Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Wednesday 6 March 1867, page 3


SOUTH AUSTBALIA.

OUR files of papers from Adelaide aro to the

20th instant :

CoiOHiAi STATESMEN.-Tho Sonth Australian Eegisler waxes wroth ot tho honor done their Chief Secretary and the Hon. H. Ayers, by the Australian Netos in giving tho portraits of thoso two gentlemen, among tho BUC thus handed down to postority, and gives vent to the following by no means complimentary observations ¡-"Tho Australian Neivs this month has what aro ro presonted to be portraits of six ' Colonial States-men,' inclm ing our two representatives to the Postal Conference in Melbourne-tho Chief Secretary and the Hon. H. Ayers. Anything moro atrocious in woodcut portraiture than the figures of our two respected colonists it would be difficult to imagino. Messrs. A. Blyth and H. Ayers are-' not to put too fine a point on it '-rather good-looking men ; but we feelingly ask what will the respected wives and children of our worthy legislators think of the earioaturos of their ' esteemed relatives,' which are tobo sont homo to English readers to give them some notion of tbo outward appearance of our ohiof men. If representatives of South Australia who may visit Melbourne on intercolonial questions ore to bo subject to such a gross indignity as has been perpetrated on Messrs. Blyth and Ayers, then we should think it will be difficult to obtain the services of gentlemen for such a mission. How ÍB that Mr. .ayers is represented as an M.L.C. of New South Wales ? Wo do not know the gentlemen who are supposed tobe represented by the other engravings ; but if these are portraits weean only say that Austra-lia has a remarkable looking class of mon amongst her leading statesmen. To be photo-graphed, and then dono in wood for an il-lustrated newspaper, is on ordeal to pass through to which most men would object. We offer our sinccrest sympathy and condolence to the Chief Secretary and his unfortunate colleague, and to all their belongings, on the grievous wrong whfch they havo suffered in having their heads taken off for the Australian News. They should con-sult tho Attorncr-General as to whether an action would not lio against tho publisher.

THE CRIMINAL SITTINGS.-The principal time of the Supreme Court was occupied on Friday, 15th instant, by the case of the two prisoners,

John and David Kerney, arrested for robbery under arms, and whose case was adjourned from the last sittings on the ground that the public feeling being excited, might cause the jury to take a prejudicial view of the case. The Court was densely crowded during the day. The chief evidence against the prisoners was that of Thomas Field, an accomplice in the robbery at

Mrs. Taylor's, who pleaded guilty at the last session, and is at present undergoing his sentence of imprisonment for life. He was brought up in chains, and gave a clear and detailed account of how the robbery was planned and executed by himself and the two prisoners. The jury, after brief retirement, returned a verdict of guilty against the prisoners, recommending the prisoner David Kerney to mercy on account of his youth. The Chief Justice, in a few solemn and impressive words, passed the sentence of

death, after whioh the prisoners were removed from the dock, and on leaving turned round and

laughed at the people in the gallery in a most

flippant manner.

THE BANK OF ADELAIDE.-Our readors, says j

tho Register of 20th instmt, will bo glad to seo from the first roport of thodirootors of tho Bank of Adolaido that that institution has weathered

tho past year vory successfully, notwithstanding ! tho Borioua commoroial depression that has prevailed in all quarters. It appears from tho roport that aftor "deducting interest duo on

fixed deposits, róbate and bills not yet duo, the | oxponses of mnnagmont, of establishing four branohes at Kapunda, Gawler, Port Adolaido, and Goolwa, making allowanco for bad and doubtful dobts, and writing off tho whole of tho preliminary, Parliamentary, and legal oxponsos attending the formation of tho company, tho not profits amount to £6531 3s. Id." This amount lias boon set asido as tho first instalment of a Eosorvo Fund, and, says the roport, " with this

proviso, a largo proportion of the futuro profits

will honcoforth bo availablo for dividends.

THE NORTHERN BUXS.-Mr. 0. Bonney has I just returned from a visit to tho runs in the j North, whoro ho has boon BÍUCO Christmas. Ho

wont about 400 milos northward, and has

oarofully inspeotod a oonsidorablo numbor of | ¡ runs. Tho acoount ho gives of tho stato of tho

country is most deplorable. North of Mount Bomarkablo tho ruuB aro oomplotely donudod of feod, and aro as baro and dusty os tho middle of King William-stroet when a hot wind is blow-ing. Wo presumo tho Commission will shortly examino Mr. Bonnoy, and_ it may bo that his ! ovidenco will render a visit to tho North un-

necessary on tho port of tho gontlomon forming tho Commission. Though one of tho Valuators of Buns, Mr. Bonnoy may bo dopentlod on to givo a fair and impartial view of tho country, whether it bo in favor of tho Government or tho

| lossoos.-Eegister.

