AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2496, 21 March 1881, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[Bv Teleueaph.] (Per Rotorua at the Bluff.) VICTORIA. Melbourne, March 15. Mr Langridge declined to allow the P. and O. mails to leave Melbourne on Mondays on account of the Sunday labour involved, but he has telegraphed to London offering to allow their departure on Tuesdays. A concert was given at the Exhibition on Monday in honor of the birthday ef King Humbert, of Italy. Arrangements are being made for the official declaration of the awards with considerable ceremony, on March 22. The Melbourne charities propose asking the Exhibition to hand over the unsold goods for’a bazaar at the close of the Exhibition.

The Doll Show in the Town Hall is very successful. Seven thousand persons visited it on Saturday. A tragical occurrence happened at Sandhurst on Sunday, a German named Schafer fired a pistol at and inflicted three wounds on a young woman named Priscilla Hellier for whom he entertained a strong passion. Hellier was sitting with a young man named James Sobey, and while the latter went for the police Schafer wounded the girl and then put the pistol to his ear and blew out his brains. The girl is expected to recover. The Minister for Lands informed the

House that the arrears of selector’s rents were now coming in freely and quick. He notified a motion for Thursday that female employes should retire from the Government service to make room for others.

The Coroner’vS jury returned a verdict that deaths from the recent accident were caused by the explosion of a torpedo, but no evidence was .shown as to hosv the explosion occurred. It was dearly proved the electric circuit was not completed aboard the Cerberus, and that the torpedo was not fired electrically. The explanation suggested by Mr Ellery is that the torpedo was constructed of dynamite. With the vieu of purifying the water on which Melbourne is dependent, experiments are now being made under the direction of the Government analytical chemist, NEW SOUTH WALES. Nows from Wilcannia states that a thousand people are now on the diggings. Cargoes of potatoes are eagerly bought at a shilling per pound. Water is scarce. Chinamen are still kept off. The coaches are overcrowded and the horses overworked. Stores are now arriving, but prices are high, A permanent payable goldfield is. anticipated, but present returns are not extraordinary. Later news states that mining is suspended through the scarcity of water. Hundreds are on the road despite warnings. There are no present signs of rain. It was clear from the play of the Australian Eleven at Sydney that they are pumped out and need rest. After an animated debate mi the vote of £50,000 for assisted immigration, to which much opposition was shown, Government consented to reduce the amount by £IO,OOO, and the vote thereupon passed. Government iutend utilising the Exhibition buildings for a University, Linnscan Society, and Technological Museum, the transept being utilised for public promenade concerts. Efforts are being made to collect £2OOO to present to Laycock on his return. SOUTH AUSTEALIA. A rumor is current at Port Adelaide to the effect that the A. P. Eadgepark was lost through an error in the compasses, caused by their being adjusted whilst a tug from the north, arm was alongside. Morgan has issued a new manifesto stating that owing to representations by his colleagues he considers the present time inopportune for interfering with the ten per cent ad valorem duties. He will not, however, modify his views regarding wire, cornsacks, bags, and woolsacks. The alterations in taxation comprise a tax on real, accumulated, and personal property, without recourse to a direct income tax. Stamp duties will also be introduced. He also announces a new Mining Bill on the principle of non-liability similar to that in Victoria. A diver named Inkst, while working at the Kingston jetty on Saturday, was attacked by an enormous octopus, which dragged him twenty yards. With the assistance of another workman he managed to escape with difficulty.

The “Advertiser” says the present is the worst wheat harvest for 10 years. The total yield is estimated at nine million bushels, leaving five millions available for'export.