AUSTRALIAN.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1890, 15 March 1880, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

[EEUTEE’s TELEGEAM3.] MELBOURNE, March 15. Heavy Damages. The owners of the Claud Hamilton have been mulcted in £IO7B damages for the collision with the steamship Adela in January last. BRISBANE, March 13. The Convict WellsA petition having been presented to the Governor, praying for a commutation of the sentence of death passed upon Joseph Wells, who was found guilty of shooting Wm. Murphy, with intent to murder, in connection with the sticking up of the National Bank at Cunnamulla in January last, his Excellency has had the case under consideration, but has refused to commute the sentence of death. Wells will be hanged on Wednesday next. [Yia Bluff, j VICTORIA. On March sth the following new Ministry were sworn in : —James Service, Treasurer ; Robert Ramsay, Chief Secretary and Minister for Education ; George Briscoe Kerford, At-torney-General; John Madden, Minister of Justice; Duncan Gillies, Commissioner of Railways ; John Qavan Daffy, Commissioner of Crown Lands; Thom-is Bent, Commissioner of Public Works; Robert Clark, Minister of Mines j Henry Outhbert, Commissioner of Trade and Customs and Post-master-General. With the exception of Mr Outhbert, all are members of the Assembly. The Hon. J. G. Francis, M L.A., and the Hon. K. S. Anderson, M.L.0., have seats in the Cabinet without portfolios. Mr Clark’s inclusion is a concession to the corner party. Mr Outhbert represents the extreme liberal feeling in the Upper House, Mr Anderson the conservative feeling.

The non-inclusion of Mr Murray Smith is re S re fi‘ e< Ji but he, from personal reasons, declined office. Messrs Duffy, Bent, and Clark are the only untried members of the Government, On the whole popular feeling endorses Mr Service’s selection, though some grumbling exists. The first executive act was to cancel the proclamation calling Parliament together for Tuesday, March 9th. Parliament now meets on May 11th when Mr Munro will be re-elected, and ready with a policy. It is probable that Sir Charles Macmahon, the old Speaker, will be invited to preside over the Assembly, at any rate temporarily, though a strong preference is felt for Mr Murray Smith. Mr Cooper or Mr Gaunson will probably bo elected for Chairman of Committees. It is scarcely probable that the re-election of the Ministry will be opposed. The Government intend to rescind portions of Mr Longmore’s regulations which have harrassed selectors.

The late Chief Secretary has gazetted b?« son, Benjamin Berry, supernumerary in the Treasury, to be officer of the fourth class in the Civil Service, over the heads of numbers of competent officers of longer service and superior attainments. He has not passed the Civil Service examination as required by the law.

The Hon. W. J. Clarke has determined to retire from the tnrf. He has sold his racehorses Petrea and Avernus to Mr Long of Sydney. It is believed that Mr Clarke is hurt by the comments of the public on his running to save his horses. The "Victorian Fifteen have again defeated the Australian Eleven, winning by one wicket and one run. Hot much public interest was felt in the match. The Eleven play the Fifteen of South Australia on March 13th, and then sail for England. One hundred and sixty-six poems for the exhibition inaugural cantata were received. The Selection Committee have selected eight for further examination. Very few competitors understood the character of the poem required. Some of the most meritorious are written in the same measure from beginning to end without the slightest attempt at variation.