AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3818, 24 March 1881, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(Pee s.s. Te Anatt.)

Sydney, March 17. la the Assembly, the Minister for Public Works fully stated the reilway policy of the Government. Mr Mason has resigned office as Engi-neer-in-Ohief of the existing lines. It seems that Mr Mason applied for twelve months leave on full pay. The Government decided it coc!d not grant more than nine months, on half pay, which Mr Mason declined to accept. In the Assembly on Wednesday the Government submitted the estimates of expenditure. The account of the services proposed to be defrayed out of the surplus revenue account, the • total asked was £150,000. Of this sum £50,000 was for a special grant to country and suburban municipalities, equal to one half the total amount of rates collected during the current year. The balance of £ICO,OJO is for the purchase of recreation grounds for the metropolitan suburbs and country towns. The latter evoked an animated debate, but the estimate was eventually agreed to. The accident which befell Mr Lestrange's balloon was productive of more serious consequences than was generally. known. At the time when the baloon burst Mrs Hawkes and daughter were standing on the verandah within a few yards of it. When it exploded it knocked her down with great force. On being picked up and taken inside it was found that Mrs HLawkes, who is an elderly lady, was severely burnt on the face, and the skin on the right side was charred. The eye was also severely injured. It is not expected she will recover her sight. Miss Hawkes was slightly burned, but the most was a shock to her system. Melbourne, March 17. It is stated that Mr Bates has been an uncertified insolvent for rhe past twenty years, and by sitting in Parliament he has incurred penalties amounting to something like £70,000, but is not now a member of the Assembly. The Government have agreed to purchase the Exhibition annexes for £37,000. The Xelly Board has classified the various claims before them. It traaspired that the capture was not the result of any information given to the police, consequently the whole of the £8000 will be distributed among the ten officers concerned at Glenrowan. In reply to a deputation of t}bacco manufacturers in reference to the continuance of present duties on tobacco, Mr Berry said no sudden change would be made without full warning being given of any remission of duty. If there was a surplus revenue there would be a corresponding remission, he thought, made on tea instead of tobacco. Perett, a deaf mute, who was sentenced to death for rape, had the sentence r Itered to five years' imprisonment. Mr Grainger, architect and civil engineer, has been entrusted with the preparation of plans and specifications of a new bridge over the Yarra. The cost is £93,000. Joseph Wilson, who was nearly murdered by a fellow workman, Thomas Churchill, near Beswiclj, lies in a preca-

rious condition in the il'fred Hospital, j Churchill is in custody.

Madamoiselle Charbonnethas recovered damages from Messrs Allen and Co. for breach of contract in playing their pianos at the Exhibition concert, which was broken, owing to a musical dispute.