AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1004, 20 November 1883, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Melbourne, Nov. 13. A railway accident on the racecourse line was caused by the breaking of one of the axles in the .centre. The passengers soon noticed the serious jolting, and at length one side of the carriage dropped suddenly out and then was dragged along the line, bumping heavily on the sleepers. This soon caused the iron-work of the carriage to give way, and also brought one of the ends violently against the buffers of the carriage in front. The train was stopped as soon as possible. One or two passengers jumped put and injured themselves. The heavy rain has caused floods on the low-lying lands in Hawthorne and Richmond. This day (Sunday) the river was 7ft above the summer level. H.M.’s gunboat Raven put into Portland, en route for Sydney to coal. Messrs Webb, L. L. Smith and F. Brown have been nominated for the vacancy in the North-Eastern Province. The Board appointed to distribute the late reward offered by the Commercial Bank in connection with the gold robbery, made their awards. The relatives of the prisoner received L4OO. Sydney, Nov. 13.

The Land Bill debate continues to drag its slow length along, and it will probably be some time before it concludes.

The Prince of Wales’ birthday was kept as a close holiday. The fire brigades demonstration was the principal event. Over a thousand firemen from "Victoria took part in it. During a torchlight procession the previous night the roughs broke windows in Pitt street to the value of L6O or L7O. Bather an extensive fire occurred on Saturday night in the premises of some Chinamen, Lower George street. It oonmunicated with the stores of G. Dignon and Co,’s crockery warehouse in Pitt street, and fche adjoining buildings. Dignon’s was completely gutted. It was insured for L 12,000 in various offices. The insurance altogether amounted te near L 20,000. The fourth centenary of Martin Luther was celebrated on the evening of the 12th inst. by a demonstration in the Exhibition Building, at which several appropriate addresses were delivered by prominent ministers and others. The weather has been very unsettled during the past week, with frequent; thunderstorms. The Chief Justice, fro a the Bench, has expressed a strong opinion against the running of steam motors through the city. Brisbane, Nov. 13. The election of Mr W. H. Groom, as Speaker of the new - Assembly, is much commented on by the press. It is stated, it is a blot on the new Parliament. The Ministerial members refused"to accompany the Speaker to the Governor. The barque Ramsay, bound for London, was wrecked on Elizabeth Reef, about 400 miles from the Australian coast. The vessel breaking up, the crew left. One of the boats was picked up at Point Danger after being six days at sea. The captain’s boat has not since been heard of. The Ramsay, which was eight months loading, had 2,130 bales of wool, 156 casks tallow, besides other cargo.