Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Tuesday 8 September 1874, page 4


TUES DA Y, SEPTEMBER 8, 1871

There are abundant sigas that an animated and probably long discussion is likely to take place upon the subjects of valuing and rating country property in connexion with the attempt now being made to consolidate the laws relating to local government. Indeed, the subjects are so important-so closely connected with the permanent success of any such measure-that the time and labour devoted to them cannot in the least be regarded as ill-spent or ill-bestowed.

Since we called attention to the con-siderations which lie at the very root of the matter, some of our country con-temporaries have taken the subjects in hand; and though there are some slight differences of opinion, everyone is agreed as to their importance and urgency. Not one writer is found to deny that the existing system is exceed-ingly vicious and unfair, though some aro disposed to blame rather the prac-tice adopted under the law than the law itself. To this it is sufficient to reply that the practice is the outcome

of the law. A sound law would not admit of being distorted into a vicious practice, and all will, we think, see that the business of law-makers is so to

frame a statute that it shall give no scope for unfairness or for trickery. This the law as it stands does not accomplish, nor will the law as it is proposed to be re-enacted. The proposal of the Ministry is, to legalise the existing rule-of-thumb process, which permits valuations to be made somewhat after the fashion in which dishonest drapers are said to measure ribbon, the quantity being more or less according to the ma-nagement of tho thumb. Proof of this is to be found not only in the fanciful systems which are pro-posed by honourable members in their places in the Assembly, but in the almost universal testimony of the country press. The last issue of the Hampden Guardian asserts as a matter of fact, about which there is no doubt at all, that " up to the present time some pro" perties within this shire have not borne " more than half their fair share of the

" local public burdens, and that they " have not done so has been owing to " the fact that they have been valued " at less than half of what they bring in " the public market, or what they " would realise were they to be so " offered." This, it will be seen, is the precise evil to which we called at-tention only a short time ago, and for which we proposed a remedy. The question naturally arises, how is it that properties, and especially large proper-ties, can escape their proportion of municipal taxation, seeing that the law is supposed to treat all alike > The reply is, that the law is not ad-ministered equitably, and that it is so framed as to admit of a large discretion, or, in other words, carelessness or trickery, and that this discretion be-comes a source of much hardship and

unfairness.

To show this we have but to consider the tenure of land in this colony, and the rents paid by tenants. The quan-tity of freehold land is set down by the Government statist at 7,212,0-il acres ; the quantity of rented land at 1,414,221 acres; the Crown land rented for other than pastoral purposes at 2,8G7,283 ; making a total area in occupation of 11,193,545 acres. It is already agreed, we think, that this largo area of land, nearly the whole of which comes under local government jurisdic-tion, must be taxed equally, that is to say, that local bodies must not be permitted to dictate to any person what he shall do with his pro-perty, or virtually fine him because he follows one industry rather than another. From this it follows that the object of the valuers should be to get at tho true value of the land in the open market, as it exists, apart from any consideration of the purposes for which it may be used. This value cannot be determined morely by taking a few rents, because they vary in a very curious and instructive manner. We find that the shortest tenure of farfns in this colony is one year, and the longest seven years. The lowest rent paid is 2s. per acre, and the highest 17s. per acre, and the variation of rent in one county alone, namely Talbot, is from 4s. to 17s. per acre. In Normanby the rent varies from 2s. to 10s. per acre ; in Bourke from 5s. to 12s., and the tenure from one to seven years ; and in Ripon the highest rent paid per acre

10s., and the lowest 4s. These wide differences, both of rent and tenure, indicate clearly enough the actual differences which exist in the land itself, which would be differ-ences in the market prices if the various allotments were put up for salo. What is true of rented farm lands will, of course, also be true of such lands when freehold, or of lands used for grazing rather than for farming purposes. There-fore, to adjust taxation fairly to the value of the land, it ia necessary that a separate valuation should be made in each case upon its merits, not the rent paid in one locality, or even for ono farm, be held to apply to othor locali-ties and to other farina. Clearly, the only way in which substantial justice can be done, and the complaints now so loud and frequent be avoided, is to ascertain the market value of each parcel of land taxed, and levy thereupon a rate at a por-centum to bo fixed by the Légis-lature, Wo aro opposed entirely to the

proposal lo allow the local bodies to fix the rate per-centum. Not only would such a plan allow of wide diversities in different places, but in the same places in different years, besides which, the owners of large properties would bo able to do again as they have done already, combine together and reduce taxation to a degree of attenua-tion which would give them a very homoopathic dose indeed.

