AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXX, Issue 5116, 15 January 1874, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

From P.u-r.us, inn ' Uj ko,' to Jvxi'Aiiy 7. NEW SOUTH WALES. Diuiug the week bt-foio Chustmas the heat was> of ton intense. Cases of sunstroke have been, frequent, and m some instances fatal. Recently the Government purchased Garryowen House and the^ Calleiulown Estate, Potcrsham, as the site foi a now lunatic asylum. The building auilaud wci\s bought for £12,500. A few days since there was, at Hill End, a fight between an African named Morris and a mulatto named Reynolds, in which the African was killed. A few days since at Jindera*- a man named William Johnstone was lulled by a fall from his horse. By the sudden fall of a stage, forty or fifty persons were precipitated into the water at Circular Quay, and narrowly escaped drowning. The defeat of the All England Eleven by the Victorians, on the 29th December, has excited some surprise in Sydney. It is understood that Mr. Harold Maclean is to be the Inspector of Prisons, The annual exhibition in connection with the Pitt-sheet Congregational Sunday School?, and in aid of the Juvenile Missionary Society, was opened on Christmas Jive, and visited by a number of persons. Recently at Gulgong, in a gambling douse, a Chinaman named Ah Chung killed ano her Chiuauian named Charley Ah Chong. Ou New Year's Day, there was a Race Meeting at Randwick, a Highland Gathering at the Albert Ground, a bazaar at St. Francis's Temperance Hall, at tho Haymarket, and a fancy fair (with distribution of prizes) at tho Exhibition Building. The day was eyery where a public holiday, and th^e-weather delightful. Mr. Hurley, member for Central Cumberland, is likely to be the new Minister of Mines. The California Mail .Company is hkely to charter the * City ofMelqpurne' to take the next mail, so as to prevent the ' Mikado' from going without a proper overhaul. The cabmen have struck, "and thero were no cabs in the street this morning. , Subsequently over 200 cabmen" paraded the streets, .iiid callod on the Colonial Secretary to ask for increased cab fares. .- A telegram from Grafton says that a report is current that tho schooner 'Pilot' from Melbourne to Richmond River has been lost. Gleeson has been arrested at Gunning for the manslaughter of Condoll at the Bredalbane Races. The mquiiy into the management of the Yass Post-oinco continues, and Pembroke (late assistant) has been re-arrested. The imported maies Fi)-«t Lad/ and Montana were sol.l to-day for 580 guineas. Tho boy Pembroke was brought/t»p at Yass, for stealing money from letters, and another boy named Edward Orridge, is also charged as being accessory before and after. Both were remanded till Wednesday, bail refused. John Mulligan, of O. B. X. Creek, was from his horse on Saturday and killed. His neck was dislocated. Yesterday a bushranger robbed Mr. James Slocombe, on the road near Wheeo, forty miles from Goulburn. „ He tied him up and attempted to cut his throat, wounding him severely. Mr. Slocombe broke loose and ran off. The bushranger fired two shots after him ; one went through his coat and glanced off his pocket-book without hurting him.

VICTORIA. The Argus has a leader on the Mo3t Rev. Dr. Vaughan's educational views. It saya, 11 the new Archbishop, we venture to predict, will soon fiud that his over-hasty and demonstrative zeal in proclaiming his new crusade is decidedly an impolitic line of action. It will provoke reprisals. The friends of popular education, intellectual freedom, and political advancement will band themselves together as one man to repel the clerical assault on their dearly cherished principles. The- consequence wrfi certainly bo a damaging defeat and sore dismay to the new leader of his party. Neither from the legislature nor from the Government, nor from general society, nor even from the laity of their own communion will they receive, wo believe, the slightest countenance. Emissaries of an ecclesiastical organization —they may misrepresent facts, and caricature history, but they will strive in vain against the saving common sense' of the people of these colonies, who have made up their minds, once for all, that a democratic and unaectarian State cannot do more, and must not do less, than secure the instruction of its youth in secular knowledge. " A fire broke out at Pentridge stockade on Saturday in the machine-room, but it was extinguished before much damage was done. Humphrey, of the English eleven, was thrown from a buggy yesterday at Ballarat, but escaped uninjured. Harris, the trapezian, who foil, and was severely injured, is improving. Homo advices state that Hennessy is refusing to execute orders, as he anticipates an advance at the beginning of the year. His Excellency the Governor proceeded to Hobart Town on the 5th. He was accompanied by Major Pitt. The rate of mortality in Melbourne and suburbs continues to bo high. The majority' of the deaths havo been among children. This condition of the pnblio health is ascribed to tho excessive heat of the weather. Yesterday, tho coal-whippers on board the ' Oatheriuo Jane' and ' Ulenshee' struck work. Alexander Young, who is charged with having married three wives, was committed for trial this morning for bigamy. A successful trial has been made, in the preseuce of a number of gentlemen, of meat preserved by Lconi's process.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Several families have been burnt out at Willunga, by a fire which originated in the meadows, and spread rapidly ; it is still raging, and endangering the town of Willunga. Tho captain of the ' Ellova' nearly ran his vessel ashore last night, owing to the transference of the semaphore light to Glenclg. An extensive fire on tha hills near Adelaide was observed last night. Mrs. Woolcock's confession states that her husband had ill-treated her since her marriage Messrs. "Marrett and Shanks, the publisher and printer respectively of the Mirror, have been committed for trial for contempt of tho Supremo Court for stating that the jury tossed in a hat for their verdict. During the last four days the weather has been excessively hot, and many firen have occurred. The Northern Territory Companies have requested tho Government to introduce 200 coolies as an experiment ; and a favourable consideration of the request is promised.

QUEENSLAND. 1 The ' Great Britain,' with immigrants, arrived at Brisbane on the 3rd. The doctor of the * Groat Britain' died suddenly last night. Mr. Pi ing has been appointed Attorney - Gencinl, without a soat in Parliament, but he will retire with tho Ministry. Tho Parliament was opened by commission on the 6th. The Commissioners were Messrs. O'Coimell, Koberts, and Prior. Tho members of the Assembly then retired to their own chamber, and thirty-five who were preseut were sworn in. Air. Walsh was elected to the office of Speaker. Tho Gazette announces the appointment of the following new members to tho Legislative Council : William Draper Box, Alfred Henry Brown, Francis Thomas Gregory, Roboit Ramsay, George Sandeman, William Wilson.

The annual general meeting of shareholder/] in the Vulcan Goldmining Company is to be held on Friday next, afc 2 p.m., in tho company's offices, Canada Buildings, and an extraordinary meeting will bo held afterwards to consider the advisability of oarrying on operations or winding up the business of the mine.