Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), Friday 17 June 1887, page 3


NEWS OF THE DAY.

Ihe name of J. F. Taylor has been added to the list of persons for whom messages are lying at the Central Telegraph Office! The only case before the Premantle Police Court to-day was that of John Duncan, charged with inebriation. He was dismissed with a caution.

We understand that Mr. C. F. Hick3, who for some time past has. held the posi tion of accountant in the establishment of Mr. W. G. Hearman, the well-known City draper, has been appointed station master at Walkaway. Mr. Hicks will leave for the scene of his new labours on the 26th inst.

Wo have been asked to diaw attention to the alteration iu the time for holding the sale ab tbe C-niklFord Holel from to-morrow (Saturday) to Monday next. The lepjrt of tho Mount Eliza Depflt for the year 18SC shows that on December 31 last there were 121 inmntes in the institu tion, more than half of whom were between the ages of 60 and 80. An inmate of the Mt. Eliza Invalid Depot, named John Smithers, died last night, at the age of seventy-seven, from the effects of old age. The deceased' was ad mitted into the institution on the 1st November, 1873. The only bill laid on the table of the Council yesterday was of very little import ance. It was a bill which will allow postmasters to fine servants in the employ of the department a sum not exceeding 5s. for disobedience or delay in the perform ance of their duties. The corps of Volunteer at Premantle to take part in the brigade parade at Guild ford to-morrow afternoon will leave by the 3 p.m. express train, returning at 0*20 p.m.; those from Perth will leave for Guildford by the ordinary 3 p.m. train, returning at 6 p.m. The programme of the Jubilee Sports to be held at Guildford on Thursday next will be found among the advertisements. The proceedings will commence by a general assembling of. the residents of Guildford and the district in Stirling-square at ten o'clock in the morning. We may add that our friends at Guildford were the first to recognise the claims the aboriginal natives have to take part in the festivities.

At a meeting of the Eeform party in the House held yesterday, at which all members including Messrs. Hensman and Venn were present, Mr. S. H. Parker was elected leader. It was decided that the party during the present session should act unanimously and that notice of the resolu tion in favor of Ee3ponsible Government should be given on Friday next, so that the question should be debated as early in the session as possible. We have been requested to call attention to a lecture on Mesmerism advertised to be given by Mr. White, at St. George's Hall, to-morrow evening, at which tho Bishop of Perth will preside. The proceeds of the lecture will be given to aid the Bishop's Native and Half-caste Children's Home in Perth. As previously stated in these columns Mr. White is on a short visit to this colony, and has recently delivered an interesting and instructive lpoture on the same subject at Geraldton. Tiokets are to be had at Mr. Beattie's, Howick-street. Our advices from London report a decided improvement in the condition of the man na gum market. The following sales had been effected :— Bold red West Australian, part woody, 67s. 6d. to 63s. A line of. 69

packages, nearly all in bags from Albany, good to fine bold reddish frosted, was quit ted at 7ls. to 75s. j while another line, described as fair bright bold, part rather woody and blocky, realised from 66s. to 67s. per cwt. Some shipments of pearl shells from this colony had been sold at the rates obtaining at the previous auction. Sir Henry Wrerifordsley, who has re cently been admitted to the Victorian -Bar, has been retained by the friends of the late Mr. E. S. Parkes, who was killed io the late Windsor, railway accident, in watching the proceedings at the Coroner's investigation into the causes which led to the unfortunate catastrophe. Mr. Purves, Q.C., on behalf of the railway department, is also present at the enquiry, and, judging by the published reports, the occasional passes between Sir Henry ^nd his learned friend must be rather enlivening. Among those who were injured in this lamentable accident were Mr. H. T. L. Brown, for merly Government Geologist of this colony. Mr. Brown, with many others of the injured, lay in the Alfred Hospital for about a fortnight, when he was sufficiently recov ered to proceed to his house, in Adelaide. A football match will take place on Saturday (to-morrow), on the New Eecrea tion Ground, between teams chosen from the West Australian Football Club and the Victorian Football Club. Play will com mence at 3 o'clock. The following will

