AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4289, 29 April 1879, Page 2

AUSTRALIA

Mb_-lottbs_, April 28. Mr Berry telegraphs that he has bad a final interview with Lord Beacon-field and Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, and obtained (ho

decision of the Cabinet. The Imperial Go- | vernment decline to legislate at the present juncture, but propose that Mr Berry should < submit the issue to the country. If that fails, the arrangement is that the Home Govern- \ ment will invite Parliament to amend the constitution. , The Treasury consented to reduce the Imperial share of postage to 2d. Mr Berry proposes to accept the P. &a °.o. Co.'b tender. The Cabinet has authorised Mr Berry to sign the contract. The Embassy returns on the 7th. I jTia Wellington.] Sydney, April 22. The Nineveh left London on the 10th with -00 immigrants for Sydney. At Newcastle an extended sitting of the Miners' Conference was held. A motion being carried that the Lambtou Lodge be expelled from the Miners' Association of the Hunter river district. At the same meeting it was agreed that the Waratah Tend be increased by 25.0C0 tons, making in all 90,000. At Wentworth a melancholy and fatal accident occurred iv the drowning of John Sharp, the best swimmer in the neighborhood. The deceased swam on horseback at the Ana, a branch of the Murray, for a swan, but bis horse { becoming entangled in weeds threw him. His friends, who he told five minutes before drowning that he was all right, were unable to assist him, and getting' the swan, and resting on it for half an hour, he sank. During the floods of 1870, deceased carried the mails fortyfive miles per day, frequently having to swim his horse n_le3 through flooded country, and it was not an uncommon occurrence for him, on his h r rse drowning, to take the mails and swim ashore. He was then thirteen years of age. ; Mblbottene, April 22. Mr E. Monk, of Wombat, received another threatening letter signed "another Kelly sympathiser at large." Typhoid fever prevails in Jolimont. It is said that the contagion is being spread by a milkman in supplying his customers. It is stated that some of the oft remanded Kelly sympathisers at Beech-worth have entered an action against th* remanding magistrate. The yield of the Band and Albion Consols for the week, 46-oz. from 176 tons stone, caused great excitement at Ballarat. The Minister of Railways, at a banquet given in his honor at Trentham, took great credit to himself for his administration cf the Bailway Department, and justified the black Wednesday proceedings as part of tho policy of the Government. M. E'kington has been appointed Professor of History and Political Economy at the University. A survey is being mide in view of the possibility of supplying Melbourne with water from Watt's Biver. The Eastern Market building is rapidly approaching completion. Adelaide, April 22. The Government has decided to discontinue receiving nominations for free passages to immigrants till farther notice. At present 4000 certificates for passages are outstanding. The Hon. C. B. Young left*for England. It is reported that a telegram has been received from London advising the intention of the Bey. C. H. Spurgeon to visit Australia. The Chamber of Manufactures resolved to interview the Government and ask them to sink an artesian well near Adelaide, with the view of getting a supply of water. At Perth a company is in course of formation for the purpose of purchasing a 300-ton steamer i for running between Freemantle and Cossack. i The major part of the capital has been subscribed. Bishop Parry is married to Mrs Alexander.

[Via Bluff.] Mblboubne, April 23. Political matters continue dull, and there have been no Ministerial utterances daring the week ; 1 but the Cabinet is engaged in the preparation ' of measures for the coming session, which it is ' anticipated will be very exciting, as an appeal i to the country on the reform question is inevit- . able. The Governor has made two good, sensible, practical speeches—one at the distribution of prizes at the Church of England Grammar . school, and the other at tte University dinner. ' Lady Normanby is sufficiently recovered to . hold receptions, which are numerously attended. At the annual commemoration at the Uni- ' rersity, Saturday, Sir Bryan O'Loghlen, on > coming up for his degree of M.A., was loudly • hooted by the undergraduates, who were more > than usually noisy this year, so much so as to call for the condemnation of the Chancellor, . who threatened to adjourn the proceedings. The . Governor afterwards in a speech referred to the , definition of a gentleman. His remarks were _ evidently prompted by the noisy conduct of the undergraduates. ' The weather has been beautifully fine and summer like, but disastrous to the country, as all agricultural operations are at a standstill i from want of rain. In many parts water is not ■ even obtainable for domestic purposes. The: • railway department has scarcely water enough for the locomotives, and complaints are numerous i of the ruin to the crops. i Arthur McCadey, a warehouseman and im- i , porter, has. been sentenced to. nine months for [ '.. fraudulent insolvency. Since .£IOOO was given anonymously by | Messrs Wilson and McKinnon in 1871 for an 1 engineering scholarship at the university, the scholarship has been formed' and named the 1 Argus Scholarship. i Sir William Jervois' defence scheme _as underi gone several important modifications. Instead : , of'a pile fort and armaments in the bay there ' are to be shore batteries, to be armed with the new ten-inch Armstrong guns. , The Hadfield bushrangers, who only had a { ; short careeer, have been sentenced to death, at Deniliquin. It is probable that only Gorman, the ringleader, who fired the shot by which. Power was wounded, will bo executed. Professor McCoy, of the University, has been awarded the Murchison Medal by the Boy al. Geological Society. > The late shareholders of the Hobson's Bay ' Bailway Company have been paid the value of tbeir shares. Those held in the colony amount to £301,353. Tbe largest shareholder was Mr W. J. Clarke, who had close upon -6100,000. Nothing has been heard of the Kellys. The ten men known as the Kelly sympathisers, after being kept in gaol five months, have been discharged as no evidence waa brought against' them. The eight hours demonstration on Monday was very successful. Fifteen thousand person. attended the fete. Several of the ministers were present. The Victoria Fire and Marine Insurance Company is to be wound up and a new company formed. The assets, which amount to nearly a quarter of a million, will be divided amongßt the shareholders. Four vessels have been chattered to load breadstuff a for Caliao, and 1800 tons of flour and 1600 tons of wheat are being conveyed to South America. This is in consequence of the war between Chili and Bolivia. Business still continues very dull. All the places of amusement continue to be well attended, especially the opera, where the average takings are nearly a thousand per week. Captain Bance, of the Boyal Navy, lately attached to the Postal Department, is dead. Some suspicion exists that his death was hastened by an overdose administered by his attendant. Cook and Kilkenny when they have concluded their billiard matches, will proceed to New Zealand after visiting Sydney. Mr _If led Plumton has been elected by the ceremonial committee of the exhibition to write a cantata for the opening. The poem is to be left open for competition in all Australian Colonies. The P. and O. Company intend issuing return tickets at reduced fares during the Sydney and Melbourne Exhibitions, allowing three months in Australia.