AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 587, 18 July 1873, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

At Queensland great floods have occurred, caused by incessant rain. The river Brisbane has been unuavigable, and the wharves submerged. Great damage has been done. It is the largest flood that has occurred there for the past nine years. Mining news at Ballarat is very.quiet,. littlo or' nothing doing. At Sandhurst shares are looking up, and the yield of gold very good from the various reefs. At Pleasant Creek the reefs are looking first rate, and a large amount of speculation taking place. The alluvial workings at Cfeswick are yielding splendidly. At Sydney, Krauss, the steward of the ship Rifleman, convicted of the murder of Captain Longmuir, has been executed. He was very weak upon reaching the scaffold, and fainted as the drop fell. H.M.S. Basilisk has brought specimens of quartz from New Guinea to Sydney, which are likely to cause another expedition to be sent there. At Sandhurst recently a disgraceful fight took place at a meeting of Hartman’s Concord Mining Company, called by the manager of the company, who had been suspended by the directors. There were 50 shareholders present. The manager reluctantly brought in the company’s books, and they were at once seized by the directors. A scene of indescribable confusion ensue 1, and a general fight for the possession o( the books took place Several well-known men were struck and knocked down. Mr. Lloyd, of the Freemasons’ Hotel, received several blows. The books were ultimately carried off by the directors. The review of the Sandhurst mining operations for the half-year ending Juue 30, as given in the Bendigo Independent, is satisfactory. During the half-year 155,930'. was invested in calls, and 301,3201. was paid in dividends, giving as the excess of dividends over calls 145,3001. It is understood that there is not likely to be any difficulty in the Victorian Government procuring authority from the homo Government to coin silver at the Victorian Mint; but the master of the London Mint is of opinion that it would not pay to engage in the operation, as lie is prepared to supply all the silver coin wo can require.