AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2823, 12 April 1882, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(Per b.b. Eingarooraa at the Bluff.) [By Telegraph.] Melbourne, April 5. The revenue returns are very satisfactory, and it is expected that by June 30th the excess will amount to £550,000 The principal iterrs of increase in the quarterly returns , issued are: —Ad mtormduties, £87,597; tobacco,£39,ooo railway receipts, £93,019. The Government have paid off the whole of the outstanding liabilities, and it is believed there is every prospect of the year being closed with an actual instead of a nominal surplus _ _ ; Colonel Oro mn, who is inspecting the defences of the colonies, expressed satisfaction with the Victorian defences and impressed upon the authorities the necessity of a permanent force, with five men at least to each gun. A Bill will be introduced at an early period, which will embody the scheme opened up by the Government and provide for a torpedo corps being enrolled under the Naval Discipline Act. Already the gum of £3,970 ha?b- '

paid to vignurons in the Geelong district for the destruction of their vineyards owing to phylloxera. The full amount of £25,000 has been subscribed to establish the claim to Mr Ormond’s £SOOO towards the Cathedral fund.

During the heavy weather the brig Alexandra was driven ashore at Warnambool and became a total wreck. Her cargo was covered by ,a floating policy.’ The Loch Marie, about which fears are entertained, sailed from Geelong last October, and,was spokenoff Kent’s Group on the 30th of the same month by Gaptain’Miirdoch.of the Don Diego. The weather soon after became very thick and Stormy. It is conjectured . the Loch Marie may .be wrecked on some of the islands adjacent to New Zealand. , , The Eingarboma, with the English mails, met the Shannon at the heads, and only just succeeded in transhipping them. . Nothing is now heard of Bryant, alias Beaumont, and the subject of a Eussian invasion has been allowed to drop. The racehorse Santa Clans, which figured prominently in the Cnp betting has -been sold for nine hundred guineas.

Sydney. H.M.S. Cormorant, with her flag halfmast high, has arrived. She reports visiting Espiratu Santo on the 16th March, while engaged in the search for the murderers concerned in the massacre of the beat’s crew of the Isabella. When five miles from the village which they intended to surround and surprise before daylight, a detachment under Lieutenant Lucraft, disembarked through ’ a fearful surf. They were guided by a native to a small island, and reached the village, capturing two women.' The rest were disturbed'by the barking of dogs, And plunged at once into the thickets and opened fire. Lucraft dashed in the direction of the firing, and was mortally wounded. As the natives reached further.inland the detachment retired. Lucraft died before reaching the ship. The natives fired down on the party from high cliffs. r Adelaide.

The Government return shows the yield for the late harvest to be only 125,000 tons of wheat for export. Shipments and 'engagements to date amount to about 95,000 tons, leaving about 30,000 to be exported during the remaining nine months of the yoar. The prisoners already committed for an insurance fraud on the Mutual Assurance Company have been further committed' for trikl for- ah attempted fraud on the Australian Alliance.'.' The evidence was very similar.

, Perth. .. Lord. Gifford telegraphs that it itf riot true that Asiatic cholera exists inline north-west of the colony. r t