Moreton Bay Courier (Brisbane, Qld. : 1846 - 1861), Saturday 7 March 1857, page 4


NEW SOUTH WALES.

GOLD NEWS-On have been politely favored by Messrs. E, Rottman and Co., of Sydney, with the following extract of a letter from George G-. Dickinson, dated Meroo, 21st February 2-" The place from whence came the 51 ozs. I sent to you last week is called Merinda, and is at present likely to become the chief gold-field in the colony ; it is on the Meroo, and about thirty' miles from here downwards. Within this last week nearly one thousand diggers have located themselves there, and the place is without one exception said to be surpassing rich. A man passed through here to-day, who said he had seen a digger there who had literally a hatful of nuggets. People are flocking in hundreds from Stoney Creek and Louisa, and this place (Richardson's Point) is nearly deserted The gold is found in beautiful nuggets of from i to 1 oz. weight. Stores and public houses are starting up in great numbers. As these are real facts you can publish the above in some newspaper if you like. It might, perhaps stop some of the Victorian diggers who are returning with disgust from here to their more favoured colony's. M. Herald, Feb. 20.

METKORIO I'IJESOMENON.-As Wr. Inspector Black was passing the Haymarket, at twenty minutes past one o'clock yesterday morning, he observed a large body of fire, of the shape of a water-melon, pass overhead in the direction of Pyrmont, at a height of about 150 feet from the

earth. It was of a violet colour, and was followed by a luminous streak of about 100 feet in length. Its passage through the air was quite slow and its direction was horizontal.- Empire, Feb. 28.

THE ELECTIVE PRINCIPLE IN CONNECTION WITH ME LEGISLATURE. As will be seen by the report of the proceedings in the Legislative Assembly, elsewhere given, Mr. Robertson's motion affirming the elective principal in the constitution of deliberate bodies, entrusted with legislative functions, in this colony, was carried yesterday without division to A division, however, took place on the previous question, I hold was moved by Mr. Macarthur, and this in effect amounts to a division on

the original motion. The motion, it will be seen, was /jflii-incd by a majority of 27 to 11. We have been requested to state that owing to the

always Office the division took place earlier circum.. ' situated, J.16 honorable gentlemen than Wins airily »t.Idwffiojj) who would have (Mr. Irving and Mr. J. M ' "evidently

voted in support of the new. ( ? t) s' absent at the time. The majority, ,, _ accident, would therefore have stood 29 to Empire, Feb. 25. ' '

' Tns GRAND GIFT ENTERPRISE. With reference to the announcement under this head, we have received the subjoined copy of a letter which has been addressed by the Attorney-General to Mr. Thomas Taylor, the proprietor of the Victoria Theatre, and to Mr. Crosby, the manager :-" Attorney-General's Office, Sydney, 27th February, 1857," Sir,-In reference to advertisements and notices appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald, and Empire, and other newspapers of this city, under the heading "The Sydney Grand Gift Enterprise," I have the honor to inform you that I consider the enterprise to be a lottery, and to be illegal, and that if it be not abandoned, I shall deem it my duty to take such proceedings as the law will allow against the persons who shall be connected with it, either by selling or disposing of tickets in such enterprise or by drawing for prizes. I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, W. M. MANNING, Attorney-General!,"- Empire, Feb. 28.

ORANGERY COPPER JINKS,- The prospects of copper-mining in this district begin to look something brighter than of late. Returns of the proceeds of sale of a quantity of ore from the Calan-gara Mine shipped to England have been received, showing that £20 per ton has been realized. The total cost, carriage, and freight included, was 13, leaving therefore £7 per ton net profit. So well satisfied is the directory with this result that it has been determined to add 100 to the number of working hands. May the promises that given in every sense be realised.- Bathurst Free Press,

Feb. 25.

AUSTRALIAN HojmcpivruRAL AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. From the Emnve we learn

that the first exhibition of this society which it will be remembered was recently formed by an

i pranlgflWOt¡OH of the AijstrajMJan Bosnia Society

and the Horticultural Improvement Society was held in the Botanic Gardens on Thursday, and Friday, 26th and 27th inst. The show of flowers and fruits was much inferior to that of former exhibitions, a fact attributable to three causesa lack of competition, to the recent inclement weather, and the advanced period of the season. On the first day the attendance of visitors was numerous and brilliant, a very large proportion consisting of ladies, whom the favorable change in the weather permitted to sally forth in all the elegance of fashionable and seasonable attire. The exhibits were as usual disposed in a large marquee, the framework of which was decorated with foliage and flowers. The military band was in attendance to enliven the proceedings, and a small tent was fitted up as a refectory at a little distance from the show The principle feature of the exhibition was a collection of twenty plants remarkable for their commercial products, by Mr. J. Baptist, to whom a Grit prize gold medal was awarded. In this collection, the sarsaparilla was exhibited, we believe, for the first time. The competition in colonial wines was, perhaps, in a commercial sense, the most important feature of the exhibition. T to sample! exhibited are pronounced to be excellent. The first prize gold metal was awarded for three bottles of Cawarra white wine to J. E. Blake, Esq., who was also recommended by the judges for a second prize for three bottles of red nine. There were a few exhibits in poultry. The first prize was awarded to the GovernorGeneral for the best cock and two hens, grey Dorkings. A magnificent cock and five hens of the Cochin China breed, were shown by I. D. Nichols, Esq., and won the first prize. The attendance of visitors on Friday was good, although not quite so numerous as on Thursday. There were a few additional exhibitors: but there was, of course, no competition, and

