Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Tuesday 15 March 1887, page 4


%\u Wxûmt ®mmx.

TUESDAY, MAROU 15, 1887.

Ti IE constitution of the United Australasian Steam Navigation Company appears to be regarded in A ustralia with mixed feelings. In Sydney, where the pride of its merchants must have sustained a severe blow in the ignominious collapse of the long-established company which for many years controlled the maritime trade of Eastern Australia, there appears to be a sentiment of resigna-tion. Although it may be an evil to lose the old company, the trade of Sydney is likely to benefit by the introduction of English capital, and by the timely suppression of a dying corporation. The Australasian Steam Navigation Company had not been paying for several years ; ita losses of vessels had been very large ; and its managers had not either the ability, confidence, or capital requisite for the renewal of the lleet. Yet the sub-stitution of powerful steamers with all the latest improvements for the practically obsolete vessels of which the lleet was chiefly composed was the only practicable method iu the face of severe competition of putting the company on its feet again. For, un-fortunately for its well-being, when a

disaster occurred its favourite steamers usually went to the bottom, and its old weak-powered, coal-eating crafts had to be kept running at an excessive cost for years after they ought to have been sold or broken up. The old company was assailed on both sides-on the one hand by the cheaply-worked yet popular fleet of Messrs. Howard Smith and Sons, and on the other by the well-found powerful modern vessels of the Queensland Steam Shipping Com-pany. At first a coalition of the local fleets attempted to crush the Euglish intruder, but triple and quadruple expansion engines asserted their superiority in point of both speed and economy, while the command of cheaper capital was

advantage of not less importance in severe competition. The result of the contest was an ultimate mutual agreement iu regard to fares and freights, to the ine-vitable advantage of the company offering the best accommodation and the quickest transit. The directors of the old company, despite their unwise exclusivencss in favour of Sydney, soon found themselves over handicapped in the race, and they wisely determined to make terms before all their capital had been wasted in hopeless rivalry. By selling their fleet in one lot at a great sacrifice, although at a price slightly uuder its present market value, they will be pro-bably enabled, with the aid of the profit on their real property, to return to their share-holders their original capital intact, whereas had they continued the struggle the whole amount would soon have boen swept away. The timely realisation of the company's assets will, therefore, afford a solid crumb of comfort to its shareholders, while the trade of Sydney will have all tile shipping accommodation it has hitherto enjoyed without the risk of absorbing a large amount of local capital in so dangerous an

investment as a steam fleet.

In Queensland the formation of the new company is, we believe, regarded generally with satisfaction. Of course some persons are not pleased at the sudden close of cut-throat competition, and at the thought that capital invested in the steamships employed on our coast is now likely to yield a moderate profit. There is, too, a political class which trades upon the childish dread of capitalists which sometimes becomes epidemic in the community. In the eyes of such persons a rran to be honest must be poor, and a com

pany having command of unlimited capital at a low rate of interest must be essentially grasping and unscrupulous. As a matter of fact the shareholders in joint-stock companies are always content with a less return for capital than are ordinary trading firms. No business man would invest his capital in a project involving unlimited liability with the prospect of a return of 5 or G per cent. Yet few undertakings conducted by limited joint-stock companies, banking ex-cepter], yield more than bank interest to their shareholders. Steamship enterprise is notoriously discouraging in this respect, It is very frequently attended by ruinous loss, and never by large profit. Its attrac-tion appears to consist in its employment of immense amounts of capital in undertakings ?which indirectly benefit the country, -while offering the prospect of small but tolerably regular dividends. The capital upon which the United Australasian Steam Navigation Company will trade will not be furnished by a few rich and covetous men, but by thou-sands of British people who want a safe investmentf or their savings. Suchinvestors will place confidence in theundertakingbecauseof the well-known men who have allowed themselves to be associated with its manage-ment. The subscribers of capital for the new company will, we presume, be per-fectly satisfied with a net return of S per cent. Its operations will, therefore, be conducted at a small interest charge, and it may be relied on to secure the best appliances afloat for the safe, rapid, and economical transit of passengers and goods. It is but a rational presumption, then, that the com-pany will endeavour to stimulate trade by offering its patrons exceptionally good value for their money. Tor, although corporations have neither bodies to be kicked nor souls to be con-demned, they have moat sensitive bank accounts and a very wholesome regard for prospective rivalry. Besides, in re-gard to our coasting trade, there will still be competition. Messis. Howard Smith and Sous' steamers have held their own for many years despite the most vigorous efforts to drive them off the coast, and they are likely to continue to do so. It is not sufficiently appreciated that persons who conduct business on a very large scale are often at a greatdisadvantagein competing with a rival whose operations are on a small scale. The Australasian Steam Navigation Company must long ago have discovered that. When a rival steamer sought to take from its fleet a share of the trade on any particu-lar route, that company had either to make a reduction of fares and freights by the whole of its steamers on the line, or accom-pany the intruder by a special boat run at differential rates. The general reduction meant a heavy sacrifice to the company, while the differential charges deranged its trade, annoyed its patrons, and excited active public sympathy in favour of its opponent. So that, powerful as the Australasian Steam Navigation Company un-doubtedly was, it had been much weakened by competition before its last antagonist, the Queensland Steam Shipping Company, had entered the lists. And so will end every attempt at injurious monopoly not buttressed by a statutory charter. Public sentiment runs so strongly against it that rivalry is stimulated and supported in the effort to undermine its vantage grouud. The leading promoters of the United Australasian Steam Navigation Company aro all experienced men, and they may be credited with the intelligence to undeistand that the Austra-lian people will not long submit to any attempt to extort excessive charges or supply inferior accommodation. They will under-stand the disadvantage of carrying on busi-ness with old-fashioned and inefficient vessels, and they will also appreciate the importance of encouraging business by offer-ing increased inducements to travel. We cannot but believe that the establishment of the new company will prove of inestimable benefit to Australia, and that there is not the least reason to fear any attempt to exact an undue return for the large capital that will be invested in its undertaking.

