INTERCOLONIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 1829, 9 December 1873, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL.

Me* bourne, Nov. 29. The seventh Parliament of Victoria finished its labcrs on the 25th. Virtually the prorogation terminated its existence but aa a matter of fact, the Parliament does not expire by tffliuion of time until the 24th of April" next. The investigations made by Mr Gudemann, a clerk in the Treasury department, have resulted iu the discovery that the defalcations of O'Ferrall extended as far back as May, 1806, and an amount of over £7,000, in addition to the £9,372 previously discovered, was found to have been embezzled, and all is not yet known. Steps are being taken to start co-opera-tive bakeries in Melbourne. A vineyard at Fyansford, 17 acres in extent, has changed bands at £G0 per acre. Tbe mayor of Ballarat East, the health officer, and Sergeant Lnrner recently inspected several dairies in tbe borough aud suburbs. At one dairy they found the milk set to cream in a low roofed room in which two men slept. Adjoining the room was the stock-yard, the drainage from wbich flowed into a hole close to the building, which was also used as a closet-pit, and in which were found the rotting bodies of three or four fowls. On inquiry, Sergeant Larner found that a child belonging to a family near tbis dairy had died a'short time since of diphtheria, and that the children of several families supplied with milk from the dairy bad suifered from low fever and throat affections. The owner ofthe dairy is to be summoned. The differences of opinion existing j between the two , Houses of the Legislature on tbe subject of land adtninistra- 1 tion have resulted in the loss of Mr ] Casey's Amending Bill. A member of the Council baa intimated that at the commencement of the next session he will move tbat a full and specific inquiry ehould be made into the working of the land acta of tbe Colony. Dr Bunce, tbe medical officer to the Industrial School, asserts that undiluted carbolic acid will effect a cure in 18 cases out of 20 of diphtheria. Tbe third annual cricket match between Parliament and Press was played on tbe 28th, and resulted in a victory for the Preas by one inninpa and 35 runs. Tbe full list ot the collections on Hospital Sunday is now published, and the total is returned as £4,247 8s 9d. The church collections are £3,691 5s 9d, the schools gave £140 14s 2d, and employes contributed £343 19s 7d. The editor of the South Australian Advertiser telegraphs under date of the 28th November: — ''Own correspondent arrived at Tam Creek on Friday, and visited the reef claims. The Fountain Head claim has struck very rich stone. M'Minn's shows a rich reef, very wide. The Morning Star has fine large reef; the quartz is richly auriferous. The Alma haa a large reef, and plenty gold showing. At Tumbling "Waters there are worthless alluvial diggings At Sandy Creek the prospects are fair ; sinking Bft. ; washdirt light. Six parties are at wor,k ; fifty men on the ground. Bain ia wanting. A miner named Patrick Plynn died of apoplexy. A large tribe of blacks passed Yam Creek •yfesterday." Sydney. A nugget weighing 134£0z. of pure gold bas been found at Welcome Lead, Bushman's. Tbe cenvict Jarvis, now under sentence of death, has confessed to tbe murder of Moggeridge, the teamster. I Mr Brainstown, of the Queensland bar, haa been appointed Attorney-General at Hong Kong. The two companies formed to construct j street tramways bave amalgamated. The Council bas passed the Tariff Bill | without amendment. The past 10 months' Customs revenue exceeds the whole revenue of any previous j year. The new tariff haa received the Boyal assent. The Bill legalising marriage witb a deceased wife's sister haa been read a second time in the Assembly. The blacks attacked tbe Chinese camp near the Gilbert. They killed two and wounded three. Tbe mailman has not arrived, and it is feared that he bas been murdered. Payable gold has been found 40 miles up the Palmer Biver, but provisions are scarce.