AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1860, 9 February 1880, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[By Telbgbabh.] [Via Bluff.] VICTORIA. The Parliament is expected to be prorogued by the Governor in person, on Thursday, February sth, and dissolved on February 9th, when Mr Berry will make a public address at Geelong, announcing his future policy. Mr Service will reply the following Thursday, at Maldon, after which electioneering will commence in real earnest. Writs for a general election will be issued on February 14th, and the polling will commenco about February 27th. Every seat will be contested. The isßue is very doubtful, but it is generally considered that the Government will be certain to be weakened, but not overturned. An important manifestation has been addressed by Mr Service to the electors of Maldon. Mr Service trusts the electors will unmistakeably Bignify that they will not sanction any Government reform proposals. He contends that the settlement of the vexed question of reform is quite possible, and that Mr Berry's Government is the only obstacle in the way. He asserts that the difficulty can be speedily and satisfactorily settled by the adop- , tion of the scheme which he submitted some fourteen months ago, and which he still adheres to as a simple, reasonable, and effective method of reform. He dwelt on the utter helplessness and incapacity of, the Government in dealing with matters of finance, and exposed the unfair incidence of the present system of taxation, particularly in respect to the farming interest. Mr Service affirms that the new Parliament must grant relief to the farmers, miners and manufacturers by such a remission of taxation as will lessen the cost of production. He adheres unhesitatingly to the Education Act. Mr Berry has telegraphed to Mr Ohilders to insist, if possible, on the Imperial authorities bearing the expense of conveying the mails eta Brindisi, at the old Southampton rates. Mr Childers telegraphs that the Treasury declares that it has no intention to disturb the credit of 4d upon outward letters via San Francisco at present allowed. j

SYDNEY. There is nominally three-quarters of a million still in hand out of the late loan, but it has transpired that in reality only £345.000 is available for new lines.

A comet of considerable size was suddenly observed on the evening of February 2nd. The tail was curved but no nucleus was noticed. The tail is about a degree wide near the base. It reached close to the star Beta Grius, which is twenty degrees above the horizon. The comet was also seen in Adelaide.