Tin visit to Brisbane of Mr Walter Ha/el, member of the managing committee of the Immigration Information Bureau, has afloided J, most excellent opportunity foi correctly informing the British public as to the conditions of the Queensland labour market It is to be hoped that oui visitor is shrewd enough to grasp those conditions correctly, as well as just enough to admit that Hie colomes are entitled to have their welfare considered when migration is in question "We are inclined to hive confi-dence in Mr Hazels judgment from our knowledge that he has not been satisfied to accept onl} the assurances of the Immigra tion Oihce, but lias had personal interviews with recognised and intelligent leaders of the working classes which are most duectly affected by the influx of labour The dangei is lest Mi Hazel, accustomed to the intense distiess md most bitter poverty of the gi eat Eui opean cities, should infei that because similar distress, does not yet exist amongst us it would be a benefit to many in England if they were assisted to migrate hitherwards, e\ eu if only to swell still further om con gested towns But tins, as Mr Hazel must sie, would be only a shifting of both distress and responsibility "We have aheady too much " town libotu , ' we have even enough and to spaie of dependent agi ¡cul tui ii hboui In spite of our uigetit neces sity foi population-in ordei that oui heavy debt may be lightened by distubution-we are strongly of opinión that there is at pie sent little or no loom in Queensland for addi tiona to the class even of simple hboui eis Theie are artisans of every description -whose passages were paid bj the Queens land people-now existing solely by odd jobs of the loughest work, and bj the scant} wages of then wives and childi en And while this is how matteis stand in the towns, the country is swarming with "swagsiueu,' hopelessly and tveanh seek mg igucultural and pastoral woik

It is no answer to these Laid facts to quote instances of comparatively recent town labouring immigrants who aie now possessed of homes and well to do Men who have been here some time and have had steady work have done furly well, but Queensland labour c innot be judged by these any more than British labour can be judged by the condition of those who aie there in permanent employ meat There is springing up lieie the same unemployed class Avhose existence is the phantom which shadows England's prosperity If hboui lmpoi tatton is stayed, the growth of the colony will soon absorb the unemployed, but if the present immigra tion system is continued, yearly and hourly Australia will be slowly slipping down to

the level of the motherland The chance of owning a home, and of securing employment will decrease aud decrease It is a smalle chance now than it was thiee years a<*o J the Iabourei is crowded to the wall by un wise State aided competition, it will be smaller still three j ears hence To repeat if be encourages labour migi alton, j£r

Harel may only shift disk ess and iesponaI5 bihty fiom England to Australia" Mr Hazel may say that theie is suiely loom in Queeushnd foi thousands and hundreds of thousands and millions of willing woikeis, that surely it is absurd to call a halt in numigiatiou when a country seveiai times laigei th-n the United Km/ dom is only occupied by a handful of. settlers ! And so we say a]so Theie is loom ni Queensland foi all the strong aims and willing hearts that the motherland can send us , theie is a hear v welcome and a ceitain plenty for all who will cast in their lot with us and help ug to build up a free people and a happy stateprovided alw lys that these stiong arms and willing hearts go upon the land aud win for themselves the îeward with which the ear h

blesses its tiller

This is the message which Mr Hazel may safely take lo England Oui laboui marta is easily glutted, but there is abundant roo i for all uko can and will take to the land And if he can persuade our Goveiniueut to giant lands and gne encouragement to village settlement, he will have tlieiem our hear y support and the support of the workin" masses of Queensland Mi ILis-el will do little good for the surplus population of Britain and liai m to Queensland if he ism strumentdl in a f urthei aimless flooding of the local labour market Settlement is what we want, and only so fat %<¡ înnaiira lion conduces to settlement will it be de

