AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 4294, 30 November 1876, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(Per Albion at the Stuff.) Melbourne, November 3.—The Railway Construction Bill provides for eleven separate lines, comprising an aggregate distance of nearly SiO milts, at a cost of 1,1,300,000. The county lines are not to exceed L 4.250 per mile. The Hobson's Bay Railway is under .offer to the Government nt the lowest estimate of L 1,374,000, being nt the rate of LBS per share. The proposal is likely to give rise to a long discussion, rendering it very doubtful it the session will close before Christmas if this Bill is to become law. The Swiss Bordietti lies under sentence of death for the murder of a prisoner, an old man and a foreigner. The Alfred Hospital scandal is being well ventilated. The English cricketers’ strong point is bowling. Large numbers witnessed their practice on the Melbourne ground. They play in Sydney on the 7th of December. A large number of professionals continue to arrive. Another bank defaulter has been discovered. A clerk in the Union was some hundreds in arrears, bnt the matter woe settled by his friends, and there will be no prosecution. An immense quantity of rain has fallen in all the Colonies, which ia most beneficial to ad interests. _ Dr Gordon, Superintendent of the Ararat Lunatic Asylum, who committed suicide, was much liked. He had been drinking heavily of late.

{Tboh ora own Coeekspohdkmts.J Serious Charge. AncKiiA.ni>, November 29. —A letter to the City Council to-day challenges the City 1 reasnrer to reply to the following statements“ That the annual accounts of 1874 and 1875 were entirely wrong, so that the auditors wore compelled to compile now accounts; that the annual accounts do not show the true balance; that some accounts have been compiled from the personal recollection of the treasurer ; that the auditors were compelled to engage a clerk to rectify tho accounts of the City Treasurer; that paid accountants were engaged to rectify his errors and to. teach him his duties; that Urge debts were balanced by fictitious credits, and large sums emitted; whether on the first of November, 1876, the stun of L7o,ooowas in the possession of the Council without any entry of the fact in the ledger, and LIO,OOO due by the Council without the liability being shewn; that the waterworks hook, opened at an expense of LCO or £>7o, have-not since _ been touche I.” A special meeting of tho Council has been called to consider the‘enlarges. At the I’olice Court to-day, A man named Martin L’Estrange, was charged with assault. The evidence showed he knocked his mother’ s bead through a window, cutting her fearfully. £le was sentenced to three months* imprisonment.