INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4297, 29 December 1874, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

VICTORIA. The Kev. A. Robertson (who quarrelled with the Presbytery of Melbourne), it appears, is about to turn his literary talents to regular account. ' He announces the publication, at an early date, of a monthly magazine, to be entitled the Australian Warder, subscription to which will be ss. per annum, receivable at present by the rev. gentleman at the West Melbourne manse. ' Mr. Robertson purposes to sweep over the entire field of literature, for "news, political, social, and religious" topics are to be handled. His own ability with the pen is well known, and he announces that he has associated with him an excellent staff. The publication at the present time, and under present circumstances, will have a special interest for certain classes. At the Sandhurst General Sessions on Saturday, the two men—Elms and Binks—were tried on a charge of stealing gold from the Frederick the Great Company, Sebastian. The chief evidence against the prisoners was that of a blacksmith named Richardson, to whom one of the prisoners had made certain admissions. A quantity of amalgam was found by the police in the hut of the prisoners when arrested. Both were found guilty, and sentenced to fire years' imprisonment. The Rev. Charles Clark preached sermons at the Mechanics' Institute, Geelong, in connection with the anniversary of the Aberdeenstreet Baptist Church. In the morning the place was crammed, and in the evening hun--dreds failed to obtain admission, the hall and stage being densely packed. The rev. gentleman spoke iu defence of the Bible, which he said resisted all the attacks made on it. His addresses were original and sparkling, and made a profound impression. Lady Hilda —a fine thoroughbred mare, with a strain of the Rataplan blood in her—ha3 arrived in Melbourne by the ship Sobraon from London. The mare is a bright bay with black points, and is one of the progeny of Lord of the Isles, as well as being" sister to Oremorne, a Derby winner. Lady Hilda has been imported by Mr. Hunter, of Woodstock, the well-known breeder. She has been comfortably housed during the voyage, and looks in good condition, great care evidently having been taken of her. The munificent gift of Mr. Samuel Wilson to the University is the universal subject of conversation and commendation, says the Argus. The sum of £30,000 will build a splendid hall, which has for years back been the great desideratum of the university. There is a large pile of building at present being erected at the rear of the library. This structure, which will be completed about the end of January, will afford sufficient lecture rooms for some time to eome, and, in addition, will contain a large hall on the second floor. This hall i 3 not spacious enough to accommodate the large number of candidates who enter for the matriculation examination, and is wholly inadequate for the purposes of the annual commencements. However, owing to the generosity of Mr. Wilson, a hall worthy of the Melbourne University may now be constructed, and then the students of the university and the public will not have to put up with the inconvenience of crammed lecture rooms, and the holding of the annual ceremonies in a decorated dissecting- j room and its environs.