sirable and beneficial

** ' "»""? "

THE reduction m the Bank of England rate of discount from 4 to i\ per cent which was effected on last Thuisday, w ill be generally welcomed foi more than fin m«d reasons, because it will be accepted as an indication that the prospects of peace are now more assured, and thit the piobabihty of an early Luropean war is a factor no longer potent in the considerations of financiers Ihe fact that all the Powers were hastening to a state of pieparedne"ä for war has appaiently averted war The bank returns fully warrant the i eduction m the rate qt discount The reseives aie 49 per cent of the liabilities, and stand at a figure, £15 900,000, which they had nof leached within the antecedent twelve months The fall in the oitictal rate vv as, as usual,'anticipated by the open market, where, on the 9th instant, the quotation w as re

duced fiom d to 2$ per cent The outside rate is thus at present Jths per ceut below the bank rate, and now that the wai pros

pects havo evidently gio«n dim or fided away altogethei, the proba bility is thit i fuither i eduction is not far distant Concmieutly with the high reseives, the fuourable change in tho ispect of Continental politics and the fall in the puce of money in the open inaikct, theie is m impetus given to investment, and Australim debentuies par ticipate in a use that is probibly generil on the Stock Exchange Thus on the 10th instant Now South Wales 3^ pet cents ro¡>e fiom. 02^ to 03 , their 4 pel cents fiom 10* tol07} and Queenslandfoursiosetopai tiom 99* "bo that, if the present indications oi tho couise of the mail et be fulfilled we shall look foi a revival in companj Ho »tin

in which doubtless Queensland will have its shaie Ihe only companies uiiiouuced as having been formed in London within the past week winch relate to Austiaha ar a Church Colonising Company, with the object of assisting enngruits fiom the United Kingdom to the colonies, capital ¿250,000, and the conversion into a hunte 1 companj, capital £100,000, of the busme 3 of William Watson and Sons, Australian merchants In the lattei case none of the sh ires were offered to the public

THE case heard recently at Barcaldine where a revenue constable shocked the

bench by saying that he could only hope io procure convictions by telling lies, is one of a constantly recurring class. We hare nothing to say about the particular case. Our only comment on the matter is con-veyed in the caution to beware of the popular prejudice which raises an outcry against the police for using underhand means to trap men whose whole method is by it» very nature underhand. The cry of the inefficacy of the police, and particularly of the detective police, is always easily raised and always easily credited, and yet the sympathy of the public with a scamp or

?worse who has been fooled and led into

a carefully prepared trap is equally ine-vitable. The truth is that the English-man, in his fine illodcal way, gratifies two of his most characteristic instincts-his love of downright honesty and his hatred of bangling-at the expense of a body with which he has no sympathy in the first plaee. If a detective leads a man into a trap, why, he is a mean trickster. If, how-ever, the detective is led into a trap, why, he is a fool ! And, besides all this, he is an objectionable fellow in himself. The English instinct of personal freedom runs only too often into the shape of palliation of personal irresponsibility. Sooner than let a suspected mau be treated like a guilty one, we would give him the chance to escape and entail on the police the trouble of recapture, or on justice the rebuff of a defiance. Colonel Henderson, then head of the London police, hit off well the difference of the English and the French treatment of their police when he said :-" Here the policeman is a humorous personage whose invisibility has furnished endless material for jokers. Abroad, people do not laugh at the policeman, quite the contrary." And still less, he might bare added, do they openly obstruct, if not annoy, the detective in the pursuit of his office. And yet, as wo have noticed, people are never tired of casting the efficacy of the French mouc/uird in the teeth of his English brother ; and we ourselves must plead guilty to the fact that, as Colonel Henderson declared to a London interviewer, "You gentlemen ot the Press and, as one of my officers womel say, ' other writers of fiction,' are responsible in great measure" for this also. It would, indeed, be at once more logical ano more wise to take up a quite different attitude towards our police. If they are necessaryand who does not agree to this ?-then we must not shirk acknowledging that tee necessity for them in the more intellectual branches of their work entails on them a morality other than that of churches and chapels, and not unlike that which General Wolseley declares a soldier must practise m time of war. To profit by breaches of tins morality in the shape of arrested rogues, ami yet to perpetually shirk the responsibility or these breaches, is not just, is not honest, is not true. The theory that the end justifie» the means is a pet subject for our declama-tion. We call it Jesuitical, and than* heaven that -we are not that. And yet, W3 greater or a less degree, we are all practise« of that theory, because, in certain instan«»» that theory is a true and necessary one.

