AUSTRALIAN NEWS. [BY CABLE.]

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1452, 22 October 1881, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS. [BY CA BLE. ]

The Victorian Education Act. Melbourne, October 20. A Commission of Inquiry info the woi king of tlio Education Act has been appointed by the Government in accordance with the announcement made in the Qmernor'.- .speech at,the opening' of the present .sGo.siou. Mr. Ormond is appointed President of the Commission, and its constitution is icccivinsf » .severe 01 if.icisrn At the caucus of the Opposition to day. a resolution was cairitd to the oilvct that the commission was un>-atisfa.efory, and Mr. Il'imsiy h,is since trivm notice of •.notion to that effect. It is understood that tho motion is not intended to be one of tvaut of con fid- nee in the Government. It is stated that u p-iroel of gold discovered at Fiji Ids been a^H iypd in Melbouino wiLh a satisfactory rt's«ilfc. Nautilus is scratched for tho Melbourne Cup.

Sydney, October 20. A storm of unusual violence has been experienced to-day on fho coast and in this ci!y causing serious damage to several homes in the suburbs. The shipping 1 in the harbour has, however, suffered no injury, aud as far as can be ahcert.iitiod no casualties have occurred on the coafet. Dr. Renwich, who was appointed Minister for Mines on the 12th inst., was res-elected for the East Sydney constituency to-day. His return was opposed. "Augur," in the Australasian, tips Somerset or Somnus for the Victorian Derby, to be run on the 29th inst.

The New Agency Company. Melbourne, October 20. The share list which was opened here for the Trustees, Executors, and Agency Company of New Zealand, was closed yesterday. Several applications for shares had to be refused.

A sarALt farm in Gloucestershire which was sold the other day for £450, had cost the vendor £800 in 1872. The New York HeraUYs reporter has interviewed Adelina Patti concerning her American tour. She told him that she was anxious to visit the country where she was brought up while her voice was at its best, and to bring back a good soureuir of her visit. She intenda to make a four months' stay, and in that time will give about 20 concerts. Besides concerts she will, if suitable arrangements can be made, appear in her favourite operas, and will appear as Ifilsa to Niccolini' s Lohengrin. Sho told her interviewer that in order to carry out her American tour she had to make sorao financial sacrifices. For instance, she had refused £800 a night at Monte Carlo, and £400 a night at Madrid for 30 nights daring the winter season, with a splendid mansion, valued at £12,000, to be her own property, and deeded for ever, to induce her to repeat her visits to the Spanish cajpital. " So," added the diva, /'ldontthink I shall be charged with visiting Atnerioa^simply for the purpose of m,»]Sog money; 1 '