AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Southland Times, Issue 1317, 4 October 1870, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

The Parliament of Tasmania is giving its favorable attention to the subject of payment of members. The Government of Victoria hare taken steps to obtain full and reliable information as to the state of the Trench land and sea forces in New Caledonia. As illustrating the large amount of business transacted upon the Exchange, in mining and other shares, says the South Australian Register, it is stated that one broker has passed through his banking account during the last twelve months the sum of £89,000. The Victorian Government have determined to let no more information go abroad for the present as to the plans for the defence of the colony. A number of very large eels, and fish shaped like bream, have been seen in numbers since the floods in the streams flowing from Lake Golac. The Victorian Chess Club have agreed to the proposition that has emanated from the Sydney Club for an intercolonial chess tournament in December. The finding of some good-sized nuggets at Yorkshire Flat, near Wedderburn, has been reported. One of them weighed twenty ounces. At Newton's Bridge, Inglewood, about an ounce of gold was found by some children on the subsidence of the flood. It bad been crushed out of some quartz laid down as road metal. Damage to the amount of between £3000 and £4000 has been done to the new railway between Launceston and Deloraine, in Tasmania, by the rains. The contractors decline to make good the losii. The Bendigo Advertiser says:— "We have received the official return of the gold reported by the banks as having been purchased in the month of August, showing a total quantity of 19,6880z 16dwt 15gr. The weekly average, allow, ing for the four Saturdays in the month, would be 44220z 3dwt 22gr. Considerable quantities of gold are being washed from the grass in the. neighborhood of Guildford orer which the floods had lately spread. The grass acted like a blanket in catching and detaining the floating fine gold. ; The Murray is still rising at Echuca, and the sister town of Moama is now completely under water, and has been deserted by its inhabitants. The last to leave, apparently, have been the residents of the Junction lan, which is a two«storey brick building, and the Post-office and Telegraph officials. It is satisfactory to learn that the Murray is falling at both Wahgunyah and Albury, so that, probably, when the flood in the Goulbura has run off, some relief will be experienced by the Echucans. A number of well-known steeplechasers and hunter* were sold at Melbourne, but the prices realised showed a great falling-off in the value of this description of stock. The great Ballarat was disposed of for the Jow price of £60. The Jumping Frog realised £62, Grimalkin £34, and The Bird £12 10s. The three-year-old colt Athelstane, by Touchstone, dam by Audacity, engaged in the Derby, was sold to Mr S. Waldock for the sum of £90. This colt is own brother to Melancholy Jacques. Alienator was not sold. < Captain Standish has issued a circular to one hundred of the applicants for places in the police force, stating the determination of the Government to raise from among them a force of 80 men in connection with the defences. They are to reside and mess in barracks, be trained in infantry andartillery drill, and employed in mounting guard anoV; grarrison duty. They will receive provisions and uniform, and 2s per day. A laboring man at Creswick, named Glenny, in the employ of D. Brown, contractor, received news by the last mail that, through the decease of a near relative im Scotland, be was heir to £1000 cash, and a considerable interest in a private dock in Glasgow, bringing in the nice trifle of something like £20,000 a-year. The Inglewood coach, before the waters had reached their highest point (says the Maryborough Advertiser) drove to some high ground about two miles from Inglewood, where it was detained with fourteen passengers for two days. During the whole of one night they heard the frantic cries, without being able to give any help, of a poor fellow who had been forced to take refuge on the roof of his house, which he expected every; moment to be broken up by the violence of the current. The occupants of the coach managed to catch a sheep that was being carried away by the flood, which they killed and dressed, and so supplied themselves with food. A very rare operation in trigonotomy was successfullyperformed at the Geelong hospital by Dr Reid, in which a silver tube was taken from the lungs of a patient and a new one inserted, in his chest. The patient left the hospital with deep feelings of gratitude to the surgeon. The depth of his feelings may be imagined when we state that no less than seven doctors at Ballarat examined him, and each declared that nothing could be done in his case. Some strange disclosures, affecting the Maritime General Credit Loan and Discount Company, in Melbourne, were made in the case of Forder, lately heard by the Melbourne bench. It appears Forder first applied to the banks for advances on bills of lading in his possession, but was refused. He then went to the company named, who advanced him money at the rate of 4 per cent, per month, or about 50 per cent, per annum. For every nominal advance of £200, however, he only received £50, the balance being retained for interest, and to pay charges on the goods. Mr Pirani, the secretary, so prevaricated and hesitated when in the witness-box — afraid, apparently, to commit himself— that he was threatened with committal for contempt of court. A destructive fire occurred at Hamilton on the 19th. The total loss is estimated at £7000, and is partly covered by insurance.

The Mayor of Melbourne, Messrs G. P. Smith, and Stoddart have been appointed the trustees of the Walshe fund. A frightful murder has been committed at Grant, by a man named Cero, i the victim being named Montford. Cero has been lodged in custody. It appears that gold-mining has reached the same stage in California as in Victoria. • According to late Californian newspapers, the annual production of gold in that ! state has fallen in eight years from £6,400,000 to £4,600,000, and has now become an ordinary occupation, yielding | no more than average wages, and less than many other trades. The mines are chiefly in the hands of large capitalists, who pay their men about 16s per day. But at this , rate the capitalists say mining does not pay while the miners resist any reduction. In consequence, many of the mines are closed, and those still in opera- j • tion do not offer any prospect of reasonable returns. The mission of the French war steamer Surcesuf which lately visited Melbourne was chiefly to convey to New Caledonia an ample supply of heavy artillery, with the necessary powder, shot, shell, &c., at once for the French settlements there, and for the more complete arming of the small French fleet, those vessels having been sent out from France with a peace armament, and when there was but remote prospect of war. The Surcasuf carried but little ballast — the heavy guns which formed a main portion of her cargo serving for that purpose ; and she was so full of the other munitions of war that she was able to stow only limited supplies of provisions, coals, <fee. The Surcouf, however, is reported by those on board of her, to be one of the fastest vessels in the French navy. Her horse-power is equal to. one-horse for every two tons — an enormous proportion ; and under canvass on a bowline (which is her strong point) she easily reels off. her fifteen knots an hour in a smart breeze, sufficient to swell all plain sail. Melboubitb. Shearing has commenced, although the weather continues wet. The wool is spoken of as likely to be generally of -first-rate quality. A deterioration of the potato crop is attracting a good deal of notice in the Western district. The various agricultural district shows and meetings have gone on with great spirit. The establishment of farmers* clubs is agitated. Sydney. The Galatea is being dismantled, preparatory to docking. The Prince is driving about town in a drag. A stormy meeting of the creditors of Thame and Walker took place on the 19th, but nothing was done. A day or two afterwards these parties were arrested on a charge of defrauding the revenue. A Board of Inquiry has been appointed to investigate charges made against the general management of the- Customs department. News from Fiji to the 12th was brought by the Alhambra. The Ovalaii natives continued to molest Townshend. Whales were reported as plentiful amongst the islands. The Government intend to ask the Assembly for £3750 as a subsidy to the San Francisco service for the remainder of the present year, and £10,000 for next year. „ _ „ . , The Chief Justice has been seriously hurt by the upsetting of the Mount Barker coach. He was, however, recovering from the injuries sustained. The Government propose to organise the Volunteer and Militia forces as a part of their defence scheme. The weather is wet and cold. The report that rust had made its appearance in the Clare district i» contradicted. The crops round Adelaide are reported as looking splendid.