Whilst we find a general agteement as to what is required, it is but fair that we should notice an objection which has been taken to our proposal as to the method of estimating values. It has been asserted that a large proportion of the property in the colony has no known capital value, save such as is got at by taking its annual value. But this does not meet our objection. We contanded simply, that if an annual value was taken, it should be for a term of years, not for one year only, as is now fre-quently done, which is the very thing objected to. We join in the grand chorus against unfair valua-tions which oppress the agriculturists, whilst the owners and occupiers of grazing lands escape with a light burden. Wo are in favour of uniformity, but of a fair, not an unfair, system. We would treat all alike, not in the sense that all shall be rated alike, but in the sense that all shall be rated in an equal proportion. Homilies have been read to us about what valuers should do, but we are only concerned with what they have done, and are sure to do again, if the law remains as elastic as it now is. We aro in favour of none of the fanciful systems, which we are persuaded could not be made to work. We do not proposo to do anything save to value properties as they are, but we do propose to value them fairly, so that

each shall bear a like ratio to the taxa-tion upon it. Absolute precision is not to be looked for, but we think that no reasonable person can doubt that the actual value of any landed property in the open market can be closely approximated to-so closely, indeed, as to be quite sufficient to se-cure a very much fairer system of local taxation than has yet existed in this colony in the country districts. As no one doubts that the present system is unfair, as no ono has hinted that there is any reason to expect valuers to be more precise than they have been, surely it is mere folly to look for a reform of the system which has grown up under the law without a change, and a considerable one too, in the law

itself.

That a country not yet forty years old, possessing an extensive and bounti-ful territory, undeveloped resources of indefinite extent, and a population of in-significant numbers in proportion to its capabilities, should already present nearly every problem found in the social experience of-old and over-populous nations, is certainly one o.f the most incongruous facts imaginable. Yet that such is the condition of this country no one will deny. In its vicious fiscal system, in the disturbed relations be-tween workmen and their employers, and in the existence of many obsti-nate social ' sores, especially poverty and crime, Victoria is in its degree very little better off, if at all, than some of the most ancient European countries, A glance over tho annual estimates of public expenditure, for instance, always brings into view the two very disagreeable facts, that tho demands on public charity are year by year increasing, and that the poverty which we have hitherto steadily refused to regard otherwise than as casual and temporary, is gradually taking the character of permanent pauperism. The evil grows by what it feeds on. It is in vain that private benevolence com-bines with public liberality to extinguish or even to mitigate it. The fact is so

familiar that it has come tobelooked on a3 thenatural condition of things. Anystatement of the self-evident proposition that pauperism in such a country as this is a quite remediable evil, is quietly dismissed as Utopian. We go on from year to year increasing the number of- our asylums for the destitute, the insane, the blind, tlie deaf and dumb, the inebriate ; hospitals for almost every malady to which ilesh is heir, industrial schools for juvenile pauperism, reforma-tory schools for youthful delinquency, and private charitablo societies of every description. The Treasurer feels bound to set down on his Estimates for the year liberal grants to all kinds of public and private benevolent insti-tutions; and finds himself regularly besieged by deputations, headed by members of Parliament, begging for still greater liberality in particular cases. The Assembly would not feel that it had done its duty to the country if it did not willingly vote the full amount asked for, with just a little friendly bickering over the scheme of

local distribution. So vast and varied

a machinery of charity, besides that it really seems out of all proportion to the requirements of a population of barely four-fifths of a million of people, ought to have some visible effect in lessening the evil of persistent poverty amongst us. But, instead of lessening, it rather increases and intensifies the evil.

The time is fast coming when our Government and legislators will be thrown upon the alternative of cither framing a system of poor-laws for tlie country, or else facing tho problem of the suppression of pauperism. AVe shall hope that there is still sufficient common sense and knowledge of the laws of social science left amongst our political guides to prevent their enter-taining the first proposal. But then, why is not the second entertained ? What prevents the Government from boldly confronting tho question, instead of carrying on from year to year the evasive and ineffective, not to say mis-chievous, plan of granting over-increas-ing subsidies ? The materials for forming a safe and very practical conclusion re-garding it are abundant, and at hand. We have the oxporienco of other coun-tries in the matter to direct us. Thero ara facts sufficient available to teach us, on tho one hand, what a clinging curse to any nation that adopts it a poor-law systom becomes ; and, on the other, tho best moans for lessoning and finally all but extinguishing tho ovil of persistent

pauperism Some of those facts wera carefully set forth in a series of contnbn tiona lately published m our own columns and they carry their own practical moral on the face of them That moral simply is, that the existence of whole classes of destitute and pauperised persons 13 not an essential, but an accidental, condi tion m any civilised state, and that tho numbera and position of those classes aie laigely under human control There is, in fact, no social plague that yields so certainly and readily to judicious methods of treatment as poverty does whilst there is none that injudicious dealing vith more certainly aggravates and increases If the purpose of charity were to diminish the numbers of the helpless, by making them stronger and more self reliant, if justice, no less than mercy, were the guiding principle of the distributors, if, instead of satisfying themselves by mdiscnmi nate almsgiving, the givers were to seek zealously to establish a social condition in which alms would bo less and less needed, it would m time be found that much of the destitution seeking relief would be neutralised and disappear and that the ovil would be reduced witina a quite manageable comp-ss What is wanted, in a word, is tL" orgauio ition of chanty, a conclusion which his it last forced itself on the attention of the benevolent public at home with tlreidv

