Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Friday 23 February 1849, page 2


Domestic intelligence.

Mis-reporting—Some wag has been sporting with the rabid anxiety of our friend the Editor of the Daily News to get hold of anything which can be so distorted as to tell to the disadvantage of the Corporation, or, at all events of any save the few " yellow haired laddies" of our contemporary's adulation. The Public Works Committee recently called for ten-ders for the completion of certain improvements in Collins-street, between Swanston and Spring streets, which bad been ordered by the Council, and on receiving them, accepted of the tender of Girvin and Roberts for £1,685, which was the lowest received. Subsequently a letter was received by the Committee from Stevens and Best, whose tender was only £31 higher, stating that they had made their tender on the supposition that the gravel for the foot-paths was to be taken from the vicinity of the Flag Staff, and if permitted to take the gravel from the, as they understood Girvin and Roberts were, they would do the work for £130 less. A meeting of the Committee was thereupon called , and on refer-ence to the specification which was exhibited to all applicants alike, it was found that the con-tractors were required to bring the gravel from such place as the Town Surveyor might appoint, whereupon it was resolved that the contractors should be written to for the purpose of ascertain-ing whether they were prepared to execute the work for the sum agreed upon, in terms of the specification, instructions being given for calling for fresh tenders in the event of any extra pay-ment being sought for. This proceeding the Daily News has converted into an attempt to upset the accepted tender, in order, for party or " clannish" purposes, to give the work to another, and two of the" yellow-haired laddies" are given the credit of upsetting tbe nefarious project by their determined opposition, though double their number were opposed to them. The story which our contemporary makes out was but ' lee-lookin' at tbe best, but when it is understood that the whole is a tissue of falsehoods, that there was no proposition of the kind made, or even thought of, and that " party or clannish" notions are equally out of consideration, all concerned being as ' yellow' as the richest specimen of Pyrenees gold, the absurdity becomes most palpably apparent, any honest public journalist who had been un-wittingly led into giving publicity to a mis-state ment (and all are liable to be so led astray) would at once have retracted and apologised for the error, but not so the Daily News, who even after oflicial contradiction stuck to the falsehood, and wilfully fathered the bantling. How the matter stands may be gathered from a resolution of the Public Works Committee, which was adopted unanimously (with the exception of Councillor Bowler) at the Committee meeting on Wednesday, and reported to tbe Council yesterday. The resolution was as follows:— " That the attention of this Committee having been drawn to an article, appearing in the Daily News of the 20th instant, when the members present at the last meeting (with the exception of Councillors Annand and Bowler) are charged with attempting to upset a tender which had been approved at a previous meeting of the Com-mittee, and subsequently confirmed by the full Council, with the view for party purposes, of accepting another tender, and the whole of the

statements contained in the article as well as tbe

particular misrepresentation referred to being grossly untrue in every respect, the Committee deem it only just to themselves and the Corpora-tion to place on record their indignation at the publication of such falsehoods, and their astonish-ment that any member of the Committee or officer of the Council (for such alone had access to the records) should have in any way countenanced

such a fabrication."

The Germans.—We are very glad to hear that nearly the whole of the passengers by the Godeffroy, have decided upon remaining here, and continue to express themselves delighted with Port Phillip and the prospects presented to them. A great number of them are already engaged at wages varying from £14 to £25. The only drawback to their usefulness, is their want of knowledge of English, and we would strongly urge upon their respective employers, the necessity of making up their minds to a little patience in this respect. It is rather an unamiable feature in the English character, that the first efforts of a foreigner in speaking the language are generally met with laughter and derision. Travellers on the Continent are unanimous in contrasting this barbarous habit, with the invariable kindness and courtesy with which their first steps in a new language are received. We would suggest to parties who have engaged these people, that they have entered into a tacit agreement to meet the difficulties attendant upon a want of the usual mode of communication, and any other little peculiarity of habits and customs, with kindliness and indulgence, and we trust that we shall not have a fair trial refused to a very

interesting experiment from any undue hastiness or

harshness.

