INTERCOLONIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 1568, 23 April 1872, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL.

(From files per Gothenburg). Melbourne. The Ministry have visited Gipps Land, and have promised the extension of railways in that direction. The Hon. Mr Wrixon has sustained concussion of the brain, caused by a fall from his horse. He is progressing favorably. The advices which have arrived of the telegraphic charges between England and Australia show that they will be nearly double what was previously announced. A Volunteer named Clement Martyn was shot through the hand in a sham fight at Ballarat. The wound is progressing favorably, and amputation will probably be unnecessary. The charge of the Mint has been handed over to Colonel Ward, the future Mint Master. £2000 was cleared by a fancy fair held at Bendigo in aid of local charities. A horrible case of malpractice has occurred in the Western District, aad the offender, a medical man named Jackson, has been committed for trial. Adelaide. A company has been proposed to construct a railway across the Continent, with £200,000,000 of British capital. Parliament has re-assembled. A vigorous Opposition is expected. Mr Blytbe has given notice in the Assembly of a motion to the effect that the proposed railway from Port Augusta to Port Darwin would conduce to the interests of the Colony, and suggesting that the scheme should be subsidised by a land endowment on either side of the f proposed line. I The Treasurer, in his budget speech in the Assembly, shows that the estimated revenue for 1872 would be £696,641, and | the expenditure during the same period £791,269, leaving a deficiency at the end of the year of £91,627. He proposes to

make up this deficit by issuing Exchequer bills, and stated that if Parliament added anything to the expenditure they must be prepared for fresh taxation. He promised that the Es*i nates for the year should ba laid on the table at an early date. The Government advertise that after the 19th inst. they will rect-ive worn coin for three months at a discount of 5 per cent. Sales of wheat have been mad.3 at 5a 9 I for very prime samples ; town br.tnda flour, £13 10s ; country, £12 10a. Sydney. The trial of Leater and Nicholls, the Paramatta river murderers, will commence on the 15th May. News has been received that a hurricane ravaged New Caledonia last month, doing much damage. The Tararua, s.s., has arrived at NewI castle from the Gulf of Carpentaria. Captain Pearce ascended the Roper River for a distance of 100 miles. Beyond that distance the river is only navigable for vessels of smaller tonnage than the Tararua. The steamer also visited Port Darwin, but finding no one there, returned to the Roper, where the telegraph construction party was found. Mr Adams, of Wyeralla Station, has been found drowned in the Richmond River, with a bullock chain round his. neck, to which was attached a heavy weight.