excellent effects

That the principles here stated ire capable of being acted on, and that by means of them pauperism may hu le duced to a minimum and kept at that level, has been abundantly proved hy tin» experience of seveial of the Amen can states In M tssaehusetts, for example, it is a demonstrated fact that pauperism has been steadily on the decline for the last 15 years, whilst the population has as steadily increased This improvement in the general social condition of the state is entirely due to the admirable syatem of distributing public relief, devised and carried out by a board of charities specially appointed under legislative sanction for thepurpose The details of the plan it is unnecessary to give here, but it may just be stated that in no case is relief given without a careful personal inquiry being first made A register is kept at the State House, in which is entered the name of every person receiving a dollar of pubhc relief from the state, ond another containing the name ot every person fully supported by the towns and cities Returns are also made yearly of the numbers who receive out-door relief, with such other particulars as may be deomed neces sary, and the names of all vagrants are similarly recorded The Board of Charities have thus at hand a record of every pauper's case, and vigilant attention is given to the detection and suppression of imposture The method adopted, described in general terras, consists of the threefold process of classification, education, and protection, and it is found that, at each step of the process, many of the deatitute persons

are released from the condition of absolute dependence and put in the way of self support The e\penence of Massachusetts under the now system pro\es conclusnelj that it is possible to reduce pauperism to its lowest terms, and so to ameliorate the condition of the dependent classes of society as to prevent the formation of that permanent pauper caste which is the curse of European civilisation No1 is there the slightest reason why Victoria, by adopt-ing a similar course of action, should

not work out for herself the same beneficial results as are now being realised by the model American state

The telegram from England, which np peared in our columns last w cok, m re forence to the Rev HENRA WARU BfcLciiLit, has doubtless gneii gi oat satisfaction to many of our readeis Tint gentleman, it ia well known, atands, as a preacher, m the* front rank of tho pulpit oiators of the day , and the popularity ho has gained for himself IB not tho íesult of

the indulgen«) of sickly sentiment, or of J a shallow and frothy eloquence , but is to be traced, as w 0 have every reason to belies 0, to the uitense humanity of lus nature, to Ins manly courago m dealing both with rohgiouB and pubhc questions, to the generosity of his heart, and to the utter abaonco of that pneatly assumption that still lingera amongst tho clergy of the day Although not so woll known as an author, his position in tho world of letters ia by no nieana contemptiblo, and while m Ina prmtod aormons and works, and even m his conduct, thore aie ospiessions and actions that cannot bo justiiied, take him all m all ho ia an honour to tho Chnatian ministry and 0110 of whom America may be justly proud AVhen it became known, thorefoio, that ho had boen charged with a very gravo offence, there was on the part of thoao who a aluo a good name m man I and a spotlesa reputation in ministers,

not only a reasonable surpnse, but the "lcatest possiblo alarm, lest tho cliaige3 hi ought against the roterend gentleman should bo ptoved But now that the im estimation comtmtteo has acquitted him, andgnon a -\ouhct of not guilty, there will bo a widespread foohng of satisfaction amongst his friends, and socioty w ill bo sa\ ed tho îegrots and dia-rists of anothoi cloned scandal »0 aio of courso not yot vblo to say whether his Mndication is tmmiphant, 01 whether thoro aio anj grounds at all foi tho sus-picion that ho lias in tins ca30 acted dis honomably, but judging by tho manner in windi ho has conducted himself au thiough this painful allan, as well as fiom the well known charactoi of tho man, wo chenab tho stiongost hopes that public conhdenco in linn ID fully justified, and that tho generally oxpiosscd opinions of hu, mnoconco 110 in stnetest nccoul anco w ith tho pro\ od facts of the case If it ahould turn out HO, it is to bo pio Binned tint ho will boai up undui tho soïeic Uni that has ovci taken him with tint spuit of philosophic loititudo that slmiLs so conspicuously 111 I'13 lopoilcd uttcuncLS, and __iou0'h ho cannot possibly oscupu ail înjuiy m Buch an cncountci, it is to bo bolit-ho w ill long sun n 0 it , uiJ if his futuio conduct is to bo regulated by his own au liiomtionb, thcio is no likelihood of his pmsuing his accnsois for tho piuposos of iotcnDo Meantuno, it is pnmful to lellcct upon tho number and character of unfounded chaiges that aie mado by a class of poisons that exists 111 nil fic0 communities, vnd apparently for n0 reason 01 purpose oxcopt tho onjoj incut that ansea fiom tho contomplation 0 thoir own wickednoss If thoso poisons

who onjoy tho luxury of thiowmg "llt upon all who happen to moss thou path could only bo roachod and punished as they desirvo, thou numboia might

be considerably diminished ; but unfor-tunately such offenders against the do ccncies of society cannot bo rigorously flcalt with by tho law, and public senti-ment is not strong enough yot to put ¿own such crimea and to stamp them -ivith infamy. No ono is absolutely safe from such people, but their powers of mischief might bo considerably curtailed if honest folks would only givo them a vicio berth, and never conceal their horror mid detestation of their villanous prac

Both ïïouses of Parliament meet to day lurn l ¿ue Legislativ e Council the Hon T J 1J1UiSUiiiner is to mov e that the present Parha

mentary stahles he not removed until pre-paration is made for the erectionof now ones ¿The Criminal Court and Practice Amend went Bill IB down for the second reading, and the Vaccination and Trust Estates Bills are to be further considered in committee. In the Legislative Assembly, after a large jmiouut of preliminary business is disposed of the debate on the Budget will be con

turned

Mr Parkes the Premier of New South Vales was entertained at a banquet at Albury laBt evening In replying to the toast of his health he made a statesmanlike Speech, and expressed a wish to see a federa í ion of the Australian colonies IIo also alluded to the íapid advance which Victonahas made within the last few years, but said that Jscw South Viales did not intend to be left behind m the race He promised that the ïRiluay to Albury should be pushed on as mpidlj as possible, and expressed regret at tlie inconvenience caused by the border duties A full report of the speech will be lound in another portion of this issue

