AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 472, 20 December 1875, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Melbourne, December 15.

The Budget debate remains unfinished, every member in the House having a speech to make on the subject, but the divisicM must be taken this we-k, when the Government is sure of a substantial majority. The Opposition still hold to their promise of preventing the transaction of business and forcing a dissolution. The week generally has been barren of political events. Ths Commissioner of Railways has been feted by his late constituents at Ballarat, and received a purse of sovereigns towards the payment of his election expenses. The Penang and Madras cable [still continues unrepaired, but messages are received in the same fashion by steamers arriving at irregular inteivals at Penang and Sin* gapore. The scarlet fever epidemic has not abated, and daily freeh cases are reported, some of the victims only suffering a few days illness.

Mr De Courcey Ireland applied for a capias to arrest Captain Chapman, of H.M.S. Dido, in connection with 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 arrived at San Franciseo on November 20 th.

Another diabolical attempt was made on the night of December 9th to upset a railway train on the Geelong line by placing obstructions on the rails. Fortunately no serious injnry resulted, although the train was going between thirty and forty miles an hour. The Government have offered £2OO reward for the discovery of the perpetrators. Eupton Shaw and Co, the firm which evaded payment of duty on their imported jewellery, have had to pay the Customs! £2500 in fines and duty.

Pilot Cameron has had his certificate suspended for six months for trying to influence the chief harbormaster in obtaining an appointment The weather continues very wintry, and there is constant rainfall. All incoming vessels report severe gales around the coast.

The New South Wales cricketers arrived yesterday ; they have a strong team. The Wagga Wagga Cup, with £IOOO of added money, was won by Cleodite, with Torchlight and Canterbury second and third. Time—3min 39s«s.

The City of San Francisco, which leaves California this month, comes via Kandavu. A private London telegram, dated Dec. 10th, via Siberia, states that wool is unchanged, and that the next sales commence on February 15th. Mr H. A. Clarke, a well known auctioneer and city councillor, has gone away suddenly, leaving his affairs unsettled. A boy named Michael Barry, aged fourteen, died in the hospital on Monday, while under chloroform for an operation, by Mr Beaney, one of the honorary surgeons.

The Culzien Cestle, 203 days from Liverpool to Melbourne, is reported missing. Sidney.

The budget is very satisfactory, and the revenue in a prosperous condition, an increase being shown on all items except gold and mint receipts, leaving a large surplus at the end of the year. It is proposed to remit the duties on a number of articles, leaving only thirty-five articles on the tariff, which it was hoped would be still further reduced next year. The financial proposals of the Government have been generally well received.

The proprietor of the Eoening Neivs has been adjudged guilty of contempt of court in commenting on Teas' case, but was discharged on payment of costs. A fire, at the livening News office, Monday night, destroyed property valued at between £6OOO and £7OOO, which was fully insured. The cigar manufactures having pointed out that the increased duty on tobacco seriously affects their business. The Government has expressed its willingness to consent to a reduction. A boat, containing women and children, was run down in Newcastle harbor by a tug steamer, but all were saved. Adelaide. Mr Ernest Giles, the explorer, has reached Western Australia from Adelaide with ten men and sixteen camels. The expedition has been successful, yet the country for more than a thousand miles in a straight line was simply an undulating bed of dense scrub. Waterholes were few and far between. On one occasion they travelled one stretch of the desert 325 miles without water. They were once attacked by natives, but drove them off. The naturalist collected nearly 800 botanical and geological specimens, many of the former being quite new. SHIPPING. Melbournh. Arrived Firefly, from Timaru ; 12th, Annie Moore, from Dunedin. . Newcastle. Arrived—9th, Pelham, from Dunedin; 10th, Edwin Basset, from Wellington; 11th, Henty, from Auckland ; Bobycito, from Dunedin ; Emperor and Garotte, from Lyttelton; Wave, from Auckland ; 13th, Easby, from Wellington. Sailed—loth, Adelphoi and Sea Spray, for Lyttelton ; 12th, Helen, for Napier; and Frederick Bassett, for Dunedin. The F. W. Tucker, thirty-two days from Napier, bound to this port, was spoken by the s.s. Otago on the 10th instant, and the steamer -provided the schooner with provisions and water. All well aboard. The F. W. Tucker has since arrived. COMMERCIAL. Wheat and flour have improved in price. Adelaide wheat fis 6d. Twenty thousand bushels of New Zealand oats have been sold at 3s 6d to 3s 7d, showing an improvement. The last sugar sales showed a decline of 41 on brewing; other sorts without change. Kerosene has advanced in the home market. Hennessy's case brandy is quoted at 30s 3d. INTERPROVINCIAL. Auckland, December 19. Opposition to Mr Whitaker in Waikato is spoken of as likely. In the City West, Newton, and Parnell, no opposition is anticipated. Patea, December 19. The Egmont election will be contested, Mr Ives, proprietor of the 31ail newspaper, has been requested to stand. He has consented. A committee have guaranteed the expense of the contest. Wellington, December 18. It is reported that Mr Creighton will not seek re-election from any cou6tituency,