AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Evening Star, Issue 4955, 20 January 1879, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

m A MELBOUENE, January 14. Tenders for the International Exhibition huildmgs in Carlten Gardens are expected to be called for shortly, and the work will, then be commenced in earnest. Exertions are beimr made to have the main hall and the grand entrance of parliament buildings completed in time for the openirg vf next session. . The Garonne left; Plymouth on December' 31 for Melbourne with 407 passengers. Governor Robinson has been on .a visit to Glenormiston, and returned to Sydney yesterThe rust exists to a serious extent in some portions of the north-eastern districts, and it is estimated that One-fourth of the entire wheat-nroducing area of the Colony has •I n l d^ tr . oyed -. Minister of Lands has signipeu his_ intention, to make certain concessions to selectors who have thus suffered. The efforts, to capture Martin Weiberg, the Avoca gold robber, have not yet been attended with success. Uniting-..;the voyage, of the Eurvnome from Liverpool A a salooh passenger named T. Healey committed suicide by jumping overboard. statues of the' Queen and Prince and Prints of Wales were' presented to the trustees of the National Gallery on the 9th inst. by the Hon. W.. J. Clarke, in the presence of a large assemblage. The statues, which were executed tdfM?’ ardef '-by- ‘the late Charles Suiilriiert, 'are much admired as works of art. HU Bedmond'Parry, in accepting the donation on behalf of the trustees, - expressed a strong opinion in favor of opening the National Gallery on' Sunday afternoons.

A sculling match has been arranged betwef n Peter Sullivan (of Sydney) and Roberta (of Melbourne) for LIOO a-aide. It ia to oome off in March, Parliament has been further prorogued to February 22. ■ The steamship Northumberland arrived at Aden on January 6; all well. Board appointed to inquire into the que-no i of ;h3 improvement of the Melboun e water supply has reported- favorably ou the practicability of diverting the Watte River into the rre**ton reservoir. Sir Samuel Wilson proceeds ’to England by the next mail- . newa baa been received of the Mansfield murderers during the last few days, although sensational rumors continue to be abundant. Walter and John i-tewart, living near Chiltern, were arrested on Friday as sutpeoted accomplices of the Kellys. In the house, where they live there were discovered fire-arms' And sdbs of metallic cartridge*. Walter Stewart, who is believed to be a companion, of both the Kellys, has been lodged in Beechworth gaol, The following prisoners were brought before Mr Eoste?, R.M., in the Beechworth gaol on Saturday, charged under the fifth section of the Felons Appreheiis'on Act with siding and abbetting the outlaws, viz.: —Thomas Lloyd, John Mtiwroy, James Quinn, Francis -Harty, Richard Strickland, Daniel Delaney, John Quinn, William Wood. Llovd John Hart, Isaiah Wiight, Henry Perkins, John M. Monigan, James Clancy, Daniel Clancy, Joseph Ryan, Robert Miller. Michael Hanney, Walter A. Stewart, and John Stewart (alias Smelle); also Benjamin Gould, who is charged with having on December 10 given aid to the Kellys and their mates to rob the National Bank at Euroa. All the prisoners, save Gould, were remanded for a week to Beechworth. Gould has beon remanded to Euroa. The four men who crossed the Murrumbidgee at Dubbo, who were supposed to be the Kellys, have been ascertained to be drovers.

George H. Richardson, collector of Cusioms at Belfast, has been charged with embezzling Government moneys. The examination of Richardson’s books has not yot been completed. but defalcations to a comlderable extent have been discovered alreaoy. It is stated that the deficiencies amount to 122,000b

The Telegraph Act formed the subject of lengthened argument at the Supreme Court ■' day. Mr Smith wished to produce a copy of a telegram forwarded by the Sheriff ot the Supreme Court, to which an objection was made by Mr Denniston on the ground that the Amended Act of 1874 rendered the production of the original message through a telegraph officer necessary. His Honor held that as notice to produce all telegrams had been served on Mr Denniston and he had not taken steps for their production secondary evidence was admissable. On Mr Denuiston’s application his Honor took a note of the objection. The annual meeting of the parishioners of All Saints, Dunedin, was held on Friday, when the retiring vestry presented a report, which showed that the year’s receipts had been L 1,287, which, with the balance from last year, was brought up to L 1.419* while the expenditure had been L 1,787, including L 365 to redeem the mortgages on the schoolhouse and parsonage. Messrs J. and C. Allen had granted free the school section, and had agreed to take L7OO for the adjoining site, which is very suitable for a parsonage, towards the erection of which, there was available L 1,785. Messrs Ashcroft and Lubecki were elected churchwardens, and the following to constitute tho vestry : Messrs M‘Laren, J. Allen, E. Eliott, James, Graham, Doughty, Quick, Hodgkins, J. F. Watson, and W. Gregg.