Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Thursday 7 August 1884, page 8


SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

ADELAIDE, WEDNESDAY.

A private meeting of members was held in the House of Assembly this morning, when it was agreed that, as the Government will not introduce a bill providing for the payment of members, Dr. Cockburn should give notice of leave to introduce a measure to that effect on Wednesday next.

Mr. Sydney Talbot Smith, son of the ex-Minister of Education, of Trinity College, Cambridge, has passed with success his examination in law tripos, and has secured the degree of B.A. and LL.B. He has been at Cambridge for three years, and passed the Oxford examination in this colony when only 12 years old.

Another railway deputation waited upon the Com-missioner of Works to-day, to request that Terowie might be the starting point of the railway to Silverton. They stated that the break of gauge occurred at Terowie. When there was plenty of accommodation for the purpose

of the terminus. All the wool and ore from the

North-east came through Terowie to Port Adelaide.

The Commissioner said that he would lay the facts cited before the House, but personally he had heard nothing to shake his opinion that Petersburg is the best position.

Strickland Gough Kingston, solicitor, was tried at the criminal sittings, before Justice Boucaut, to-day, for shooting Patrick Guerrin, a cabdriver, on June 8, and inflicting grievous bodily harm. The prosecutor was driving the prisoner along Pirie-street, when the prisoner shot him with a small rifle in the head, inflicting a wound which detained him in the hospital for 10 days. The prisoner said that he was aiming at Guerrin's hat with the rifle, intending to put a bullet through it, but the cab jolted and the bullet entered

his head. Prosecutor said that he wanted £1000 to settle the affair, but Kingston would not give it. The Judge directed the jury to find the prisoner guilty of wounding on his own evidence, which was done. Mr. Symon, Q.C., took the point which was reserved to the full Court, that the direction of the Judge was wrong. Kingston was released on bail.

The report of the medical board which was appointed to inquire into the outbreak of ophthalmia in the In-dustrial School at Magill, was laid before the Legisla-tive Assembly by the Chief Secretary. It first traced the outbreak of measles, which occurred in April last, to the admission of a boy to the institution when the disease had not developed itself. In June, 26 children were down with measles, and 11 with ophthalmia ; While the former disease was got under, the ophthalmia spread rapidly. The late officer, Dr. Jones, who com-mitted suicide (the result of the remarks which were made at the outbreak), was entirely exonerated from blame in the matter by Dr. Gosse, but the board do not agree with Dr. Gosse, who attributes the spread of the disease to overcrowding and ill-ventilation, but think that it is due to the contact of the children during the day. They recommend isolation in all cases, and the separation of the reformatory from the industrial School ; the establishment of a reception ward, where the chil-dren could be detained for a certain period, so as to allow the disease to manifest itself before they would be allowed to mingle with the rest of the inmates ; and suggest that any further extension of the institution should be in the style of cottage homes.

Early in July a fault appeared in the Port Darwin cable of 1871 close to the Java end, but it did not cause an interruption, and has since been remedied. The fault was probably caused by a ship's anchor.