Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-08-02

day when breakfasting with the Rev. Mr..
Graham of Sidney, he called my attention
to an elderly gentleman who was walking
on the balcony of an elegant mansion at
some little distance, and informed me that
he was a convict, who had been whipped at
the cart tail" on the streets of Sidney
He could just write his name; but his
check was good any day for 500. 900; and
the attorney general was his son-ln-law.
That was the nearest | come to meeting
with any of the class. When Mr.. G. asked
me if had met with any of his relatives
in Australia, l only told him the truth,
when I told him that / had no acquaint-
ance with any of the convicts out there.
BUsHRANGERs.
came near making the acquaintance of
these Knights of the road on my travels.
l had read about them ad nanseam. The
New Zealand dailies that had no home
news, had no other foreign news twenty
nine days in the month, than their exploits.
In the absence of the European mail, it
was godsend to the luckless editors
Think of what Fenian or Indian raids
would be the year round. But neither you
nor your readers can imagine what it was
to open the Dunedin daily, as large as the
London Times, a perfect transcript of
continent of need, and look across the
sweltering chaos to one or two visible spots
of news as "Denelequin Good Ford or
lamberoo, where her majesty's mail was
stuck up by the bushrangers last night"
At times | sardonically took rather
liking to these half dozen gentlemen of the
road, as an enterprising set of fellows who
not only managed to manufacture news for
all the newspapers in that quarter of the
globe, but kept the mounted police and
constabulary force all over the colonies in
brisk and wholesome exercise, without
which they or their war steeds might have
fallen into i'll health, much to the detriment
of her maiesty's service. More than this
they supplied work for the Legislative AS
sembly whole session. 1t was their mas
terpiece to call forth such eloquent oratory
and wise legislation, and to procure sus-
pension of the constitution, and for time
a reversal of all principles of law. 1t being
found necessary in order to destroy them,
to enact that whoever afforded them "aid
and comfort" should forfeit all he posses
sed, and every ore being presumed guilty
who could not prove himself innocent of
this. Pretty good for half dozen men.
But the convict element had so tainted
certain parts of the country, where they
were honored like Robin Hood and his
outlaws in merry England, that no milder
measures were of any avail. Ben Hall,
the King of the Bushrangers" was mod
ell OF chivalry in his treatment of women.
| Whilst Mcpherson, the wild Scotchman,"
| for the benefit of her majesty robbed her
majesty's subjects; and in the spirit of
| bravado RENTED considerable sums to the
| government.
These men, born to the saddle, could
ride in any direction for weeks, as the
woods are open, like gentleman's park
in England, and they had relay of horses.
| They would stop the mail coach, bail up
| the passengers to the trees and be great
! distance away ere any one appeared for
| their relief. Or they would have the pO-
| lice drawn a dozen miles out from the vii
| lage where they were stationed, on false
alarm, when they would go through" the
place in a business like way, clearing out
the bank, post Office, stores or residences
of principal cities.
| Wherever there is such a range of cOun-
| try and a similar state of society, a like
! condition of things will prevail. We found
! IL llILIS D6ll6E Oh the L dClLC COd>I. Cl =
sons were relieved of their money and val
uables on going a few miles from cities
and night or two before we left the stage
was robbed. But they never had to resort
to such extreme measures in order to ex-
terminate the evil.
I told kind friends who almost com
PEELED" me to remain for time in Austria
liza, instead of proceeding at once to Cal.
ifornia, that | had heard of % sticking up
as one of the institutions of their country.
l assured them that if | was to be bailed
up, was glad to fall into so good hands
1t reminded me, said, of one of Shaks-
peare's characters, who unfortunately got
drunk and imagined that his pockets were
picked. He thereupon declared that wher
he got drunk again he would get drunk in
good. honest, religious company-that he
would get drunk in the company of those
who had the fear of God in them And
expressed myself as happy to find that if
was stuck up | was stuck up" by such
kind, christian people. But 1 must not
thus anticipate the order of events.