South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), Tuesday 10 October 1882, page 4


WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND ITS NATIVE DIFFICULTY.

Western Australia is at present affected by all the newest ideas in Australian colo-nization, from land-grant railways down to imported labour, and it has become

plain that our western neighbour has entered upon a period of its existence which, compared with previous times, may be considered fast. From the speech of His Excellency Sir W. C. F. Robinson at the closing of the session of the Legisla-tive Council we notice that the Bill for a new loan of £254,000 which is shortly to be placed on the London market is being forwarded to the Secretary of State for the colonies. Harbour Improvement seems to be as yet a flight somewhat beyond the powers of the colony, for, although a Select Committee of the Council has re-commended the expenditure of £242,000 in carrying out the scheme proposed by Sir John Coode, the Governor is not able to say anything more definite with regard to this recommendation than that it is under consideration, and may be adopted if the estimated revenue from the proposed works should appear to be satis-factory. The north-west portions of the colony are now attracting much attention as pastoral areas ; and the Kimberley dis-trict, which has recently been reported upon very favourably by Mr. Forrest, is expected to prove an elysium for squatters, although nobody seems to know much about the place. A land-grant railway through this district was projected as soon as its resources were favourably spoken of but the Council have prudently resolved to wait and find out what kind of country they are dealing with before they commit themselves to any scheme of that sort. It would have been well had the Council been equally cautions in another matter which more nearly concerns our-selves. Some weeks ago, it will be re-membered, they thought fit to publicly censure the Observer newspaper, amongst other reasons, for having published a letter from its Western Australian correspondent calling attention to the malpractices of settlers in the Gascoyne district and their cruel treatment of the blacks. The Observer having played the part of the 'candid friend' towards the colony, and pointed out, though its correspondent, a very glaring fault on the part of some of the colonists, was duly denounced and repre-sented as the disseminator of malicious libels. Thus, in accordance with the principles of Jedburgh justice, our corre-spondent was condemned without enquiry; while a Government officer was deputed to examine into the real state of affairs. When his report came to hand, behold the charges against the settlers in the district referred to were found to be sub-stantiated! In these documents he showed that the pioneer settlers grievously ill-used the blacks. Indeed, as the Governor's speech admits, they 'disclose, in some respects, a state of affairs which none of us can fail to regret.' The fact was that the injuries inflicted by the white

men had provoked reprisals, and the consequence was a constant state of trouble and apprehension. However, the Governor is now able to say that he ' feels sanguine that the native difficulty, about which too much, if anything, has been said, will shortly be brought to an end,' This is highly satisfactory no doubt for the colonists, but can scarcely be so regarded by our correspondent, who has been censured for pointing out what is now admitted to be the real state of affairs. If the Legislative Council of Western Australia has any regard for its character for consistency it will not allow its records to continue to include at once its severe censure on a journal for pointing out an abuse ; the report of its officer corroborating the statements of the journal ; the Governor's admission that the charges were true ; and an account of the steps taken to put a stop to the evils complained of. It is true that other reasons for the censure were given than the remarks made respecting the treatment of the blacks ; but by the mover that was treated as one of the chief counts —if not the chief count — in the indictment. Governor Robinson has said in a recent, minute to the Colonial Secretary — 'I think you are quite right in saying that interference with native women on the part of the white shepherds is to a large extent at the bottom of the reprisals which have taken place. Their women are surely as valuable to them as our flocks and herds are to us, and so long as we outrage those feelings which human nature has placed in a greater or less degree in even the most savage breast, what right have we to expect that they will respect the property of the aggressor ? What right have we to be surprised when we hear that a native ' sulky' with a shepherd for having taken his woman away has put the white man to death?' The contest between black and white seems therefore to have its origin in Western Australia to a large extent in the same evil as in Queensland, namely, the lawless habits of the white men. The manner in which the matter would be settled if the blacks were left entirely to the tender mercies of the pioneer settlers may be judged from the advice given by one of the witnesses examined by the Magistrate, Mr. Fairbairn. He said, 'I think if the Government would shut their eyes for six months and let the settlers deal in their own way with the natives, it would stop the depredations effectively.'' Another source of trouble between the two races is that the gradual

