AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5338, 24 March 1879, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[Per Tarabtja,. at Auckland.] Sydney, March 15. The summer is closing favorably for agriculturists. The late rains have left all districts in excellent condition. The pastoral interest, however, is much depressed by the low markets for wool at home. In the import market dnlneßS is still the prevailing feature, and sales ar e confined to pressing trade requirements Large quantities of bread-stuffs are reach-' ing Sydney, which meet with weak demand. It is expected that spaoe will be found at the Exhibition for the captive balloon. An offer has been made to the Commissioners in London to supply a large organ, which will most likely be accepted. Senior Giorza and Mr Packer have made proposals for composing the music for a cantata to be sung at the opening of the Exhibition. The proprietors of the ' Sydney Morning Herald offer a prize of £100 for a poem to be read at the opening ceremony. A meeting of produce agents decided that in future all sacks shall be weighed, and go with grain or other produce, the weight of a bushel to be 561bs, the same as in Melbourne. The vend scheme meets with serious opposition. The non-associated collieries object that anybody should dictate the number of tons they should sell. Some of the members of the Assembly think a fifth Judge is required. The Parkes Ministry still command a large majority, but they do very little. The Felons Apprehension Act had only been passed a few days when it was discovered that it did not specify whether its provisions were applicable to persons outlawed in other colonies, and accordingly it was exceedingly doubtful whether it would apply to the Kelly gang. These doubts had to be removed by a special bill, which passed through all its stages on Thursday. The report of the commission appointed to inquire into the land administration brought to light some extraordinary mismanagement and scandalous proceedings connected with the business of the department. A man named Maguire beat his wife last week with a hammer, and to avoid the blows she scrambled to a fireplace and put her head up the chimney. Maguire then, in the presence of his son, aged 15, procured a piece of paper, lighted it at the candle, and set fire to his wife's dress. She was severely burned, and was taken to the infirmary, where, when dying, she deposed that her clothes caught fire. On her son's evidence, however, Maguire was committed for wilful muxdex,

During'the past to^.^§itl;tiiep"ed^[e v ' here .^yf^djkeif^^^^^i^j^:^'. ■' sHdwing weir sorrow* dt; th;e lobsT'ox* £$o- : venior RoTbiiiscJn; drieof the bi^tCfoveriiorsr • • we nti&e-'e^ef lia^iny^ewSbia^Wailieis.' ' Sir Heifcules,. would aUow no 1 display, :> an#9-ll .the pairing c&ujt&j? haye ' -d V- ' il '^l .^SBAM&tatoh ?&, : Parliament is. p%^ld#ffl7Atfrif i&' »." * ®^^i^te?^^l^da®f % meeting at ,Edclclittnipfdnj ffl fi| : W W~ , d^ ose ' fegftunafe settlement on tne Jands, nor encourage the founding of large landed estates;* The "expenditure of the colony would have to be reduced, while taxation would have to be increased for local expenditure to be carried out by local bodies. The lands in W estern Queensland, would have to be made to produce food for Britain, and, m tfrtiirti pey >ould 'beedme a Market fo v r British rdariilfaptilre's. C"M foi&d lie rifeqe^sar^.iic^ /eft%cf r e^istin| . . lines ot iduvf&y into the western* ttia? tricts to open up, the country. ' affirmed that one-third ; of 'the-'imifii-grants that were fought; qjxt'iq !, Queensland during the past iiixee years '^d crossed over into Jfew Sputh/,WaJes, : and they had cost Queensland £20 each. .-;<.,■; ', MELBO-D-KNE,-:March-15.. . , Soott, fherdsman, was found murdeijed. foipk fhut .lasf • When fdiW lie -hW % tie'eri jfafo • and ffl . skull battered in. ■'•• , : ' ; >'• ■ ■ '■'•'■' ' u-- wa. . ■ Hicken, of Victoria, and :Foley,' of Sydney, two weU-lmown ' pugilisms; Hwth a large crowd of, backers, embsiied'on board the steanierAldiiiga, b^sten^biy tp sail for King's" Island,,, but the. customs '<;■. authorities would not clear the vess'ei, Next day an injunction was obtained against the owners of the vessel, and the prize fighting par^v broke ,up disgusted. : The Governdt visited the West Bourke •agricviltUTal showat Lancefield^ ■'ac.cpmpanied by Sir B: O'Oougiblin. His E&ellency made an excellent sp'eedbj The French Government will cooperate with the- Victorian Exhibition ■ and send exhibitsin a inan-of-^var. ■ v At Meredith a man. named, Dawson shot another man named PurcelT through the breast, causing inßtaufc^deathi' vJ Adelaide, Mafch'-IS/ W. A. ., Harris,- auctioneer,; Strathalbyn, has' been Committed for trial on ■'? three charges of forging three 1 ' guaran- ' y ' tees to the^National'Bankfbr £500 each* A meeting , , of ■ .citizens ihasj :been^!convenedto consider the financial,difficulties of the corporation. ' "; '.".,'!'