Applications are invited for the clerkship « the Yeerongpilly Divisional Board.

Mr George Lewis, a well-known and much ^^ected citizen of Sydney, hits been in Bris-bane for some days on a mission of inquiry «snocthiff the systems of local government of

HM of the divisional boards. It is Inderstood that Mr. Lewis has been intrusted ^fh his important task by the Colonial Scretary of New South Wales, who, on be TaU: of the Government of that colony, has already intimated their intention te> ask Parliament to consider the question, of local aventurent. Mr. Lewis has had _ ample facilities placed in his way for acquiring tho "formation he desiros, mid has we under Rtsnd already interviewed a goodly number of gentlemen who are best able to assist him.

° Our esteemed townsman, Alderman Sinclair, whose daughter died after a brief illness a few months n"0, is now tho victim of a freáh be-reavement, the loss by drowning-of his only

TI.« vountr man had for a considerable

son. -tai ,rw'"'b t .

tune been engaged in droving cattle in tho ?Western districts, and was shortly expected home On Sunday morninç, howovet-, his father received by wiro the distressing news liât ho was drowned in attempting to cross Kyabra Creek, Euroongoola station, on the "4th February. Wo aro suro that Mr. Sinclair ^ill receive in this trouble tho heartfelt sym-pathy of many hundreds of his fellow-citizens.

At the sitting of the Supreme Court in ita civil jurisdiction yesterday morning, tho namo of Mr. A. R. H. Pietzcker, who had been sum-moned ns a juror, was called amongst the others. Mr. Pietzcker was present, and mado a request to his Honour that his -attendanoo mjo-lifc bo excused, as ho was engaged as lion, secretary to the Hoed Belief Committee. Tito work of that body was continuous andincessant, and it wouldbeimpossibloforanyone else totako over tho work now without causing considerable inconvenience and delay in the apportiontnumt of the relief that was so much needed. His Honour said he could not give any formal re-lief on such an excuse, but ho could abstain from ullin" Mr. Pietzcker, and should that gentle-man not attond ho thought it was voryprobablo ho would not fine him.

It is understood that tho name of Mr. Jesse Paton has been submitted to tho Governor for appointment to tho Metropolitan Traffic Board ¡is tho representative for Ithaca, Toowong, and Indooroopilly.

Mr. Walter Hazell has during his brief stay in Queensland been fully occupied in seeking information on all matters of interest to intend-ing immigrants. He is a shrewd mau of busi-ness, and carefully avoids the mistake of offer-ing advice, preferring to obtain information on ever)' opportunity. On Friday last he visited Beenleigh and tho Logan district and was shown round by Mr. Macalister, the C.P.S. at Beenleigh. On Saturday morning Mr. Hazoll interviewed two or three of the leading mem-bers of Brisbano trades muons and evidently obtained a very intelligent grasp of theil views on the labour questions. Mr. Hazell has also directed inquiries into the question of coloured labour, and more par -ticuliirly with the object of ascertaining how European workmen woro affected by it. Ho started on his return to Sydney yoslerday, going by way of Toowoomba and tho Darling Downs, where ho will stay for a day to visit somo of the farms, and obtain information on matters of agricultural interest.

The Railway Department has accepted tho .following tenders :-Twenty timber waggons

for tlio Southern mid Western Kiiilway, Han-cock Bros., Ipswich, £1529 10s. Shelter sheds and oilices, Howard to Bundaberg Railway, Phillips and Sraitli, £315.

A private letter received from Melbourne «tutos that Dr. John Blair, president of tho Medical Board of Victoria and of tho Alfred Hospital, of which latter institution ho is re-garded as tho founder, died at Collins-street, Melbourne, on the 9th instant. He was one of ?the oldest and most respected medical mon of

Victoria.

Tlio usual monthly meeting of the committee of tlio Society for tho Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was hold at tho Town Hall yesterday afternoon. There were present Messrs. W. K. Saltón (chairman), S. W. Brooks, M.L.A., Gilbert Lang, j. M. Brydon, and A. R. Byram, Von. Archdeacon Dawes and Rev. W. Poole, and Messrs. Marlow and Dalgleish. The minutes of tho last meeting were read and con firiEod. Inspector Mat-low's report showed that during the month he had given nineteen cautions and taken eight cases to tho Polite Court in which he had obtained seven convictions and withdrew tho other.

