INTERCOLONIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 1310, 20 September 1870, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL.

The g.B. Claud Hamilton, which arrived 1 at the Bluff on Friday last, brings J Australian dates to the 10th : — - LATEST INTELLIGENCE, i Sydney, Sept. 9th. The Executive Council have carefully ) considered the charges which led to the suspension of Mr Moriarty, the under- > secretary of the Lands Department ; and ? though irregularity is a term sufficiently ' severe to indicate his conduct, it has been i decided to remove him altogether from l his office. At a meeting of Germans held last i night, £150 was subscribed in the room ' towards a fund for the relief of the ' families of their countrymen who may suffer in the present war. The Volunteer staff. have obtained the use of a portion of the barracks lately occupied by the Imperial troops. Tallow is higher; hides are in great demand. ; A man named Campbell has been committed to take his trial for the Narrandera murders of the brothers Pohlman. The Gundare sheep station has been sold at the rate of 10s per head. Messrs Wilkie, Kilner and Co. took first prize at the Exhibition for pianos. Sales of brandy have been effected at improved rates. Adelaide, Sept. 9th. Mr Bandman gives German and English readings at "White's Booms, on Monday night, assisted by the German Leidertafel, in aid of the fund being raised here for the families of killed and wounded Prussians. Business is very unsettled, owing to the new tariff. There is s >me enquiry for deals, and large sales are reported at about 4d; whilst 4£d has been refused for a line to arrive. Laxtncestoit, Sept. 9th. There has been incessant rain for sev oral days, which has caused the heaviest floods experienced here since Christmas, 1863. The country along the North and South Esk, and other rivers, is inundated, numbers of sheep have been drowned, and loss of life is reported. The Launceston and "Western Kailway works have been damaged to the extent of several thousand pounds, several culverts having burst up, and others been washed away. The embankments are so much damaged that the contractors cannot now finish the line before January. Communication with the northern goldfielda is completely cut off. The lower parts of Launceston are flooded, and property to a considerable extent is damaged. Hundreds of tons of firewood are coming down the Cataract, the waters of which present a" grand sight. It is feared that the floods will increase to morrow, as, although the weather in town is fine to day, the rain is still falling in the country. Geelong, Sept. 9th. There is a fearful flood here. The Barwon is higher than it has been since 1852. The keeper of Queen's Park, his wife, and a man, were up a tree all night, and were rescued by boats this morning. The Queen's Bridge is carried away. Mr Wright arch family have been removed in boats. Lowe's tannery roof is under water. Mrs Lowe is likely to die from fright and exhaustion, through removing. The new boatshed, with boats inside, has been swept away, and is now broken up. The old shed has gone out to sea. The Albion "Woollen Mill is in danger, as the flood is within a foot of the furnace. The firewood is all loat. Casks of wine, farm produce, and furniture, are floating in the river. The mails are all stopped to the westward. The bridge over the Cudgee Creek is washed away, and the mail has returned fro:n Warrnambool. The flood is up to the Breakwater Hotel near the racecourse. Levien's garden is submerged. The Victorian Woollen Mill is safe. Baj.la.bat, 9th September. The damage done by the floods has been ascertained not to- be so large as was expected. It is quite trifling compared with that done by the hist flood. The highest level of the water in the shops is three feet eight inches. "Workmen are busily engaged in cleaning the streets. Members of the Fire Brigades are at work with their hose washing the mud and sand from the shops. A feeling of insecurity at Bridgestreet generally prevails. Many tradespeople state their determination to leave the portion of the town liable to floods. The Government's inactivity in the matter of drainage is strongly spoken of, and a public meeting will be held on Monday night, with a view to bring pressure to bear upon the Ministry to construct an additional channel in Ballarat East. KYNETOtf, 9th September. The weather is more settled. Many small bridges in Metcalfe shire are swept away. The mails from Kyneton to Heathcote have- not-paeoe«l-forjtwq_days. The Malmsbury Eeservoir is somewESF lower ; a large portion of the channel has been carried away. Malmsbttbt, 9th September. From 7 to 12 o'clock last night the water was 42ft. above the level of the outlet pipe, in the Malmsburjr reservoir. It is now 41ft. 6in., and falling slowly. Both bye-washes have stood well, considering the heavy flow of water. No change in dam or retaining walls. Both standing well. Castlemadte, 9th September. The water is much down. Great damage has been done. The weather still showery, and heavy rain is threatening. Stuabt Mill, 9th September. The rain commenced on Tuesday morning and continued till Thursday. There are heavy floods throughout the district, the bridges are submerged, and one approaching this town is carried away. All traffic was suspended yesterday, and the farmers have .suffered heavily. The fences and crops are damaged greatly, and some houses in town are inundated. The creeks are higher than ever they have MOM RAPING HOUSES IN

