AUSTRALIAN.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1231, 22 December 1882, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

(by cable.-—reuter’s telegrams). ALBANY, Deo. 21. The P, and O. Company’s steamship Ballarat, with the Suez mail, dated London, 17th November, arrived at King George’s Sound this morning. MELBOURNE, Dec. 21. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company Limited catalogued 3,200 bales at their wool sale to-day, and sold 2,700 at satisfactory prices. The competition was very brisk, fine sorts being in very good demand. There was a large attendance of home and foreign buyers. Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned this evening until February 14 for the Christmas holidays. The inquest into the circumstances under which Mr Thomas was killed at the recent railway accident on the Hawthorne line, was concluded to-day. The verdict of the Jury is to the effect that the fatality was caused by culpable negligence on the part of the Station-master, Mr Thomson, of Hawthorne, and Guard Hunt, who was in charge of the special train by which deceased was a passenger, and both were arrested on charge of manslaughter. Bail, however, was allowed in the case of each prisoner. The Jury added two riders to the verdict; in the first expressing opinion that the evidence adduced at the inquest showed great lack of organisation and discipline to exist in the Railway Department, and advising the appointment of a permanent head to the Department; and secondly, urging imperative necessity for applying continuous brakes to all trains without delay. Subscriptions for relief of sufferers by the recent Australasian mine disaster at Creswick, now amount to £1475. This Day. The loss occasioned by the fire at Henderson, Law and Co.’s premises in Russell street, is estimated at fully £14,000. The principal insurance companies are interested to the extent of £lOOO each. An animated discussion is now proceeding in the Press regarding the action of Mr Bent, Minister of Railways, in appointing officials to the department in opposition to the advice of the engineer-in-chief SYDNEY, Dec. 21. Sailed this afternoon, the Union Company’s steamship Te Anau for Auckland. ♦lie last of the elections to the New South Wales Parliament, was concluded today. The Parkses Ministry are in the minority of 85 members who have declared themselves opposed to the principles of the land bill, which was rejected on the motion for its second reading on the 16th Nov. It is believed that the Government will resign before the reassembling of Parliament, which is fixed for the 3rd prox.