AUSTRALIAN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 298, 17 December 1877, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

[Per Kingabooma.] Melboukne, "Dec. 12. The Legislative Council has rejected the Payment of Members Bill by 17 to 8, which is a much larger majority than was anticipated. The question was put that the Bill be now read the second .time, and an amendment moved that the word now be omitted. The amendment was carried. This will give an opportunity for again iuhuducuig the measure, but it is unlikely, as a majority of the members have declined to discuss the Bill on its merits, inasmuch as it was against the dignity of the House to deal with the question on ita merits under coercion, the amount being still retained on the estimates. Several members who voted in the minority admitted they were voting uuder compulsion in order to avoid the misery and suffering which would be produced by a deadlock. The Council also rejected the Bill to appropriate a sum of £100,000 from the railway loan to other purposes. This Bill was described in the Assembly in very harsh terms by two ex-Treasurer's as well as other members.

Mr. G. P. Smith, one of the most prominent politicians, and at one time AttorneyGeneral with Sir James M'Cnlloch, died on Sunday morning.

The vacant seat at Bundarra will be contested by Mr Murray Smith, the representative in Melbourne of the New Zealand Loan Association, and one of the ablest politicians. He was defeated at the last general election by a majority of one only. Sir Samuel Wilson's salmon ova experiment has so far proved eminently successful, and in the course of a few days it is expected there will be 28,000 hatched out for distribution.

In one day last week the wills proved in the Supreme Court amounted to £260,000. The " Phylloxera Vistatrix " has made its apperaranee amongst vines in the Geeloug district, and has evidently been present for the last two years.

Mr Varley, the evangelist, has got into disgrace. He had a meeting recently for men only, and discoursed to them on the social evil. His remarks are reported as having been awful and disgusting, and the City Council have declined to allow him the further use of the Town Hall.

The dry weather continues very disastrous to the crops, and there are great complaints from all parts of tbe colony. Judge Polman, the senior County Court Judge of the Colony, and whose career was bound up with the early history of the colony, died suddenly. He had been long ailing, and was on leave of absence. There was a very large funeral.

Sir John Cooke, the eminent engineer, has accepted the offer of Harbor Commissioner to visit Melbourne |to report on the harbor and canal question. His fee is &ve thousand guineas. He leaves England this month.