AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5803, 26 January 1887, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(Received January 24, at 32.30 p m.) THE WEATHER. Sydney, January 24. The weather is unsettled, much rain haa been falling here and in the country districts. (Received January 25, at 2 am.) SALE OF YEARLINGS. At the annual sale of yearlings by Andrew Town, at Hobartville, 66 yearlings realised 6895 guineas, 16 mare 3 578 guineas, 22 trotting horses 840 guineas, 84 draught horae3 314 guineas.

PiRKES'S MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

! In the legislative Assembly to-night Parkes delivered his . Ministerial statement. The fi rst duty of the new Ministry would be to extricate the Government from ;the deplorable condition in which it i« at present. They intend to obtain revenue from the sale of a portion of the public estate, due regan? being taken of the interests of those already settled on the land. A board would be apoointed to wnrk the railway efficiently on commercial principles. A searching; enquiry would be made into the civil service. They intended to introduce a local self Government bill. They would maintain the principles of free trade, and would seek to reduce the customs' duties. No income tax would be proposed, bat instead of that a tax on property would be introduced. In conclusion, the Premier declared that the issue before the country was Free Trade or Protection, and on the former the Ministry would stand or fall. (Received January 24, at 12.30 p m.) N.S.W. POLITICS. It is expected that Parliament wil' be dissolved on Wednesday next. Parkes will expound the policy of the Gevernm«nt in the House. January 25. In a statement in the Assembly yesterday, Parkei further said that Government would propose a repeal of the ad valorem duties and obtain a« much as possible from the sale of land, though he would be no pnty to the squandering of the public estate for the mere purpose of revenue.

PARLIAMENT PROROGUED,

Parliament was prorogued this morning. ! Writs for tho new elections will be issued on Thursdry.

(Received January 25, at 10 p m.) • LATEST FR°M TEETULPA. Adelaide, January 24. Tatest advices from TeetulDa report little work being done on the goldfields.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WHEAT CROP.

The South Australian wheat crop is not reaching the estimate previously formed, and will not exceed Me yield of kit year. (Received January 24, at 8.30 p tn.) HEAVY RATNFAJLL AT BRISBANE. A CYCLONE EXPECTED. Brisbane, January 24. During the storms experienced in this city on Thursday and Friday last over 20 inches of rain fell, 17 of which fell on Friday. This was the heaviest rainfall which has been known for 25 years. The wharves and rivers have been flooded, and goods whioh were lying thereon. A large an Immense amount of damage done to the quantity of timber has bean carried down the river. Howard Smith and Sons succeeded in removing the bulk of their goods to places of safety. Cellars and stores in the vicinity, of the river were flooded to . the extent of several feet* Immense takes

formed in different parts of the suburbs. On one estate | eight houses were .razed from their foundation and floated away ; the residents took boats and rafts in order to escape. Furniture in many of the houses waß washed away or broken to. pieces by the force of the water. The chief sufferers were the poorer inhabitants whose - houses -were ■ flituated^on-the-loweic-parts of the town. The police rendered yaicQtiiQ.aasiata.nce, in many cases swimming to the relief of the sufferers. Five deaths "from drowning ■ are ' already" re- "- 'ported fron Brisbane and, .foe country, land many other persons seriously injured. [The greatest" difficulty "has " been*"ex'.periencad in conveying provisions to many, ;of the houses in the suburbs, some ;.pf ' iwhich were entirely isolated" by the water. ■Goods which were stored in these suburbs ;have ' been' completely destroyed.^. . .The rain ceased on.Saturday, andon;Sunday no irain fell, though the weather looked ; threatening. 7 • ; In the town of Ipswich, the rainfall: wa« .; equal to. that of Brisbane.. . It is. reported* ithere were 15 feet of water in the principal streets. Telegraph- communication :; has been interrupted 1 untillto-day:* , Sir.S; iW. Griffiths, the Premier, who started overland from Ipswich for .this city, was compelledi;to return , to. Ipswich; : which he reached with the greatest^difficultyv All shipping traffic ■_ has been, postponed: in consequence of the. weather, .outside : the Heads. Traffic in the town and suburbs has been entirely .suspended; Wragge, Government astronomer, hai given wannr ing of a cyclone,. which.is, likely to. extend to Central Queensland. (Received January 25, at 6 30 p m) FURTHER PARTICULARS. January 25. The police rescued hundreds of persons stuck up by the floods, and did so despite the darkness and a heavy gale blowing, Several people are still missing. Communication with the suburbs is now chiefly by boats across the flood waters. During the gale two steamers broke from their moorings. One went ashore at Warwick River, which rose 30 feet. There was four feet of water in the Government offices. Thousand of sheep were drowned on the Canning downs, Toolburra, and other stations.