AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 124, 2 May 1883, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

polixica'l items. an artful swindle terrible mining disaster, (by telegraph) (united press association.) Melbottrne. The principal topic of interest m political circles since Parliament was prorogued has been the annexation of New Guinea by Queensland. All the Australian Colonies uphold the action of Queensland, and have instructed the various Agents- General m London to support the same. An enquiry has been held by the directors of the Lansridge Quartz Mining Compauy, for the purpose of elicmng the facts under which the subscription list of the Trish League was circulated. The enquiry was started m consequence of the Ago stating that Mr Hunt, M.L. A., a director, had dismissed men for not subscribing, for which article Mr Hunt brought an action for libel against the Age. Tha enquiry showed that the movement orginated with the miners. Mp Hunt had no connection with it beyond subscribing a pound to the movement. The opening of the museums and library on Sunday is meeting with a good measure of buccpss. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Thomas Church , of Melbourne; manager of the firm of J. and W.; Brown, Newcastle shipown°TS and coal merchants, for embezzling money, the property ol the firm. Oliur«h confessed, 1 and stated that the defalcations were owing to losses m horse-racing. He has disappeared, and has not been I heard of s r nce. There are some fears of his having committed suicide. • An extraordinary swindle is reported from Brighton. A girl named Catherine Griffin wrote to the friends of Pro* fessor M'Coy representing herself as his daughter, and stated that her brother was m financial difficulties m N*>w Zealand and unwilling to apply to her father. She therefore solicited help. Several persons were victimised. Sydney. There was a stonewalling episode on the licensing question on Friday ; the Hou<»e sat all night until Saturday morning at eleven. The bona fide | traveller radius was fixed at five hnn-. ) dred (sic.) instead of five miles. Clubs wore placed on the same footing as other houses as regards Sunday closing. The Bill will probably be defeated m the Upper House. A terrible accident toot placa on the ni?ht of the 23rd at the Ellenborousth mine, Ea<rlehawk. m a winze connecting the 647 and 200 feet- levels. Eight men were working at the time, when the ground gave indications of being unsafe. Preparations were made for securing it by timber, when a great mass of stone fell, burying two and pinning three others to the ground, to be only rescued after three hours' imprisonment. Andrews and Denis, the two who were buried, were killed on the spot, and presented a sickening spectacle, every bone being broken. The former had been married only a week . ot the survivors* Hall was badly bruised; Hoskin and Raglish also sustained severe injuries. The latter had a miraculous from death, the falling mass forming an aich over trim. The accident created great excitement at Eaglehawk, and hundreds assembled 1 about the shaft The scene when the bodies were brought to the surface was harrowing.