AUSTRALIAN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1092, 5 November 1883, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

[bbutbr’s telegrams—copyright.] The New Governor of Queensland. Sydney, Yesterday. Sir Anthony Musgrave, Governor ofQueensland, was a passenger by the" Sorata from Melbourne this morning. His Excellency sailed again for Brisbane by the Ranelagh.: Shipping. Adelaide, Saturday. Arrived, to-night—The Messageries Nate, from Marseilles (Sept 27th). ;

Prorogation of the Victorian Parliament. Melbourne, Saturday. The Victorian Parliament was prorogued to-day. The Governor’s Speech on the occasion stated that the session now ended had been marked by the importance of the Legislative meast&es passed, resulting from the harmony,’, prevailing between Council, and the Assembly. The importance l attached to the question of the annexation of New Guinea and other Pacific . Islands at the opening cf Parliament had been increased by the action,of France in proposing to deport ta the ! islands the vilest and the worst of her criminals, notably those so far steeped in crime as to be deemed unfit to be

retained within her territorial, limits. The matter was of vital importance t 0,,,, the Australian colonies, containing as they do British people numbering overthree millions, and representing the. best enterprise of These 1 islands should not become the sions of any foreign Power. Such S’ : sink of moral pollution should pot bjs ( . , permitted to exist at the portals of the, Southern Britain. With a deep feelingsof the threatened wrong and a strong sense of the lasting national; misfpr-'i j tune that would be entailed upon -,

them, all the colonies hadisttonglyi remonstrated . . with . the- Imperial'’ authorities• and a convention, comprising representatives of all the colonies, which was about to assemble at Sydney to deal with this matter

i specially, and also the question of Federation, will, it is still hoped, induce the Mother Country, upon whom the duty rests of conserving the national character of this portion of the Empire, i to take effectual measures to avert such a calamity as is threatened. Whether Ahe object would be best attained by ■ annexation, or by the establishment of ■ a protectorate over the islands was not and the aim of the colonies

must be to prevent such occupation ; as would become a standing menace to their peaceful shores, also to avert the infiltration of criminals. The speech ! stated that the railways of this colony t had grown into a gigantic system, the ’ annual receipts being La,000,000 sterling and the actual expenditure Xi,000,000 for management. There had been 176 miles opened during the ' past twelve months, making a total of ■ 1,500 opened for traffic, besides 193 miles being constructed rapidly. It is estimated that the revenue of the current year ending 30th June next will exceed that of the past year by fully Lioo,ooo, judging by the favorable prospects of the pastoral and agricultural season.

Shipping. [Received Nov. 6, 11 55 p.m.j ' ‘ Fydney, To-d.y. ‘ Arrived, last evening, the Waihora, from Auckland. The Opening of Parliament. The Queensland Pailiament will be Opened bn Wednesday next j. ■ ■