-iie--efie«-1t of leaving tjhg natives almost : s^uattenrthejcnnffit eftfie£«teal or^siarve; Some of 'ffi^ii are taken urco the employ: ment:'o£?^?iettfe&vaa shepherds, the ^bmen^beiAI/ip^raitly' preferred ' to ; th'a^jnen; and^tfose. 'aomesjic :blacks: BSnaU^ make- arrangements witiT their -' ' ' wild' Kinsmen./ for .th^srnTeptitio.us trans-. ' fer ofBheep' to ihe native encampmenta.« Thua-^ttie' relations between blacks and '? iftdiafs'lead Jby, most haltiJal, sequence to: ytSe/ioss- of a 'certain *nfflnber of sheep P^naVf fro'm:eYery'fir6ckr'''One settler. . : leviffenftfincEned &Tlo6ic at things', more L ftiSySlan '«io ' rest~ eip&infed1 t!hat ; \ypara't^thiye^re(Ja^on8* 6f'dogit and' ' nafevei^yet'jm^fc. ^f?;^* ^ reason ?why 'the'^biacIaOook to thieving jrassimplythMitiiey''*era:beilli8'8tarved 9°k'On On the ,wh{^epIEe,,whito, jettlers are io a large7e^nt.g^ira,'b^|he jaresence of-. the natives.' -iOJae witness, in fact, ?:aiierterr^tr.wiJh6W tSe'as^sAce| of, ''native sheph:er^ Mie^i6ginaag-;itt^th'ose_ r 'districto wooldi not :payfirlBis.3Eairbaiia - -says^'A white man costs '£50; ter anntud and his food, 'Sncfc ilTrequires ^ cart,1 oir at'leastajiackhorse, to'move Mm; from one part, of tiie^rmi to another. I A,. ; 'native* will do the ?same ™w»riq far hirfood: I :!ahd_a ehirf occasiorially-J-and' hpjrpquire- ' no assistance' in'Soving._'with his sheep from — one- icampui »iov- ^another.' Tt-return f«'tnia^ ^assistance, and inspite ^of_the^'YMpJjiha^-'''iriotwitb7'standing-1 standing-1 -Bid p oWasicmal loss of ^a ?^fe^^ieeijj^he .settlers confessedly, ccaid ' not'lirivfe 'wrteut 'ife^'io«iQ7oij '&wj !aj?e. ang6MMget^e6oj§g@dg$ to 'shut T:jli'eye^-for*Si*aMoath8' andcallmr th'em^ ~^^ e; ' \ llhe. stealing, or. ionngj wcax. o : naliW. wonSri i8,')ho%ev^'3^eSinoit fruiM&j: ! source of idisagreeniBnt betweei 'yhites;. and blacks, jusf^as it is in Que snsla nst'? dne-s^tte&''Baid C^^^l^r W; ? men kepi -native^ wcme&fi- and ,IJli£6d\ ! them to do ?io£_asi they warned tie ! whites, of . any/ danger,.. and.^ made the1' I men more contented! Any disturb* noe'. ! oh 'Ihe-score^of jealonsyi\ KowfeySr, -ia-| usually set -jdojrajby A$iq 'jn^nj to the. i thieving 'propenaiH^s.'.of the native^. | A ; ! shepherd whtfi|p!^b;&!iveNfoman Las ] attacked' by _tfie_natives, and alLi three' ? made their escape, ) The man wassufier' ing from disease 'and ''died on his way j to the' portT ''The 'women retiming ' ' with ', the polic&^.inimediatdy raised j the report that he had;- been killed land : eatenpand thcnatives Tfreter fannted down accordingly. Another circumstance which,' ~ according 'to Mr. Fairbaim, became jthe occasion' for a: general-condemnation :of_ the blacks wastEe accidental opening of. a wound in a ?white man's leg 'by knocking against a stump of woo^, after which j the . story went abroad that -he -had been speared' by the natives.' Obviously the' 'West Australian natives have-long beehln the position of -accused persons without an advocate, and: it is creditable to -the Governor and. to some of : the colonists that they have evinced a disposition to hear something on: their, side, of the ? question. _-, -:z~_ — - . , Govebsmekt Big TfegpfAfioK. — In . another column is a report-of -* cleputa' tion which waited upon the Commissioner of Public 'Wbrks yesterday -wrfli reference to the''route:o£ ^le^Strathaibyn; Eailway. The proceedings, .ipf , ;'.. this ?; deputation were somewhat sensatiqnaly and they would be -decidedly- amusing-but-f or the fact that those Iwh.0 cai£ read between the lines., will; recognise; - in1; them a . development of what may be called political larrikinismj . which bodes ill for the future of the colony/ , If this new departure in the deputation busi. ness is : not 'tqjbe discouraged, we- may ? hear of summonses -being -taken o,ut by an anxious and perturbed1 '.Minister -against those-who thrpatprt him with dire evils if their -wishes Cara not f.gratified. It reeds no great stretch ol imagination' to suppose.that the matter maybe carried a step further, and that thepresence of one or two policemen to assist in keeping order .may have to be an-angedjor when an. un-fortunate Minister is being catechised, and bullied by those who come to him big with local grievances. Tha candid reader of the report will probably come to the conclusion that the Commissioner of