Bendigo Advertiser (Vic. : 1855 - 1918), Monday 22 October 1860, page 3


POPULATION OF THE GOIJDPIELDS.

A bulky " blue book has ju3t been issued from the Government Printing Office, containing t.lie statistics of the colony for the year 1859. The returns refur only to the mining population Under

the headjof "Goldfields Population" we have the"

number of inhabitants in the district of Ballarat

given as 13,000; Buninyong 12,000 ; Stei^lhz 5,400; Creswick 7,500 ; Smytlie's Creek 19,000 ; Blackwood 1,000; Castlemaine 13,000; Tarrcngowcr 3,430; Fryer's Creak 5,900 ; Tnradals 530; Hepburn 5,503; St Andrew's (Anderson's Creek) 2,030; Avoca 18,050; JCornn^r 7j350; Maryborough 0,345; Amheist 11.500; Dtinolly 5S00; Ararat 7,590; Pleasant Creek 2,200; R-iglan 3.500; Sandhurst 03,180; Floathnore 2,310; Waranga 1,940; Kilmure 4,000; Spring Creek (Becchvvort.lt) G 037 ; Three Mile Creek 2,399; Snake Valley 2,203; Woolahsd 9,(570 ; Yackandandah 4,241; Omeo 717; Auckland 2,801. The following is a summary of tho whole:-Men (exclusive of Chinese) 113,194; women 27,014; children 35,170; Chinese 20,030 men and 8 children. Total goldfiehb population 301,422 The total number of births during 1859 was 11,241 males, and 10,851 females; of deaths 5 721 males and 3,748 females. The number of marriages celebrated during the year was 4,709.-Age,

WAIMES, THB MiiRDEnKn.-A private letter received by the Hov. J. Y. V/ihon from tho Rov. Mr Mason, the'cler.;ymau of the parish of Shorburn-, in Yorkshire, to "Which George Waines belonged, stales that Waines was one of tho m-rst notorious poachi-rs in tho district, that his aged father was deeply affectod when the ntrws of his death reached him, as he had not heard from his son for years, but that he was riot surpris-d his end was one of violence -Portland Chronicle.

SurrosED MANSI.AUGMTEII.-The adjourned inquest on the body of John Fagan, whose death is supposed to have been occasions:! by a blow received during an affray at the Indigo, and who died in the Hospital last week, was resumed before Mr W. H. Drummoncf and a jury of twelve After soma witnesses had been examined, Mr B?okey eaid he had no further evidence to offer. After a slight consultation the jury agreed to return an open verdict to the effect that tho deceased diod from an abscess on tho brain, tho result of a blow indicted by some person or persons unknown,Ovens Constitution.

? SMBLTKD GOLD.- At the mooting of the Mining fns'itute last night, Mr Wilson brought before the members the determination of the banks to give Is per ounce less for smolted "old than for alluvial.

The matter is to come before the Institute

more fully at the next meeting, and with the large number of quartz companies now working must be ft matter of very general interest. Mr Wilton very smartly suggested a hint as to how ths banks would like the quartz companies to combine in paying all their employes in sovereigns only.

Balbirat Times.

GROO LEAOUK.-A League has been started in Maldon having for its purpose"1' Agitation for a repeal of the licensing laws." The members pledgo themselves not to support nny candidate for legislative honors who will not pledge himself to support their views. A large number of names are already down, and wo have no doubt that sarcn-eigluhs of the population will do likewise. We beg to warn all whom it may concern that it is ramorod steps are about to be taksn by the police to seize .all grog over two gallons found on the premises of unlicensed persons. We can hardly imagine that Government will be ridiculous enough to incur the risk of bringing the old days of Ballarat riots back again, but we give the tumor as it has reached us.-Iarrenyoioer Times.

A Wor.i' IK LAJIII'S CLOTHING.-A potition was going the rounds -yesterday in reference to the proposed railway to Maryborough ; many of the names appended thoreto wore given under the idea that it was for a direct line from Tnglcwosd, and ono gontleman who thus attached his signature, thought that he might as well read the document, when ho discovered to his disgust that the prayer of tho petitiou was for a line from Castlomainc to Maryborough, through all tho populous districts. Upon this discovery, he wished to withdraw his name, but this was not allowed. Another fact connected with the petition is, that the majority of tho signatures are those of miners who supposed it had some connection with the Mining Board. This affords another instanco of what some persons will descend to in order to compass their own nefarious purpose?.-Itii/lfwooil Advertiser.

RUMORED KIOT AT BACK CHEEK.-By private eomspondence wo understand, that a seriou* outbreak has occurred between the block and frontage claim holdets in this locality. From all we can .rather, the block' claimholders have jumped the frontage claims, and the proprietors of the latter, having expended a large amount of money and labor in them, muleavored In their turn to expel tho intruders, hencs tho ensuing of a dangerous riot. -Inglewood Adrertiser.