Al the meeting of the City Council yester tia) it was resolved that £1250 he expended in flagging and laying down tarred pavement on the footpaths of the city Sums of £150 aud £100 respectively were awarded to two jiersons who suffered injuries through the ïemoval of the Sichel banner at the last ^eneial election

The Supreme Court gave judgment yestor da) m the case of ÍVrijJU v Tho Langlands Woundi y Company The plaintiffs wore the contractors for the execution of certain re pans to the ship Dallam Tower, the de fendants were sub contractors for a portion S>[ the îefitting The defendants did not gupply then part of the repairs within the contract time, and the plaintiffs sued for damages Tho jury ¿ave a verdict for plain lifts for £515 Tho Court yesterday decided that as to £210 of this amount the plaintiffs «vere not entitled to recover and directed a jiew trial unless the plaintiffs consented to a leduction of damages by £210

A motion was made m the Insolvent Court yesterday by Mr R E Jacomb, official assignee of the estate of It G Bayldon, of Melbourne and Geelong fellmonger and »vool merchant, for an order directing the Bank of Australasia to pay lum as assignee of the estate the Bum of £4 81411s 9d The gnoncv was claimed on the ground that the ïmnk had realised it over and above what they valued their securities at when they originally proved their debt on the estate , find the bank resisted the claim on several grounds the principal ones being that their debt on the estate had heen finally and jiroperl) computed by Mr Shaw, who was assignee of the estate before Mr Jacomb was assignee of it, that Mr Jacomb waa bound )>) the acts of his predecessor, and that there »vas no jurisdiction m the Court to entertain the motion The ev idence for the plaintiff »vas onl) part heard when the Court ad ¿owned until to day

Strong vvestcily winds prevailed again m the bay jesteidoy and the squalls and showers of rain which came at intervals were lather heal y It frequently happens that a continuation of vv estorly winds outside brings tilong a number of ships fiom London and liverpool but as yet the only ship to show ts the Trato from London, which anchored in the baj yesterday afternoon The Weather outside on Saturday and Sunday »vas something frightful, and in con sequence of the seventy of the gales the ai rival of the steamers Dandenong and 1 llora which left Sydney on Thursday ni d Trida) last respectively, is being greatly dclajed The s s Derwent with the Tan miman mails for transmission to England jier 1! M S S Nubia was detained at Laun eeaton Heads on Sunday, wind bound but it äs expected that she will arrive this forenoon, Dud tranship her mails in time The wind was still blowing a gale at Cape Otway and V llson s Promontory yesterday, and the Schooner Ceara and a white painted barque wore reported as hav tug put back to Rabbit Island for shelter The glass during the day continued to rise steadily, and at sunset the weather hid moderated considerably

lbe curator of intestate? estates has ob tamed iules to administer the estates of the lolloiving persons -Robert MTlvona, Hör. Eliam 14th September, 1871, £239, Rose Willena, Horsham, 2ltU May, 1871 £70, "W llliam Nott, Grafton, New South Wales 2nd March, 1873, £80, Abraham Horsfall, One mile Creek, Wangaratta, on or about 28th Julj, 1871, £220 12s Od , Patrick ¡M Kernan, Wormangle, Avenel, on or about 2Jth July, 1874, £343 12s Gd , Archibald Sjmc Ballarat 29th July, 1871, £25, James Higgle Taradale 6th August, 1874 £85

The annual meeting of the members of tho St Kilda Hebrew congregation was held on Sunday last Mr I Jacobs, the president m the chair The ropprt which was presented Bpolte v ery highly of the qualifications of the »muster, the Rev B Blaubaum, and of the progresB of the school under his charge She îeceipts foi the year amounted to i jil, Bud the expenditure to £552 which amount Jiowcver included Beveral items of expense v Inch will not ho incurred this year The debt on the building is £805 Tho vanotiB honorary officers wore re elected as follows -President, Mr I Jacobs, treasurer Mr A Benjamin , committee Messrs M Mich aehs N S Marks W Ileymanson A Ellis 3 Bloonnngton and E Samuel

