' in yourilast-issue, that the.'services of;a!-com-f ■:j»«tenti'>report€ir * liave' been secured'; >'and'I' have :uo! doiibtnfchafcb;tLie uboo'n .will .::bo>' doubly-received oby,■ryonr.1 subscribersc-re-'' aiding; in the iipper.;and lower districts, as1 miioli >i disssati-sfnestion j.-liasi-lately ^existed amo'ngst;vy our,(■ readers :in' consequence >ofi the :paucit.v soft local ■intelligence.'.respecting; £ the-.northern i or (■^ upper.t:district .of„, Gipps

Iand :which .loresome ^considerable: titno<

past has been discreditably, meagre, if. we'1 exceptthosenai'ticles contributed'.' bj'jyour' (Jmeo ; correspondent.,; who.: ■ certainly.* de-? serves; the ithaiiksj.ofoitliec..public.,'for,.his' praiseworthy eiidc.Mvors to collectv anvs items of intelligence, " whiclr' may be worthy or';notice.~ , • > ■■ .■ > ' '■

It may,readily be believed when'the':

rernnrk -that.?on'e-halfV of. >the .wcrl dadoes 7

■not know >ho,v, the other half.liyr.s—it being a well-knpwn fact that the Omeo and lower districts'are in total ignorance ot passing incidents at Side, the' central) portion of J>

Gii)i)S.L;md -

I trust., I .may_.be... excused Jn pointing out liow-tliis want may be remedied; and,

at, the same time, -that the value of-your • paper .as a: record ofVpassing; 'events, is; materially'enhanced ; ^arid- knowing- your'' i willingness ,to present.everything-, in-.tho

shape of news to' ;}jour. .'subscribers, and,

^also: 'that,jthis." desirable 'consummation is.;, notrlikely to be accomplished until* you ' can; secure the1 services of some person as "a reporter,iof.-'moderate ability,arid energy as . well;: as ^adaptability l'or the office,

(which we are informed in. your 'last- paper < you have done,). I trust I may not he charged with adulation when 1 state that, •"duriiig^tlle "timej_ Mr. ,de Tracy.-used to •:coniriuute^.ro:.;yoiuv'j)a.|)er,- your readers were in variably informed oft, all incidents .worthy; of- notice,, writtenin;good ■g'ramma • tical. .English, -and :ol'ten , in--a:, stylo of ^elegant coinposition ; and l;bave no doubt

that if asked, would •occasionally devote any leisure, time lie :mi<rht liaye in for-, warding you many articles which would be appreciated by your readers.

There is one subject which I see you have omitted to mention, viz., an account of Mr. Neilson's death (or inquest if there was any). I do not suppose the same has

been caused through any neglect or wish to slight the public, but has arisen from a far purer motive, which induced you to forbear all mention of so painful a subject in order to spare the feelings of his family and relatives. Now, however laudable your intentions may have been, I do con-

sider that there ought to be no distinction made between a wealthy person or one in more humble circumstances, and that an

editor, in order to succeed, ought always

to follow out and bear in mind that noble

quotation from Burke, " I am in the place

where of conscience I am demanded to speak the truth — and therefore the truth I speak, impugn it whose list." The late Mr. Neilson was much respected by many of his old fellow-colonists — and though,

at the same time, truly sorry to hear of his death, would have liked to have learned the full particulars.

Many of your readers feel disappointed in hearing the acquittal of Chamberlain and Armstrong for the murder of Mr. C.

Green at Omeo, not taking into considera-tion the danger of circumstantial evidence, however strong, without actual proof, and

that excellent code in the British law, " that it is better that ninety-nine guilty men should escape than that one innocent man should suffer."

There is one subject, however, that will

bear a little more investigation, viz., the mys-terious disappearance of William Henry Clare alias Ballaarat Harry, and Thomas

Took becoming possessed with his proper-ty : in the trial of this case, neither the shepherd by whom he was last seen was examined nor Arthur Orton who was in

charge of the Dargo station, and with whom they remained from the 17th of March until the 2nd of April ; and from

the remarks I have been enabled to gather

from Orton, it appears, that Tooke had told Ballaarat Harry many falsehoods in order to inveigle him to Dargo. The

statement of Orton is as follows :— " I re-member Thomas Tooke and Ballaarat

Harry coming to Dargo on the 16th or

17th of March. Tooke inquired whether

Michie the Frenchman was there — I said no. They remained until the 2nd of April. In conversation with Clare, he

told me that Tooke had informed him that Michie had shown him (Tooke) a nugget of gold weighing 13½ ozs., and that

Michie had promised to meet Tooke with his mate. When I asked Tooke why they were to meet at Dargo, he said that Michie had found a gold field at Glen-maggie, and that Johnstone, Esq. had given Michie the Bruthen station for three years — to keep it secret - and that they were going to cross the mountains that nobody should see them." Some time after this I saw Michie, and asked him what prevented him from coming he appeared quite surprised, and

said he had neither found a nugget nor had he promised to meet them.

Arthur Orton also states that he knew Clare to have money with him, also a quantity of gold, (about a double handful,) and he showed him from amongst the lot a nugget resembling the shape and size of the first joint of the little finger. Toke told Arthur Orton, whilst he remained with him, that he had no money, but that as soon as he got some, he should go back to Omeo, as he was indebted there. Tooke has long borne the character of being a doubly convicted expiree and a reputed horse and cattle stealer; and the universal opinion is, that Clare has met with his death by some unfair means. And it is to be hoped that diligent search with the aid of some intelligent aborigines will yet be made along the banks of the Guanno Creek for the remains of Ballaarat Harry.

There are many other items of interest I could give you, did time and space admit; therefore, at present, you must

take the will for the deed from

Your humble subscriber,

EDWARD WATSON. Sale, 8th April, 1859.