AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 556, 13 December 1872, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Quack won the Bendigo Cup.—Minnie, the female acrobat, fell from the flying trap j ze, in the Bendigo Theatre, and was nearly killed.—Mining dividends for the week eliding the 2nd of December amounted to 30,000/.—A violent scene occurred a' the recent prorogation of the Assembly at Adelaide, A discussion arose respecting the right of the Speaker to present Bills at the barof the Council; and, on the approach of the Governor’s messenger to summons members to the Upper House, tho doors were locked They were, however, burst open from the outside, when the members proceeded to the Council, and Parliament aas prorogued, Sir James Ferguson is making preparations to leave Adelaide by the next steamer. A large amount has been subscribed for the purpose of presenting him with a testimonial.—Mining matters at Ballarat are very quiet but. at Sandhurst the mines arc yielding handsomely, —At Brisbane, a cake of gold weighing five thousand eight hundred ounces, the largest known in the Colony, has been rec ived from the Gympie. It is the product of seven hundred and thirty-uine tons of s>one obtained from the South Monkland Company’s claim.-In Adelailc a locust fund has been formed, for the purpose of destroying locusts. In a great many nlaces tho pest is intolerable. Speaking of the crops, it is stated that even the locusts eat two bushels an acre, the crops will be very he ivy -The Melb mine Exhibition is a great succ ss.—A new' house for the Governor of \ iotoria is to lie erected at a cost of 83,000/.-oEgles in the Australasian, has the following:—“A visitor to the Melbourne Gaol (voluntary, this time) tells me he was never more surprised than on finding a person there restrained carrying on his nusiuess just as he would in his counting, house. His papers and cheque-book were before him, and he had two clerks with him hard at work. The prisoner’s offence was 0 ilysome contempt of court, but I suppose other detenus would claim like privileges, and a cleverly-compassed commitment mi lit be rendered advantageous as a saving of office rent.—There were issm d from the Victorian mint dui-ing the week ending November 30, 35,300 sovereigns, making the total number issued up to that date, 666,000. —Cobban I Co. are going to run a coach between Melbourne and Ballarat, tho trip t- take seven hours, or in about tho same time as the railway mail train takes to do the journey on holiday occasions, atul the fare to be each way ten shillings only They are promised a large amount of support, people being disgusted with the had management now existing on the railways. A solicitor named J. F. Graham, wheat one t me made a fair income by the practice of his profession in Melbourne, but who has been brought very low by_ indulgence in drink, was lately sentenced to three month’s imprisonment as a loafer.—The Ballarat Post says: safely delivered of two girls and a boy, and, we believe, is doing well, though the first child was born at one o’clock in the morning, and the other two ten hours afterwards. T In Victoria, with a population of threequarters of a million, there arc one hundred and twentv public journals. In Now Zealand, with a population of three hundred thousand, there are about fifty-five Am mg the spent at irs of the Canterbury races there was a large number of sailors and marines from the Dido, who distinguished themselves not a little in cqueat riant sin. Not content with riding singly, they more than once double-banked their ho-ses, a proceeding so much to the dislike of one animal that he unseated his riders almost as fast as they could get up, to the infinite amusement of tho general public. In toe latter part of the. afternoon, two races on horseback were got up for their especial benefit, and this, was produo ive of more fun, making an amusing wind-up to the day’s proceedings. A M .ster Mason, writing to the Southern Cross on the counter allegations regarding Mr. Freor’s renunciation of Masonry, siys; —As n Mason, I may inform the Rev. Faber Nonas that it is impossib'e fir any one once made a Mason to renounce the G raft. He may resign his lodge. He may daolare his intention never to enter any lodge so lon !as ho lives. II; mu be exclude 1 for certain reasons from ever entering a Freemason’s Lodge, but he still is, and will be to the last day of hts life, a Mason. The initial secrets he learned at his entrance, and the secrets of tho several degrees he has been invested with, are buried deep in his bosom ; and no renunciation, no promise •if absolution which maybe tendered, will ■ver cause him to divulge the secrets which have been entrusted to him.” A Sailor’s Description of a Dance. Haven’t had any fun with the land-lubbers till Thursday night at a dal ce. When I arrived in the cabin, found ‘om under way <m a Spanish dance. Took ray station in a lino with Susan Tucker—fell back and filled, then shot ahead two fathoms —hauled up on the starbonl tack to let another cr,v't pass, and then came stern on another sail, spoke her, and bore her round against the sun, anil fe'l in with another sail in full chase. Passed twenty sail on tho same course, and when half across to tho othorshoro, propt astern, fell back, couldn’t fill, so let go anchor, and hatiled up for repairs, Next time 1 was drawn into the current by a cotillion, but didn’t make much headway—shot ahead with Betsy Stftrk, and sailed over to the other coast, Took a turn opposite range abreast -twice 'towards other craf's. and back astern again—moved round to star. board-“.passod n ar partners lights, and made sail for liorth. Thi d time ran rt-> in- . ni port to the tune of to Temp st . the tar’s favorite. Proceeded along up c ast a.-C'ird-Ingtothe regular order of sailing—bore ahi ad again—rounded to—then passing adversary yard-arm, by yn’d-aim. locked astern. with tho whole sqnad’-nn in circulation order of .‘ailing, Sally Jones at the same time manceuvering, and making sicna’s when under full sail Finally anchored, alter a heavy squall;