AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2201, 16 March 1881, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[By Tblkobaph.] [Pera.a. Wakatipu, at Wellington.] MELBOURNE. Match tO. During a discn>ai n in the Assembly on Wednesday, on the question that 125 miles should bo the maximum distance charged by the Victorian railways for the conveyance of all description of farm prod ice in Victoria, the Minister for Railways pointed ont that last year the receipts wore .£U>ii,ooo short of the interest. The Banks havo restricted the maximum rate of interest on deposit to 3 per cent, for twelve months, and ; i f r six months At a meeting of the Harbor Trust on Wednesday, it was stated that there was reason to believe that the Trust did not receive ail the wharfage rates to which they were entitled. SYDtvEY, March 10. The imports to date show an increase of about 95 per cent., and the exports 33 per cent, over the oorre-ponding period of last year. One-third < f the permanent force, beaded by Major -palding and two or throe other officers of the force, forwarded a requisition to the Government on Saturday, asking that their services should bo offe ed to the Imperial authorities in their ope. aliens against the Boers at the Cape. Daring a hailstorm on Tuesday, a child was swept into a sewer and drowned. A meeting was held in the Exchange last night for the purpose of recognising I aycocVs services. Mr Thompson, in the course of his remarks, said ho would oollei t JJ2O, and it the other members present wsnld lake the matter up in the same way. something like -£'2t 00 would collected. In the Legislative Council on Wednesday, the subject of packing the bom has of the Police Courti will bo discussed on the motion of Sir Alfred Stephen ADELAIDE. March 10 The Agricultural Society is offering to forward, under their auspices, parcels of fruit and grapes to London be t'»e Ori- nt. The commander of too French warship bhm has written stating that ho has placed samples of South Australian wines before a meeting of the leading merchants in France, who requested full information regarding the kinds moat largely grown in the colony. The letter has been referred to the Royal ■ grionitnral Society The “ Rogistor’e” e timato of the wheat harvest is just out. The total crop covers 1,583,584 acres, being an increase of 135.190 acres over last season. The gross production will be 3 191,870 bushels, and after deducting for seed and home consumption, the quantity available for ex' ert is estimated at 137,500 tons, being 13,400 tons loss than last year.