Mrs. Drew's scheme for raising monoy in aid of the society was then dii-cussed. Arohdoacon Daves (suggested that the Church of England Sunday Seihool Union should sot apart one Sunday in fuie year for a speoial service, and that a -collection be made then instend of mont%, as suggested by Mrs. Drew. After further conversation, tho matter with regard to Brisbane Sunday School Union and chilehon connected with Metropolitan schools was left in tho hands of Messrs. Saltón and Brooks to make tliebestarrangomentstlioycould. Beferencowas made by the chairman to a letter which had appeared in that day's Courier, having re-ference to eruelty perpetrated at the Normanby eattleyards on stock. Sub-inspector Dalgleish stated that from inquiries made by him ho found that the trucks wore not overcrowded, and that the deaths of two bullocks luid been caused by one of the number getting his hoad under a bar in the .truck and the other felling

over lum. Another bullock which fell over lum was maimed. The latter was left in the railway yard as stated in the letter. Inspoetor Marlow stated that steps had boon taken to punish the party who was guilty of cruelly neglecting the mahned boast. The resignation

M Mr. Spencer Browne as a member of com-

mittee was received, and it was ununiinously «solved that a letter of thanks for his past ?trvices to the society should be addressed to A-m. This concluded the busmess of the iMetuig.

Hie adjourned meeting of creditors of Messrs. i-arrjlton and Sons, of Bundaberg, was held J&wday afternoon at the -office of Messrs. Uwnoers, Bruce, and M'Nab. Mr. R. Burrell M-Ji. and A. Company, Limited) occupied the

a'1'- .T110 statement of the receiver in the ti i vi£r* Geor=e Cinuon, wes to the effect that his .valuations and statements of tho estate and "Wof the firm agreed in the main. The very heavy difference between the assets and rn biliùes rn-the estate he explained as follows : ti «" and W' n!"niItou Avhen thoy joined nf.i, haÛ rea% » small-capita},, consisting 2 1^ Iris' valued by them at £1000, .7r ~m- and profit on the Jessie Kelly £270 ; and T1""11.1, k** £90 ovdnS t0 tho Q-M £12S0 ^ompoay, Limited, amounted to

ñm ' ¿e ^""^ however, since .turned isl *Y Mr' Hamilton, eon., .must

?tve at that time -been hopelessly insolvent, as ii" t -S 'Wîitto'1 back to his account on

-«actions ricen outrent amounted (o £629 thm I, a.nd "^ £m wortb- of book debts io 1 f^ m ai ^k icU value b-ad turned out ¡o.nr .f.olutely worthiest!. He considered the dhSuÄ °f 5e- fa fte P°und to be a better ont^Ie n hoao tT8108 could "one to get x1 ^ï estate' **« «-me discussion; it Slu o °n ihs motion °f Mr- foster Sat I' and °°->' that th0 cstate insolvl Td UP by li(luid£tion and Tt in 'rust>! I' George Cannon vas appointed -oro at a remuneration of ó pe? cent on all

£u ll8ed'flad Mes8«- N. Hovesand P.

tion w* ai>pouitcd a eommitteeofinspec

ti» »A?* *? KBkteT a° "nations, and

Ul" »frting terminated.

Writing from Texas on the Oth instant, our Eastern and Western Downs correspondent reporta as follows -The season is one of the best that has been seen hero for a long time in fact it could not well be better The stoclv as a matter of oourso aio in grand condition We have had some high floods, and the mci is only just crossablo now One thous md cow s, fiom the Burnett bound for Meruwah, ciossed at Texas yesterdaj, in clnugo oi Mr Sweetland

Although as yet little chango has boen made m rates since tho A S N Company's fleet passed into now hands, we understand that tiicro

have been reductions in one oi tw o instances

Concessions hav o been made m fieights betw eeii Biisbane and Noimanton, as well as bctw oen Townsville and tho Northern ports The charge hitherto made for lighterage at Port Douglas, which has been always objected to, has been wholly abolisliod

Another attempt w ns made yesterdaj to hold a special genoial mooting of the shareholders of tho Civil Semco Co operativo Company, but without success Mr P A Kob, chairman of the dneotors, and about twoutj shaioholders waited the nquired horn, tut a quoi um of two thirds of the members faded to appeal The 23id of tho company's «rticlos of associa-tion specifies that at least two-thuds of the shuroholdeis must be piesont at a meeting called foi tlio purpose of moieasing tho o ipital Tho horn w ai> occupied by a general conversation on tho mconv inionco of the article, and on vanous n odes which might bo adopted bj tho directors to obtain new premises for tho company's bubinoss After tlio horn had olnpsod ti e oliuuman declared tho meeting to havo fallen thiough

