VICTORIA.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3490, 2 March 1880, Page 2

VICTORIA.

The trial of the late directors and manager of the Provincial,and Suburban Bank is now procoeding. The evidence disclosed was disgraceful on the -part of the authorities.

A. T. Clarke, a- pronounced Ministerialist, has announced that should Berry obtain a majority, the Melbourne Harbor Trust would be swept away. The permanent building tor the Exhibition is nearly completed. A telegram from, the London Committee informed the Commissioners that the total requirements of. space for Great Britain, United States, France, Germany, and other foreign countries will be 423,009 feet altogether. The Australian Eleven hare arrived at Melbourne. It is considered they strengthened themselves much by the inclusion of A. Bannerman and Jarvis, the best bat iv Adelaide. NEW SOUTH WALES. Sir Henry Parkes secured a triumphant majority on the principal clause in the Education Bill. He admitted that the bill would not have been so drastic but for tbe attacks made by ecclesiastical prelates on public schools which were the schools of the State. The Catholics hope to be sufficiently organised before the next general election to recover the ground lost. The Land Bill has been recommitted in the Legislative Council. A new clause was added providing that a squatter shall have official notice when any part of his run is free selected, and no impoundieg f rights shall recrue for two months, unless within that time the selector has fenced in his land. The second batch of awards of the Exhibition have been issued. Great Britain has secured most of the prizes in medicines and surgery, the colonies very trivial. Elder and Innes of New Zealand are both mentioned as exhibiting cod liver oil, but no award was made. New South Wales carried.off the chief prizes in ale and porter, Joseph Marshall, of Sydney, being unanimously recommended for the gold medal for the best pale ale brewed iv the colony. > Local TriumphsVictoria was awarded five prizes in this class, Great Britian six, Queensland four, Tasmania seven, South Australia none; New Zealand the two following—M. Joel, (Red Lion Brewery,) Dunedin, mild ale, first; Brown, Campbell and Co., (Thames Brewery) mild ale, 2nd; Martin, Invercargill, pale ale, Ist; Pascoe and Co., Wellington, pale ale, 2nd ; J. Wilson, Dunedin, pale ale, 2nd; Vincent and Co., Canterbury, strong ale, Ist; Speight and Co., Dunedin, strong ale, 2nd ; P. Crawford, bottled stout, Ist; Ehrenfried Bros., (Phoenix Brewery) bottled stout, 2nd ; Advices from Noumea state that a violent hurricane followed the flood which destroyed the telegraph communication, Gendarmes' Barracks, Noumfea,- was wrecked, and the Artillery Barracks was also damaged. ' c \ The Governor has gone a tour or the country districts "inland to atcertaia the damage done Jby the cyclone and to render assistance in urgent cases, The oonYipta who seized the cutter Mondowai recently were sentenced to death, others to serve five years in double irons.

Richmond River rose suddenly in the night ot February 22nd, and all the lower portion of the town of Tismor was under water. Some people were obliged to fly to the upper portions of their buildings, others to the Courthouse and Church. Boats were pulled through all the streets saving the property, but no lives are known to be lost as yet. The river rose forty feet. ■-....■

There is much distress in Newcastle owing to the depression in the coal trade.

It is rumored the Associated Colliery Masters purpose reducing the wages 25 per ■ cent, and also to reduce the price of coal with a view to compete with collieries outside the association which are underselling them. Buchanan, in the Legulstive Assembly, referred to McElhone as a dung heap in human shape.

The population of the colony of New South Wales at the end of last year wai 834,282. Increase 2,263 during the half year.