N».w GOLD DISCOVKRV ON TUB AitERcaoMiB.Mr Bradbury, a respectable settler on tho Abcrcrombie, was in town on Wednesday, and, reports the discovery of fold at the Little River, about eight or ton miles from the Pnling Yards, on the Abarcrombio River. A few of the settlers in the neighborhood are at work. Mr Cosgrove is stated to have got 4 ounces of tho precious metal in eleven days. The locale of-tho diggings is on the main line of road' from Goulburn to Bathurst, and is a considerable distance from nny of the provionsly known diggings on the Abercrombie,Qoulbum Hcnild.

MR. MAIITLEY OK SriRiTDALTSM.-The Star

says:-'' Mr Martley took occasion yesterday to say [to a.jury that lie thought'spiritualism ' was muoh in vogue in these parts. Ho grounded his opinion on the verdict of acquittal returned by a previous jury» in a case against a Chinaman for stealing a box of tobaceo, as the verdict appeared to him to bo equivalent to a belief that the box of tobacco had walked out of the shop of its own accord/ on purpnso to give evidenee against the prisoner. Tho verdict was certainly one more of \many illustrations of the 'glorious uncertainty;' of Juries.''

THE BANKS AT SFATUCOTP.. - We biiefly noticed last we«k that tho Australasia Bank in this township was about to close, and the business be transferred to Uio Oriental Bank Corporation, which consummation " so devoutly to be wished" -by the Bank-is now un fait accompli. We do not wish to impute unworthy motives to the directors of the Banks who have come to this happy arrangement, but we cannot but bo forcibly struck «ilh the fact that whilst the Oriental Bank hare purchased the premises and business of the Rmk of Australasia in Heathcote, that the Australasia have done likewise to the Oriental Bank in Maldon, How fur this arrangement will meet the wishes of the business people of M'lvor and Maldon we are at a loss to say, but at preseut general' dissatisfaction is the result, and business men do not hesitate to avow that the arrangement has been come to for the purpose of creating a monopoly, which, under any circumstances, is dr.triinonl.al to the interests of the dist.rict, and (he trading community generally.-M'lvor

News.

A FIRE ESCAPE.-At a dinner, Mr Rogers related a story of a nervous gentleman who kept a fire escape-a ltind of sack ill which ho could lower himself from his window.. Being suddenly awakened otic night by the sound, as hs thought, of the wheels of the fire engine, followed by a tremendous knocking at the door, ho descended in his sack in great haste, and readied the rtreet just in time to hand his wife (who had been to the ope raj out of her carriage.-Leslie's Itccol

lections.

WANTON BRUTALITY.-Au act of the most wanton brutality has been just brought under our notice, Da Monday last, a man named Hunter was driving a horse dray ladon with stone through Fyans-street, Irish town, when th» dray suddenly sunk in a deposit of mud, accumulated by the late heavy rains, up to tli9 axle. Tho horse did bis best to extricate the vehicle but without effect. ; Instoad of unloading the dray and putting his

shoulder to the wheel, the brutal ownor armed himself witli a paling, and, as we are informed, beat tho unfortunate animal for livo hours without any one interfering to stay his insensate rage. The animal fell dead in harness, when Hunter made an effort to throw the carcase into tha Barwon, but probably fearing it might be brought in judgment against bim, he took off the skin and cut up th6 carcase, distributing it amongst the residents in the vicinity for the use of their dogs. Steps are being taken to bring Hunter to justice.-Geelong Ad

verlistr.

A GAOL BarcAKER.--On Saturday morning one of tho prisoners in the gaol managed to effect his escape from confinement in a singular bold and audacious way. The man's name is Gcorgo Hvnes. He was tried at the Circuit Court on a charge of stealing money from the pockets of one of his mates in a road party near Violet Town. The jury acquitted him, but he. was at once rearrested as a deserter from tho 40th Regiment. He was to have been brought before the Police Magistrate on Saturday morning, but about a quarter to eleven o'clock, he boldly and openly placed one of the night tubs against the wall, and in sight of tho sentry on duty, leaped ths wall and escaped.' The sentry, we hear, says it was done so rapidly that ho only saw the flutter of his cloilies before he ran out of sight amongst tho buildings and rocks at tho back of tho gaol. Tho police, mounted and foot, were out in a few minute* scouring the country about the town, but with what result wo have not yet learned. The prisoner is a very determined fellow. He was wanted as a deserter, having on the Orb of May last broken out of the guardroom of the new militry barracks in Melbourne while a wait inn- his trial for desertion. He has also served a period of three 3-ears' hard labour for housebreaking at Sandhurst. He has several aliases, being known as George Hynes, Andrew Sinylie, and George

I.ovo,-Ovens Constitution.