The adjourned meeting of tho Queensland Irish Volunteoi Corps will be held at the Town Hall tins ev erang As tv o adjournments hav o nlready been ninde on account of the largo numbers of mon enrolled mid ofToting them-selves, tho horn foi comrrcncing business has boen fixed at half past 7 Tho emolment of tlio thud, or C Companj, will befustproceeded with Afteivvaids the iules of tho coips will be considered, and then tho niteroblnig matter of the nmfoim will como on Thoio has been considerable dithoulty ni getting patterns of suitnblo material, but the suggestion of Colonel riouch "to cable foi the requited number of lindross uniforms as supplied to one of the regiments of the line, the 83rd Rojal Irish, will be brought forward The advantage s of tins oouiso would bo in getting a nmfoim of approved pattern quickly, aud at very low cost, giving ainplo time to got patterns of tho best

and most suitable full dioss uniforms from

England or Ireland, and to get tlio full dress uiufoims complete and re idy for lbsue before Mai oh, 1888 Tlio meeting will doubtless be as laigolj attended ah on provious occasions

A meeting of the mombeis of itho Queeiib

land Boekecpois' Association was hold at tho National Association's Rooms, Elixaboth stioet, last evening Mr D R M'Connol of Cioss biook, occupied tho chun, and thoie was a fidl attendance of members Tho ingLt of inciting was alteied fiom the Monday to tho Tucbday next, tho f idl moon, to meet the com enienco of mombeis living at a dibtanco A îepoit was lead fiom a snb-oominitteo, coubisting of Mossib W P Lyon, A B Eiliu&u, and R Janott, which had boen ippoiutedto examine Mr II J CnbVs queens and bees lu it thej stilted that they had made tho oxamuiation as disired, but ooidd find no ti aco of the bl attla cota -which had been dibiovoied in two of

Mr Cubb's uupoi ted queens The rebf of tho ev eiung v\ as occupied m a discussion of the pii7e sohodule for tho National Asboiiation's Exhibition

An adjourned special meeting of the Queens-

land National Association was hold at the rooms, Eh/aboth btreot, jebtcrdaj afternoon, the object bonig to adopt tlio rules as íovised at a pievious meetuig Mr Jnstico Mein (presi-dent) occupied tho chair Mi E Thomo again attempted to seenro an alteration in iule 3, making tho retirement of tw o v íee-prLSidonts and four members of tlio tounoil compulsory every yeai, so as to msuro fiebli blood being bl ought into the governing bodv Mr Marun -

drow seconded tho motion Tho oh inman in course of a shoit discubsion condemned tho sug gestod nlteiation as tending to giv o a bunill minority powers greater than tho mujoiitj Ho pointed out that tho re election of oihoers now rested sololj with the mombeis present at the general meeting, and that bj adopting any haid and fiibt line thej might havo to shut out the most valuable mombeis of their governing bodj Tho amendment was rejected bj alargo majority, and the rules as amended at the pie-vious meeting wore adopted

The annual meeting of the C Company Rifle Club was held last evening, Lieutenant Drake in the chair. The report and balance-sheet were presented and adopted, and the election of officers resulted as follows :- Hon. Teasurer, Corporal Reid, Hon. Secretary, Private Burton committee - Sergeant Olilvie, Lance-corporal Hughes, and Private Price, with the secretary and treasurer ex. officio, auditors, Sergeant Grant and Private Crawford. It was unani-

mously agreed that the new year for firing and financial purposes should commence from the date of the present meeting, and that the first firing competition for the new year should be held as soon as the new rifle range at Toowong can be obtained for that purpose. It was resolved that fresh arrangements should be made with regard to the classification, and a general hope was expressed that the younger members of the company will join the club and take an active part in its matches.

A mooting to anango for a sweepstake race among 18ft boats and a punt race on St Patrick's Day was held at Longreach last e\ oning There were four entries for the punt race at os each, and an additional £2 is to bo given by way of prize money on condition that not le s than six punts btait Tho course wall be from the Hamdton round a I uoy at Break-fast Creek, round the Magazine buoy, and back to the cieek time al-lowance, half a minute per foot Tor the 18ft race only thiee entries were received namely, tho Waterlily, the Gitana, nnd La Belle, at £1 each The course will be from the Hamdton round the magazine buoj, back to Breakfast Clock, round the red buoy, and finishing at the cieek A minute afoot time allowance wall be given in this case In both races the entries will lemam open until Wed nesday night at Longreach Competitors wdl have to find their own moorings from vv huh to

start It will bo remembered that in addition to the above a race for 22 footers has also boen

ananged foi St Patrick's Day, for which five

entries hav e been received

The points scored by the respective clubs at the Combined Football Sports are subjoined, and it will be seen that the Brisbane Football Club, which has for some years past been first on the list at these gatherings, once more holds that envious position by a large majority Ernest Hutton, of the Brisbanes, scored three wins at tho meeting (lo points), and so becomes the holder of the Champion Cup presented by the Union Athletic Club G G Hutton, B Cohen, and H A M'Bonald rank next to E Hutton with 10 points each to their credit The following are the scores :—Brisbanes, 57; Rovers, 21; Excelsiors, 19; Fireflies, 13 ;