no prizes were awarded. Only one flower was added

to the show ; but that was a most valuable

acquisition. It was a splendid specimen of the i nymphe gigantic, a species of water lily, sent by

Mr. Walter Hill, from the botanic gardens at ' Moreton Bay, per favour of R. R. Mackenzie Esq. The petals of this delicate flower are white tinged with lilac, deepening: towards the edges which are tipped with violet. The flower rests on a large deep green leaf of almost circular form Its general appearance was strikingly beautiful.

DEATH OF MR. EVELYN. It is with feelings of peculiar pain that we announce the death of Mr. A. J. Evelyn, the gentleman whose name was before the public, a short time ago, in a prosecution

for an assault on the Colonial Secretary. Mr. Evelyn arrived in the colony three or four years ago, and was engaged as editor of a weekly paper, the Illustrated Sydney News, during the best days of that publication. In that capacity he has one acquainted with a few gentlemen of literary tastes who discovered beneath a cold reserve fi> character many excellent qualities of mind and heart which attached them to him in ties of en-during friendship. After the publication of the illustrated News ceased, Mr. Evelyn obtained employment in the Survey Office, which appears to have been most unsuited to his habits and cha-racters Oppressed by the feeling that he had been sorely ngLrrifved in connection with that department he unhappily committed the assault for which he was tried at the Central Criminal Court, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment Persons, who knew his proud spirit and fragile constitution, feared for the result of this confinement; and in about a fortnight from his conviction the generous sympathies of the present At torneyGeneral were enlisted on his bell as I', and he was liberated. 'The mischief, however, was done ; Mr. Evelyn never rallied in spirit morning, and towards the close of January he took to his bed where yesterday he died. Mr. Evelyn was a fine poet; many of his bursts of feeling in this way was of the most delicate beauty. We give one of the last some lines written' in Darlinghurst Gaol, and placed in our hands a short time afterwards

WE, TOO.

One Crock struck down ten Persians here,

Upon this narrow son-washed plainWell ! why Itoflp wondering, and fear

The like will ne'er be done again '

Whoso, whene'er the invader's cry C

Holtz Inndwnrd with the rolling foam, Is fixed to be it him back or die,

May make a Marathon at home.

When Moses on the sacred Jill!

Behold the living lice on fire,

The miracle was go out but pill!,

We, too, to wonders may aspire.

Whoso, as Nature's priest, doth stand

With reverent mind and feet unshod,To him the world is holy band,

And every bush burns with the God.

-The young poet had no friends in the colony, but, though dying of a wounded spirit union's: strangers, he was affectionately attended in his last moment-, by Mr. Stenhouse, Dr. Woolley, Mr. T. G. Rusden, MP., Mr. Dyer of the School of Arts, and some other gentlemen. Mr. Evelyn was twonty»nineyears of age. - Empire, Feb. 20

NOVEL MODE OF ADVERTISING Our attention has been called to a new system of advertising which has lately been adopted by a few of the business people of the district-viz! by stamp-ing the address, occupation, So. upon the face of bank notes in circulation. In reference to this practice it in argued, and no doubt very correctly that to do business on equal terms with these innovators, other storekeepers must adopt the same custom, and that by the time some fifteen or twenty stamps are dabbled on a note it will be difficult to distinguish £ I from £5 notes. It cannot be denied that what is correct for one to

do, it is right for all to do, and it simply becomes a question whether what by common consent, has become the circulating medium, ought to be de-faced to suit individual purposes. Clearly the custom is one in which ought to be discontinued.Bathurst Free Press, Feb. 25.

ELECTORAL REFORMS public meeting, numerously attended, was held at the Lyceum Theatre, Sydney, on the evening of Monday, the 23rd February. Robert Campbell, M.L.A., occupied the chair. Mr. John Campbell, Mr. Dalley, Mr. Pennington, Mr. Deniehy, Mr. Forster, and several other gentlemen, addressed the meeting, advocating the necessity of a reform in our electoral system.

LEGISLATIVE CoUNCIL. Robert McIntosh Isaacs, of Sydney, Esq. and Edward Wise, of Sydney, Esq" have been summoned by his Excellency to serve as members of the Legislative Council of

New South Wales.