South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), Wednesday 17 July 1844, page 2


CORPORATION CREDITORS AND THE NEW POLICE BILL.

Little doubt, we suppose, exists of its being his Excellency's intention to su-percede the necessity for the Corpora-tion of Adelaide, by the introduction of

the New Police Bill. Under these circumstances, we beg to suggest to the creditors of the Cor poration—among whom we rank our selves—the propriety of bestirring themselves against the opening of the Session, either by Memorial or other wise, to seek the payment of their just debts. We throw out this suggestion thus early, first, that his Excellency may not to be taken by surprise, and, next, that the creditors of (he Corporation may have an opportunity of meeting, and deciding as to what course it may be best to pursue. Should this meet the eye of his Ex cellency, we would respectfully suggest, that the amount of these debts should be ascertained, and that they should in the meantime be made the subject of a separate item in the Estimates for 1845, or that his Excellency should be pre pared to issue debentures for them, bearing a fair rate of interest, and pay able, say, in one or two years. Of course it can never be the inten tion, either of the Home or Colonial Government, that debts, contracted under the authority of an Act of Coun cil, should be repudiated, and surely, after the lapse of between two and three years, there can be no sufficient rea son why these accounts should not be squared up. To the Government, taking into its own hands the property of the Corpo ration, the payments of its debts is too trifling a m?Uer to be looked upon as a bug-bear, but to the creditors of the late municipal authorities, these out standing debts are particularly incon venient. Much as we value Municipal Insti tutions, and much as we have taken up our pen in defence of them, we now say, pay us our money, and pitch the Corporation of Adelaide, if you will, to the dogs.

The "John Pirie."—The Company's schooner John Pirie, is, it will be per-ceivcd by our advertising columns, laid on again for New Zealand, and will probably take wheat and flour. SHIPPING AT THE PORT.—It is now long since so many vessels were lying at Port Adelaide as at present. The Augustus and the Taglioni arc loading for London; the Guiana is taking in wheat for the Mauritius; the Coquette aud the Hero are both advertised for Portland Bay and Launccston ; the John Pirie commences loading to-day for New Zealand ; and the Waterwitch has just left with a full cargo of wheat and flour for Mauritius. Alto-gether, our export trade will soon find constant employment for a large aggre-gate amount of tonnage. The Company's Leases at the Port.— Some weeks ago, we stated that Lord 1 Stanley had expressed an opinion adverse j to the surrender of the Company's ware- , house at the Port, held on lease as a \ Bonded Store by the Government. At f that time our respected contemporary, the Southern Australian, vulgarly ycleped Grandmamma, was pleased to designate this announcement as an " apocryphal" : one, but, as a proof of Grandmamma's general correctness, we may now mention that the Colonial Secretary has wiittcn to the Manager of the Company, to say, that Loid Stanley is of opinion, that this lease should be held " inviolate," and that the Government is, therefore, prepared to issue debentures for the payment of the rent, from, the time at which the premises were vacated, but that the Government reserves to itself the right of sub-letting them, up to the time of the expiry of the lease. Of course, the Company cares not a rush what use is made of th<; pre mises, so that they are kept in repair, and the rent is paid, but, supposing Lord Stanley to have expressed an opinion, which we know he lias, that the lease is to be held " inviolate," the Company, we should say, are not such flats as to take debentures, when they are in a po sition to demand cash. Captain Hall's Salting Machine.— Captain Hall, we are happy to hear, is about to set up his sailing machine at the Port, and will make trial of it some day next week. For the purposes of exporta tion to England, it is not likely that salting beef in this Province will answer, now that American beef and pork is let in under the new tariff, but the Mauritius and Indian markets are open, and shipping salt beef to any of these markets will, we have no doubt, be found a good speculation. In some of the late papers, we observe, the beef sent to England from Port Phillip was likely to be attended with great loss, the cost being nearly equal to that of American in the London market, and yet it was found to be hard on the outside, and, in other respects, of inferior quality. The hardness of the outside, we understand, arose from an excessive use of saltpetre, thought necessary to its preservation, and yet, from the salt not having sufficiently penetrated it, it had decayed at the heart. These disadvantages, Captain Hall will be able to obviate by the use of his machine, brine of any strength being able to be in jected into the meat, so that the beef, if it should be found necsssary, may only be slightly corned for the Mauritius market, and yet be sufficiently preserved. We •wish Captain Hall all the success his en terprise merits, and shall take care to re port the result of his first experiment, whenever that experiment may be made. Rendering Tallow.—We have been favoured with the following memoranda from a highly respectable house at home, which we deem worthy of publication, now that the " rendering of tallow " is an object of so much interest and importance to these Colonies. For this purpose " A small iron boiler should be procured, three feet square,' and one eighth of an inch thick, which, with fire-place, pipe, &c, would cost £10 to £12. A pipe should be led into a tub, and coiled round the bottom, with holes in it to let the steam escape. The tub, to hold a ton, should be about four feet deep, by four feet diameter, and should be filled with water about ten inches deep, and then with grease to about ten inches of the top, so as not to allow it to boil over, when the steam is turned on. In about an hour, the grease •will all become clear and transparent. It should be let off at a tap, just above the water and refuse. The latter will form a cake be tween the grease and water. The water can then be let off, leaving only the refuse. The tallow rendered this way, will be quite clear, and will remain liquid for some days, in which state it can be put into barrels. The advantages of this plan is, that it cannot be injured by burning, which spoils its colour." '. * vSo far the memoranda, with which we have been furnished. To a want of greater care, w in this respect, is, no doubt, to be attributed the fact, that some of our Colonial candles are so inferior to those which are imported. As it respects the rendering of tallow for the purposes of exportation, it might also be tried, and would, doubtless, be found to be of great advantage. A melancholy case of suicide was com mitted last week in the neighbourhood of Willunga, by a female named Martin, by drowning herself in a water, hole. It ap pears that the unfortunate woman was the mother of the boy, who was tried at the late Sittings, for stealing from the mail but acquitted; which circumstance so preyed upon the mind of the poor crca ture, that she was led to commit the rash act. The matter is rendered still more distressing from the fact of her being far advanced in a state of pregnancy. Previ-

