AUSTRALIANS NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1305, 3 August 1886, Page 3

AUSTRALIANS NEWS.

Melbourne, July 28 The Rev Andrew Hardy, convener of the Missions Committee of the Presbyterian Ghnrch, has received the following letter from the Rev D. M Donald. ■ one of the missionaries stationed In the New Hebrides; —“ Since the date of my last of Jane 9th, three French war steamers have been here at various Umas-the Magellan, Duchaftante, and Allier. The Boldiers settled in Havannah Harbor, and have been hard at work, Sunday and week day, ever since they lauded, building houses, of which there are no fewer thirteen either finished or in course of erection, but as to the alleged objec of their coming Tier e they have done ab aolutely nothing. No outrage or murder of a French subject has even been per I petrated on this island, and there is not the slightest necessity for these soldiers here to protect the French subjects Accordingly, they have done n -thing whatever In the direct on of punishing the natives for outrages, or protecting anj-l one; but, on the other hand, they have gone on building with all their might, as bb if for permanent possession. I would bog to point out to you. with the utmost possible emphasis, that unless, I by the pressure of the British, the I French authorities in Paris order the withdraw! of these soldiers, and If their I assurances that their settlement hts no j political sim are mere empty words, that allowing tbeso aoldiors to remaiQ here j means enabling the French to g> t pos- I Boston of the New Hebrides, or allowing them to take practical possess! in whi e they are giving verbal ‘assurances* apparently to the contrary. The natives I ere notwithstanding the recent efforts of the French to conciliate them, are altogether opposed to French annexation, and considering that they have always treated the French settlers hoapiti b'p sni with civility, it is not to the ho.ior of France that she should have thrown this ‘military post among them without asking their concurrence, aud it is not surprising that they, as well as English subjects in Ana tralasla, feel aggrieved at so strange a j proceeding as this nnprevik d invasion of the French marine. The Treasurer, in a spe- ch recently, Intimated that a bonus of £2500 would be j offered as sn encouragement to start a j cartridge factory. He a’so said that a bonus of £SOOO would le cff.red for giving an impetus to the man facture of worsted goods. With reference to the last proposal, Mr Andrews, as the mouth piece oi the woollen mill-owners in Geelong, Bald that offer came *o> late. At a )at ;r ■tage the Colonial Secretary referred to the various applications which had made to him by manuf .cturers to increase the duties on woollen goods In sr mi inBtances a protective duty, rang’ng from 80 to 120 per cent, w»s asked, a.:d the hon member quoted some jarticulars to show what was being done in New Zealand. There were eight or ten mills there, employing 140 J hands, against 600 here They all paid 10 pet cent, and they could afford to send their woollens to Vic o U, dbt the duly, aud sell them at a profit. Stdnet, July 27

The second of railway fraud cases against Wright and Heaton is now belag heard. The evidence is vety similar to that given in the former case. The proclamation prohibiting the manufacture within the colony, and the importation from beyond the colony of dynamite and nltro-glycerine compounds, has been further extended for six months from August Btb. Business in all branches continues in a very depressed state. The brig Jane ran ashore at Balllna during an easterly gale, but is likely to be got off. Melbourne, July 27. A meeting of woollen goods Importers atyd soft goods wa'ehousemen waited on the Commissioner of Customs snd represented that the present duty of 2Q per cent was quite sufficient. The City Council have resolved to h ive a bill prepared for permitting the purchase of the Metropolitan Oas Company's works.

Brisbane, July 27.

Owing to heavy river floods which occurred a Chsrleavllle a number of residents took to higher ground. Seven aboriginals were fore id for shelter into trees, and six of the number were only rescued with difficulty, the other being drowned. The river was ruaing fiercely at the time.