AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 404, 7 February 1872, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

The Sunday train question is rioW agitat* ing the minds of" the "Victorian public. Things in Tasmania are'in such a depressed st:"t9 that the very thieves are reported to^bd leaving the'colony: , • . -"■ . ■ , The inefficient supply of Van Yean Water" for the past-four or, five hot days formed an inexhaustible topic; of conversation in Mel* bourne, .and whenever two or three "people" met tlie first remark, after the weather had been anathematised, Was, ".How are y^n off fo? water dqwfl yoiir wayj"/ In the majority of instances the reply was, " not a drop," fol> I6wed by a Shower of . " same here," . '^had none since Sunday," '" six days without j* show, '*: f " came' to town without washing," and so on. One gentleman Was heard to i'eifiark.that there had been no water from, the Van Yean at his place for six days, and that he had yesterday morning to give his children lemonade" and ginger-beer, for breakfast, there being no water fib f6r drinking or making tea within reach . . ,

A riost • interesting vtQrk hy Captain Palmer, of It. M.S. Rosario. has just been published. It is entitled " Kidnapping in the Spilth sea'B," and gives a faithful exposure of the vile practices adopted by the colonial traders who introduce native labor t6 Queensland and the 3?iji Islands. '" . IVipfcheria is making fearful .ravages amongst children in some parts of Victoria. In one family near Ballarat six out of seven children died of. the complaint, and the fathet had been also seized with the disorder. Malignant scarlet fever is also prevalent. . The appearance of the foot and mouth disease in the herds is causing excitement amongst the stockowners of New South Wales. An effort is to be made to pass an act to prevent further importations of English cattle for a time.

The following telegram in the 'Argus 'gives fuller particulars of the scene in the Queensland House of Assembly, than we have pxiblished : — " Brisbane.— An extraordinary scene occurred in the House of Assembly during the sittings on Wednesday evening. Mr PalnW, the Colonial Secretary, moved an adjournment until the following Tuesday^ when some of the Government supporters objected to the proposition. Mr Deaatge and Mr Clarke attacked Mr Pring and indulged in personalities towards him, whereupon Mr Pring walked across the House to where tho hon. members were sitting, seized Mr Clarke's whiskers, and challenged him to come out of the House. The Speaker at once drdered Mr Pring's arrest, an order which the Sergeant-at-Arms attempted to carry out, but Mr Pring had left the House. A debate ensued as to. the course to be adopted, which resulted, in a motion by Mr Lilley, which was agreed to, that Mr Pring should attend in his place on Tuesday. The hon an<f learned gentleman immediately resigned his seat f6r North Brisbane."' . . The Curator of the Botanic Gardens, Sydney, reports having discovered on Sidmouth Island a new fruit the size of a large cherry, which he considers the finest indigenous Australian fruit.

Our sporting readers will recollect tliar, a match Was rilade 'for LSO a r side in Melbourne recently between A. El. Bird and Nearing for a spin of three or five miles. By the last Melbourne papers to hand, we see the match is off, Bird having forfeited his first deposit. . . - . . We learn f rom Melbourne that the salvage ing of the cargo of the Sussex continues, and the purchasers will probably make a profit out of the transaction, as the ship holds together well. The Melbourne • Age ' will be probably the first of the colonial papers printed from the continuous web or roll of paper, a ".Victory " machine having been shipped for Melbourne during the past month. When fixed thia machine is warranted to run at a speed o£ 6000 per hoar ; perfect copies, folded and delivered. . , ... Divided opinions exist amongst the Anglican clergy of Sydney as to the adoption or otherwise of the new leotionary recently sanctioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. . Mr B. L. Farjoon's new novel, " Blade o Grass," is being repiiblished in the Sydneyweeklies Ths -Ballarat Star" understands that Mra B.C. Aspinall has been appointed telegraphist to a state6ri in Victoria at' a salary of L2OO per annum. The Melbourne ' Argus ' says :—'* We have the best authority for stating that messages are expected to be received in Melbourne from Lrinddn before the end of J anuary , for although the line from Adelaide to Port Darwin may not be entirely completed by that date, arrangcnie its will be made for covering any gaps in the cd nmunication by means of horae express." This taken in connection witn a weekly mail between Melbourne and the bluff or Hokitika, will enable the New Zealand newspapers to supply their readers once a week with a budget of English telegrams. The whaler Oscar was attacked by a whale when between Tasmania arid Newcastle, the animal causing .the shjp tb leak dangerously. At the last licensed meeting at Geelong not a single grocer applied for the renewal of his bottle license.

For kicking a policeman and aitiin<? on his hat; a Melbourne roiigh was fined L2O, with the alternative df three* months' imprison, nlent.

Thu Presbyterian Sunday Schooi teachers in M6lbdurne\ have reisolved to present Captain Fraser, of the missidri Schodner Dayspringj With a purse df sovereigns.

The Chief Justice df New South Waloaj Sir Alfred Stephen, now aged severity years, has asked to be allowed to retire on his full salary— -82600 a year. The" retiring pension allowed by law is LI4OO a" year ; but upon this Sir Alfred states he cannot live; and unles3 he is alldwed his full salary he will hdld the office as long as he li?&s. He has threatened never to repeat his application, and the Government have refused td accede to his request: l?he people of Sydney are now interesting themselves with the qiieStidii -^How long will Sir Alfred choose tdremuiii in office ? S'loiild He live td be 100 yeara of ao'e is he to be permitted to occupy the iFench merely because he caririot compress, his private expeiisen within ; the ■ limits of hia jjensidn ! Kxceptirig in a fe"w extraordinary cases the intellectual faculties! of men begin to decline at Sir Alfred's age, arid it is nob reasdnable 1 to sdpi/ose that he will fornl an exception" td the; rule: Biit whether dr ndtj there he is, and there he says he will rVmaiii uiltil lie gets hi 9 L2OOO a-yeaf as re'fciring allowance. He. has deliberately niatchetl himself against time, and some'wherd about the beginning of -'the next century the contest will begin to be a very interesting uiieV not only fdr Attstrdliaj • but fojf , thd world at lai^e". \: ' . •

. Victorians will be glad to hear that the celebrated Australian steeplechaser- has arrived. safe' and sound in, tSiiglahd, arid that .li'j companion, tha i weiMcndwn trotting n-*W Kate, has also landed in capital cdnditifciiu