AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1434, 20 January 1885, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

Victoria. Melbourne, January 13. A sharp shock of earthquake was experienced in Melbourne and the surrounding districts early on Sunday morning. There is no change to report in connection with the dispute in the bookmaking trade. Two prisoners attempted to escape from Pentridge on Saturday fay cutting holes in the ceiling of the;r calls. The men, when captured, had a complete set of tools in their possession, also rope and a change of clothing. How they obtained them is unknown. / Soma difficulty has been experienced in fixing a data for the Conference of Premiers which Mr Service proposes should be held in Melbourne. Captain Thomas, commander of the Victorian naval forces, has been to Syd • ney to arrange for a gun to replace the one recently fractured on board the Cerberus. Efforts are being made to bring about freetrade between Queensland and Victoria in the interests of the Queensland sugar industry. No further cases of smallpox have occurred in connec ion with the one at Castlemaine. The patient is now doing well.

New South Wales.

The farewell banquet to Commodore Brskine is fixed to take place on January 23, in the Town Hall. The steamer Austral was visited by 20 000 people on Sunday. The Hon Hugh Taylor, M.L.A., has been severely hurt by a kick from ahorse, and his condition causes grave fears. H.M.S. Tamar has arrived from England with the relief crews of the Australian station. Three cases of smallpox have occurred at Balmain. The patients are a man named Franklyn, his son and daughter. The disease is of a very severe type, and they have been removed to the quarantine hospital. The other inmates of the house have been taken to the North Head Quarantine Station. The racehorse Tom Brown having wrenched one of his hind legs was unable to start for the Anniversary Handicap, South Australia-, At an enquiry held concerning the fire at the Academy of Music, it was stated that the cause of the fire was a defective gaslight, which ought to have been looked to by the management. The Dredging Department have deepened the harbour at Port Adelaide to 22ft at low water, and the channel has been widened from 430 ft to 700 ft. Tasmania. The Tariff Commission commence their sittings to-day, and will be entertained at a banquet to-night by Mr J. G. Davies, Mayor of Hobart.