A largely attended public meeting was ¡held last evening at the Town hall, lit/roy, In conncTion vi ith a movement for establish îng a stato labour exchange Mr George Coppin ML A i\ho occupied the chair, de Bcribod the working of the Labour Bureau in the United Stites on the model of which the exchange m Victoria was inteiidod to bo Insed The meeting was also iddressed by Mr Piancis Longmore who talked the usual twaddle about immigration being desired only i 5 the squatters and their dependents Roso Jutions m fi vom of the establishment of a Btate labour exchange weio carried without

dissent

A ineetint of the inhabitants of Prahran tsas held last eveni»0 in tho local court liouse for the purpose of idoptmg a petition io 1 urhament asking that the proposed Gipps Land Railway from Melbourno should pass through the town of Prahran Tho mayor (Mr Geo "ioung) presided and there were «tloul 150 persons presont On tho motion s>f Mi Puller, seconded by Mr Harris it was ïesolvcd ' that the trafilo of Gipps Land and the linpoi tant districts ljmg between it and ¡Mclbourno has always pissed through tho town and important commercial rola tioiiB have beon established, which have yeatly nnpioved its matenal prosperity, and that to divert this trafile by construct mt the outer cn ele i ail way, or any oilier as pioposed except through this dis Inet would be a manifest mjuBtico and a soiious hindrance to tho presont commorco îind future prospentj of this town On the miotion of Mr Harrison, seconded by Mr ROBS it was resolved that a petition embody ¿tig the above lesolution should be signed by the chairman on behalf of the meeting and iorw arded to the Lcttahtivo Assembly, and

that the petition should first be exposed pub hely for tho signatures of the inhabitants not prcaentatthemeeting Itwasfurtherresolved that the members of Parliament for the d18 tnct ßhould be requested to present the petition to tho Legislativo Assembly and support its proyer Mr Dixon M L A was among the speakers who supported the first resolution Mr Murray Smith MLA

wrote regrettinf-, inability to attend on account of an attack of bronchitis hut promising to forward the views of the

meeting

A meeting of the Tailors Society was held last night at the Excelaior Hotel Bourke atreet for -the purpose of considering a now time log for use hy employers and workmen in measuring tho number of hours which ahould be allowed for the making of different gannenta It was explained that the log auhmitted to the meeting had been compiled by a committee appointed by the aociety and that they had spent a number of weeks over it The object of the new log was not to aoouro additional timo and con aequently more money for the making of garments but to define what time should be allowed for the plain making and what should he regarded aa extras as well as tho rates of time which ahould be allowed for the latter so that hoch employera and workmen might be able to know exactly what would lm e to be paid to a man when any piece of his work was completed The vanoua items Bpecified in the log were read over and agreed to and a committee conaiating of five mern bera of the society were appointed to meet an equal number of employera to discuss the log and come to an agreement upon it if poasible Although the meeting adopted the log it was specially understood that they did not con8ider it imperare but left it open to the committee whom they appointed to discuss it fully with the employers and obtain their omnion upon it

A meeting of manufacturera was hold last evening at the Athen eum Mr Thoa Lam bert in the chair It waa reaolved ou the motion of Mr james Miller seconded by Mr J H Turner (Turner and Martin) That an association be formed to be Btyled The United Manufacturers Association of Vic tona on the motion of Mr Owen (Owen and Strachan) seconded by Mr Dickson (Alchm and Dickson) itwasreBolved lhat the object of the association shall be to watch over the interests of all manufacturing industries in the colony and generally to protect the same on the motion of Mr Thoa Richardaon aecondedbj Mr L L Mount it waa reaolved That for the proper management of the a8Sociation a council or committee be appointed from the members thereof consisting of a president vice president and seven councillors or mom bers of committee It was further reaolved on the motion of Mr John Perry seconded by Mr Lane (It White and Co )- That those present form themselves into a pro visional committee to carry out tho foregoing resolutions The meeting adjourned until Wednesday evening at Hookina Hotel at half past 7 Mr "W H Sulhvan was ap pointed secretary {pro tem ) to the aasocia

tion

The quarterly meeting of the Prahran Licensing Bench was held yesterday There were only three applications and all were granted

A special general meeting of the members of the Victorian Permanent Property Invest ment and Building Society waa held at the Athen-r-um last night The chair was oc cupied by Mr J B Crews The rules 50 and 08 were altered and new rules adopted m ?place of them T he annual meeting was then held The profits for the year amounted to ¿30 037 13a lOd being at the rate of 12J per cent per annum The report and balance sheet were adopted The following office bearera were elected without oppoai tion - President Mr J B Crows vice pre aident Mr Wm Bell treasurer Mr J Fergusson A ballot was demanded for auditors and committee The ballot will re main open from noon till C p m to day

The pnre for the champion merino ram at the late Skipton show was gained by a ram belonging to Mr T Dowling This animal is a Bon of the celebrated ram Sir Thomas and was bred by Mr James Gibson of Ta"S mama J. he prize for the champion merino ewe was alao gained for Mr T Dowling by a granddaughter of Sir Thomas she being a daughter of the champion ram It will be remembered that Sir Thomas was latolj bought by Mesara T T and W Cumming for the sum of G80 guineas

A meetmt of the Maater Coachmakers Society waa held at Weber s Hotel Elizabeth atreet yeaterday evening Mr Barrett occu pied the chair The new rulea wero brought up by the committee and after some slight alteratione were adopted

The Melbourne Rowing Clubs annual trial foura are to be rowed off on the 17th of next month The crews selected are as follow -Devlin (stroke) Dickens Bass and Kelleher Maxwell (stroke) M Cracken Clark and Barrett Umphelby (stroke) Embling H Young and Marshall Rippon (stroke) Goode Ballantyne and Cadden Lambie (stroke) Booth Duncan and Wal ford Ryan (stroke) Oakden W Smith and G White M atson (stroke) Rooke M Phee and Skinner Vickers Turnbull Tun bridge and Trapp Whitelaw (atroko)

