AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2205, 21 March 1881, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

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[Per u.s. Botorua, at the Bluff.] MELBOURNE, Maroh 15. Mr Langridge has deolined to allow the P, and O. mails to leave Melbourne on Mondays on account of the Sunday labor involved, but has telegraphed to London offering to allow the departure on Tuesday. A concert was given at the Exhibition on Monday in honor of the birthday of Xing Humbert of Italy. Arrangements are making for the official declaration of the awards with considerable ceremony on the 22nd. The Melbourne charities propose asking the exhibitors to hand over the unsold goods for a bazaar at the close of the Exhibition. The doll show at the Town Hall was very successful j 7000 persons visited it on Saturday. There was a tragical occurrence at Sandhurst on Sunday, when a German named Sohafer fired a pistol and inflicted three wounds on a young woman named Prisoilla Hellior, for whom he entertained a passion. Hellier was sitting with a young man, James Sobey, and while the latter went for the police, Sohafer wounded the girl, and then put the pistol to his ear and blew out his own brains. The girl is expected to recover. It is expected that the Reform Bill will pass through the Assembly, and be read the third time on the 22ad. Sir Bryan O'Loughlin has withdrawn the amendments of which he had given notice. With a view of purifying the water on which Melbourne is dependent, experiments are now being made under the direction of the Government analytical chemist. In the Assembly on Thursday, Mr Murray Smith said that he recognised that the Government had determined to pass the Beform Bill in toto, therefore he considered it would be waste of time disoußsing the details. As a test point Mr Smith moved the rejection of clause 3, which provides for the dissolution of the Counoil on expiry of the present Assembly. This motion being negatived, Mr Smith said that it was clear that the Government intended to make the Bill aoooptaole to the Upper House, therefore he abandoned all the proposed amendments. A number of clauses were then read pro forma, leaving only the working clauses undisposed of. The Minister of Lands informed the House that the arrears of seleotors' rents were now coming in freely. Mr Quiok notified a motion for Thursday that female employes should retire from the Government service on marrying, to leave room for others. The coroner's jury returned a verdic! that the deaths in the recent accident were caused by the explosion of the torpedo, but there was no evidence shown as to how the explosion occurred. It was clearly proved that the electrio circut was not completed on board the Cerberus and that the torpedo was not fired electrically. The explanation suggested by Mr Ellary is that the torpedo contained dynamite. The evidence proved that Mr Groves had some about the time he was making the torpedo, and being composod partly of glycerine, and partly of dynamite, MrEUery thinks that the escape of the former was the came of the acoident. Mr Berry has appointed a Soienliflo Board to enquire fully. SYDNEY, Maroh 15. News from Wiicannia states that a thousand people are now on the diggings. Cargoes of potatoes are eagerly bought at a shilling a pound. Water is scarce. Chinamen still keep off. The coaches are overorowded, and the horses ore overworked. Stores are now arriving, hut prices are high. A permanent payable gold field is anticipated, but the present returns are not extraordinary. Latest news from Wiicannia states that mining is suspended through the soarcity of water. Hundreds are on the road in despite of warning. There are no present signs of rain.

It is stated that tho authorities of Fiji have made representations to the Imperial Government regarding malpractioes of Queensland vessels in Polynesia. The schooner Leslie, from the South Seas, reports another murder by the Natives. Captain Schwartz landed on one of the Solomon group to trade, and while speaking to the natives he was surrounded by natives and suddenly tomahawked. The savages then rushed for the boat, but the crew regained it first, and pushed off. They followed a short distance, and then made off with the captain's body in an opposite direction. A report has also been received that the captain of the Blaok Hawk, of Melbourne, has also been murdered by the natives, but the report 1 is unconfirmed. It is clear from the play of tho Australian Eleven in Sydney that they are quite pumped out and need rest. After an animated debate on the vote of £50,000 for assisted immigration, to which muoh opposition was shown, the Government consented to reduce the amount by £IO,OOO, and the vote was thereupon passed. The Government intend utilising the Exhibition building as a University Linnscan Society and Technological Museum, the main transept being utilised for public promenade concerts. Efforts are being made to collect £2OOO to present to Laycock on his return. ADELAIDE, March 15. The new Ministry will probably follow tha lines of its predecessors, except in taxation. It is expected that tho reduction of the ad valorem duties will now be abandoned. The Agricultural Society recommend the Government to allow the use of the Exhibition building to Messrs Twopenny and Joubert for.£2o weekly, on condition that the namo " International " be not used. A diver named Inkster, working at Kingston Jetty, on Saturday was attacked by an enormous octopus, which dragged him twenty yards. With the assistance of another workman he managed to escape with difficulty. The " Advertiser " says that tho present ia the worst wheat harvest for ten years. Tho total yi«ld »« estimated at 9,000,000 bushels. Five millions are availablo for export. A rumor ia current in Port Adelaide to the i effoct that tho Riijepark was lost through an error in the compasses, caused through thoir . boiDg adjusted whilut the tug North Arm was ' alongside. Mr Morgan has issued a new manifesto, ) stating that owing to representations by his ■ colleagues ho considers the present time inopportune for interfering with tho 10 per

centum ad valorem duties, and will cot modify his views regarding wire, cornsacks, bag«,_ and woolpaoks. The alterations in taxation com pries a tax on real, accumulated, and personal property, without recourse to a direct income tax. A stamp duty will also be introduced. He also announces a new mining bill system, similiar to that in Victoria.