Public Works and his interviewers may be left to settle between themselves the accuracy' or otherwise of the assertions and counter-assertions -which were , advanced yesterday. At any rate, no intelligent elector will fail to come to the conclusion that it is a very extraordinary supposition that a Ministry should recommend to the House one route for a proposed line of railway, and then give an assurance to interested parties that the route will be altered afterwards. It is difficult to believe that any Minister could have been guilty of such dishonourable and suicidal conduct. This, however, ia not the only aspect of the rabject which creates an unpleasant feeling, of uneasiness. Even if the charge is totally untrue, and is based upon some misapprehension -which admits of a satisfactory explanation,' it has yet -to be explained how 'iT cbinWTb~be possible that such an idea, even if mistaken, should gain currency. The answer is only too obvious. The present Government have shown themselves so painfully amenable not to public opinion, but to the opinion of thode; who for the moment could make things easy for them, that they have almost lost the independence of - character - which is essential in a Ministry who seek to promote the best interests of the country. ? It is an easy matter for a Government to use its patronage and its power so as to secure support, but the cost of such a method of procedure is ruinous. So long as promises can be given and hopes held out all will go well ; but when conflicting promises have to be redeemed and the realization of antagonistic hopes is looked for the Government find themselves in a difficulty. Any one can make matters comfortable all round so long as he can meet the wishes of all ; but when these wishes begin to run in opposite directions serious complications arise. It is not necessary to discuss just now whether the deputation which waited upon the Commissioner of Public Works yesterday had a substantial grievance or not Even if they had, the attitude assumed by them is not to be defended, but, on the contrary, is to be strongly deprecated. But the most useful moral to be drawn from the affair is that in political life no Minister can serve two masters. It requires intelligence to frame and courage to consistently advocate a definite poBcy, and there is a strong temptation to take the easier course of drifting along with the current. The danger is that when opposing currents meet those who adopt what k?ems to be the easier course may be sorely bufiJBted, if not actually swamped.

LisHT-jreiGHi: Beeap.— There is little reason ior 'the' animated~conlroversy be^' 'tween 'Mr. R. L. Maffley and' the correspondent signing himself 'Rover,'1 as they are, to our mind, practically at one in their suggestions.. The matter originated, it 'will -be remembered, in tbe memorial presented by twelve bakers to the City Council, _ asking' that the 'regulations for the sale of bread might be altered so as to. allow— bakers— to- sell fancy bread at: Itvol. ounces', under tho fixed treiglit, while making the. standard weight for'batch bread the full two poundsJ' Mr: Massey supports the contention -that bakers should be allowed two ounces on the fancy loaf, while 'Rover' thinks that they should raise their price for the -two-pound loaf. The question seems verymuch like a distinction without a- 'diffe-rence. The reason- why - bakers ? like to secure a margin in the case^ of fancy bread is explained by Mr.-Mas'sey, and- amounts simply to '' this :?? that it-is-impossible-to-calcnkte-before:firing whatthe-weight of a- fancy loaf will be. Still it is -obvious -that -the -bakers in moving- as they- -have done in the matter wish -to. secure -Borne' further advantage beyond merely: guarding 'against being fined for the accidental lightness of a s»??le;. loaf./ Before judgment can pass againstany tradesman twelve loaves must be tested^oJhatitis-not likely he would Tte?uS justly, .dealt . wiiB on account 'of i an accident. .;The fact is :that- - jthei bakers wish- to obtain' some equiva- . lent: for' the extra. labour : which i the making . or . fancy breacT' involves,- and so tlfeyypropose.' to lessen the weight of the loaf in- the ? case of this description 6T' bread. . That' some distinction should', be made : between; the prices of batch bread and of fancy bread is sufficiently obvious, and 'to' endeavour by 'regulations- foifis the rates at the same figure in'both case3 is simply worse than a waste of trouble. The*'only. .question ? is whether .the batch bread, should be made cheaper than it is at present or the fancy -bread dearer. The. Corporation enacts that the .weight ; of the-loaf in both cases shall be two pounds, but.rt^does.not.and cannot make any rule' Mlfejtfie.