Occupation of Crown Lands within the Settled Districts.—Referring to the 9th clause of the Regulation for the occupation of Crown Lands within the Settled Districts, dated 29th March, 1848, which declares that leases ob-tained under those Regulations will not be as-signable, nor shall any portion of the lands held thereunder, be assigred or sub let, under penalty of absolute forfeiture of the lease, His Excellency the Goveinor, with the advice of the Executive Council, directs it to be notified, that Leases obtained under the 22nd clause of the same Regulations of Lands brought by Her Majes-ty's order in Council within tbe settled class, but which were previously occupied under Squatting Licences for pastoral purposes, may be transferred as heretofore with the approval of the Government, notwithstanding the general provision against the assignment of leases contained in the 9th section of the Regulations as above quoted 2.—It is however to be clearly understood, that the sub-letting of the transfer of portions only of the holdings to which this rule refers, will not be allowed, and that the rule is applicable only to the particular class of lands above described.—

Government Gazette.

The Land Sale.—Great dissatisfac-tion is expressed at the very limited quantity of land advertised for the next sale» Scarcely at any time has there been a more en« demand, particularly for land suited for agricul-tural purposes. With all this immigration

amounting as it did a short time since, to nearly

1300 in three or four days, the government is bound to accommodate its measures to the winu of the community, and not to keep people toenda-ing their money and acquiring bad habits ¡n Town, when they might be so much more usefully employed.

Tragic Occurrence. — An occur-rence of a truly tragic nature occurred on Wed-nesday evening last. A brickmaker named George Hudson, a widower, who appeared at the lit« Criminal Sessions as a witness in tbe rape case,

went into the house of the Misses Ellis, Milliners and Dressmakers, residing three doors above the Mechanics' Institute, one of whom he was paying his addresses to, and enquired for the eldest sin* Mary ; the other sisters told him to walk out, as they would not allow their sister to see him, upon which he replied that he would not go out, and conducted himself in a most violent manner.

With a view of getting rid of Hudson quietly, the elder sister came into the room, and requested him to leave the home; seeing him grasp some-thing in his pocket, she asked what weapon he had, as he was in the habit of carrying one when-ever he visited her; he made no reply, but at once drew out a butcher's knife, and stabbed her

in the back under tbe left shoulder blade, the side, and thigh ; he then stabbed the next eldest in the back and stomach, and was turning to the youngest for the same purpose when she made her escape by the front door and called for assist-ance. In the meantime the unfortunate man,

seeing his victims lying prostrate and bleeding

profusely, darted out into the yard, where it is

supposed he had concealed a large pistol, and es-caped without his hat, running up Little Collins-street and down Russell-street; when opposite the Australian Hotel he discharged the contents of the pistol into his left side, and fell instantly, the blood gushing from his mouth and nose. He

was placed on a dray and conveyed to tbe Mel-bourne Hospital, where he expired in a few hours. The elder of the Misses Ellis was dangerously wounded, and her sister was seriously injured. Dr. Denniston, their medical attendant, has been unremitting in his attention to the young women, but it was not till yesterday evening that a de-cided alteration for the better had taken place in their state; some of the wounds were an inch and a half in depth. The cause which led to the above truly unfortunate affair is at present enve-loped in mystery, but it is generally supposed that hopes of a matrimonial alliance were held

out, by the elder girl, which were suddenly blasted, and being of a weak mind, Hudson in a moment of temporary insanity, committed the dreadful crime which has placed the lives of two persons in danger, and, by his own death deprived four children of their natural protector. After Hudson was conveyed to the Hospital

he said in presence of Dr. O'Mullane and Constable Watmough, "I have been keeping company with a young woman and she has proved false; I have murlered her!" In re-ference to his own state he said " I have done the deed, and with my own hand." An inquest was held on the body yesterday evening at the Hospital, but in the absence of the Misses Ellis,

and two other witnesses, it was adjourned until twelve o'clock on Monday next. A man named Denis Connell, shoemaker, had frequently heard Hudson speaking of Miss Ellis, and say that his mind was much disturbed about her; he also

saw the deceased leave his house on the day of the sad occurrence, taking with him a butcher's knife and some buckshot, and heard him say he would always go armed in future, as he had been insulted when crossing the new bridge. Hudson and the Misses Ellis were both from Yorkshire, and had been acquainted for years.