AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2218, 27 April 1880, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[By Teleuuacil] (Per Hingarooma, at the Bluff.) Bluff, April 2G. The Bingarooma left Melbourne at 2.30 p.m. on April 21, with the Suez mail. She experienced fresh northerly winds to S p.m. on 2-lth, then a strong gale from the south to arrival at 7 a.m. this moming. VICTORIA. The Government, with a view to introducing" the competitive system in the Civil Service, has requested Mr W. H. Archer to prepare a scheme for points for promotion. Captain Pullarton’s report to the Harbor Trust, states that Hobson’s Bay is rapidly silting" up, in some places three inches and in others one inch annually. He estimates the annual deposit of silt at ;5l!0,000 yards. London mail advices report great activitv in the frozen meat trade with South America and Paris. The Syndicate of Paris raised £OOO,OOO in a few days, and four steamers arc being Pitted wi'tb (ii(Bird’s apparatus. A large quantity of sheep from South America have been received and reported to be in almost perfect condition. Furniture makers and others have formed ai} association, with tho object of restricting the employment of Chinamen, and appointed a deputation to wait ou the Commissioner of Works and request him to prevent the sub-letting of (iovcrnmeiit contracts, whereby works might get into the bands of Chinese. Dr Void, the President, and two members of the Central Board of Health, have visited and reported on an outbreak of diptberia at Hamilton. They slate that the epidemic is now well under control, though the cases continue ; consequently there is no further cause lor alarm. A lurfher severe outbreak at Avcuel has been reported and a number of persons arc under ’treatment. At Hamilton, of the eases, eight have proved fatal, and 1G cases were still under the doctors care. The Government arc endeavoring by every means in their power to find work for the unemployed. large number have been set to work of various kinds. NEW SOUTH WALES. A preliminary meeting has been held with the object of inducing Hanlon to visit the colony to row Irickctt. Nothing definite has, however, been settled. The proposed Meat Company at Twofold Bay is receiving fair support. The capital is to be raised by 20,01)0 sbaies of £3 each.

The Mayor has promised to call a meeting to protest against the influx of Chinese. Jean Baptiste, of Tamworth, claims to have discovered an antidote tor snake bite. Experiments on the 17th instant, showed satisfactory results. QUEENSLAND. It is stated that an English company have submitted a proposal to submerge a cable from Ceylon to the Gulf of Carpentaria. Advices from Cooktown give further particulars of the attacks on Jack’s party. Jack was asleep, when four spears came through the tent, one wounding him in the neck. Four other spears came through the second tent without injuring anyone. Jack iired a revolver, and the blacks disappeared.