Friday, 25 October 2013

"JET SAM" Henry Vale Leathem.

All the papers with Henry vales and Marion's early work are washed away in some flood or fire, thankfully we have the other country papers publishing their work.



The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW: 1868 - 1931)
26 FEB 1876

No. I.

**OF course all your readers are aware that the new Education Bill is the chief topic of interest in Sydney just now, causing quite as much Social us Political Excitement.

The social aspect now presented is a very influential committee with a told and imposing front and a formidable array of names, with titles from the devoted L.L.D. down to the comparatively modest B.A.
The ball has been opened by the notification of a monster meeting, to protest against the sixth clause.

The chief speakers will be the Metropolitan (Dr. Barker), Revs. Zachary Barry, and J. C. Kirby, as well as some lesser lights. 

‘Honest John ' has found himself to be in such a 'fix' that he is like the proverbial fool 'who meddleth with strife."

' Apropos of this subject, it has transpired that the Cabinet have made an arrangement with the Treasurer that tho latter is to be at liberty to vote against the sixth clause of the Bill, to speak against it, and to do his utmost against it; thus during the debate we shall have tho novel spectacle presented of part of the Cabinet urging tho Bill on the acceptance of the Collective Wisdom, and the other part, as represented by Mr Stuart, denouncing it; such is the last phase of matters political and not a very, dignified one.

I hear almost daily, and in a manner that cannot be entirely ignored, the possibility of a speedy change.                                                                           
May it come quickly the country is quite full of Mr Robertson for ' this present.' A Government submitting a bill which they do not believe in themselves'!


**Did you hear of the 'little game' of the Premier, anent the Chief Under Secretary.- The latter gentleman is getting £800 a year, and having been a long time in the service is entitled to retire upon a pension of eleven-twelfths of his salary— about £700.

So far so good, but ' Honest John ' brings a proposal to Parliament to incise his screw to £1000; during the debate it transpired that if the increase were voted the Under 'Secretary would then retire on a pension of £900 a year. A rosy little game, wasn't it.

I need hardly tell you the increase was rejected by the House, and in such a manner as to cause the Premier to withdraw all other proposed increases without discussion.


**A story comes to me from Newcastle: — there was a brilliant sunset the other night. After the sun had gone down, a black cloud massed in the north-west was touched along the edges with n vivid crimson light.

‘It might be the battlements of such a city as ancient Troy,' said a dreamy-looking citizen on the wharf; but, alas, for the justice of things in this mundane, sphere;

“Just then someone slung a bad orange which took him in the month, and for ten minutes after he was loudly declaiming his ability to bet a pound he could ' lick any man in the crowd.


**With reference to the discovery of human remains in the interior, which were supposed to be these of Leichardt’s party, a letter has been published in the ' Inquirer,' from the. ‘Resident magistrate of Greenough district with further details, and in the same paper, Mr John Forrest states that he has come to the following conclusions : —

He thinks tho camp visited was one of Austin's exploring expedition in 1854, and that the remains are those of some of his horses that died of poison at Poison Rock, or the remains of some native who has been eaten.

When Mr Forrest ' himself was out he could' find no trace of any whites having ever visited that part, and he further states that having often studied the chances of the fate of Leichhardt, he has come to the conclusion that if we ever hear of the discovery of his remains it will not be in the western but in the eastern half of Australia.


**I shall probably in my next give you an account of the opening debate on the Schools Bill.


JETSAM.


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