AUSTRALIAN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 35, 10 February 1880, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

[Per Rotorua at the Bluff.] Melbourne, February 3. Parliament is expected to be prorogued by the Governor in person on Thursday, Feb. 5, and dissolved on February 9th, when Mr Berry will make a public address at Geelong announcing his future policy. Mr Service will reply on the following Thursday at Maidon, after which electioneering will commence in real earnest. The writs for the general election will be issued on February 14, and the polling be about February 27. Every seat will be contested, and the issue is very doubtful, but it is generally considered that the Government are certain to be weakened but not overturned. An important manifesto has been addressed by Mr Service to the electors of Maldon. He trusts that the electors will unmistakeably signify that they will not sanction any of the Government reform proposals. He contends that the settlement of the vexed question of reform is quite possible, and that the Berry Govern ment_are_.lhe__o_nly__pbstacle__in_the^ way. He asserts that the difficulty can be speedily and satisfactorily settled by the adoption of the scheme which he submitted some 14 months ago, and which he still adheres to as a simple, reasonable, and effective method of reform. The utter helplessness and incapacity of the Government in dealing with matters of finance were exposed, and the unfair incidence of the present system of taxation, particularly in respent to the farming interests. Mr Service affirms that the new Parliament must grant relief to farmers, miners, and manufacturers by such a remission of taxation as will lessen the cost of production. He is adverse unhesitatingly to the Education Act. Mr Berry has telegraphed to Mr Childers to insist if possible upon the Imperial authorities bearing the expenses of conveying the mails via Brindisi at the old Southhatnpton rates. Mr Childers telegraphs that the Treasury declares it has no intention to disturb the credit of 4d upon the outward letters via San Francisco as at present allowed. Nominally three quarters of a million is still in hand out of the late loan, but it has transpired that in reality only £345,000 is available for the new lines. A comet of considerable size was suddenly observed on the evening of February 2. The tail was curved, but no nucleus was noticedThe tail is about a degree wide near the base. It reached close to the Btar Beta, which is ab9ut 20 degrees above the horizon. The comet was also seen from Adelaide. A Social Science Congress will be held during the first mouth of (the Internatioual Exhibition, when moat of the foreign yißitors will be in Melbourne.

An international trine Competition is . arranged in connection with the Exhibition. The Irish relief fund has reached £11,328. Stdney, February S. New South Wales has applied for 20,000 feet of floor space at the Melbourne Exhibition.' The suggestion that the Government he asked to vote £10,000 is deferred. . Trickett proposes to proceed to England to row Itanlon for the championship of the world on the Thames. It is suggested that Clarke, the captftin of the Sydney Rowing Club, should accompany him. The Assembly rejected Mr Garrett'a Totalisator Legalising Bill by a majority or four. The Treasurer, in arranging the schedule of legacy duties, showed a dispositiliou to shelter real estate, and he has been forced to take back the schedule. The convict Hume's story that an aged white man, snpposed to be Classen, of Leichardb's party, was living amongst the blacks on the Mulligan, is correct. The man died in November. 1876, while attempting to reach a camp of white settlers. The Committee appointed to procure a painting of Sir Hercules Robinson has given the commission to a Melbourne artist. The French Government have chartered a steamer to convey the French liberated political prisoners who are able to get employment to New South Wales. It is stated that the Government are m king arrangements with' the Orient Line for a fortnightly service to alternate with the San Fiancisco service. Kelly and Leon have produced the Victorian prohibited version of " Happy Land " at the Academy of Music with good success. It is reported that a detective warned them, but was unheeded! The Irish Relief Fund amounts to £11,500. South Australia. The Register expresses astonishment at the Government placing the loan of 3-J millions on the market at the low minimum fixed. . The contractors who supplied the defective rails to the Port Augusta railway agree to pay the Government £20,000, and not claim the rails. Western Australia.. . Governor Ord has expressed a wish to be relieved, in order to proceed Home on private affairs. Queensland. Heavy floods at Daintree .carried away a quantity of cedar logs.