AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2118, 7 December 1880, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[By Telegraph.] SYDNEY, December 2. J Mr Franklin, printer and publisher, has j appeared before the Water police court, to j answer a charge of publishing an obscene newspaper on “Wild Oats.” The charge f was brought under the Obscene Publications Ant. NEWCASTLE, December 2. Bombardier Boys, of the permanent force stationed at Signal Hill, has been terribly i burnt on the face, head, and left arm by an t explosion of powder. Boys had been amusing f himself laying down a train of powder, which ( by some means ignited, blowing him up as he 1 was standing over it, and scorching the hair 1 off his head and face. - OOONAMBLB, December 2. 1 A publican named Fred. Banker first shot < wife and then himself. The house is a mile t out of town. The police took charge of the i place immediately. 1 MELBOURNE, December 3. i In tbo Upper House yesterday the_ report i ■ot the committee on the Totalisator Bill was 1 brought up. It was recommended that the i totalisator be tried, as likely to lessen the t •evils of betting, especially credit betting, and t to reduce the number of small bookmakers, I 1 The Council has passed the second reading 1 of the Bail way construction Bill unanimously, t In the Assembly the Bill for the renewal of t the charter of the Bank of New South Wales i was passed. The House refused to hear Mr i Clarkson at the bar in opposition, < On going into Committee of Supply, Sir B. i O’Loughlin submitted his contingent notice i of motion in favor of the more generous < treatment of civil servants, and that dis- I missals should date from about January. He I strongly advocated the cause of the servants dismissed by Mr Berry. The cups presented to the Australian ' Eleven in England by colonists, on which I each has his name engraved, were pounced upon by the Customs, and £24 16s demanded - «s duty. The matter was brought before the House, and the money refunded. When the Conference met yesterday, Sir H. Farkes read a memorandum regarding the Federal Council. A lengthy discussion arose. A feeling prevails in the Conference that it would be a slight to non-represeuted colonies to dispose of the subject absolutely now. The •discussions and resolutions thereon are regarded as preliminary to the meeting after Christmas. Border duties have been discussed, but, so far, no results have been arrived at. The Chinese question has been mentioned and dealt with to-day. The Sydney delegates show a disposition to cooperate with the Government in passing restrictive measures. The report of the oedect committee on the phylloxera was brought before the Conference and ordered to be printed. There is a disposition on the part of sister colonies to join Victoria in •tamping ont the disease. Besolutions were submitted by the South Australian delegates with reference to a selection of a common Junction point for tbo railway systems of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. A second resolution was tabled in favor of each colony admitting the wines of the other, duty free. This is looked upon as a cammenoemont of a system of intercolonial free trade. Both resolutions will be considered after the Christmas recess. ADELAIDE, December 2. Colonel Downes, Collector of Customs, and Mr Yariey have been appointed a Board of Enquiry re the irregularities of the Assistant Auditor-General. The charges are : —First, his omitting £lO from the Treasury without the knowledge of the head of the Department or approval of a Minister; second, for affording facilities to contractors to obtain money for the Treasury, on consideration of .obtaining from them money accommodation by means of acceptances, which wore afterwards dishonored. BRISBANE, December 1. James Tyson, a well-known capitalist, has taken up a selection of 1500 acres on Tally river, northward of Cardwell. He intends to grow sugar, and employ Aboriginal labor if possible. The new dredge, Octopus, built by Smillio and Company, of Brisbane, will be launched to-day. It is the largest vessel ever built in the southern hemisphere. Police Sub-Inspector Fitzgerald reports the discovery of a new river sixteen miles north of Oooktown. It is navigable for some pules.