INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4188, 22 August 1874, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

From our Melbourne and Sydney files by the Omeo we make the following extracts : VICTORIA. The Melbourne, evening Herald has beeu served with a writ by the lessees of the Theatre Royal, in an action for damages, in which £4OOO is claimed. The article which is the subject of the suit was a notice of the new opera bouffe “ The Princess of Trebizond.” The new Solicitor-General is Mr. Townsend McDermott, one of the members for Ballarat. The compulsory sequestration of the estate of Harry Rickards, the comique, was moved lately, the petitioning creditor being Mr. J. Hickinbottom, upholsterer, who had assisted to furnish a residence for the respondent, at the pleasant suburb of Jolimont. The case was postponed for a fortnight to permit of further affidavits being filed. , Nothing is yet known as to the identity of the man who was shot at Ballan. Since the inquest Mr. Pierrepoint, in searching the hut, has found a black mask, which the deceased evidently meant to use in buahranging or for some other unlawful purpose. The mask has two eyeholes in it, and just reaches to the mouth, so that it would effectually conceal the features of the wearer. A shocking suicide is reported from Bendigo, a poor woman having killed herself by stabbing herself in the throat and breast with a table-knife, and afterwards with a penknife. Her name was Caroline Brown, and she was in a state of delirium tremens at the time. -The family were in very reduced circumstances ; the father and mother have succeeded in procuring a subsistence for themselves and their children by selling whiting, vegetables, and gathering bottles. On Saturday morning the father had gone out on Ids usual business, leaving his wife at home. About noon the eldest son, who is employed on a farm at Sheepwash, came home on a visit to his parents. He found the door to the family hut fastened, but heard some one inside making a peculiar noise. With some effort he succeeded in partly opening the door, and looked into the room to ascertain the cause of the strange noise. A horrible sight met his eyes. His mother was lying in a pool of blood under a bed which stood in the room, with several large gashes in her throat. He cried out to the neighbors for help, and some of them came to his assistance. The door, which had been barricaded inside, was broken open, and the woman was placed on the bed. A doctor was sent for, and Constable Bradley was also informed, of the occurrence. The constable soon arrived, and found the boy bending over his mother’s body, trying to stop the blood which was oozing from the wound in the throat. The deceased’s husband is connected with the great family of Macduff, of Scotland, and also on his mother’s side with Admiral Wemyss. He was at one time a captain in the navy. The deceased herself was a tolerably welleducated woman, though her mode of living and associates have almost obliterated any traces of former gentility. NEW SOUTH WALES. Mr. Abbott, member for the Northern Goldfields, has been appointed Minister of Mines. The deck-house of a vessel of about 500 tons, containing some blankets and other property, has been washed ashore at Port Stephens. The Government have suspended nine of the principal school teachers for conducting an educational journal. The schooner Clara drifted ashore at Newcastle in a calm, and became a total wreck. Sir Alfred Stephen is likely to be appointed a member of the Upper House. Eight tenders have been received for the extension of the railway to Orange, but none have yet been accepted. The Bishop of Sydney has written to the Herald, expressing opposition to the secular education movement. The Pacific Insurance Company has declared a dividend of 10 per cent. The A.S.N. Company’s dividend and bonus is 12J per cent. The bushrangers Bow and Fordyce have been pardoned. Mr. W. Moffatt, one of the wealthiest colonists, died on July 31. The Mikado took a good number of passengers to San Francisco.

An influential committee has been appointed to raise a public testimonial to Mr. who has saved twenty-feight lives. The released convict Gardiner arrived in Newcastle yesterday morning (says the Pilot of the 22nd instant), accompanied by two detectives, in the steamer from Sydney. _He was placed in the lock-up, and .will be detained there awaiting the departure from this port of a vessel in which he is to be conveyed to exile. We understand that Gardiner intends proceeding to Hong Kong, and thence to England, where, in conjunction with his two sisters, he expects to open an hotel. Gardiner is now forty-five years of age, and he looks fully this age. He is of anything but prepossessing appearance. QUEENSLAND. The Lord Ashley went ashore on a patch of rooks off Cape Capricorn, known as the Black Books, but subsequently got off, and proceeded on her course to Townsville. The National Bank of Queensland shows profits of £II,OOO on.the half-year, and declared a dividend of 6 per cent.'per annum. Five thousand persons witnessed Bloudiu’s performances on Saturday, which occupied two hours, and were really wonderful," outdoing all expectation. Madame Goddard’s fourth and last concert was attended by a large and enthusiastic audience. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. The Government have received a telegram from Mr. Little, Superintendent of Telegraphs of Port Darwin, speaking very highly as to the prospects of the Northern Territory. Seven steam engines are going night and day. Perfect order is prevailing on the diggings. The alluvial diggers are doing well, and have work for the next two years. The Minister of Justice has expressed an opinion that a favorable turn may be discerned in the history of the territory. The Glass Bottle Company are importing glass-workers, and expect to commence operations shortly. Mr. Sims has given notice to throw open all Government Institutes and Museums on Sundays. The excess of births over deaths last quarter was 1200. The present population is 202,185. The revenue for the last quarter amounted to £234,000, and the expenditure to £231,000. The Inspector of Sheep reckons the lambing ta be below last year’s average, but the clip is good. He suggests that the flocks in the south-east should be examined. The Chamber of Manufactures has arranged to send a lady to Mrs. Bladen Neill to leam silk management. The harvest prospects are good ; heavy rains have fallen. Out of the 27000 z. of Northern Territory gold refined at the Victorian Mint, nearly a tenth turns out to be silver. TASMANIA. The Treasurer occupied three hours and a half in delivering bis budget speech. In 1873 the estimated general revenue , was £252,000, and the actual revenue £283,000. The estimated revenue for 1874 was £265,000, and it was expected to reach £313,000. The expenditure for the same period amounted to £300,000. For 1875 the estimated revenue was £3X1,000, and the expenditure £295,000. Last session the Treasurer had to take Treasury bills for £52,000, pending the decision of Parliament on new taxes. The bills had been, redeemed, leaving a balance in favor of the Colony. No additional taxation is proposed, and it is contemplated to expend £160,000 on public works. Public feeling is favorable to the Budget.