^rice._ _ It is not.the duty of theCorporation to fix the relation between the two descriptions of bread by endeavouring pj'.gajr 'how many ounces of, dough are equal: '{i- five minutes' Jaboiir,- or to solve fljfly; equally' recondite problem -of- the baking _';trade. The rule making the'.; i standard of weight uniform; inSlT'cases' is- a simple one:, -.and ought ^D'i.be.' -adhered to. If bakers feel that .they -must have higher prices ;for_ thfitfancy bread let them ask them: directly from.their customers. Probably the lattor: w,ould object to such a proposal; and suggest tnat 'a more', equitable solution of the_difiipnlty would be to Ipwer the price of batch bread. Some bakers find the present rates for fancy bread remunerative, and there is no very apparent reason why others should not also be satisfied. The English Mail.— The. summer timetable of the P. & 0. Company comes into force this week, and for the next few months the 'mails' will leave on Saturdays. The Orient steamer leaves on the same day. Smallpox at the Cape and the Oriest Levees. — Messrs. J. Stilling & Co. inform us that in consequence of the smallpox epidemic at Cape Town, the Orient liner Austral, now on her way from London, will coal at Simon's iJay instead of- at- the Cape, and thus evade the dancers attendant on calling at the latter port. We are further informed that the Orient steamers following the Austral will come out via Suez Canal. ' Wool Ship— We learn that the Stilling liner Pakwan, the first woolship of the season, sailed from Port Augusta for London oh' Monday, October 9, having on board 4,180 bales wool for the February sales. St. Peter's. Collegiate School.— The Board of Governors have unanimously nominated the Rev. Francis Williams to the headmastersbip- of the above institution. . Mayors of Kensington and Norwood.— It appears that in our report of the ceremonial attending the laying of the foundationstone of the new Town Hall for Kensington and Norwood the list of Mayors as given was in some points inaccurate. We have been requested, therefore, to publish the following as a correct list of the various Mayors in regular sequence, with the length of their tenure of office: — Mr. Charles Bonney was the first Mayor, and served for five years ; Messrs. F. B. Carlin, two years ; F. N. Scarfe, one year ; Thomas Taylor, one year ; Daniel Fisher, two years : William C. Buik, two years ; E. T. Smith, five years ; M. Kingsborough, one year; H. Hughes, two years ; S. D. Glyde, three years ; D. Packham, two years Thomas Caterer, two years. The Australian Eleven.— From a letter which has been received from Sydney by Mr. C. S. Leader, it appears that the Australians intend to play only two matches against the Hon. Ivo Bhgh's team, and that they are desirous of arranging a match with a South Australian Fifteen. The first match with the English team will take place at Melbourne on January 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the second natch at Sydney on January 2G, 27. 29, and and 30, and the Australians would like to play amatch here between these engagements. The matter is now under consideration by the Association Committee, and doubtless the visit will be arranged. Sysian Colonization Fund.— A meeting was held on Monday, October 9, at the Flinders-street Presbyterian Vestry, in connection with the Syrian Colonization Fund. The Eev. James Lyall was in the chair, A collection, amounting to £6 9s., was made by the committee ladies among_ themselves to defray the necessary preliminary expenses. Mrs. Jas. Storrie, Mrs. Phillip Solomon, and Miss Daniells were added to the committee to collect funds. It was resolved that at the next meeting ladies willing to help would be invited to attend. Twenty-five_ collectingbags were presented by a lady for the convenience of collectors. The committee earnestly invite help from those who sympathize with the object in view. We understand that an active canvass for donations wi) 1 commence to-day. Adelaide Young Men's Society.— At the invitation of the President (Rev. \V, R. Fletcher) about 300 members and associates of the Adelaide Young Men's Society assembled in Stow Lecture Hall, and after they had partaken of a few lijrht refreshments an address was delivered oy the President, in which he urged the members to be more regular in their attendance at ordinary meetings, which meetings he said did not by- any means show the actual work 01 the Society, as the Model Parliament, consisting of iorty-ris members, meeting every other Thursday, was now making a name for itself. There were also the Cricket and Lawn-tennis Clubs and orchestra, all of which were making rapid progress. A programme was then gone through. It consisted of several musical selections, which were rendered in a masterly manner by the Society's orchestra. Mr. E. W. Oldham played his original polka, which was well received. Mr. James Sadler sang 'I fear no foe' in very good style. The next piece, 'Hamlet's speech to the players,' by Mr. J. S. Duff, brought down the house. Mr. J. G. Jenkins was warmly applauded for his rendering of the humorous recitation, 'The American Sea-serpent.' The entertainment was brought to a conclusion by the playing of the trial scene from ' The Merchant ol 'Venice.' The characters were ably sustained by Messrs. J. Shakespeare. J. A. Dowie, H. Willis, W. Shakespeare, Braddock, Becks, and Misses Eva Seitar and Thompson. The Daelisg Settlers axd the NorthEastern Lise.