LATE AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 30 June 1880, Page 2

LATE AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Melbourne, June ?3.

A deputation of farmers interviewed Mr. Kerferd on the ISth, representing th? urgency of the question of considering the water supply and construction for irrigation pyrpos.es,. Mr. Kerferd said engineers w-era now surveying, and Government hoped to lay a scheme before parliament at the end of the wee& The Exhibition Buildings a.re approaching completion. Eight hundred British exhibits received, and 1700 Victorian,.

Mr. Levy, Secretary to the Commission, Reported to a meeting of the Ceremonial Committee that he had an interview with the Prince of Wales, and received an assurance tha't unless weighty reasons of State prevented it, he would visit Australia in October or November next, arriving soon after the opening of the Exhibition.

Ow:\ng. to recent competition, Money Wigram and Son have decided to withdraw their steamers from the Australian line. The Kent has been sold to the Spanish Government, and a second is now under offer for the frozen meat trade. The sailing yesjsfjg will be withdrawn aic^o. The last mail brought out the prospectus of .the London Frozen Meat Company, capital L 200,000, half issued, as reoently telegraphed, The prospeotus states that meat worth in Australia three halfpence to twopence is saleable in London at fivepence halfpenny. The Company hopes soon to commence fortnightly shipments of 200 tons. Subscriptions are invited here. Proposals are on foot tq s\fflalgsmate the above Company \?it}i the Australian Frozen Meat Cjumpany. An oqtbreak of diphtheria in a family at Qakieigh, near Melbourne, waa clearly traced to the diseased teats of a cow on the premiseg, Sydney, June 23. Mr. Watson, in his Financial Statement, made on the 16th, said that owing to a falling off in the land sales amounting to L 290,000, and the rejection of the stamp and excise duties, a deficiency of L440,0Q0 had to be faced instead of a surplus as anticipated. From thjsj might be deducted unexpended balances, leaving L29,0,00Q. He said it was absolutely necessary that some substitute should be found for land sales revenue. Government therefore proposed to re-intraduqe the stamp duties, which woujd yield for the remainder of the year L^2,s,oQ; duties on | wools expected to yield LII4,OQQ; on horned cattle, L60,00Q; Qd per ton on the output of coal would yield L 19,000; total, L314.Q0Q, leaving a surplus of L 24,000. He added that increased taxation would still be necessary, but he hoped it would be such as not to press heavily on any particular class. The Treasurer's statement and proposals have caused game excitement outside, and are expected to meet with considerable opposition. The Press on the following day commented unfavorably. Mr. M'llwraith addressed a large meeting on the meat question on the 10th, He said , we need not look to English, capitalists or steamship companies for assistance. He New South Wales better, suited than America to supply England with meat. '.'V ; ! "

A Bill has been , passed to enable the Sydneyr. MunQipal Council;,, to ; borrow L75,00Q to complete'their Town Hall.

The war steamer Raleigh, 'which a\ VQ( j on June 17th, reports searching Islands for the survivors of the KnowstS Hall. They found a hut and two boalk and a flagstaff, but no signs of life. The hut is supposed to belong to some fishermen. Bkisbane, June 23. Five French escaped communists arrived from New Caledonia, whence they escaped on May 7th. The Magistrate advised their arrest &3 vagrants, pending the orders of the Government. It is stated that. Bishop Hale shortly resigns the See of Brisbane.