AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2067, 20 December 1869, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

By the arrival of the Tararua, we are in receipt of our Victorian tiles to the 10th inst., from which we clip the following items of interest. The political sea is still troubled. The Macpherson Ministry are still in office, but it would appear only on sufferance. A dissolution of the Parliament is considered inevitable. The talk is that the present Ministry will not be allowed supplies further than to meet the claims of the civil servants. Should a dissolution be threatened in case of such a course of action by the Opposition, it is extremely improbable that any further supplies will be extorted. What can be done in the way of speed on the Victorian railways, was demonstrated on Monday, says the Ballarat Courier, by the train which took the officers of the Naval Squadron from Ballarat to Melbourne. The train left Ballarat at ten minutes to four o’clock, and reached Melbourne, after a short delay in Geelong, at a quarter past six, thus doing the journey in less than two hours and a.half. The same journal remarks that it is a pity that a similar rate of speed is not more general. Instead of taking four hours to pull through from Ballarat to Melbourne, or vice versa, the journey should be done regularly in three hours, making allowance for the time lost by stopping at ihe intermediate stations.

The Flying Squadron, which sailed from the Bay yesterday, did not make much progress. The gale that sprang ,up in the afternoon compelled them to get. up steam. After arriving' at Gueenscliffi they anchored there for the qighk This morning, at six o’clock, they cleared the Heads, and with the wind blowing since are will on their way.

Phillip Island, which has long been gazed upon by the hungry eyes of free selectors, has at length been opened for selection under the 43 n 4 section of the Yictqrfan Lapd Act, The following are the conditions to be com* plied with by selectors : —First, no person to be deemed eligible to apply for any part of the land if he already holds land .under the 42nd section, or whose lease or. license to occupy land in any part of the Colony under the 12th or 42nd sectionhas been, forfeited, or who holds in fee-simple more than 320 acres of land. Second, no person to be allowed to select rn allotment unless the amount of rent for same for one year be first paid, and no transfer will be af.erwards allowed. Third, no applicant to be allowed to select more than one allotment. As Phillip Laud is outside, the tenmile boundary, the allotments will be of good size, ranging from 80 to 100 acres each, at a rental of 2s Gd per acre. The Local Land Board will be composed of Mr Hodgkinaon, Mr Wimble, of the Land Department, who will attend on behalf of the district surveyor, and the chairman of the Mount Eliza Road Board. Power, the bushranger, has visited the Kilmore district, says the Free Frc and during the past week he “stuck-up” and robbeef several parties in the neighborhood of Sejmour and Tullarook. He relieved & waggoner of: about L3O, anl took a horse, bridle and saddle, and LlO from Mr Thomas Nunan. Just after Mr Nunan was robbed, and before the bushranger took his departure, Constable Mahon,'” of Seymour, rode past within a few yards. Power quietly told Nunan to call the policeman to his assistance, remarking at the same time that he would then be afforded an opportunity of shooting both.

would be impossible to get afloat again that night, the two resolved to swim ashore. Embrus took the water first, and on reaching the bank, his attention was attracted by cries from the deceased. On looking round he saw him struggling in the water. After making one or two ineffectual efforts to stem the current, which at this place is very swift, he disappeared. Information of the sad occurrence was forwarded to the police, and to-day a search will be made for the body.