Late Australian News.

Hastings Standard, Issue 347, 14 June 1897, Page 4

Late Australian News.

Post.]

For the second time a Sydney jury has been unable to agree to a verdict upon the case brought against John Norton, editor of Truth, for criminal libel upon Win. Freeman Kitchen. Norton was to be tried a third time t'ais week. A building boom exists at Broken Hill. Cottages stone, wood, and iron—are going up in all directions. The scheme for the extension of the Sydney railways into the city provides that Park-street is to be raised and Elizabeth-street widened as far as Park-street to a total width of 13 Oft. A child named John Ellicot, aged 8, was killed in the playground of Willcannia School (N.S.W.) by being struck behind the ear with a cricket ball. Mr J. Cook, Postmaster-General of New South Wales, says that as soon as the Imperial Government shows its willingness to lay the Pacific cable, Australia will meet it half way. Mr Jackson, manager of the Union Steam Ship Company in Sydney, states that the company has spent locally £210,000 since the beginning of the year. The Colonial Sugar Refining Company has purchased Swallow Bros.' Hambeldon plantation (Q.), at a price satisfactory to the vendors. Saturday last was observed by the Salvation Army in Sydney as " social Saturday," and street collections were made in aid of the " submerged tenth." Several conferences have been held in Sydney to endeavor to end the deadlock with respect to the incumbency of St. Mark's, Darling Point, the parishioners desiring one particular ritualistic minister and the diocesan nominators objecting, but a settlement seems as far off as ever. Mr Bunker (Acting-Premier of N.S.W.), in replying to a deputation in connection with the womanhood suffrage movement, promised to consult his colleagues with a view to introducing necessary legislation. Mr Clarence Backhouse, architect, has informed the Public Works Committee that new Houses of Parliament in Sydney will cost between £580,000 and £550,000. Judge Docker, at Sydney Quarter Sessions, again emphasised the necessarity which existed for the appointment of a public prosecutor, whose duty would be to instruct the police in prosecutions at the police courts. The Postmaster-General of New South W ales announced in the Assembly that he sees no prospect of inaugurating a system of penny postage for the colony. The will of the late Mr David Coutts, M.L.C., of Victoria, has been filed for probate, the estate being valued at £38,235. The report of the Queensland Land Commission, which has just been presented to the Government, shows that there is general satisfaction with the land laws throughout the colony. A return presented to the New South Wales Parliament shows that there where bin five cases of leadpoisoning in the Broken Hill district for the first three months of this years. A Bill to amend attorneys' costs has been introduced by Mr Chapman, M.P., in the Legislative Assembly at Sydney, and read the first time. A fathing damages were awarded Rupert Samuel M'Coy, the plaintiff in a libel suit in which James Power Treadgold, publisher of a paper called the Standard, was the defendant in reference to the publication of an abusive description of the plaintiff. The Fitzroy (Vic.) Ministers' Association has entered a strong protest against free beer being supplied in connection with the dinners to the poor during the Reeord Reign celebrations.

An action brought against tbe Victorian Central Board of Health by William Grant for alleged negligence in connection with the quarantining of the steamer Nineveh has been struck out the Judge holding that the Board could not be sued. Constable Hammond was found guilty at the Sydney Central Criminal Court of assaulting Thomas Clark, a man who had slept out in the Domain, and was remanded for sentence.

Mrs Bishop, wife of a lengthsman residing near Gin Gin, Queensland, has committed suicide. She is supposed to have brooded over the loss of her son, who was recently drowned. An application to have a special panel of 60 jurors summoned in connection with the trial of Frank Butler has been granted by the Chief Justice at Sydney.