ously to this, she appears to have been a woman of strong mind and active habits, and an affectionate wife and mother. And there is little doubt, but the fact of her eon being brought up for stealing, was the cause of the sad catastrophe. An in quest was, we understand, held on the body, and a verdict, " that 6he de stroyed herself while labouring under tem porary insanity," returned. POLICE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.—FRI-DAY, 12TH JULY.—John Essenhigh, a re-spectable looking man, appeared before the Commissioner on a charge of stealing certain articles from Samuel Chapman. The prosecutor said he had lost them about two years ago, and he found them in the possession of another party who said he had bought them of the prisoner. One of the articles, a screw-tap, was particu-larly sworn to, from a thimble having been inserted in it for the screw to run in, which the prosecutor said, he did himself, and that they had never been sold by him. The prisoner not giving a very satisfac-tory account of how he became possessed of them, was committed for trial, and bound over in his own recognizance for £50 to appear at the next Sessions to an-swer any charge that may be brought against him. OPENING OF THE SCOTTISH CHURCH GRENFELL-STREET.—This new church, the first erected in South Australia for the use of members of the Church of Scotland, was opened for public worship on Sunday last, the 14th current. The service was per formed in the forenoon by the Rev. Robert llain'mg, pastor of the congregation; in the afternoon by the Rev. Ralph Drumroond, minister of the Presbyterian Church, Gouger street; and in the evening by the Rev. T. Q. Stow, of the Congregational Church, Freeman.street. The church was crowded on every occasion, except in the forenoon, when the boisterous weather doubtless pre vented many from attending; but those who did appear, showed their good will by the liberality of their donations, in behalf of the funds for erecting the church, the collection being upwards of £9, and altogether the handsome sum of £15 15s. was contributed by the public at the three services. The seating and pulpit are of Australian cedar, and look uncommonly well. The ceiling is coccave, and is well adapted for sound. The church is small, being calculated to ac commodate with perfect comfort only about two hundred and fifty adults; but its tasteful appearance was the theme of universal praise. The Scottish population deserve credit for their zeal, liberality, and prudence, in the erection of their church. The debt due for it is a mere trifle, and will be easily liqui dated. The church itself is a credit to Mr Jones, the builder; and to the building committee, Messrs. M'Euen, Calder, and ' Wotherspoon, much gratitude is due for ; their care and exertions. We cannot close : this notice without an allusion to the display of friendly feeling evinced upon the occasion [by the other religious bodies. The Wes , leyans shewed their good wishes by closing ! their chapel in the evening, so as to afford . them an opportunity of visiting the new , place for worship. The Rev. Mr Stow was ■ present" as a hearer when Mr Drumraond , performed the middle service, and the Rev. j Mr Longbottom was also present as a hearer i when Mr Stow performed the evening eer ? vice. The spirit of Christian brother hood, which the sincere friend of religion t would wish to see at all times, was well dis l played on this occasion.— Southern Austra f Han. Agriculture in the Southern Dis ticts. —A correspondent informs us that the prickly acacia of Kangaroo Island has been sown to a considerable extent in Morphett Vale. The farmers have also \ adopted expedients for saving labour in ; turning up the soil; some use a scarifying i " | machine, and some turn up every alternate furrow, and harrow it before sowing. We 1 believe indeed, it is best in all cases to h«rrow before sowing, it having been jroved by experiment, that if seed is more i than five inches deep it does not germinate, i and that a considerable portion is lost. , Several persons are preparing land for to i bacco : among them is an American who t proposes to sow an acre. We hope far i mere in other districts will take the hint in i time, for next month is the time for sowing ,' this valuable plant. In Happy Valley a i trial has been made of liming the land, . which had a very good effect. It is greatly I to be wished that the farmers wou d take ■ notes of dates ami of the results of any ex , pcrimeuts they make, and communicate ; them to either of the Agricultural Socie r ties. They need not be afraid of doing ? themselves an injury by making such com ) munications, as it has been abundantly s proved that the greater the general im. ; provement there is in agriculture, the more t it has benefitted farmers individually. — - Ibid. , Squatting-maciiine.—An amusing ca ' t ricature, representing a process the very [ reverse in its operation to the boiling , down system, which is now so fashiona ', ble, has just been published in Sydney. It I represents the members of the Executive , industriously working a wool-press with capstan bars, but, instead of the staple j commodity of Colonial export undergoing soft pressure beneath the engine, the ' attenuated limbs and tattered garments of the impoverished squatters, are writhing 1 and bruising in excruciating agony. Money Markbt.—Such is the glut of money in the mother-country, that capi talists are unable to find means for its em ployment. The Bank of England arc now discounting six months' bills at two per cent.; and the different newspapers teem with advertisements, offering cash at very low rates of interest. The following ap pears in the Hampshire Telegraph, of the 22nd January:— Money pou Mohtgacu £30,000 jb ready (or approved moitgages, on o term of years, at four teen years, a: three per cent.—Apply, by letter on.y, free of postage, to John James Coward, Esq , Latibdowne Crescent, Batb.—Principal only will be attended to.

