AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 4090, 5 April 1876, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

The accusation of defrauding the revenue by Messrs Stevenson and Son, of Melbourne, was made by a discharged servant of the firm. Dr Glehdinning, Coroner of Ballarat, is dead. A severe shock of earthquake was felt in several towns of South Australia on the 21st. An address of welcome was presented to Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, congratulating biro on his safe return to- the Colony. Nearly L4OO have been already received in Sydney to send a rifle team to Philadelphia, and Mr Dangar, M.L.A., has subscribed LIOO. - - The news re the Palmer goldfields is confirmed. The alluvial is patchy. Eeefs are innumerable, with gold visible in every bit of quarts. There <is intense excitement in Cooktown. Gold is got in lumps in every small ravine.: There is a splendid road Siam Cooktown,' A buggy can be driven at a gallop all the -way. Milligan states that gold is traceable for miles. The present extent of the field is thirty miles long and ten wide, bearing heavy gold! A great rush is anticipated. , Reports have reached Cocktown of the discovery of a splendid pearl fishery, 100 miles in extent. Another “black mail” scandal has leaked out, and a second writ will be issued to-mor-row against Mr James White, M.L. A. MrJ. H. Angus offers L2ootowards Mr Mort’s frozen meat experiment, provided oilier colonists subscribe Ll,000; but the squatters generally ijbdnk that we have enough to do to find meat to eat rather than ■end any away. f The names of the - new Adelaide Ministry comprise several influential politicians. Mr Blyth, the Treasurer, has been Prime Minister on several occasions. Mr Mann, the new Attorney-General, has filled a similar office in two previous Governments. Mr Hawker, the Chief Secretary, succeeded Mr Glyde as Treasurer to the last Blyth Ministry in 1876, but only held office for a few days. Mr Boucaut retains the office of Commissioner of Public Works, and will most probably be Premier. Mjr Playford is Commissioner of Crown Lands, and Mr Everard is the sixth Minister. It is announced that the policy pf the Government will be identical with that of its predecessors. Dr Cpowtber, of Tasmania, has called upon the Colonial Treasurer, Mr Fysh, to pay Ll6O, voluntarily offered by Mr Fysh at a public ipeeting in October last, if Dr Cro’wther would resign to test the feeling of the Hobart Town electors. Mr Fysh, in somewhat abusive letters, declines, on the ground that Dr Crowther did not resign prior to the then impending session of Parliament. Dr Crowther has replied, accusing Mr Fysh of a flimsy pretence to evade payment of a debt of honor, and suggesting that the sum be handed to the Sauora’ Home. The correspondence has been published, and excites considerable public intermit. The various Protestant bodies at Goulbum determined to unite- on the 28th in prayer for rain.

The ‘Brisbane Courier’s* special on the new goldfield beyond the Palmer confirms previous advices, , At a sale of pitte Herefords at Kyneton, on the 25th, two cows sold for 80 and 71 guineas respectively. Sixteen cows in all averaged L2l 7s. A trial crushing of ten tons front the 300 ft level of, the Prince Alfred Eeef, Majorca, yielded over 2oz to the ton. This js the greatest depth at which payable quartz has ever been found in the district, The discovery is therefore important. The Betting Houses Suppression Bill has passed the New South Wales Council. Some members of Mr Page’s family living at Newtown, Tasmania, have had a narrow escape of death from strychnine poisoning, Two persons suffered severely, but timely remedies were used. It transpired that a boy engaged as a waiter upset a bottle of strychnine in the storeroom, and some, got into the table salt. The City of Exeter has arrived at Cooktown from Hong Kong, and landed 419 Chinese passengers, hive steamers are to follow. The directors of the Queensland National Bank suggest an increase of capital to L 1,000,000, by the issue of 50,000 abates at LlOeach.

Carroll, who was arrested for complicity in the Emu Flat murder, has been discharged owing to mistaken identity, . Depressing accounts of the’ drought continue to arrive at Sydney fromAhe provinces. It is understood that Messrs Anderson, and Co., of the Oriental" line, have obtained a contract for six years for the conveyance of immigrants to Queensland. Land has been sold in Collins street, Melbourne, at L6OO a foot, The Victorian Government has agreed to place on the Estimates a sum of U.OOO towards defraying the cost of a team of Victorian riflemen competing at Philadelphia, H.S., and Wimbleton, England. The latest advices from the Palmer report the discovery of a sew goldfhSd, lw miles from Cooktown, richer than anything yH dlK&fWred, I