Wallaroos, 10 ; South Brisbanes, 6 ; Wanderers, 6 ; Ipswich, 4 ; and Sandgate, 3. In reference to McDonald's wins, we are informed that that competitor entered as a member of the Brisbane Football Club, but eventually wished his victories to rank amongst those of the Wasps. This would reduce the Brisbane score by 10, and give the Wasps that number of points No points are allowed clubs for wins in bicycle

or menagerie races

A sad and fatal accident («ays our Arrilalah coricspondont) occnried here on tlio morning of the 16th Tebruaiy, which has caused a pro-found feelmg of bonow and i egret throughout tins locality Senioi- constable William Coiibi duio rccoivitl uotico from a pxssmg diovir that he intended killing a bullock, md, as inspector of si »lighter houac*, pioccedcd to tho j aid to seo the brands The partj loft Airdolah at half-past 1 o'clock on the morning of the lGth Tebruary Whdst tlie bullock was bouig bhot, tho coiiitablo rcmauied on huise

back at tho slip-ioils Uufortunatolj the first bullet did not succeed in killing the bullock, aad the inf unatod cattlo broke the j aid and got aw ay Considine and j oui correspondent vv oro within a few j aids of ono another at tlio tuno Theiviitei galloped to head the cattlo

tho constable nibo had to uigo his horso to Ins utmost bpeed to oscapo the ru-Jnug herd A steep nariovv guttei concealed by tlio long giass tlnovv the waiter's horso iiVmost on his foio head the horse, howovoi, recovered, and on his ndoi looking round could uowhero bco any sign of Constablo Cousidino Rctunuiig to tlio j aid and finding that Considine had not 10 turued, ni companj with Mr Eoton, tho thover, jour coi lespondent went to the bpot vv hore ho had last been Considine, and found tho con-stable's hoi se ljing on hib biek in tlio doep gutter befoio mentioned, mid tho ndoi about thrco jurds on tho other side on his back utterlj unconscious and apparently dead Mi

Eaton returned to tlio j nd and prociuod a draj, in which wo placed the pool follow, whoso faint pulbo and scuicely pcrcoptiblo bioiithmg showed that ho hied and that was

all Ho continued ni this btate until tho ev on

mg of tho 18th, when ho quietlj' pnbscd avvaj

Ho was 29 j enis old, and had been ten joiiibin tlio police force Ile loav es a j otcng widow to

mouin his loss

Tho numbei of porsons who voted for tho

Wnidsoi election at the Town Hall on

Satuiday was 208, less o nifotnial, ieaving 203 votois, oi a possible uuia bci ot votes 1S27 The actual uumboi recouled was 1322 Theie vvoro thus oOa votes

lobt, chiefly biought about by plump votes foi

either individuals or a bunill bunch of candi-datos Tho numbei of votéis for auditors was 208, but of these no fewer than twenty Üuee voted inform illj The nuinboi of actual v oters was 18d, thus giving 370 us the posbiblo num-ber of v oteb The actu ii liunibei nooided was 309, leaving G1 us lobt by plumping Tho numbei of peibons who voted foi couu oillois at Lutwjcho mid Euoggeni vv is 111

Deducting 13 uifoiinal votes le ives the numbul lit 12S votai» having a possible total of llo2 votes, but only 811 wcio reooidcd The voting for iiuditois at these placcb showed u deficiency of 51 votes out of a possible 212 Iho totals foi tho whole shiro bhow tlio total posbiblo

votes to have been foi counciUois 2979 against I 2130 recorded, and foi auditois 012 against

192 îecoulod |

During the pasfcweok tho following ¡nouâtes of wills and letters of admiiiibtiation hav o been gianted -Piobates Han j Danth, black-smith, of Beaudeseit, poibonalty CoOO, to John Danth, blacksmith, of Beenleigh , Jainob Ciu rutliors Hutton, pioduco moichiuit, peisonalty £9000 as shown uudei afhdavit of valuo, £210) 18b 9d as uudei SiicoobSion Duties Act, to William Hutton, pioduco nierch mt, of Bns-bauo Baitholomow Shea, sonioi borgomit, of Roma, personalty £950, to Ellen Shea, of Biisbane, widow , George Buckley, fannel, of Pom milo Cicek, pcibomilty X100, to Eli/a Bucklej,of Pour mile Cieok, non Bnsbauo, widow , John Now by, minci, of Gympio, poi sonaltj £"¡800 undci affidavit of value, Ci770 undoi Succession Duties Act, lo Mtuj Newby, of G j mpio, vv idow Loltcis of iidnuinstiatioii

JoluiDojle Smith, diovci, of O'Coiinoll l'own, realty £100 nerboniilty C000, to Minv Ann Smith, ot O'connell Town James Stnckon, contiactoi, of Mitchell, £170, to Hcinj Coij, of Tocnl station, Al amac