Swanson 'tt ebb and Stewart The courae to be rowed ia from the Botanical bridge to the boatsheda and the crewa will be steered by coxBwaina of 8at weight

On Saturday Inat some gentlemen went out for a day s coursing on the plains near Leth bridge They had with them a single dog who followed the horsemen a sharp ride of 10 miles A baie waa started which the dog aoon lolled and whilo being taken up by hie master a aecond hare atarted which was also 1 llled by tho dog the two haros being killed within five minutes After a short interval a third hare was atartod by the dog which was killed within three quarters of a milo On returning homo a fourth haro was found which wnB also killed after a chase of about two miles Our correspondent who sends us ti is information evidently thinks this hare slaughter the 1 erfection of tho sport of coursing and does not state what 1 nv the hares received 01 whether thej wero does in jouit which mi_ht account for the short

courses

A dastardly act of cruelty was com mitted on the night of tho "ich ult At 10 o clock on that e\emng 1 dward Tit terson a lutcher and baker at Yan Yean left in his yard a maro woith tlj and next morning he foun 1 it about a mile from the placo on the roal side with a stable fork sticking into its Bido and 1 enetiatmg apparently Jin or Jin under the ribs lim attention was attractc 1 bj the handlo of the fork which WSB hanyiif, from tho animal a Bide Onlj ono pront of the fork had pene trated the flesh It waa extracted and the maro appeared likely to 1 eco ver Tho owner offers a reward of £20 for information load ing to the conviction of the offender

Iho othor night a man was observed by Constable M Govern stn. pun, lead off the loof of one of the buildings attachod to the Melbourno nosittal Iho constable went round to the entrance and gaming admit tance caught the pnaoner hiding in a cornor lue pnaoner who had collected about a hundredweight of sheet lead and load 1 iping gaio the name John honors At tho City 1 olico Court yesterday he was sentenced to threo months imprisonment with hard

labour

An aggravated assault was committed on a constable on Saturday night At about mid night a crowd of larrikins in Bourke street west attracted the attention of Constable Kissane who saw one of them knock at a door and then take off his coat and fight a

fellow larrikin The combatants fell on the flags, and Kissane, thinking the time a favourable one rushed upon them, lifted up the one who began the fight and proceeded to take him to the watchhouse. His companions, some dozen or 16, incited him to escape, and began pelting the constable with stones while the prisoner struggled to escape. The road having been newly metalled the larrikins had every facility for keeping up a shower of stones, and the constable was struck on the head several times. Seeing the door of a butcher's shop open, he made for it, dragging the prisoner, but the young man in the shop finding that the stones were striking the shutters, and receiving, moreover, a blow on the leg from one, at once with more presence of mind than boldness shut the door, leaving the constable outside. Fortunately Sergeant Nolan came to his assistance, and some other constables also coming up, the crowd dis-persed, and the original prisoner was secured. Nolan had his thumb broken by a stone, and said that had he been five minutes later Kissane, who was a good deal hurt about the head, would have been murdered. The pri-soner George Henry, alias Hanley, was brought before the City Bench yesterday and fined on different charges sums amounting to £15, in default he was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment

A number of larrikins were awarded punish-ments al the Fitzroy Court yesterday which should act as a warning to their class to be cautious how they practise their impudent outrages. A lad named Jas. M'Donnell, was arrested in Smith street on Saturday night for being drunk and disorderly He was in the midst of several companions, who as-saulted the constable who took him in charge and attempted his rescue, and during the scuffle stones were thrown. The various defendants were punished as follows for obstructing the police in the execution of their duty: — M'Donnell, an old offender, one month's imprisonment, Joseph Dennis, fined £5 or 14 days' imprisonment, Wm. Moxham, an old offender, 14 days; Wm. Scully, fined £5 or 14 days' imprisonment, and for throwing a stone at the constable 14 days

A curiouB attempt at suicide was made j csterday morning A seafaring man named Henry Lud wick, who had been stopping for some time past at the Carriers' Arms Hotel

King street, West Melbourne, on Sunday secretly abstracted from a case a bottle of whiskey, took it to his room, knocked the neck off, and drank nearlj the whole of the contents While suffering from tho effects of the drink he tried to go downstairs, but fell and hurt his leg He was told by the landlady Hist he would have to quit the placo and go to his friends, who wero better able to keep him than the hotelkceper At about half past ß next morning, blood was observed dropping from the ceiling of tho room under his, and the landlord found that Ludwick was bleed-ing from a wound in the right arm, which he had evidently himself inflicted with a razor. He had previously tied a handkerchief round his arm Tho wound cut across the pro minent -vein on the inside of the elbow, and Dr Burke, who was called in and Btopped the bleeding, said that Lud wick appeared to have some surgical knowledge, from the manner in which he had made the cut Ludwick was given in charge of the Hotham police, and remanded to gaol foi seven days for medical treat-ment The wound does not appear likely to result senoiiBly Ludwick, who is C1 j ears old, has been master of a ship, but of late baa been without money It is sup posed that depression of spirits, following as a reaction after the excessive drinking, caused him to attempt suicide

