AUSTRALIAN CABLE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1716, 27 March 1888, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN CABLE.

Melbourne, March 23.

The Clearing House returns this year show £24,000,000 over clearances to March 12th than last year. The weekly clearance, owing to the mining fever, is of unprecedented magnitude. Mr Lachlan McKinnon, one of the proprietors of the Melbourne Areus, has died in England. March 24. Thi'population of the city and suburbs is estimated at 391,000. The three taau charged vrith. the murder of the woman Cumoauigs have been acquitted, on the ground of insufficient evidence.

The engine drivers on the railway are in a state of ferment, all stating that they are subject to har»h treatment from Mr Allison Smith, and they demand his removal from hia position. They < allege that Mr Smith is responsible for the bungliLg work recently discovered in the locomotive department. In the polling for the reduction of the number of hotels in Ballarat East, the local optionists obtained a majority of 405 in favor of reducing the hotelß from 72 to 27. In Geulong it is expected that the result of the poll will be similar. The wrestling match betweeu Connor and Cannon resulted in a win for the former, who secured the first two falls. The decision of the referee has, however, been disputed. At Robb's building to-day, a most gerious aecident happened. A lift had reached the third storay when the wire rope snapped, and the lift fell to the ground injuring four persona badly.

Sydney. March 23.

The body of Henu, one of 'be occupants of the boat which capsiz-d in Boiany Bay on Sunday, has fouid, and ther* is now no doubt that all the men were drowned.

Grasr, fi-cs still continue, and it is strongly suspected that they are being purposely staried because of the high wages paid for extinguishing them. A new truck h*s been invented by a railway hand, of lighter draught and greater cparity, which, it is expected, wi 1 save 40 per cent, in haulage. Th« invention has be* n adopted by the Minister of Works, and some hundreds have been ordered.

Ho t, the Bank maDager who was committed for embezz ing the Bank's moneys a couple of years ago, aQd who is now serving hiß punishment at Darlinghurst gaol, is breaking down in health, and it is expected that ha will be released this week. He has only served half the sentence awarded him.

It is stated that io consequence of the recenit disorderly scenes iu the House of Assembly th« Government iuteod to immediately propose procedure rules, one of which will provine that any tnembtr beiug disorderly in the Chamber shall be expelled, and rendered ineligible for reelection for three years.

March 24.

H.M. gunboats Undine and Harrier lire to be sold by auction next month. Both are small vessels and have become obsolete,

The company owning the Waratah coa mines refuse to grant any loncussion to the men who are now out on strike, and have declined to accept the proposal that the nutter in dispute should be submitted to arbitration.

March 25,

Arrived—Tarawera, from Russell,

A heavy thunderstorm parsed over a portion of the colony this /'fternoon. At Bxnenjoey a house was struck by lightening and whs burned to the ground. It subsequently transpired that a man was in the house at the time, and it is supposed that he perished in the flames. Brisbyne, March 24.

The Cabinet hare adopted a resolution of the Postal Conference recently held in Sydney, for exchange of post cards with Europe, the rate being 3i via lt*ly, and by steamer.

Information has bean received that the evacuation of the New Hebrides by the French has taken place, and that a French gunboat had arrived at Kouraea on the lfth with the troops who had been stationed on the group, and also the building materials used in erecting the batracks for their accommodation.

Hobaet, March 23.

H.M.S. Egerin haß b;eu ordered to surrey a portion of the .Pacific cable route.