SUMMARY OF AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 3310, 27 March 1879, Page 2

SUMMARY OF AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

PER CLAUD HAMILTON. GREY RIVER ARGUS SPECIAL WIRE. Melbourne, March 20. Out of the new loan L 120,000 is to be applied to building new schools. It is intended to graft Penny Savings Banks in connection with State Schools on the Post Office Savings Banks' system. The Government intend to propose the abolition of the endowment of local bodies and to subsidise main roads according to mileage instead, as the system is unpopular. The municipalities auggeßt that the Government take charge of the main roads. Coode recommends the natural mouth of the Yarra as the entrance to the future port at Melbourne. He agrees with the reports of Wardill, Higinbottom, Gordon, and the Victorian engineers. It is believed that the Commission will sink all differences, and heartily accept the advice tendered. Civil servants are commencing an agitation in reference to classification. The Government will deal with the matter by Bill next session. The officials of the Railway Department are to be compelled to contribute towards a Sick and Superannuation Fund. The City of Glasgow Bank Relief Fund amounts to LI 4OO. An attempt was made to increase it to L2OOO. Woods stated the Ararat- Hamilton line work was the worst constructed railway in Victoria, and that any officer passing such line would be Black Wednesdayed. Higinbotham, late engineer-in- chief, states that Woods's statements were totally untrue. The Government is likely to grant the Melbourne Juvenile Industrial Exhibition LIOOO. Barnet, a member of the Leichardt Search Expedition in 1863, died at Sandhurst on the 18th. Cohen, aerated water manufacturer, has been committed for trial on a charge of stealing 50,000 gallons Van Yean water. The evidence is not clear. The Government will not prosecute the rioters who forced the gates of the Murray Bridge. Lynch, Kelly'a sympathiser, has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment for sending a threatening letter to Monk. The contractors of the Oakleigh Railway dislodged 20,000 yards of stone from the quarry by one charge, of 900lbs, of lithofracteur. Statistics show the municipal valuation of Victoria for last year, L 7,030,758: Their revenue has declined L 59,515, mainly through the abolition of tolls. The Albion Rolling Mills have started at Yarra Bank to utilise scrap iron. Arthur M'Covey, soft goods merchant, found guilty of fraudulent insolvency,, was remanded for sentence, pending an appeal to the full Courts on points reserved. Morel, barber, wa3 sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for trying to bribe a juror at David Henry's trial. Vinzelberg, an old man living at Bairnsdale, committed suicide by putting gunpowder in a dish, and deliberately resting his head on the dish and igniting the powder. His head was completely blown away.