Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 16 June 1866, page 5


WEEKLY EPITOME.

The Legislative Council met on Wednesday after a three-weeks' recess, and had a short sitting, during which several bills were advanced a stage. On Thursday, also, a small amount of business was despatched, and the House then adjourned till next week. The Legislative Assembly has not been able to muster a quorum on any of the days fixed for its meeting. Six-teen, exclusive of the Speaker, is the number necessary to make a House, and there were about nineteen members in town. The squat-ting party, however, found itself somewhat weakened through the non-arrival of some of its members, and they adopted the manouvre of not making n quorum, to avoid the risk of a defeat in case tho Land Bill camo on.

The settling on the North Australian Races took place at Ipswich on Saturday last. About £1600 was handed over in prizes. The largest winner was Mr. L. Flannery, who received £559 8s. ; and tho next, Mr. Ruddle, who ob-tained £484. Mr. J. T. Ryan, of New South Wales, came in third, with £156 5s. Tho pro-ceedings passed off satisfactorily.

About thirty members of the Brisbane Foot-ball Club mustered in the Queen's Park on Saturday afternoon, and played a scratch match. This was the first general turn out of the new

club.

Wet weathor set in on Monday last, and there was a continuous fall of rain in Bris-

bane for three days ; on Thursday and Friday very little fell. The visitation appears to have extended over the greater part of the colony. At Enoggera, the fall has been such as to raise the level of the water in the reservoir to within a few feet of the by-wash.

Isaac Hinchcliff, the poor fellow who sustained such severe injuries from a fall in George-street a short time ago, after lingering much longer than was anticipated, expired on Saturday evening. He was quite conscious at the time of

his death.

A Punch has been started by some literary and artistic gentlemen at Dalby. The sketches, which are done with pen and ink, are described as being very good.

A blackfellow, employed by a workman at Dundatha to carry a swag from Maryborough to tho Saw Mills, stuck up his employcr, and took some money from him. This happened last Sunday week.

The new church for the Episcopalian body at Maryborough was opened on the 3rd June with Divine worship.

On Saturday week Alfred Stevens, of the firm of Stevens and Company of the Great Northern Railway Stores, Rockhampton, was committed for trial, on the information of James Duff Milne, Manager of the Rockhampton Branch of the Bank of Queensland, with having obtained £82 16s. 9d., by means of false pretences.

A sale of twenty-four town lots took place at Clermont on the 25th May, and they brought

a total sum of £230.

A bushranger, calling himself the " Wild Frenchman," has been doing a little of the footpad's business in some of the Northern

districts.

Two meetings of working men have been held on the subject of the Land Question this week. One took place at South Brisbane on Tuesday, and the other at the Town Hall on Wednesday. Resolutions were passed in favor of tho exten-sion of the leasing principle to agricultural

lands.

The English mail arrived at Adelaide on Monday night, and a telegram of tho news was published on the following day.

Dr.Temple, a gentlemen of tho medical pro-

fession who has been for some time a resident of Brisbane, died on Sunday. His funeral took place on Tuesday, and was attended by a large number of the masonic body,

The annual ball at Government House in commemoration of the birthday of her Majesty was given on Tuesday evening. There were about four hundred ladies and gentlemen present.

The half-yearly examination of the pupils attending the Ipswich Grammar School was brought to a close on Tuesday week. The dis-tribution of the prizes and elocutionary entertainment have been postponed till after the holidays, in consequence of the ill health of the

head master.

The Criminal Sittings of the Metropolitan District Court, at Brisbane, commenced on Monday, Tommy Petrie, a black follow, was sentenced to four months' imprisonment for wounding an aboriginal woman ; William Chill was «entonced to six months' imprison-ment for stealing a £5 note ; And Michael and Thomas Hennessy were sentenced to two years' hard labor for horse stealing. On Thursday, a black fellow named Jacky, charged with horse stoaling, was rcmnuded to Ipswich, and the sittings closed.

In roforonco to tho now Ooinmoroiol Bank of Austrulia, wo leam that tho undertaking has been most successful!.! launched, tho application for the first hsuo of shares being ¡vcryrfa.r in ox

coss of the number to bo allotted.

Tho now assossment of the town of Ipswich

amounts to £44,016 10s., of which sum £2252 6s. Cd. is set down as rales. A court of appoal was hold on tho 2nd iii6lunt, boforo, tho polico magistrate. Thcro wore 47 appeals, in nearly all ,of which a Binall avorago reduction was made. The total reduction made was a littlo over £500, so that tho assoBsmont for 1860 is about £40,000.

A brauch of tho Bank of New South Walos is about to bo opened in Warwick.

Tho commission appointed by tho Government to enquire into the charges mado against Mr. Douglas, tho clerk of potty sessions, closed on Thursday. Tho commission consider that some of the charges havo beon proved against Mr. Douglas. With regard to tho imprisonment of Masterman, they consider that it was illegal, oppressive, and in tho interest of humanity havo telegraphed to tho Colonial Secretary to request his Excellency tho Governor to order his imme-

diate rolcueo.

Tho erection of a Town Hall, to cost £2000, will shortly bo commenced in Warwick.

The Town Clork held a sale of Corporation lands, situate in South Brisbane, on Thursday. Owing, probably, to the unfavourable weather thore was a very small nttendanco of biddors. Out of 17 lots submitted for salo only two woro sold, of both of which Mr. John Cameron was tho pui chaser. They fetched £150 each.

Tho bushrangor Hunter has been arrested on Bendomero station by Sub-inspector Elliott, who took £596 in cheques from him.

Tho following table, which has been fur-nished to us through tho courtesy of tho Rev. J. Bliss, shows the amount of rainfall in inches and decimals, at Brisbano, since 9 p.m. on Sun-day last :

Total In I860.

0 a.m.

3 p.m.

0 p.m.

21 hours.

Juno 11

.. -19

.70 -

1-26

215 " 12

.. -07

.22

.59

1-48 » 13

,. -28

.89

1-57

2-74 ., H

.. -08

.02

.02

.12

Total Pall

6.49

A KOYAI SCAKDAII.-A curious old scandal has turned up once more in tho Court of Pro-bate. Princo Henry Predcrick, Duke of Cum-berland, fourth brother of George III., was privately married before tho Royal Marriage Act to Olive Wilmot, daughter of tho rector of Bar ton-on-tho-Heath, in Warwickshire. Her granddaughter, Mrs. Ryves, now claims, under tho Declaration of Legitimacy Act, to bo declared a member of the Royal family. If sho can prove the marriage she is one, and ono, more-over, in the actual line of the succession, rank-ing just after the King of Hanover ; and this is the real issuo on which tho case will turn.

THE late Sir Honry Smith, long member of Parliament for Colchester, was one of the Tories of tho old school ; and among tho advocates of reform his resolute opposition to all change guve him a reputation for folly and obstinacy which was not borne out by his real character. On one occasion ho was canvassing in presence of numerous friends, and on asking a heavy looking farmer for his vote, the mun replied. " I'd vote for ye, Sir Henry, as usual, only you're such a fool."-" Pool, am I ?" retorted Sir Henry ; " then I'm the very man to repre-sent you." This shaft of wit penctrutcd the farmer's sconce, and with a loud guffaw he promised his vote.