LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS. Melbourne, August 19.

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 362, 8 September 1874, Page 2

LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS. Melbourne, August 19.

On Thursday the Treasurer made hia Financial Statement. He stated that the colony commenced the year with a balance of .£170,358 from last year. The estimated revenue was .£4,259,135, which together and with recoup from advances made a gross revenue of £4,515,182, being nearly £200,000 more than wa« received in the previous year. The expenditure was £4,478,000, which was also in excess of last year. This would leave a sum of £37,102 to be carried forward to next year. He proposed to change the ad valorem duties on half a million's worth of goods to fixed duties, and to place some of the 10 per cent goods in the 20 per cent list, and remit duties on a few articles. An additional duty will be placed on wine. The result of these alterations would occasion a loss to therevenueof £470,000, but £130,000 more >was expected from wine. The Statement has not given satisfaction, especially to ' the free traders. The boot importers have already held a meeting, and protested againtst fixed duties instead of ad' valorem. Tha Payment of ' Members Bill has been read a first time in the Assembly. Some Legislative Council elections have been held, but only one alteration made where the member retired. A large number of petitions have been presented to the Assembly from local bodies in favor of assisted immigration. Lady Bowen proceeds to Europe by the mail steamer next month. The libel action, the proprietors of the Theatre Royal v. Herald, resulted in a verdict for the plaintiffs with a farthing damages. A small sheep farmer named John Moriarty, has been murdered near Schnapper Point. The murderer is yet undiscovered. The Califiornian mail steamer left San Francisco on the 17th August. Seven men belonging to the brig Prairie were drowned by a boat accident at Bowse Island. London telegrams of August 27 report an advance on scoured wool of l£d; greasy unaltered; cro&abreds' higher ; lambs' selling well. English buyers principally. 680 guineas were paid for a single sheep yesterday. Markets very dull, and business has received a check, pending the result of the budget. Sugars, especially yellows, sold at an advance; flour and grains very dull. Milling oats sold for 5s 3d; tobaccos, a good demand. Sir Hercules Ptobinson, Governor of Sydney, leaves for Fiji on Sept. 7. The Tores Straits steamer Jedda, put into Aden with the fore compartment on fire. It was extinguished by scuttling the fore portion of the vessel. Oflicial accounts from the Palmer state provisions dear and scarce. Blacks troublesome. Adelaide, August 19. Emigrant ship City of Adelaide stranded in 10ft water two yards from the shore at Henley beach. The passengers were landed safely. Mr J. W. Barrow, editor of the Advertiser ■, and late Treasurer of the colony, is dead. The crops are reported looking well.