comprise the players. ' Wests.' :— F. McDonough (Capt.), E. Eamsay, J. Hard wick, P. Cahill, I. Vincent, W. Mackie, E. Drabble, S. Laurence, N. Walsh, H. Ward, W. Delaney, J. Mansfield, D. Bren nan, M. Eichards, J. Craig, Jos. Nicholls, J. Lewis, J. Donnelly, E. Mansfied, and B. Chapman. Emergencies : — J. McBride, E. Eowland, J. Kelly, and T. Moore. 'Vies.':— H. Wilson (Capt.), H.Sadler, M. Coomer, W. Shehan, E. Ward, J. Neeson, W. Eeilly, G. Eeilly, A. Lakei E. Salter, J. Jones, E. Jones, P. McGann, A. Connelly, J. Nioholls, F. Smith, E. Nolan, Mackie, J. C. Hardy, and W. Cook. Emergencies :— J. Lyons, M. Brown, and T. Bourke. Messrs. J. G. Lee Steere and H. W. Venn, J's.P., presided at the, City Police Court this morning, when they disposed of the following cases : — George Richardson was sent to gaol for a fortnight upon a charge of vagrancy. For leaving a 'stack of timber in the public thoroughfare of a night without keeping a lighted lamp thereon, Frederick Stevens was fined 20s. and costs. George Keith summoned James J. Grant for having used abusive language towards him in the Criterion Hotel. The case was proved and the defendant was fined 5s. with costs. Thomas Buck, a lad charged with having assaulted a Chinaman named All Gee,- was fined 5s. and ordered to pay 3s. costs. John Mullane was sum moned by his brother for having refused to pay balance of wages amounting to £A 9s. ; the defendant admitted the claim, and was therefore ordered to pay the sum within one week from date. Eichard Buck was fined 10s. for being the owner of a horse found trespassing in the public streets. One of the most interesting reports laid on the table of the Council yesterday was that relating to Eottnest prison. It shows that the health of the natives during 1886

had been very bad, there being no less than 147 cases of sickness. Of these there were 100 cases of influenza and 33 cases of eczema, the cause of which, according to the superintendent's report, is attributable to the altered mode of life of the natives, and he doubts whether tke prison will ever be quite free from these complaints. There is no hospital on the island, and one is very much required. The producing power of the island has increased during the year, but the following paragraph seems very significant: 'The class of labor on the island is of a very poor description, for although we have received a large number of prisoners, the majority of them are savages who had never seen, much less used any sort ef working implement till they reached Eottnest.' This being so it seems very hard that they should have been con victed in the herds they were, for being but savages in the state referred to, it is diffi cult to conceive that they knew they were doing anything but killing game when they stole the sheep and cattle for which they were convicted, and even more difficult to imagine that they could have known the nature of the proceedings in the Courts in which they were tried. A schedule to the report contains the names of the prisoners at Eottnest and the offences for which they were convicted. Such a document at once fills any humane observer with alarm,

inasmuch, as at least one half of the prison ers have been sentenced in droves on the same day for the same offence. On Decem ber 11th no less than 25 natives were convicted in one lot at the Upper Gascoyne for bullook stealing and sentenced to 2 years' imprisonment each. On May 27 some 15 natives were sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment from the same place for stealing sheep. On the same date 8 others were sentenced to a like term from the same place for cattle stealing. On September 14, seven natives were sent to Eottuest for one year from the Upper Gascoyne for cattle stealing, and on the same date 21 aboriginals were sentenced from the same place for sheep stealing. His Excellency's speech promises fresh legislation relating to the aboriginals, and we hope that when the bill is before hon. members some enquiries will be made from the Government respect ing the sentences referred to.

I ?£Mr. Frank Wittenoom was the only West Austialian present at the Eoyal Colonial Institute on May 10 on the occa sion of the rending of tho important paper on 'Colonial Government Securities'' by Mr. Geo. Baden-Powell, M.P. The Colombo Observer of May 28 says : — Messrs. A. R. and J. Adam (of Pinjarrah, W.A.) have just purchased from our well known millionaire Mr. C. H. de Soysa one of the best-bred Arab horses in Colombo, which is being taken to Fremantle for stud purposes by the 'Star Queen,' sailing to-morrow. By yesterday's issue of the Daily News the pnblic were informed that Her Majesty bad been pleased to create the Hon. Mal colm Fraser a Knight Commander of the most distinguished order of S. Michael and S. George. The news was received with universal satisfaction, nil uniting in ex pressing a hope that Sir Malcolm Fraser may live for many years to enjoy the well deserved honour that has been bestowed upon him by his Sovereign. The tea so generouslp given in the Town Hall yesterday afternoon by Mr. E. Maggs to the children of the Protestant and Catho lic Orphanages was a triuuphant success. The little ones belonging to the Perth Pro testant Orphanage were conveyed to the Town Hall in waggonettes on account of the showery state of the weather, and the inmates of the Subiaco institution were conveyed to the City by special train. Over two hundred children sat down to the bountifully spread tables, and evidently enjoyed the profusion of good things provided them with excellent appetites. During the course of the tea several songs were rendered in capital style by a gentleman whose name we were un

fortunately unable to obtain ; Mrs. Haynes kindly played several selections of music on the piano. Professor Lapsley contributed towards the children's amusement by giv ing an exhibition of his artistic dancing, and finally Mr. Alfred Silvester performed a number of his inimitable conjuring feats much to the delight of his juvenile, though thoroughly appreciative audience. Lady Broome and Lady Fraser, together with a number of the wives of the leading citizens, assisted in attending, to the wants of the orphans, each of whom upon leaving the ball was presented by Mr. Maggs with a large packet of lollies and an orange. The children most thoroughly enjoyed the treat, for which they were indebted to the kind generosity of Mr. Maggs.