AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2213, 30 March 1881, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

F Per b.b. Zealandia, nt Auckland.]

MELBOURNE, March 24. Messrs Monro and Andrew are said to bo definitely in the field for North Melbourne. In the Assembly yesterday, on the third reading of the Reform Bill, Sir B. O Loghlen expressed the opinion that if the Liberal Parliament went to the country, one-third_ would not come back. A division on the Bill was taken—Ayes, 48 ; noes, 27. The Minister for Railways has promised a deputation that whenever possible a reduction of fares for agricultural produce will be made on the Government lines. At the sitting of the Police Board yesterday. Captain Staudish was examined at length. He gave a history of the search for the Kellys, and was severe on Superintendent Nicholson, who he alleged neglected the opportunities which would have resulted almost without probability ci failure in the capture of the outlaws. He said that Nicholson neglected to use information received to take effective measures. Superintendent Haro, on the contrary, showed him-elf a splendid officer. Captain Standiah was equally oa severe on O’Connor, who had charge of the Queensland trackers. ... The ceremony of'presentmg the awards at the Exhibition on Tuesday was very tame, the proceedings occupying half an hour. Scarcely a cheer was raised. The JHon W. J. Clarke, president of the Commission, read the address, which stated the attendance to date reached a million. The financial results were satisfactory, and the nett cost of the Exhibition to the country would bo less than was estimated. SYDNEY, March 24.

The Assembly negatived the proposal to reduce the Illwarra railway vote to .£860,000, and agreed to the original vote of £, 1,020,000. The following telegrams have been received from Mount Peel via Wiloannia “ Persons coming here have to prospect for themselves. There is a large extent of auriferous country, but only four claims are on payable gold. No load nor regular run has been found, and any claim can be worked but a few days. Strongly advise none to come here at present.” A boy named Thompson, who was in a brick yard, seeing a match box, stopped to pick it up, and in doing so trod on a brick, when something unknown exploded and caused him to fall backwards insensible. Gardener, hearing the explosion, ran to him, and heard a person outside the gate say, “ How do you like it ? Did it kick ?” Thompson’s hair and eyebrows were scorched, and his face severely burnt. The Yice-Admiralty has awarded the Port Jackson Steamboat Company .£2OO for towing the Waitonga to port daring heavy weather at Sydney Heads in June last. The Company claimed J 34200. A sensational occurrence is reported in connection with one of the special trains conveying Cole’s circus and menagerie from Colburn to Paramatta The top car, containing three Hons, being higher than the other ones,struck abridge crossing the railway, and the top was cut off. Two other cars were thrown off by the concussion. The lions made no attempt to escape. At Maitland a man died in the hospital from blood poisoning, through skinning a dead bullock. The coroner stated that this was the third case this year, and advised the burning of dead beasts. BRISBANE, March 24. A Pott Darwin telegram states that seven hundred Chinese arrived by the Menmnir, Hungarian, and Kenmaro Castle. The Crusader, full, will arrive next week.