— We are informed by Messrs. Stilling & Co. that, under date September 30, a correspondent writing from Menarnurtee Station, River Darling, says :— ' I am afraid my Darling clip from here will not go forward this year. The Darling is still unnavigable. I am certain that if your Government extended the railway from Terowie West to the Border, or even to Mannahill, that they would cement the trade from all stations fiftv miles out from the Darling. The line would be an inexpensive ope, inasmuch as there. are no engineering difficulties to contend with. It deserves favourable consideration, for everything in this neighbourhood has been at starvation pitch for the past tvro and a half years. Stores arc almost unprocurable and at fabulous prices. I should like to see South Australia with a little more push.' Local Cocp.t.— The case of Lpvegrove v. Findlater occupied the attention of the Special Magistrate of the Adelaide Local Court and a^Jury on Monday. The plaintiff, a contractor resident at Meningie, sued the defendant, a publican at Kingston, for £400 damages for malicious prosecution and libeL In AthiI last the defendant's father-in-law, a Mr. Edward Hamlyn.was travelling a mob j of cattle through the South-East, and had to i leave several head on the road on account of their failing lame or blind, but gave power to the defendant to dispose of them as they could be foaad. The plaintiff stated that he bougbtone of tiieanimals from the defendant, who had not seen it. for £3, and almost immediately afterwards fold jt for £8. This con

3nct was alleged to have annoyed the defendant so irrach that he-told -Hamiyn that hebad not. sold the beast to the plaintiff, and the consequence of this statement was that Hamlyn prosecuted -the plaintiff for cattlestealing, jut after some delav_s the case was dismissed. The alleged libeT was contained in a telegram sent by the defendant to the plaintiff the day before his arrest, requiring £10, and' intimating that if he did not pay this amount, the .prosecution would be commenced forthwith. The case was partly heard and*al^urne'H'tiirQ^'aTter5oon~at 2 o'clock. The. presiding Magistrate and the counsel engaged complained very bitterly .that the business of tne Court, which was increasing very rapidly.-should-be-incommoded to the extentthatit was by the present arrangement of holding the Insolvency Court in the same building, and expressed the opinion that it was_absQlutely.pecessaix.that. some scheme should be devised in accordance with which a building should be specially set apart for Local Court workT The Special Magistrate also remarked that he had made application for the occasional use of one of the Supreme Courts to Mr. Justice Andrews, and had received-ass a reply 'certainly not'.' . Adelaide Archery Club.— The first bow ' meeting ofthe season 'was- held;pn Saturday last, 7th inst., on the Old Adelaide Rac3conrss, the use of which has been courteously riven by the committee of the Adelaide .Racing Club. . The attendance_of both mem- ' bers and visitors was large, including Hii Excellency 'and 'Mis3 ' Jervois, who. .were present during the afternoon. The ground is admirably suited for^ archery,* while the pictiiresqae : surronnclings, w-fEh views of the aistant'hillfij-andthe agreeable shade afforded by the clumps , 'of trees, contributed largely' to 'the p'leasiire-of the' meeting. With these' advanta^esrand-the-facilitiessoldndly.placed at the disposal of. the Archery Club, the site is sure to be popular ?with. : the members, and -the committee anticipate a successful season. The- shooting was fair, -though -difficult in the earliet^partoLthe. aiteri!OOEipm_t'he_ strong, north wind blowing, but which afterwards moderated. The lushest scores' made were as follows .:— Miss' E. C.' Price, '186; Miss Beresford and Miss !Craw-ford. ties..at. 137 ; Miss Acraman, 131; Professor Kelly, 123. The result of the shooting for '-the Ladiea' Handicap prizes~ ''was— Tire{^~ Miss' ~E.: C Price, gros3 score, 1B6,/ with . -handicap of 50=216; . second, :. Miss' / Beresford, gross score. 137, '. with' . handicap1 I of . 35=172; 'third. 'Miss'' .Crawford,, .:gro33. scorerlSTrwitlrhandicairtjF.SO— 167r- Prizes of Aldreds' arrows' were jydn -by Miss'E. G. Price for most hits' In 'blued ana whites, and by Mr. T. O'Hallorah for most Hits in reds and Hacks.__TJiejecpnd bow meeting'will be held on the same. grounToa'Saturday^ 1-lth inst, when new members .will be balloted lor. Ltnch . Family op .JKellringers.