AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1649, 3 June 1879, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[Via Bluff,] MELBOURNE, May 27. The Minister for Public Works canvassed his constituents at Oastlemain last week, but his speech, from a public point of view, was disappointing. He undertook to reply to Mr Service, but urged simple denials to Mr Service’s statements. Messrs Woods and Longmore, who were present, spoke afterwards, and their utterances had much more significance, and caused more interest. In replying to a previous statement made at the Queenscliffe banquet to the effect that it was useless for the Government to again send up to the Council the Reform Bill of 1878, the Minister stated that tho Council would get no other Bill. This statement may be important in view of the attempt now being made to form a moderate party tor the purpose of settling the reform question. At the Mayor’s dinner the Governor was present, and made a speech in which he condemned the socialistic tendencies now prevailing in many communities. He looked upon,that feeling as a kind of plague spot and an enemy to all good government and all good institutions.

The Mayor of Sydney is at present on a visit to Melbourne, and is being hospitably entertained by our Corporation. In return, he was profuse in his praises of our clean wide streets and handsome public buildings. The affairs of the Provincial and Suburban Bank are not turning out satisfactorily. On investigation it seems that the actual capital of the Bank was some £25,000, the remaining amount, some £20,000, being made up of promissory notes. Then the notes issued far exceeded the amount set down in the last sworn returns, while, on the other hand, the bad and doubtful debts are found to be far in excess of what are stated. A sum of £24,000 was advanced to a firm of railway contractors on a security amounting to £13,000, and £6OOO was advanced to Joseph Aarons on security valued at as many hundreds. It was also ascertained that a sum of a thousand was advanced to the manager to buy up shares in the market as occasion required. The books have been badly kept, and the affairs of the bank apparently conducted as loosely as possible. Matters are so unsatisfactory that affairs will probably result in a compulsory winding up. There is very little new respecting the Weiberg affair. A man named Joseph Pearce has been arrested as an accomplice, and both will bo brought before the Police Court this week. The police are making active search for the sovereigns believed to be planted. The long drought has been succeeded by heavy rain, which has been general throughout the country. It is doing much good, as a great deal is required before agricultural operations can be commenced. Heavy rain fell on the Queen's Birthday, and interfered with the Hunt Club races and the review. There was some good racing at Flemington, and largo fields competed, but the various events were only of local interest.

Tho firemen this year held their usual demonstration at Beechworth, where nearly a thousand assembled, and went through tho usual hose and ladder practice. The first prize for hose practice was won by Chiltern in 61 seconds, and the first prize for ladder and hose was won by the Ballarat City Brigade in 45 seconds. A cold-blooded murdor has been committed on a Chinaman, at Greenhills, near Ararat, Victoria. The victim, who has lived in the locality for twenty-one years, was found in a hut with his skull split open with an axe. A neighbor named John Macnamara has been arrested.

Baron Ton Mueller, the Government botanist, has been created a Knight of St. Michael and George. Tho trial of Young and McGingan v tho Ballarat Water Commission, which lasted so long, will cost about £IO,OOO. Tho jurors’ fees alone amount to £IOOO.

Tho Governor never loses an opportunity of counselling moderation in regard to political affairs. At the opening of the Queenscliff railway last Thursday, ho impressed upon his hearers moderation, forbearance, and toleration in the case of political institutions, and the Ministers present on tho occasion endorsed tho sentiment of moderation.

There is a difficulty just now between tho two Houses in Tasmania, the Council declining to grant more than six months supplies for the current year, and tho minority and the majority in the Assembly decline to receive it. The Council has appointed a Select Committee to report on the financial condition of the Colony. The publication of the agricultural statistics has greatly affected tho breadstuffs market, and prices of wheat and flour have advanced. The quotation for wheat is 5s 9d, and flour up to £l2. A fire occurred at an early hour on Sunday morning at an hotel kept by J. M. Christie, well-known in athletic circles. The fire broke out in tho upper part of the premises, and the inmates only narrowly escaped with their lives, having to take to the roof in their night droeses, and being afterwards rescued by fire escapes. The promises and those adjoining, which were damaged, are both insured.

Regarding the Monk enquiry, the Panton Police Magistrate, who conducted it, sent in a report in which he comes to the conclusion that no shots were fired at Monk as alleged.