LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1176, 15 May 1874, Page 2

LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

MELBOURNE. May ■!. Attorney-General Stephens having accepted a judgeship lias been sworn in, and taken his seat on tho bench, vice "Williams retired.

Rerford, Solicitor-General, takes tho Attorney-Generalship. Eraser, Minister of Public Works, and Government Representative in Council, has resigned, and is succeeded by R. S. Anderson. The offices of Post-master-General and Solicitor-General \v:K_ not be filled. Mackay, the Minister of Mines, takes charge of the Education department. These changes weaken the Ministry, except the substitution of Anderson for Eraser. "Writs have been issued to fill the Ministerial vacancies. It is unlikely there will bo any opposition, except in St. Kilda, where AVebb, equity barrister, and probably

Williams, will bo opposed for tho vacancy. .For the Central Province, Sargood, ex-warehousemau, and A. K. Smith, are nominated. The Parliament is to meet on. tho 19 th May. SYDNEY. May 4. Tho steamship City of Adelaide has been chartered for the Calif'ornian service in consequence of tho large number of passengers offering. Tho Mongol encountered a fearful hurricane after leaving Kaudavau. The Victorian detective despatched to arrest O'Farrell at Noumea has retui'iied without him. The Challenger leaves in a fortnight to sound tho New Zealand cable route. Meantime she does preliminaries close to this coast. The Melbourne master painters have decided wages will be 9s a day of eight hours. A large number of passengers left in tho Wenthworth to go by the California mail steamer. QUEENSLAND. May 4. George Town.—Murders by blacks, troopers sent out in search. ADELAIDE. May 4. Tho Government propose expending £30,000 on free immigration. The Treasurer gave notice of proposition to raise a loan of £GOO,OOO for new railways. The banks have raised the rate of interest; discount, one per cent.