Australian News.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 13, 9 February 1870, Page 7

Australian News.

A brutal assault, resulting, trt tlio loss of i ono life, took place at M'Ka!y'« fafrrt, Tal* J la rook, recefntly, Six Chinese 'reapers weta attacked by a number of European*. Armed with staves, and cruelly beatm'. Three men are in custody. The Talbot paper speaks of tho Occufreuce of very high winds during Christmas' week, and also says that snow and hail storms had occurred, The snow-flakes were Very large, and reminded spectator* of Christmas in England, In its summary for England, the Brisbane Courier gives the following sketch of the progress and position of Queensland : —«ln 1800 we had 28,000 inhabitants, now we have 110,000}" in 1860 there were 41 schools, attended by less than 2000 children, now we have nearly 200, with about 13,000 pupils. There are now nearly 2,000,000 of acres Icsimxl; more than 13,000 planted with cotton, and more than 5000 under sugar. Sheen have increased, between the two periods, from 3,000,000 to 9,000,000, and horned cattle from less than half-a-million to more than a million. In mineral productions, tile increase has been marvellous, indeed, it would b? difficult to arrive at :t correct estimate of tho amount of gold, copper, coal, &c., brought to the surface. From the far oft' Clonburry in the north-west, to the southern boundary of the colony, discovery has followed quickly upon discovery, and copper, silver, pud gold will yet bo found in Queensland in such abundance as to afford wealth to many and employment to thousands. We have more than :!00 miles of railway constructed and ill use ; we have about 2000 miles of telegraphic communication ; our imports have risen from threequarters of a million to two millions, and our exports from half-a-million to two mil lions and a quarter. Our revenue has increased to £750,000 from .£178,000 in 1860 ; and our expenditure has swollen in about the same ratio."

By way of Rockhainpton we luvve some news from the far north of Australia. The correspondent of the Bulletin, writing from the Gilbert, says :—"'The latest, news from the Norman is to the effect that the population of the place has dwindled down to about 25 persons, one half of whom are women, and that the aspect of the place is miserable in the-extreme. Burketowu is stated to present an appearance of desertion in even a greater degree ; and the ten families forming the population of Carnarvon, Swecr's Island, are reported to be in that happy state, known as 'Jiving upon one another.' There are about 30 diggers at the Cloncurry, a few of whom are doing pretty well, according to a letter just received hero, and the remainder making tucker. Of course the extension of the telegraph to Burke, and the opening-up of the great Australian copper-mine, will produce hj happy change in the slate of the country bordering on the Gulf; but, in the meantime, it would appear the inhabitants of that section are fully realising the axiom that ' while the grass is growing, the horsi is starving.'

The annexation of the Fiji Islands to Australia is urged by the Melbourne Age. Independent of their beauty and fertility, their increasing importance, and the advantages they offer to settlers, their acquisition is insisted on as a sort of necessity to prevent their occupation by a foreign power. The petition to the American Government to assume the protectorate of the group dwelt principally on the advantages of the Fiji as a naval station, and those advantages the Americans are not slow to perceive. The Age considers that, beside the danger which might accrue from the presence of a foreign naval power in such close proximity, the islands should properly belong to Australia, and their passing into other hands would be a misfortune, the inhabitants too, it is asserted, preferring Australian to American rule.

Charles D'Aloustel, a French teacher, has been fully acquitted on a charge of criminal assault, The prosecutor's story is entirely disbelieved, The following members of the new Victorian ministry have been sworn in :—Mr Aspinall, Solicitor-General ; 3\ir M'Lennan, Public .Worksj and'Mr Graham Berry, Treasurer. The election writs have issued. An Opposition is rumoured, but tho names of its membefo have not been published.

A sale of Australian diamonds took place on the 6th ult. at the Shipping Exchange, Melbourne-. There was a good attendance, and fiome of the stones (of which there were 81 offered) realised very satisfactory prices, the sums received ranging from £2 2s. to .£lO 10s. per stone. TlllS is the first sale of the kind that ha;; taken pkee in Melbourne; but as the supply of gems bids fair to be pretty constant, it is probable" that tho sales will now bo periodical. The Australian Diamond Company an; forwarding l!) 7 diamonds, weighing 51| carats, to their agent in EVigl'and. by this Inail steamer. This parcel makes a total of 583 despatched From Melbourne? since the opening of the in inc. A telegram was received on tho 7th ult., from the manager at Mudgee, stating the result of

a week's work as 01 diamonds, am! 1207rf lodwts 15grs of gold.—Melbourne paper.