Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1846 - 1861), Saturday 9 December 1854, page 2


THE

Moreton Bay Courier

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9.

LATEST NEWS.

By the Boomerang we received Sydney papers to the 1st instant, and news from Victoria to the 25th November.

There was no further intelligence from Europe, but as the last English papers are further read, new facts and conjec-tures come to light with reference to the

war. It is stated to have been at one time seriously in contemplation to for-ward a large army to Odessa, to take that town and its defences, and to march in-land, so as to place the Russian forces between the English and French troops cn one side, and the bulk of the Turkish army, as well as the river Danube, on the other. This project, however, is said to lue benn abandoned, owing to the dif-

ficult navigation of the port of Odessa, and the doubtfulness of obtaining sup-plies and waggons for the troops after landing. Nevertheless, there were still some who believed that this was the ob-ject of the expedition from Varna ; but the prevailing impression was, that the

invasion of the Crimea and the destruc-tion of the fleet and fortifications of Se-vastopol, were the objects in view.

Amongst the plans offered by Ama-teurs, for the purpose of aiding in the war against Russia, are the following :— Mr. WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR proposes to block up the mouths of the Neva, by

means of old hulks and stones to be sunk there, and thus to cause the inundation of St. Petersburg. But how this is to be effected without coming within range of the guns of Kronstadt forts, is not stated. Another gentleman proposes the use of a warmer element. He suggests that from 4000 to 5000 tons of gunpowder shall be placed in as many vessels as can carry it, and that these shall be drifted with the tide against the Kronstadt for-tresses, and then ignited from a distance by means of a galvanic battery ; but it strikes us that red hot shot from the forts would explode the ships and the scheme long before either could be brought to bear upon the walls of Kronstadt.

Mr. COPPIN, formerly a comedian in Sydney, and subsequently long resident in Adelaide, was about to leave England for Australia again, having secured the services of Mr. BROOKE, a tragedian of note, and a competent staff. He intend-ed to bring out with him an iron theatre, which was being made to his order.

It was expected that the Sydney Le-gislative Council would be prorogued on Saturday last. A Bill had passed the third reading, for the purpose of amend-ing the late Act altering the duties on spirits. The Bill enacts that all con-tracts made for the sale or purchase of Spirits in Bond, before the passing of the Act, are made null and void. Only three members voted against the Bill.

On the motion of Mr. JAMES MAC-

ARTHUR, an address was adopted, praying that a further sum of £100,000 may be raised on debentures, for immigration purposes. Dr. LANG proposed an adden-dum, praying for a further sum of £20,000, for the introduction of hand-loom weavers from Scotland; but this was negatived.

The Bill to incorporate the proposed " Moreton Bay Land and Immigration Company" was rejected on the second reading, by a majority of 11 to 9. The nine members who voted for it were all

elective, but of those opposed to it only

three were elected members.

The news from Victoria seems to show that the Lieutenant-Governor is desirous

of patching up present disputes with the extreme party, and postponing until some future period the ultimate settlement of those disputes. The third Act for the purpose of preventing the influx of crimi-nals, has received his Excellency's assent. It purports to be a modification of the formor Acts, but still contains provisions the most monstrous, and which her Ma-jesty's advisers can never ratify. Any person who has been convicted of felony in any place but Victoria, and who shall be found there within three years after he becomes free, is liable, as the maximum punishment, to two years labour in chains on the public roads. Such an enactment sets aside the rights of the Crown and the liberty of the subject, and would be a disgrace to the penal code of Russia.

The Supreme Court of Victoria has brought to a close, for the present, the events arising out of the burning of the Eureka Hotel, and the riots at Ballaarat. JAMES FRANCIS BENTLEY, JOHN FAR-RELL, HENRY HANCE, and CATHERINE BENTLEY, were indicted for the wilful murder of JAMES SCOBIE. After a long trial, the jury acquitted Mrs. BENTLEY, but convicted the three men, who were each sentenced to three years' hard labour on the roads. Subsequently, THOMAS FLETCHER, ANDREW MCINTYRE, and HENRY WESTERLY, were indicted for thoir share in the riots at Ballaarat.

The jury found them guilty, but recom-mended them to mercy, and expressed an opinion that their offence would not have been committed if the authorities at Bal-laarat had performed their duty. Cer-tainly the conviction of BENTLEY seemed to show that he ought not have been dis-charged by the Ballaarat magistrates. The three prisoners were respectively sentenced to three, four, ancl six mouths' imprisonment.

The case of Mr. HARRISON, Editor of the Geelong Advertiser, and who had been adjudged to pay £800 damages for a libel proved lo be true, was creating much sympathy. A further reference to this case will be found in another column.

A Mr. IRELAND, a barrister, had given great offence to the people of Geelong by having, in the course of a trial at Mel-bourne, stigmatised them as " the sweeps of Geelong." When this polite gentle-man was expected to arrive for the pur-pose of attending the Geelong Coirt, a large number of inhabitants were waiting upon the wharf, armed with brooms, for the purpose of sweeping him thoroughly ; but the prudent barrister did not come that way, and a fellow member of the bar was very near receiving, by mistake, the honours intended for the real delinquent. Mr. IRELAND had since arrived, and it will be seen from the following paragraphs,

that ho met with some attention :—

On Tuesday evening the Town Crier went round the town informing the people of Geelong, that at 8 o'clock, on Wednesday morning, Mr. Ireland, the barrister, would address them in the Market square. Upon this taking place, the police au-thorities communicated with Mr. Ireland, who in-

formed them that he had authorised no such state-ment to be made. Captain Holland then spoke to the Town Crier, and remonstrated with him upon the impropriety of the incorrect assertion that he was publicly making. In reply, the Crier said, he had been employed to do it, but refused to give up the name of his employer. Yesterday morning some persons assembled in the Market square, where a figure, intended for Mr. Ireland, driessed in a grey coat, long boots, and a white hat, waa hung up to one of the trees in the Square; but it was, we believe, subsequently removed by the police.

The effigy of a certain barrister was suspended to a tree in the Market-square, yesterday morn-ing, amidst the execrations of a mob, who took this ancient method of evincing their feelings

towards an obnoxious individual.

From the Ballaarat correspondent of the Argus, it appears likely that Messrs. LANG and DRAKE, late of the Bank of New South Wales, will be exonerated from the charges of embezzlement made against, them, as it is suspected that they

haye themselves been defrauded.

By the arrival of the Palermo yesterday we received one day's later news from Sydney. A warm discussion had been created in the Legislative Council on the 1st inst., on Mr. James Macarthur moving his resolutions, which were intend-ed as the foundation of a Valedictory Address to his Excellency the Govemor Geneial, on the occasion of his departure from the colony ; they were carried by a majority of 28 to 6. On Saturday last the Governor-Gemeral was to receive the Farewell Address of the Council at Government house at 12 o'clock ; and he was afterwards to go down to pro-rogue the Council at 1 o'clock.

We have no material alterations to no-tice in the Sydney markets. Pine flour was quoted at £30, and seconds at £28.