LATEST AUSTRALIAN.

Evening Star, Issue 4000, 20 December 1875, Page 2

LATEST AUSTRALIAN.

(Per Arawata at the Bluff. ) Melbol’k k, December 15. The Budget debate remains unfinished, every member in the House hav nafa speech to make on the subject, but the division must bo taken this week, whop the Government is sure of n substantial majority. The Opposition still hold to their promise of preventing the transaction of business and freeing a dissolution The week, generally, has been barren of political events. The t 'ommissioner of Railways has been (feted by his late constituents of Ballarat and received a purse towards payment of his election expenses. 1 he Penang and Madras cable still continues unprepared, but messages are received in some fashion by steamers arriving at irregular intervals at Penang and Singapore. The scarlet f. ver ep-demic has not abated, and daily fresh cases are reported, some of the victims only suffeiing a few days illness. Mr De Ceurcy Ireland applied for a writ to arrest Capt. Chapman, of H.M.S. Dido, in connection wich the action now pending, and as security for costs and damages, but’Judge Barry refused to sanction the arrest of the captain of one of her Majesty’s ships of war. The Mikado ardved at can Francisco on November 20. Another diabolical attempt was made on the night of December 9 to m-set a railway train on the Geelong line by placing obstructions on the rails. Foiinnately no serious injury resulted, although the train was going between thirty and forty miles an hour. The Government have offered 1.200 reward fop the discovery of the perpetrators. Hapton, Shaw, and Co., the firm which evaded payment of duty on their imported jewellery, have had to pay the Customs 1,2,500 ic fines and duty. Pilot Gannson has had his certificate suspended for six months for trying to influence the Chief Harbor-Master in obtaining an appointment.

The weather continues very wintry, and there is constant rainfall. All incoming vessels roport severe gales along the coast, Tne New South Wales cricketers arrived yesterday. Thev have a strong team. Ttie Wagga Wngga Cun, with LI.OOO of added money, was won by Cleoiite, with Torchlight and Canterbury second and bird respectively. Time, Grnin 39sec. The City of San Francisco, which leaves California this month, comes via Kandavn. A private London telegram, dated December 10, via Siberia, states tint wool is unchanged, jnd that the next sales commence on February H. A. Clarke, a well known auctioneer and City (L uncillor, hns gone a way suddenly, leaving, his affairs unsettled. A boy named Michael Barry, aged fourteen, died in the hospital on Monday wh le under chhuofonn for an operation by Mr lieaney, oio of the honorary surgeons. The Culzean Castle, 200 days from Liverpool to Melbourne, is reported missing. SVDKEV. 'I he Budget is very satisfactory. The revenue is in a prosperous condition, an increase being shown on all items except gold, and the mint receipts, leaving a large surplus at the end of the year. It is proposed to limit duties on a number of articles, leaving only thirty-live articles on the taiiiT, which, it was hoped, would be still further reduced next year. The financial proposals of the Government havw been generally well received. I ho proprietor of the ‘Evening News’ has adjudged guilty of contempt of court in commenting on Tmeve’s case, but was disch uged on payment of c sts. A (lie at the 'Evening Nows’ office on bo’iday night destroyed piopeily valued at l>e ween LG,OOO and 1.7,000. it was fully insuied. The cigar manubieturevs having pointed out that the in-reused duty on tobacco Biliously alltcfs business, the Government expressed their wiUingusre to concent to a reduction.

A boat containing w men and children was run down in Newcastle harbor by tbe tug steamer, but all were saved. Adelaide Mr Ernest Giles, the explorer, reached Western Australia from Adelaide with ten men and sixteen camels. The expedition lias been successful, yet the country for more than a thousand miles in straight line wasjsimply an undulating bed of dense scrub. Mr Giles telegraphs ; —“ Our waters were few and far between, and on one occasion we travelled over one stretch of desert of 325 miles without water. We were once attacked by Natives, hot drove them off. The naturalist collected nearly 800 botanical and geological specimens, many . f the former being quite new."’