Colonist (Sydney, NSW : 1835 - 1840), Thursday 12 May 1836, page 5


CATTLE STEALING. The extent to which this crime has been carried in the interior seems absolutely incredible. Owing to the exertions of Henry O'Brien, Esq., J.P., of Yass, all the ramifications of the system have been laid open to the public as they exist in the neighbourhood of Murrumbidgee, and Monaroo; and we doubt not if equal exertions were made it would be found that its is carried on to an equal amount in other parts of the colony. Some idea of its extent in that neigh-bourhood may be formed from the fact, that in the herds of Messrs. H. and C. O'Brien, which run together at the Murrumbidgee, there was an actually deficiency in the gross amount between the muster of 1834 and that of 1835, of up-wards of 300 head, leaving the increase which ought to have taken place during that period out of the question altogether. The exertions of Mr. O'Brien, and the number of depredators who have through means of him been brought to justice, will check, if they do not altogether put a stop to the system. Those who have managed to escape will, we doubt not, be more careful how they commit themselves in future, and the examples which have been made, will, we trust, deter others from entering on or persevering in such a dangerous course. Our thanks, as well as the thanks of the community, are due to Mr. O'Brien for the conduct which at the cost of his own time, and to the injury of his own interests, as well as at the risk of his own safety, he has so nobly pursued. The settlers in the districts of Murrumbidgee, Monaroo, Yass, and Goulburn, who have so materially benefitted from his exer-tions cannot, we think, in justice to themselves re-frain from coming forward to mark their sense of Mr. O'Brien's services in a manner which will show to the world that they know and appreciate the benefits they have derived from his successful exertions. We are sorry to learn that our old friend Dr. Lhotsky, who, we understand, has been employed for some time past by Mr. Francis Stephen, Mr. Nicol Allan, and Mr. John Thomas Wilson, in getting up a pamphlet against Dr. Lang, has been seized with a pulmonary affection, which renders it necessary for him to seek a warmer climate. He has accordingly solicited permission from the government to reside at Moreton Bay, and some appointment of a scientific character to enable him to render his talents of use to the colony. We shall be most happy to find Dr. L.'s application successful; for we have always considered him as a man possessed of abilities that might be turned to a good account in the public ser-vice in this colony, and who had sadly mistaken his own *forte* when he commenced writing on colonial politics. As the situation of Colonial Botanist is at present unoccupied, through the lamented death of the unfortunate Mr. Cunningham, might not such a situation as Botanical Collector for the northern settlement or be created *pro tempore* for Dr. Lhotsky? The remarks on the Rev, Mr. Ullathorne's letter, inserted in our last number, were written before we received the copy of the letter which was published in our paper, and it had escaped our observation until after the paper had gone to press, that the allu-sion to Fenelon in the copies published in *The Monitor* and *The Australian*, was not contained in the copy forwarded to us. Mr. U. would, of course, account for our noticing the allusion in the way we have mentioned, although it would, doubtless, seem strange to those who had only read the letter in this jour-nal.