The oflicial vv eather icpoits foi tho tvvontj -foin houis ondodat 9 a m yosteidavbliow ed that tho following laiidalls had boon îeooi dod -Aijblnro Downs, 0 Omi Cloiicuny, 0 33m Cooktown, 0 lim , Ploiavillo, 0 Omi Goiald ton, 0 OSin , Hei belton, 2 03m , Howittvillo, 0 22m , Hughendon, 0 01 in Mackinlay, 1 79m , Taroom, 0 03in , Alloia, 0 10m , Beoideigh, 0 72m , Bnsbauo, 0 Olom , Biuida boig, 5 87in , Bustaid Hoad, 0 37m , Cahool tuio, 0 17m , Camboon, 0 7tiin , Camhoojn, 0 ¿om , Cape Moiolon, 0 9Jui , Clovohind, 0 72m Dalby, 0 12m, Esk, 0 )2in Gajii dah, 2 1 Jin Gladstone, 0 22m , Goodna, 1 10m , Goondiwindi, 0 Gom , Gympie, 0 8 lui Hawkwood, 0 91m Inglewood, 0 03in

Ipswich, 0 10m , Jimhoiu, 0 lim , Kilkivan, 1 10m , Lojburn, 0 13in , Lytton, 0 lGin , Miiiyboiough, 2 82m Mdos, 0 08m , Mount Porij, J 20 , N »mingo,0 loin , Nerang, 0 09m , PmoRivoL, 0 o7m Bedcliffo, 0 12m lloma, 0 lim , Sandgate, 0 (¡Oin , Sandy Cane, 3 32m , Southport, 0 OGin Slitnthorpo, 0 28m , Smut, 0 28m , Toowoomba, 0 70in , Wai wick, 0 02in , and Woody Maud, 1 50in In Sydnoy yesterday morning there was a light south bouth east wind, and the weather thero was fino and cool

On the south co u>t of Now South Wales the weathei was fine, tho boa smooth, and the wuids were light, varjang from noith to uoith

caat On the north coast south and south-

west winds prov ailed, tlio sea was moderato, and tho weather was dull and raining In the m tenor tlie weathor was fine mid tho wind light from the north-east Special repoits taken at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon showod that at Roma tho weather was gloomy and bliowery, and there was a south-easterly wind blowing

Tlio Government Meteorologist intimates that an obbei v utory was established at Roma on the 8th uistant It has been equipped with tho best standard instrument*, and it is worked entirely in accordance with the rulos of the Boyal Meteorological Society The site chosen is excellent foi meteorological observation Ho adds that tho observations from tins new

st ition yesterday were especially valuablo They prove that an important low pressure bjbtem lies north-north-west fiom Brisbane, and vv e may expect to hear of distuibed and rainy weathei from the Lefchhaidt and South Kennedy dibtncts Gradients, he bajb, ne becoming stoop foi o ibteily winds, as was evident by the ripid movement of tho lower cloudb yebterday ifternoon, apart from the fact that at 9 i m the gradient was 0 081 as batween Biisbane and Roma compared with 0 119 between those two places at 3 pm Mr Wiaggo piodiota most interesting lesults

fiom Roma hencefoith

Trom the Warwick pipers it appears that Mrs Hope Connollj, w ho li is benn engaged as a State bihool teacbci for the last twenty-five years, during a part of which timo she was teaching m the Normal School in Brisbane, has latelj îetired fiom the service on account of lU-hoalth She was presented bj tho residents of South Toolburia, where f-ho was last en-gaged, wnth a purse of boveieigns and fare-well addresses of a vcrj kindly andcompli mentarj nature

The steamer Kate will make an excursion to

numpj-bong and back onThurbdaj- next, leaving Hart's wharf at half past 9 o'clock.

To-night is subscription night of the Bris-bane Permanent Benefit Building and Invest-ment Society.

In accordance with tho Bank Holidaj-s Act the various banks in the citj' will be closed on Thursday next (St. Patrick's Day).

The annual meeting of the Brisbane Total Abstinence Society will be held in the Tem-perance Hall on Priday evening uext.

The Pofct and Telegraph Department advise

that Bolino notifies on the 12th that the Manilla

land lines were interrupted.

Tlie steamer Beaver will make an excursion

on Thursday next, St. Patrick's Day, to the Pdot Station and Moreton Island, leaving South Brisbane at 9 and Howard Smith's wharf, Petrie's Bight, at 9.30.

Members of the infantry class meeting at the Victoria Barracks are notified that the

Commandant's inspection will take place this afternoon, when all members miiBt attend in uniform.

A special general meeting of the Queensland Kennel Club is to be held at the Imperial Hotel this afternoon to consider the proposed management of the dog section of the National Association's ehow.