Brandy converted into Salt Watkr— ] The ingenuity of our friends iu Sydney, writes the Nelson Examiner, since Ihe lute depression in New South Wales, has been much talked of. Their success in various . schemes unheard of before is doubtless re- i markable. But the bailing down is nothing I to the new invention of converting brandy i into salt water. This is an actual fact. Se- < veral casks of brandy were shipped aboard • the Ituna in Sydney, freight paid for thcro, < and consigned to this place to order, where I they were landed and received into the bonded stores, for the purpose of ascertaining the exact amount of duty to be paid. Our Tide-Surveyor, who is very expert at discovering and enforcing the rights of her Majesty, in serted his mysterious rod into the interior of these mysterious casks, and behold the brandy wus found to hove been converted into pure salt water ! The Sydney people arc really ingenious ! ! Bark.—The very injudicious publica tion of a letter from Messrs Buckles and Co., in the Gazette of the 17th instant, relative to this article, is calculated to pro duce anything but good. There must be some error as to the quantity said to be equal to an annual demand for the home market, riz., five hundred ton6, at least 50,000 to 55,000 having been annually consumed for many years past, and Terra Japonica has been an article of steady im port for many years. It is not probable many licenses to strip will be taken out for tlic next season, because the country for at least thirty miles from any shipping places is already denuded of wattle. At this moment some quantity is held in stack, and the holders will do well not to be alarmed (by statements put forth so gratuitously) however full the home mar ket may be of bark now, it will soon be bare. We have heard the result (by the Johnstoues), of a shipment of a lot of very indifferent baik last season, which rea lized £10 10s., at (he same time good bark was obtaining £13 10s. to £14 10s. We have reason to believe that £14 is now readily obtained for fair samples of mi mosa bark in the home market. Lower freights in consequence of the very de creased quantity which will be offered for shipment next season, will have to be sub mitted to —indeed there does not appear any reason why the freights should have advanced from £3 15s to £5, the former rate being deemed fair by an old shipmaster in the Van Diemen's Land trade. The price of English bark, per load of 45 cwt. in December last was — new, £14 to £18; old, £IG to £20. Foreign, £8 10s. to £9 10s. per ton. Mi mosa, £11 15s. to £13. Pickled valonia, £17 to £22. Terra Japonica, not quoted, but at the rate of other tanning substances enumerated, it would be from £12 to £14 per ton. Terra Japonica can be lmmifac tured here, if encouragement and protec tion were given for a season only, a party would engage in it instantly—indeed speci mens have been sent home.— Port Phillip Herald. Great Britain contains a million and a half of horses, and more than eight mil lions of cattle. One hundred and sixty thousand head of cattle are annually sold in Smithfield, without including calves or carcasses slaughtered in various parts of the country, and sent to London. If this is reckoned to be a tenth part of the cattle slaughtered in the United Kingdom, it follows that 1,000,000 cattle arc sent to the butchers every year; and averaging the life of the ox or the cow at five years, the value of Milch Calile, estimated at £10 per head, will be eighty millions ster ling ; 1,200,000 sheep, : G,OOO pigs, and t 18,000 calves, are also sent to Smithfield ; in the cour?e of a yc.-ir, and if they are i reckoned to be a ten'h of the whole num. ) ber, and if two years arc allowed as the i average duration of (he lives of sheep and ; pigs, and the calves valued at £2 10s. > each, the pigs at £2 and the sheep at £1 i 10s., they will amount to nearly forty > millions; so that the actual value of cattle, i sheep and swine, may be safely computed ; to be one hundred and twenty millions , sterling.— M^Culloclfs Dictionary of Com , mercer