— This well-feTrown'cpmpauy of-bellringers opened- a short season' in the Town Hall ?otv Monday evening, when' they were greeted with a verygood-- house, considering the. threatening aspect ofjthe weather. The Lynches 'have certainly nofTdeterionitect-in the manipulation . of the bells since, they, last appeared in Adelaide, and' the harmony and expression with which they rmirJprpH' such' Kplwtinnq as .'The Marseillaise' and .'Come Home, Father,' met with' demonstrative recognition .from the: audience. Pleasing effect was also produced— l-y-su-3den and unexpected clian^ing into low; echoing piano, and -' similarly retaining tc forle. . Two hornpipes ?' were.given with, marked precision and true rhythmic accent, while Chimes Changes' and 'Jpv_Bells^_touched the memories of many present^normnBt aSuet on the bells, ' The Last Exjsc of Summer,' be. forgotten, for which an imperative ' encore was ! demanded. .Btrt the entertainment had a variety of other performers of at least more than mediocre order. Mr. Alfred Santley,1 who possesses a fair tenor voice, sang ' True to the Last, ?' The Warrior Bold,' ' Death of Nelson,' and ' Unfurl the Banner' in capital . style ; and Mr. Frank Stevens went through some step-dancing as cleverly as any ;one. learned in' that way'could desire. He also tendered one or two freaks of 'excellent fooling' in the burnt-cork line, all he did beipg devoid of those objectionable features which .sometimes '. creep, into, this clas3 of performance. The pianist,' Professor Statham, played two operatic overturesin a . first-class, manner, and the 'side-splitting' business wound up with !tho ' Hallelujah Band,' ^'Chlng, CnongyChqw,' and a short concluding farce. Perhaps !the only fault that could be found with the programme jvas the presence of. a Kttlito'o much of the comic element, but it is better to err in that direction than m the aggravation of dyspepsia. A plethora of laughter is at any time preferable to its sombre antithesis of sentiment. Bictcli: Items.— W. J. Lancaster, an English tricyclist, has ridden for one whole day at the rate of twelve miles an hour. Earl Granvilk is the latest addition to the ranks of cyclists, and has just ordered both a double ; and. a single. Cyclists at home are much exercised in their minds over the vagaries of some few— happily few— of ' the fraternity who persist in letting their vanity run wild in the exuberant use of gaudy caps, tassels, and 'loud' costumes.. They give these cads ' cold shoulder,''' and they deserve it. The Bicycling News Is full of touring trips, the descriptions of which— through .some of the lovely scenery of the three kingdoms and the Continent— are well written. Evidently most of the two-wheel tourists have artistic tastes for the picturesque, and not a small amount of observation. An Adelaide cyclist contemplates an overland trip to Melbourne on a Matchless, incited by the accounts of English doings. At the tournament in Melbourne the following times were made in a one-mile ra^e against time : — J. Bolfe, 3min. 25 sec. ; W. J. Press, 3 min. 25A sec. ; J. Thomas, 3 min.. 35 sec. From the Melbourne Bkyding Nctcs we take the following details of the daily records made in the late six days' contest, in which W. J. Press, of Adelaide, won the championship of - Australia :— Monday. — Pres3, 16G miles 416 yards; J. Rolfe, 163 miles 310 vards. Tuesday.— Press, 323 miles 772 yards ; Eolfe, 320 miles 1,582 yards. Wednesday.— Press, 474 miles 175 yards ; Rolfe, 470 miles 230 yards. Thursday.— Press, 593 miles 1,650 yards : Rolfe, 592 miles 220 yards. Friday. —Press, 723 miles 346 yards; Rolfe, 722 miles 710 yards. Saturday.— Press, S54 miles 960 yards ; Rolfe, 852 miles 1,570 yards. Press thus won by nearly a mile and a half. There were fcur other competitors. The Crops.— A gentleman who has been through the districts of Tickera, Ninnes, Green's Plains, and Boor's Plains since the late rains, informs the Wallaroo Times that the crops have greatly improved, especially the late sown ones. The informant also states that Eome crops that were thought to be ruined have greatly revived, and will yet give a fair yield if favourable weather continues. The fanners generally are in better spirits, although in many cases they are short of water. Wayzgoose.— The annual wavzgoose in connection with Messrs. Webb, Vanlon, and Pritcbard's printing and bookbinding establishment was held on Saturday, October 7. The party, consisting in all _ of about f ortv persons, proceeded, from Adelaide in one of Hjfl&Co.'s largebusses toClarendon, which place they reached after a very plearant drive. After reaching Clarendon, the party immediately proceeded to the recreation ground, where they_ commenced the programme of sports which had been arranged by the Secretary (Mr. J. Fry). The sports ended, the party adjourned to the Clarendon Hotel, where they partook of a wholesome repast, after which Messrs. Ebenezer Holland and George Gemrd Shaw thanked the firm for their liberality, and expressed their regret at Mr. Webb's absence, and Mr. Vardon then responded. A cricket match wa3 then played between the. Clarendon team and We'bb, Vardon, & Pritchard's eleven, resulting in a win for the former, Edwards scoring 10 for the winners and Noye 10 for the losers. The party left Clarendon at about 5.15, and had a very enjoyable drive home. The CRorsATBoRDEB.Tow--.