AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Evening Star, Issue 4113, 3 May 1876, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

The Melbourne Customs authorities intend to proceed against another firm—an importer of fancy goods and stationery—for passing imports at rates much below their real value.

A clerk who was in the employment of Stevenson and Sons some time ago has been induced by the Customs department to return to "Victoria, from Queensland, for the purpose of giving evidence against the firm. A lire occurred in a house at Windsor, near Melbourne, on the 20th, and before the inmates could be got out, two were dangerously burnt.

About 12,000 persons were present at the Sydney races on the 23rd.

The Burra Burra mine, South Australia, shows a credit balance of over L 12,000. At the new rush to the Hodgkinson, Queensland, 800 men are on the ground anduuable to get any gold. The -voting Consul for Italy has called a meeting at Sydney in reference to the promotion of Italian immigration, and to ascertain what facilities could be afforded for settlement in New South Wales.

Wheeler, late Inspector of Police at Clermont, has been committed for trial for the murder of a black boy, and bail refused. A telegram has been received, stating that the barque Liberator, bound from Manilla to San Francisco, with sugar-, was totally wrecked on the Great Loo Choo. The vessel is insured in the Sydney Marine Insurance Company for L6‘,000, but a part is reinsured in other offices. The freight was insured in China for IO.OOOdoI. George Pitt, who was convicted at Mudgee of the murder of Mrs Martin, at Guntawaug, has been sentenced to death. A remarkably rich lode of red oxide and native copper has been struck in the Coombing copper mine, Carcour, at a depth of 130 feet.

A serious accident happened on the main line, near Campania, Tasmania. A truck, loaded with bark, capsized, dragging over a first-class carriage, and throwing two others off the line. Some passengers were injured, but not severely, and amongst them were Miss Browne (daughter of the Archdeacon), Mrs Loader (wife of General Loader, of Adelaide), and the Hon. John Lord.

Warder Love, who was injured by the convict Weechurch, some time prior to his execution, is dead.

An attempt was made to run the night train from Bathurst downwards off the rails. The locks were wrenched off, the points were broken, and a large blue-metal stone inserted between them. The discovery was made in time to prevent an accident, William Henderson, a clerk in the Bank of Australasia, at Sydney, was found dead on the 23rd. He is supposed to have poisoned himself.

The crushing of the New Native Youth claim, at Nine-mile Springs, Tasmania, gave 7980z5, of gold from 514 tons of stone, being the largest cake of gold yet produced in Tasmania.

During the last quarter the purchases of tin ore by the Bischoff Company from claims on the East Coast of Tasmania, amounted to LB,OOO, and during the same period 275 tons of tm were exported.

The committee of the Merchant .Shipping and Underwriters Association (Limited), Lloyd’s agents, have posted the ship Loch Laggan, from Liverpool to Melbourne, 195 days out, as “ missing.” Mr V* alter Fherwin’s petition for remission of the tine of LIOO for smuggling cigars has been refused. There is little doubt that the drought on the Upper Darling, New .South Wales, has now broken up.

Robert Goddard, three and a-half years’ old, made a fire with some rubbish, and the flames catching his clothes, he was so severely burned that he died in the hospital. The weekly abstract of births and deaths registered in the Melbourne and suburban registration districts during the week ending Saturday, Bth April, 1878, shows IG9 births and 124 deaths. Twelve deaths from scarlet fever are reported. The Chinese lottery-keepers have taken alarm at the passing of the new Act. There are now only a few shops for the sa e of tickets open, and apparently but two banks, but it is said that the ten banks have been amalgamated, with a view of reducing the field of prosecution.

— Scarlet fever has broken out in a virulent form in the borough of Footscray, and is spreading in a most alarming maimer. It first made its appearance about a week ago, and since then several deaths have occurred, and there are now about forty cases of the disease within the limits cf the borough. A man named Hudson was nearly blown to piecesby the bursting of a bottle containing gunpowder. Ho and another man named IN nun, about eleven o’clock at night, when about four miles from Perth, Western Australia, picked up a bottle on the road with a cork in it. A match was struck to ascertain the contents, and the cork was drawn. A spark is supposed to have ignited the gunpowder with which the bottle was filled, and a frightful explosion took place. The man Nunn was just able to describe how they had bqcn injured when assistance came to them, anil both men were removed to the Colonial Hospital, where the unfortunate man Hudson died in a few hours. The other man, Nunn, recovered,