ETON.-The London bound train on the Groat Wostorn Balway arrived at Eton station, tho othor day, whon a pórtor thrust his hoad into tho carriage window, and shouted-" Eton !" Tho cry orousod on old couple, of ruBtio ospoot, who had boon dozing along the road, bobbing thoir agod hoads together, in a way peculiar to old couples whon journoying on tho rail. Have you over noticod thom ? Thoy can't talk, bo causo tho noise of tho train drowns their failing voices. Thoy got tired watching tho tolograph polcs, as thoy fly past as if on urgent business in anothordirootion,andso thoy gradually gotdrowsy falling asloop at about tho samo timo. Thoy sit up vory firm at first, but soon thoir hoads nod and roll about, coming togothor at longtb. with crashing rosults as to the old lady's uow Leghorn, which awakos her up in alarm. She gives " father" an admonishing poko with her elbow, and is again nodding. Tho old man's hood rolls around again, drops back, his mouth opons, ho gives a snore and a start, whon his lint falla off into his lap. Some bcnovolent person puts it on to his head again, and the dozo is soon resumed. Old lady has a narrow escapo from loosing hor hoad as it falls baok, raoovors as by miracio, and gives a lunge sidowoys, which nearly prooipitatos hor agahiBt the door, while at the samo timo tho old man " caunons" against tho door, and dives head-first on tile back of a fat woman in front of him, smashing his hat ovor hUoyoB in an agßravatiug way. "Eton!" shouts tho portor. " Eatin' ?" repeats tho old gentleman, tugging away to rolease himself from his hat. " Glud on't. I'm dreadful hungry. Como, ma, lot's got out and oat!" Thoy stumbled drowsily to tho door, and got out'on tho platform, looking around in a hungry and exceedingly bewildorcd manuor j but not find-ing what thoy woro looking for, tho old man inquired of a bystander-"Whoro's your ealin't" " This is Eton," was tho roply. Tho old couplo looked about moro bowildorod than ovor. Thoy saw nothing but two or thrco trunks, a few carpot-bogs, and a truok. (Thoy couldn't ho expected to cat Buch irtiok.) " Qoodnos me !" said tho old lady ; " if this is your eatin' what aro your stomicks made off" " Perhap you want to go to tho village," said an obliging native, standing by. " Follow that stroot" (pointing in the direction of a distant spiro) -" about a milo, and you will find Eton." " Can's wo find eatin' short of a milo ? How long does tho train stop ?" " Thrco minutos." " Lor', ino ! let's got 'board. Wo'ro too old to mako it." And tho old couplo got aboard, grumbling at an arrangement which announced " eatin' " a milo away, and only gavo three minutes to make

it in.

THE longest mossago yet transmitted through the Atlantic Telegraph was a dospatoli from the Unitod States government nt Washington to tho American minister at Paris. It was sont through last weok, and eousisted of moro than 4000 words. It ooOupiod 10 hours in transmission, and was sent at tho average rate of sovon words per minute. The cost of tho, mossago was ovor £2000. Tho message, if printed, would occupy about thrco columns of a daily newspaper

" THE Eyre Dofenco and Aid Fund "

calling by circular " upon all thoso who beliove that Governor Eyre quollod the insurrection in Jamaica, and savod that island, to como forward and boldly proclaim such to bo thoir opinion " by subscribing to tho fund, and pacing up their subscriptions, "John Bull," /writing to tho Times on this thorne, says that ho believes that Governor Eyre did good sorvico on the occasion in question, but that ho by no means believes that all the govornor's proceedings wero'justi-fied by the emergency. At tho samo time, if nionoy is required in order to insuro to Qovornor Eyre a fair trial, "John Bull" says ho is ready to como forward and produce it, but lie begs that ho may bo distinctly understood that in doing so ho doos not pledge himself to any opi-nion as to tho logality or propriety of Governor Eyro's proceedings towards Gordon and others. A new list of subscriptions to tho défonce fund includes the namoj of tim Duke of Fortland (£100), the Marquis of Lothian, the Earl of Glasgow, the Earl Selkirk, the, Marquis and Marchioness of Westmeath, Lord Claude Ham-ilton, the Dean of Armagh, together with a host of the officers of the army and navy, and about 16 or 16 clergymen ; also Mr. Bon jam iu Webster, of the Adelphi Theatre, Mr. G. A. Sala, Mr. Shirley Brooks, Mr. H. Baring, M.P., Mr. J. Lowther, M.P., Colonel Brownlow Knox, M.P., and Mr. T. Hewitt Koy, M.A.

A BOWBT Crrr.-The following description of the amenities of life in Memphis is from tho Avalanche of that city :-Not in tho wido world is there so much shooting, stabbing, end killing as in Shelby county, when we tako into con-sideration tho intelligence of the community. Night after night affrays occur ; mon are shot within a few yards of our office; bullets are fired into windows-and it is damn you ! click ! bang ! I'm shot !-nightly, from one ond of tho city to the other. One of the most ostoniahing features in this revelry of blood is tho nonchal-ance of tho participants. Thoy '* go for one another," like men at a rowing match. While wrestling, two persons became engaged in a difficulty under our window some nights ago. One made at his antagonist with a knife, who replied with a shot and exclaimed, " I've killed him !" " Xou are a liar !" says the individual hit, while he had a hole in him you could put your thumb in. The city is mad ; crime is epidemic, and the poisonous elements consist in the evil practice of carrying weapons.