AUSTRALIAN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 292, 10 December 1877, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN

[Per Aeawata.l Melboorne, Dec. 3. The Government are not likely to bring the session to a close so early as was anticipated, as there is still a large amount of work to be disposed of before closing. The Council, having rejected the Exhibition Bill, that quesfciou cannot be decided until next session. The action of fche Council in this matter is pretty generally applauded, as in many quarters it was thought to be imprudent to commit the colony to a charge of £100,000 for a buildiug alone, without knowing whether any of the foreign countries would respond to our invitation to exhibit. Others looked upon it in a free trade point of view, and argued that with such absurdly heavy duties as are imposed on all goods there would be no possibility of manufacturers sending their goods here with the ultimate view of finding a market. The action of the Council in throwing out the Defences Bill has not been favorably regarded, especially after all the labor trouble and expense which were bestowed in obtaining reports on our defences, but the fault lies with the Government in placing the free gift preamble to the BUI after the Council had rejected all opinion upon it. On the question of payment of members, the Government have changed their front, and the Council will have the opportunity of considering it in a separate measure. The amount, is still retained on the estimates in case of the Bill not passing.— Petitions are being extensively signed against the pay . ment of members. The Actions Committee have once more signalised themselves by bringing up two reports on the Baron election petition. Uuder the firsf, the election was declared yoid only, and according to the usual course the Speaker would havo issued a new writ, but under the second report, Mr Levien, the sitting member, is declared guilty of bribery and corruption, aud the seat is given to Mr Joyce, to whom also is awarded costs. By a boiler explosion at Magusta nine children and one man were killed, and another smously injured. The SoUlene Troupe leave here on the 19th for Dunedin. They have beeu doing a very good business. The theatres are preparing for the pantomines. The Troubadours will appear in the Opera House; the Princess' will not have auy pantomiuc. There appears t> be some hitch iu the issue of writs for penalties against members of the Legislative Council. The drought is very disastrous in all parts of the country, especially in parts of New South Wales and Queensland, where there is no grass and the cattle are dying oif rapidly-