been previously known. A homestead at Mount Teddington was flooded, and the inhabitants took to the hills. Mail , communication by horseback. No loss of life is reported. No Melbourne mails to hand. The Loddon is impassable. It was fine last night, but showery to-day. The floods are subsiding. ■ Dttnollt, 9th Sept, > Frank Weston's company drove . through thirty miles of water yesterday [ with four horses. The company is stuck • here, and cannot get ten miles out of the l town. "Water is running everywhere. l The Avoca river is a mile wide. The horses of the night mail have been } drowned in the Loddon River. Houses, i strain, hordes, and other valuables are ) floating all over the country. Weston's ■ company has not been able to perform for two nights. > Sale, 9th Sept. A heavy gale commenced to blow last night, and for tome hours was tremendous. ; The barometer to-day is down to 29'17. This is the lowest point the barometer has . ever been known at here. A hurricane i is expected. . Wawgaratta, Bth Sept. i The up mail hai not arrived at Benalla, and is not expected here to-night. The : country is dreadfully flooded, and' the mails will have to be sent by pack-horses ; from here to Beech worth. The down coach cannot reach Seymour to-night. Melbourne, Sept. 10. The intelligence of the declaration of war between Prance and Prussia has ; created much excitement here, and ' energetic measures are being taken to place the colony in a state of defence in case Great Britain should be drawn into | the struggle. Very severe floods have taken place all 1 over the colony within the last few days. Numerous bridges have been carried away. The Echuca Railway was so far under water, that the trains had to stop running, and it is feared that a very considerable portion of the early crops have been destroyed. The Government are sending to India for a first-class hydraulic engineer to take charge of our waterworks, which, up to the present time, have been frightfully mismanaged. Underwriters here have imposed a war rate of 2^ per cent in addition to ordinary charges.. • ...- At the commencement of the month business remained extremely dull, but the receipt of the war news caused some excitement in the market, and produced a larger demand for goods, especially those likely to be affected by the disturbed relations of the various European countries. Three failures, involving sums from £10,000 to £20,000 each, besides some smaller ones, have occurred, but they have not interfered with the confidence previously existing. The course of trade will, however, materially depend upon the action taken by the banks. Exchange on England has been raised to 2\ per cent, for 60 days'. Interest on deposits has slightly declined. The rates of discount have not been altered. The first wool of this season's clip was . brought to Melbourne on the 3rd. The quantity was 40 bales. The prospects of the coming season at Wahgunyah as to crops are reported to be disheartening. It may be said that three-fourths of the agricultural land in the district has been under water for the last three months. The crops have never been in a more backward state in the district than during the present season Since the remand of G. H. Supple to the Melbourne gaol, to await the result of the points raised in his case, he has occupied his time in reading as much as his eyes would admit of, and in writing letters to several of his friends. He has expressed some pleasure that the jury did not acquit him on the ground of insanity, but has remained silent as to his expectation of what the result of the points raised by his counsel may be. He adheres to the statement first made by him on his apprehension. Since his incarceration his eyesight has become impaired, but his general health and spirits are good. Supple is visited : regularly by several of his friends, his treatment in the gaol being that of a prisoner awaiting trial. ■William Earl Forder, a young man j charged with embezzling £ 1,800 from the firm of Eliza Tinsley and Co., for whom he was colonial agent, was brought before the City Court, Melbourne and remanded, at the request of Mr Dunne, Crown prosecutor. The GazeitenotiS.es the appointment of an Intercolonial Legislation Commission, composed of the Hons. Sir Francis Murphy, J. A. Macpherson, T. H. Fellows, C. G. Duffy, G. Higinbotham, J. Macgregor, G. B. Kerferd, J. J. Casey, and G. P. Smith. The task entrusted to the commission is to consider the expediency of inviting_&e, rfunpftra* I *** I*~onaie"other1 *- ~onaie"other colonies in reference to the extradition of offenders, extension to all of the effect of insolvency or granting probate or administration, execution of Supreme Court judgments, and the establishment of a court of appeal. Mr Casey is to be chairman of the commission. It is reported that rust has made its appearance in the wheat at Inverleigh.