The following is the return of the quantity of gram, &.c, carried on tho Victorian lailway during the week ending Septembers, 1874 -riour, 1,530 bags , wheat, 1,075, potà toes, 0,259, bran, 741, malt, 73, chicory, 102 , total, 10 391 bags

"At the Church of the Apostles, Sand-hurst, on Sunday," the Bendigo Advertiser states, " the Very Rev Dean Backhaus an-nounced that the Rev Martin Crane, D D , of the Order of St Augustine, Prior of St John's Church, Dublin, had had conferred upon him the honour of being appointed the first Bishop of Sandhurst, and had already exercised his function by appointing him (Dr Backhaus) Ins vicar general

A local land board was held at Geelong jCBterday, the major and Mr M'Lauchlan being present. A number of persons appUed for portions of tho Drysdale reserve It was contended by Mr M Cormick, on behalf of the applicants, that as portions of the land had already been leased, there could not be any reservation now, but they were opposed by Mr M'Wilham, on behalf of the Bellerine Shire Council, on the ground that the lind vv as reBerv ed in 1870, and that the reservation had not been withdrawn The applications pending further instructions from Melbourne, were ordered to Btand ovor Mr Daniel Tow 1er applied for an acre at tho Breakwater for tanning purposes, the consideration of which was postponed pending the opinion of the town council on the matter Mr J D Robin son applied for 10 acres near Picnic Point for breeding and acclimatising fish The mayor stated that it had been notified to lum that the granting of the application would incon-venience picnic parties, and the application was deferred pending inquiries Mr Joseph Stone applied to have lr lp near the western beach in Geelong put up to auction. Mr A L Macdonald applied to have a number of allotments beyond the Agricultural Soci etj a reserve similarly dealt with Mr H. B Lane applied to have allotment 9, section 31, also put up to auction These were recom-mended Several applications for small allotments m country parishes were also dealt with in the usual way

The Geelong Adoeitiser understands that a challenge has been received from the Mel bourne Chess Club offering to play a match with the Geelong Club Boven of tho second class pla) ers of the metropolitan club to i ompete vi ith sov en of the best Geelong mon Iho challenge will doubtless be accepted, and the match played in Geelong

The barque Prince Victor, from Newcastle for the port of Geelong, went ashore about a milo vieBt ot Portallington, opposite Point Richards about 10 o clock on Siturday morning It is supposed that the vessol got inside the buoj placed there, and touched the sandbank that juts out from tho Point Captain Vi ebb, of the Despatch waa sig nailed on his way to Melbourno, and carno acioss to render assistance but after staying sometime vainly endeavouring to tow hei off, ho had to proceed on his vojatc On returmnt m tho evening hovvovor, he sue cccded in bruiting her ntain into deep water the tido being then liifeli On Sunday and jestcrdtiy the steamer mado au attempt to tot bei throiifah the ship channel in Cono Bay but, owing to the louth weather, was not successful Ko damato has boen sus

tamed.

Hie ki/dney Morning JJeiald of lnday 80jg -' Vie understand that His 1 xcellency the Governoi has received his lnstiuctions as rctaids liji by telegraph, and now onl) awaits the Premier s return to proceed on his mission Mr Parkes is expected in Sjdney on tho morinnt of the 11th, and should he keop his time, His Excellency will lcavo m II M S Pearl on tho forenoon of Saturday, tho 12th foi Ti i calling en i onie at Norfolk Island, a Crown colony under His E\col lency s personal government His Excellency will ho accompanied ofhcially by his private secretary, Mr G II Do Robeck, and hy the lion W Hely Hutchinson, who has been appointed attaché to the special mission

'1 he Pastoral '1 ii les of Saturday states -"A prellmlnaiy ai rangement was mado by the Deniliquin and Moama Railway diroctors on Wednesday Inst at Melbourno for launch

mg tina project on the London market under | circumstances that seem to promise success to the undertaking and advantage to the existing shareholders The proceedings will havo to be endorsed at a meeting of the shareholders at Deniliquin The i rmcipal reasons for Bending the pioject to 1 ngland appear to be to move it from the influence of intercolonial jealousies as far a» New South W ales and Victoria are concerned as well as not to offend the sensibilities of the older colony V\a trust the step will prove that the directors had no intention to do any thn t likely to rouse the iro of the Cabinet at Sydney or the people of New South

\\ ales

It is stated by the Pastoral rimes that the Joachim familj hav e commenced three actions agamBt Sir John O Shanassy and threo against his son in law the Hon Mr Fitzgerald fortreapasa &o ontheJoaohim selections on Moira run

Some of the workmen eraploved m paint-ing the outside of London houses writes the Pall Mall Gazette run considerable risk of losing their lives with no better sup port than the scaffolding too often erected by a careless contractor yet their nerves are equal to their position and no fear of death gives a tremor to the hand that holds the paint bruah It must however require mole than ordinary nerve to paint a bridge in the neighbourhood of the falls of Niagara where a scene of great excitement occurred on the morning of the 1st of June owing to a painter who was em ployed m painting the bridge leading from Goat Island to the Three Sisters having fallen into the rápida below He drifted with the current to a point within 40 feet of the falle where he found anchorage by coming in contact with a rock to which he clung In the meantime new8 of the accident had spread through the village and an immense crowd of spectators attracted probably by the proapect of aeeing a man carried over the Tails assembled to gaze at him It seemed quite im possible to rescue the unhappy painter from his perilous position His arms and bodywerefastbecoming benumbed andloamg their hold on the alippery rock when a vast shout arose from the spectators tolling him help WOB nigh as a guide named Tom Con roy jumped into tho Rapids from the Cave of Winds and holding a rope in Ina left hand avtam with the current until he reached the cxhauated painter when he tied the rope round him and the two men were dragged ashore amid the frantic applause of all present