— The following communication from one of the oldest residents in the Border Town District to a friend in Adelaide has been handed to us :— ' We are having a enlendid season. This year here is one of tlie best I have seen during a residence of ten years. The wheat and other crops are looking splendid. Both here and in Victoria there will be an enormous amount ot wheat to ship next season.' Labeikinism at Payneham.— A piece of wanton mischief wasperpetrated atPayneham on Saturday night or Sunday morning. Palings ?were broken off and strewn about the road, the picket fences belonging to the Institute and Government school also suffered from these midnight marauders. It is to be hoped that those who have initiated a system of aggression against these institutions for the diffusion of knowledge, will have their ignorance promptly exposed. The Salvation Army in London.— An English pupcr gives a graphic account of how the officers and rank and nle of the Salvation Army marched in procession very early one Saturday morning to take formal possession of the newly acquired premises, which include the Eagle Tavern, Grecian Hall, and a danciEg saloon. The army proper was outnumbered in the proportion of about three to one by a somewhat mischievous crowd, and only attained entry into their new premises by the exercise of considerable determination and perseverance. Once there, a sort of hallelujah meeting was held, men and women assisting bv praying and speaking to the afsemblv. Eventually the acting-commander pave a short history of the manner in which the Army had acquired the seventeen years' lease of the premises. He commenced by saying they had got the Eagle— {Cheers, and

cries of 'Hallelujah!')— they had got the Grecian, the dancing grounds, the dancing saloons, andevcry inch of the premises, and by. the grace of God they would stick' to them. (This emphatic declaration evoked loud cheers.) There was no trnth in tbe rumour that the Eagle was to be turned over to a large firm of brewers, though a great many would like to get it. The lease compelled the Army to keep the licence of the Eagle intact, and they had undertaken to do so. The sum required for the entire premises (£16,750) they had paid in full ; £8,422 had been received in subscriptions and the remainder had been borrowed. Amongst the subscribers were the Archbishop cf Canterbury, Earl Cairns, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Needbam, Mr. Hanbury, and other gentlemen, and he had no donbt they would be able to discharge all their obligations before they opened in September. Mb. Pahsons akd the Northern Territory.— In a. letter in yesterday's Register, signed 'A Disgusted Territorian,' the writer says:— 'Mr. Parsons is represented . in the papers to have said that the population ofthe Northern Territory ought to be cleared out.' It is only just to the Mmister of Education to explain that the sentiment to which the writer ? refers was expressed by Professor Tate, and not by Mr. Parsons. The Royal Princes.— ' Atlas,' in the World of. August, 23, says:— 'H-M.S. Bacchante will pay off early next month;. but, asitia intended: to 'recominission her when necessary repairs have^ been inade, she will pass . into the . first division of the Steam Reserve. Princes Albert Victor and George of Wales . were given leave of absence immediately on the arrival of the vessel at Cowes, and neither will rejoin her. Prince George of Wales waa more popular than his brother in the Bacchante. He ia livelier, more muscular,rand with more ' g_o' in him ; and hi3 genial fondnes3'for 'physical recreation was eecn by hi3 play in the cricket match at Cowes, when a team from the ship to 'which he is -attached gained an easy victory, over an eleven from the royal yacht Osborne.' . . ' The CtfsT6S'JCSD ' Bosder-road. — The TatiaraMail learns that the work of clearing the road from the Victorian Border to Custon is.bui; imperfectly done, for the trees that have ' been taken on* the track are still lying about instead of being burnt. . As the railway to Ditnboola '& twenty miles nearer to 'the settlers who use this road than' it was last year, it is the duty of onr Government— if they desire to attract traffic tothe Tatiara Railway— to put the roads' leading from the railway to the Border in a passable condition. It. will be remembered that; Mr. Ramsay promised that this should be done when he, had been memorialized on the subject very many months ago.- ; . ? A Cat Nursing Mice.