LATEST AUSTRALIAN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 3197, 19 October 1876, Page 2

LATEST AUSTRALIAN.

[Per Arawata.] MELBOUKNE. Oct. 10. Political affairs are being quietly conlucted, and the finishing touches are >eing given to the Electoral Bill before .ending 1 it to the Upper Chamber. At last the Government are about to ake steps to put down that most dis;raceful and obscene publication, 'The J ictorial Budget,' and notice has been jiven of a Bill with that object.

The Government have resolved to buy a reaping and binding machine at the Philadelphia Exhibition, and bring it over here to compare with others. Wilson's circus has proved a great draw. The first night 700 were present, and the following nights were only a little below this average. An unfortunate accident happened yesterday in the break- neck hurdle race, which will probably cost one man his life. De Murska is much required with her company to open the Academy of Music, as it is considered that an establishment so designated should be fitly opened with an opera. Although splendid terms were offered, she was chary of accepting them. Irish Stew and Valentia are still very strong favourites for the Melbourne Cup. Clinton has gone back. New Munster is very firm for the Derby. We shall shortly be entering upon the • gay period, and amusements in quantity and quality will not be wanting. The Ringarooma, which comes with the mails on Monday, takes diggers for the West Coast, to land at Hokitika. Oct. 12. Mail advices contain full particulars of the dreadful atrocities in Bulgaria ; and the scenes of lust, rapine, and murder at the village of Batak, which were someI thing honible. At other villages, where there was some show of resistance, 3,000 , inhabitants mostly women and children,, were massacred. Churches and other buildings were levelled to the ground ; mothers were ravished in the presence of their daughters, and daughters in the presence of tbeir mothers, sisters and brothers. The outrages at Cawnpore are said to be far surpassed in Bulgaria. The site for the Colonial Museum is finally fixed for the Thames embankment. The building will cost £250,000, and the contributions will be according to the amount of space required. India will have two-fifths. The offices of the Agent-Generals of the colonies will be within the building. The Conservative journal, started in 1873 by Captain Hamber and D. Morier Evans, has been discontinued. Owing to a threatened attempt to release from Chatham prison some Fenian convicts, and Bid well the Bank forger, a , strong body of militia are kept on duty night and day. One warder was offered £1,000 to allow Bidwell to escape.