AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 588, 21 March 1878, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[pee. alhamhra. at the bluff.] Melbourne, March 13. Strong efforts were made to bring about a compromise between the two Hoiis s of L gislature, but. of no avail, all hough there was an inclination to do so on both sides. The Governor and Commissioners of tins Audit Department signed tiie necessary warrants empowering expenditure under the 45th section of the Constitution Act. The Governor has received another telegram from the Colonial Office, but it, is strictly private. It is said to be satisfactory so far as it goes. In the meantime matters are going mi quietly : and even if no compromise is arrived at, the Government will have L 300,000 made available to carry on till tiie end of July. The Chimborazo has arrived after a passage <if 42 days, with salmon ova for New Zealand. She brought a large number of passengers. A tender has been accepted for the Stawell and Horsham railway, a length of miles, at, L 2270 per mile. The sub-committee of the Barry testimonial lias recommended a bronze statue on ii marh'e pedestal to be placed first in (he public library. Sir John Coode is at present in Gippsl.md examining the lakes and entrances on behalf of ihe Government. He proceeds to Sydney shortly, and thence leaves for Home, via California.

At a sale of yearlings recently held, the different lots averaged : —N. A. Filllar]>. 223 guineas; Phillips, 132 guineas ; Geratns, 223 guineas. A large number were sold.

T:ie stakes paid over at the Autumn Me. ting amounted to LSOSO. C. 13. Fisher and ■!. Wilson "ere the highest winners. The attendanc ■at the meeting wis very mod.rate. The running of Fir.-t King and Chester in the St. Leg'r and Town i'iale was the principal attraction. Lady Eiien. who won the Newmarket Handicap, was an outside ' as fir as tli"? public was concerned, but Some few who ivi re aware of her merits made money on the evuit.

A muid.-r has been committed at Bull:irook For. s r . A man named Little is the victim. ThecatiS" a: present is surrounded with a good deal of suspicion. A person named William Mayes has been tak'-n into cus'ody.

Tnere has been a tremendous tornado at Cairns, Northern Queensland. Eiidn buddings were blown down, b.-sides others injured. The place is in rums; but no liv s uere lost,

An order lias been promulgated by the Sydney Government in accordance with a resolution of the Assembly, prohibiting members acting as land agents. In Adelaide, the approaching general eleeiion is occupying atteiirion. Writs will be issued this week. Tiie Premier issues a .manifesto of the Government policy in a few days. A tire at Hobart Town destroyed property to the value of LI2OO, partly covered by insurance. Tne IoS3 includes llesby's sawmills. Tiie Ali.ainbr.-i. has salmon ova on board, which apparently has arrived in good condition.

[PER KOTO' UA. AT AUCKLAND, j

HiuT-j-iiisoii, of New Caledonia, has issued a writ for libel against the .-!;/«'for LSOO.

The military establishment at Fre--111:111!!e is to be broken ii|i. The Political Association of Adelaide pmpiis s abolishing five immigration, aii'l reform in tiio Upper House. Tim oarqu:; I'acilic Slope, bound from New Zealand to Shanghai, owing id liev cargo having shifted, put in at Noumea. Tie vess 1 was damaged, and had to discharge .85 000 feet oftimber. The chief steward jumped overboard, ami was drowned.

(.Iriloii.-ls Seratchley and Ilichardson have gone to Newcastle to carry out defensive measures. Mr. Graham, a partner with Moore, i lie bookseller. Sydney, fell down a trapdoor and Wrts killed. A fire at the Ross glassworks, New S'ontii Wales, destr >yed the property, which was insured for LI,OOO in the New Z aland Insurance Company Burgnlaries are of frequent occurrence in Sydney.