AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1346, 8 December 1885, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Melbourne, December 1. By the new Loan Bill, which will be read a second time at an early date, Government ask Parliament to sanction a loan of eight millions. Of this six millions will be devoted to the construction of railways, L 1,300,000 to irrigation, L 500.000 to the Maiooarae water supply, and L 200.000 for loans to shires to enable them to construct tramways. Debentures will bear interest at not ieas than 4 per oeut, and endure 45 years. When the new loan has Deed fl mted, the Victorian public debt will have reached L 39,760,000 A meeting was held yesterday to express sympathy with Mr Stead, of the Pall Mall Gazette The meeting was attended by some clergymen and several members of the Salvation Army. The chair was taken by the Postmaster General, the Hon J. Campbell. Votes! of sympathy with Mr Stead were passed The speakers all referred to Mr Stead as a martyr to the cause of suffering humanity. A letter has been received oy the Department of Agricolture from Mr Corrigan, of Whitemoutb, Canada, who seeks information about land in this colony, and about its land laws. He states that several persons with some capital intend to emigrate from that place to Viotona in January next. The second trial of Joseph Symes, the freethooght lecturer, was concluded at the Supreme Court yesterday. The defendant was charged with keeping a disorderly house under the Act of George 111,, which provides that the occupier of any house, room, &c., wnich is used as a place of public amusement on Sunday, for which money is charged, shall be deemed a keeper ot a disorderly bouse. His defence was that the proceedings were not entertainments, but were connected with the services of the Australian Secular Association. The jury were unable to agree, and after six hours, where discharged without giving a verdict. The defenddant was allowed bail to appear on Dec. 15 on tho same charge.