The Wallaroo Times reports that the schooner Mayflower, Evans, master, from Port Broughton to Port Adelaide put into Port Wallaroo on Friday August 28 hav-ing been driven back up the Gulf by a strong south west gale. The captain re-ports while opposite Corney Point a strong south west gale was encountered and the schooner lost her jib in consequence of which she was compelled to make for this port. When about 15 miles to the west of Wardong Ialand, while pursuing his course down the Gulf, the captain being at the helm, a loud shriek was heard and on the captain looking over tho stern he saw the mate Richard Burton, who had been swept overboard, struggling in the water with his hands uplifted. The captain knew that the unfortunate man could scarcely sink so long as he kept in the dead water and immediately left the wheel and seizing an empty cask, threw it over to the assist-ance of the swimmer. One of the seamen then got a ladder and threw it over. The captain rushed back to the helm, and at the risk of damaging the vessel tried to bring her round. In the meantime the sailors were making their best efforts to get the boat down the aide and the captain went aloft in order to ascertain the direction in which the unfortunate man had floated. The cask and ladder were discernible, but the mate was nowhere to be seen, and a piercing shriek at no great distance seemed to indicate that the poor fellow had sunk to his grave. We need not say that the melancholy event created great depres-sion on board. Everyone exerted himself to the utmost to save the hapless man who was very much liked and of excellent character and had been eight months on board. He was a native of Devonport and 32 years of age. What makes this loss of life the more lamentable is the circum-stances that his wife had just arrived from England by the City of Adelaide in order to join her husband in this country. He was expecting her arrival but did not know that the ship had been stranded in the other Gulf. When Captain Evans came on shore at Wallaroo he lost no time in telegraphing to the owners of the vessel, who will in all probability convey to Mrs Burton the sad tidings of her husband's death.

A\ hen the International Congress at Brus BOIB was proposed it was feaicd in military circles at Berlin wo learn from tho Pall Mall Oautte which gets its information from the Burren eiluni/ that 1 ngland would not bo disposed to make any impor tant concession as to the use ofoxplosivo projectiles m time of war It has been ascertained that in lShS when a similar meeting waa held at St Peteiaburg the 1 nghsh Covernment instructed its repre 8entative to be very careful in avoiding anj measure which would bo calculated to hinder the improvement of weapons used in warfare adding that 1 noland cannot forego the advantages it Ima hitherto derived from her superior mechanic vi skill and inventive spirit m this respect At the same time re ferenco wa8 made to a statiatical report pre pared in tho 1 lench A\ar department from which it appeared that the losaeaof armiea in battle since tho intioluction of aims of 1 recision and lon(, range tuns have been îelntively much less than when the old fashioned artillery and muskets wore m use In ti e battle of Friedland for instance i he losses of the 1 rench wore 11 per cent and of the 1 usBians 30 i ei cent uf their respectivo troops at Warrain ihe French lost 1 ici cent and the Austrmns 11 per cent at the Moskowa ii e Trench 33 per cent and the Russians 11 I er cent and at Waterloo tho 1 rench 30 per cent ant the allies 10 per cent Torty j ears later when the new amis had been mtioduced the loss of tho 1 lench and Austri ins at Magenta was 7 pei cent each only wl ile at Solferino the losses of the 1 rench and Sardinians woio 10 ici cent and of the -ustnans 8 per

cent

Last night tho Rev J "\\ atsford delivered lis lecture on Courtship and Marring

ti o Athen um under tho auspices of the 1 arly Closmt, Association Theio wts a large attendance and Mr S Woods presided Of Mr Vi atsford s lectuioitcan bo tiuthfully s id that it ia both lnstiuctivo and amusing being brimful of good sound common sense ideas which lost nono of their force through being illustrated by humorous anecdotes whoso frequency however novel obscuied tho earnest feeling wl ich pervaded tho wholo address Iho audienco appeared tobo highly 1 leased and at tho conclusion i cordial volo of thanks vvasiassed to tho lectnior

lhere was no alteration in tho piogrammo at ti o Ihcatro Royal last night lhere was a veiy good attendance

Tho Rev C Clark will deliver a lectuio on Oliver Goldamith m the Town hill Richmond thiaevonmg

An adjourned meotmL, of tho Metro) ohtnu Bo id of W orita Conference will bo hold in tho lown hall tina aftornoon at 3 o clock

\\ o hav o received a bank draft for ¿3 10s from John Manning head teacher on bo half of State School No 315 lloathcoto foi tho Burna Boj a Fund

Olio number of visitors to tho National Museum of natural history and geology for the w oek ending September 5 was 1 819, and for the month of August 7 824