The trial of John Weechurcli, for attempting' to murder James Coghlan, a warder at Pentridge, has been concluded in the Supreme Court. Mr. Ireland addressed the jury at great length on behalf of the prisoner, contending that he had been badly treated at Pentridge ; that he had been goaded to commit the crime, so as to have his grievances ventilated ; that he had no intention to kill either Warder Coghlan or Mr. Duncan. Mr. Justice Barry left it to the jury to say whether the prisoner intended to kill the warder or not. The jury must either acquit or convict the prisoner ; there was no middle course. The jury, after deliberating an hour and threequarters, returned a verdict of - not guilty. The prisoner was taken back to the Melbourne gaol. NEW SOUTH WALES. The barque-Europa has taken berth here for New York. A queer freak of a lunatic is reported in the Sydney Morning Herald of a recent date : " An inmate of the Sydney Infirmary, named Patrick Kowan, who was received into the institution suffering from delirium tremens, indulged in a quiet ramble. He had been placed under the care of an attendant, but this man, happening to leave him for a few minutes, missed him on his return to his charge. Some persons passing along Macquarrie-street observed a man without a stitch of clothing on him, very comfortably seated beside the chimneypot on the roof of the infirmary, and they immediately drew the attention of the' proper authorities to him ; a ladder was procured, and the lunatic was forcibly made to relinquish his very airy position. He is supposed to have climbed up the chimney of one of the upstairs wards on to the roof. He was taken off the roof and conveyed in safety to his bed." Considerable excitement has been caused by publicity having been given to the fact that certain Catholic priests held a private meeting of the Catholic electors of Sydney, at which a resolution was carried pledging themselves to vote for the Ministerial candidates. A public banquet has been given to his Excellency Sir Hercules Robinson, to celebrate the annexation of Fiji. QUEENSLAND. The magisterial inquiry respecting Hume's death has proved that he died of thirst. No doubt remains that O'Hea, one of Hume's companions, has also perished, though his body has not been found by the search party. THE PALMER lUVEB. I The following telegram appeal's in the liockltampton Bulletin : " Cooktown, via Cardwell, Friday, November 27.—The steamers Florence Irving and Victoria leave here to-day. There is not much gold news from the Palmer. The new rush is good, but there is no water available for washing. The dirt is consequently being stacked, awaiting the rains. The news from the Little Palmer is good, several new rushes having occurred, and men still flocking there. The weather here (Cooktown) is very oppressive, the thermometer ranging at from OOdeg. to 95deg. in the shade. The telegraph construction party have commenced work, and the route has been cleared for five miles from town. The post's are being erected. Business is quiet, and the markets are well stocked for present requirements. There are plenty of sheep here now to last for three months. A Melbourne firm has undertaken to put up three crushing machines on the Palmer, and all ■ the arrangements are already made. The Cooktown papers point with justifiable pride to the customs returns of their port, which show that during the nine months ending the 30th September, over 78,0000z5. of gold were exported from Cooktown,'the declared total value being £'314,000. The wharfage charges, by instructions from the Government, have been so far modified that 2s. per ton is now the total charge made for goods landed at the port." SOUTH AUSTRALIA. The deaths during the last three months amount to nearly 1,000, being greatly in excess of the average. Miasmatic diseases are prevalent. The scarcity of farm labour is causing alarm. One hundred thousand bushels of wheat, delivery within the first three months of the new year, have been sold at 4s. 3d., and sales for immediate delivery at 4s. 7d. The Kev. James Ashton, chairman of the Bible Christian Association, is dead. The Government has received a telegram from the Government of Western Australia, intimating that the contracts for the construction of a telegraph lino from Albany to Eucla have been finally settled. The South Australian Government has sent home for tho necessary materials for the line from Port Augusta to Eucla, the construction of which Mr. Knuckey will superintend. It is expected that the traffic on the Northern railways this season will amount to 100,000 tons.

The Equity Court has issued injunctions restraining several woolwashera from interrupting the pure flow of the River Torrena. Literary institutes are being founded in various parts of the colony. The Minora has sailed for Sydney with the first cargo of new breadstuff's, and the Nautilus follows immediately after. Mr. Boothby, Government statist, leaves early next month to attend a conference of statists in Tasmania. NORTH AUSTRALIA. Charles Johnson, alias Christiansen, has been committed at Palmer for trial on a charge of attempting to murder a man, by firing a revolver at him during a quarrel at Yam Creek. A boat expedition has started for Port Essington to collect trepang. The natives attacked the camp at the Christmas claims by throwing spears, but no damage was done. It is reported that a discovery of alluvial gold has been made at the Rum Jungle, twenty miles from Southport. TASMANIA. The Swatara sailed at mid-day on Wednesday for the Auckland Islands direct, and in. returning will pick up the American transit parties. In the Edlin bankruptcy case Hanchett's claim was disallowed. The Commissioner treated the debt as a fiction, and the payment as a fraud, and decided that the transfer of goods by the bankrupt to Hanchett was void, on the ground of fraudulent preference. His Excellency Sir Francis Smith has received a telegram from Mr. Weld, the new Governor of Tasmania, stating that his departure from Western Australia is delayed by the non-arrival of Mr. Robinson, who is to succeed him in the Governorship of Western Australia. Mr. Weld informs Sir Francis Smith that he will leave Western Australia in January, by the mail ateamer, for Melbourne and Hobarton. Mr. Weld was therefore expected at Hobarton on or about the 10th of January. The Grace Darling, from Geographe Bay, bound to Lyttelton, has put in to Tumor Heads leaky. The Butler estate has been subdivided, realising £55,000. The prices ranged from £SO to £IOO 10s., and the purchasers were chiefly Tasmanians. Mr. Forster, inspector of police, has resigned, and Mr. John Swan succeeds him.