AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1186, 4 February 1880, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

VICTORIA. The correspondence between the banks and the Government is published. Mr. Berry informed the banks that the Government would be in. debt all the next six months, requiring to start with ;an overdraft of L 470,000. • A Nearly 200,000 electors are on the new rolls. It is expected the elections will all. be completed on March 9th. ; The Land Act Amendment Bill passed all the principal stages in the Assembly,, giving rather more favorable terms! to selectors. ; The Government new railway schemer includes 410 miles of line. The estimated' cost of construction is L 2,394,528, which includes rails. { <> i A man named Win. Grant has beeri committed for trial for bigamy. asserted his wife died at the Oamarif t Hospital, tut the woman turned up! at", ' Melbourne. ] J The Minister of Railways is building < two railway carriages for the use of tlie Prince of Wales. ; , The metropolitan brewers have emPloyed four analytical chemists to adviseas to the best means of cleansing bottles containing poison. The colonial bjaer scare is subsiding. J ,j { The Australasian Sketcher in future will* be published every fortnight.

The Melbourne Irish Famine Fund exceeds L 9300.

NEW SOUTH WALES. The Assembly counted out while debating Mr. Buchanan's motion in favor of protective duties. The slackness of trade in the coal mining districts of the Hunter River is producing much hardship among the miners and their families, and unless, a revival takes place an appeal for assistance will have to be sent out. Many families are already absolutely in want. Mr. P. A. Jennings is preparing a scheme for very beautiful albums containing views of the Garden Palace for, presentation to the Queen and Prince of Wales. : -Carlotta "Patti opened at the Theatre Royal at Sydney, on January 23rd. The Irish Relief Fund exceeds L9OOO. The Chinese contributed- upwards of LIOO. The mission vessel John Wesley arrived, at .Sydney dismasted, having sailed 1700 miles under jury masts. Five persons were drowned at Richmond River by.the upsetting of a boat. It is suggested that the Exhibition be converted into a huge wool store. The Exhibition horse show was a great success. There were 261 fine horses exhil ited. The Roman Catholic priesthood has formed". a. political association . called the; Catholic Education Union, to work elections. : : A domestic servant .named Williams, a handsome girl of 18, poisoned herself. She was disappointed in love. QUEENSLAND. i-iMrs. Dickson, wife of the late Colonial Treasurer, died of tetanus, caused through accidentally shooting herself through the hand with a revolver. ; Two apprentices escaped from their Ship in Brodiack Bay. One who was arrested stated that in escaping from the ship the raft they had made capsized. His companion was drowned, he himself being picked'up by a sailing boat. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Mr. Lefroy, the new Colonial Treasurer, has arrived. The harvest averages fifteen bushels to the acre.