— An uncommon incident in .natural history (says tho Newcastle Herald) occurred at the Crystal Palace Hotel, Hunter-street. A. cat belonging to theprc-prietor.Mr. Edgar W. Ashby, brought :fortnabtterof kittens, allbutoneof which were Eoon drowned. The mother, 'doubtless^, feelins their loss, set about procuring substitutes, . and right ones she adopted. On going to her sleeping-place three lively young mice were fbund:sucking the lacteal fluid, and so jealous is'themother of her novel ofippring that an attemjit to dislodge them caused her' to become extremely savage. The 'circumstance is so novel that we are bound to add that the Btateiident is absolute fact, as any one inquisitively inclined can verify by inspection forthfcmselves. : ' Chinese. View- op Territorial Acquisitions !by Western Nations.— The North China Herald of September 1 contains a review of a book written by Huang MaoTeai, a Chinese 'student, descriptive of a tour through Thibet into India, where, he opent six_ months investigating the surroundings of British rule in that country. The Herald says :— f' The animus of the book and the motif of the enterprise which it records is the fear of encroachment on the territory of China or her vassals. . Nor is Great Britain the only object of suspicion that our author meets with in. his travels. From the passes . of the Himalayas, he. .looks over on . the advancing, frontier of Russia,. while from Saigon he gets a view of French iggressiona in Annam. To. .the ambitious schemes of these three powerful neighbours, and the' means of checkmating them,! he devotes many pages. Not content with repelling encroachment, he even dreams of conquest, and suggests that by encouraging emigration to the. Southern Seas, establishing Consuls to look after the emigrants, opening schools to' enlighten them in foreign science, and at the same time keeping up the knowledge, of. their native language, the great islands of that region eould.be made to fall like ripe fruit into the lap of China. In bringing about this result the co-operation of the Chinese navy will of course.be required, though not for boody conflict. Like Yao and Shun of old, who tranquillized the world by merely displaying their embroidered vestments, so tho noble steamers of the new navy would only need to show the dragon flag, accompanied of course by the thunder of their cannon. It is doubtless the failure of Western nations to imitate this imperial method that leads Mr. Huang to stigmatize all their territorial acquisitions a3 the result of three degrees of villany, which he describes respectively as 'stealthily beguiling,' 'encroaching by. degrees,' and finally ' swallowing up.' ' Congregational Churcii, IIindharsh.— The thirty-second anniversary tea meeting took place on Monday in the schoolroom attached to the church, after which a public meeting was held in 1 tho church, over which the Hon. W. D. Glyde, M.L.C., presided. Addresses were delivered by the Eevs. A ' W.'WebT), TV. Diment, J. C. Kirby, H. D. Smith, and John SIcEwin (pastor). The Treasurer (Mr. Joseph Vardon, J.P.) presented a statement, from which we fate the following figures :— Building account— Subscriptions received, £714 ICa. 3d.; loans, £2,103 Ss. Gd.; total, £5,877 19s. M.; and expenditure including £406 loan repaid), £2,870 9s. 9d., leaving a balance of £7 10s. Current Church account ending September 24 — Income, £427 ICsj 5d. ; expenditure, £499 Cs. Id.; leaving a debit balance due to Bank of £71 fls. 8d. As snowing the necessity for the new building in course of erection, the present church was not largo enough to seat tha number who attended the services. The singing^ which has always been a special feature, was on this occasion excellent. Mr. John Pickering, jun., presided at the cabinet organ. Closing of Public-houses on Sunday.— A poll on this question is to be taken to-day in the town of Hindmarsh. St. Peter's, Glenelg.— The annual distribution of prizes will come off to-night in the schoolroom. Carpenters and Joiners.— A meeting of the Port Branch mil be held this evening at the Duke of Wellington Hotel. Flinders-street Baptist Church.— Tea and public meetings are to be held this evening. St. Luke's Schoolroom.— An entertainment will take place this evening. C-ii-ECOMA.v Societj.— The monthly business meeting will be held this evening. Government Tenders.— The following were opened on Monday, viz. :— Architect-in-Chiefs— Post and Telegraph Office, Magill, 4 tenders, Nottle Brothers, Kadina. Enpneer-in-Chief's— Turntable and ashpit at Port Pirie, two tenders, Henry Robinson; six blocks mainttnanca cottages, viz., two at Carrieton and obe each at Moockra, Bruce, Kingwood, and Quorn, four tenders, E. Honev ; six maintenance cottages, one block at each oi the following places, viz., Terowie, Gumbowie, Petersburg, Yongala Snmmit, and Jamestown ; six maintenance cottages, one it Petersburg, two at Blackrock, one at Orroroo, one at 'Walloway, and one at Eurelia. Port Adelaide Poultry Societv.— The entries for the forthcoming Show, the first to be held by this Society, will close at 9 o'clock to-night at the Port Admiral Hotel.