AUSTRALIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1009, 12 July 1862, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

, The following items' .'are from late Australian, papers:— ■■ ■' ' ! - ■' ' ' ,r; '' ■' Serious defalcations have been discovered in the Telegraph Department in New South Wales and the superintendent and his/assistant liaveubeen suspended. ; The Melbourne ' Herald' .mentioned a rumour that the Governorship of the colony of Victoria had been offered to and been declined-by ; Mr. Childers. There seems to be quite, a mania in for bringing actions for libel! The' Argus' of June 12, says:—lt is rumoured "that. Mr. Begg is about to 'commence an action, in the Supreme Court, for libel and breach of contract, against the Presbyterian iChurch of Victoria—damages, £10,000. Also, a ■separate action for libel against Dr. Cairnsdamages, £1000. ' - : r i ' • ' The South Australian Railways constructed, we ;believe on economical principles, afford evidence that even in sparsely populated colonies, these useful means of communication, may be made pecuniarily profitable. We extract from , the • South |Australian Register,'a statement of receipts and expenditure:— : I . 1860. 1861. :6ross receipts...;. 244 ■ •Working expenses .7...... 63,292 82,609 Profit 11,952 , -11,186' per cent, on capital expen- ; deds i...........'...£1' 1,1 6 '£1 '9 6 !Working expenses per cent, on receipts ....................86 ~1.0;; 0 - 87 0 0 s We learn by telegram in the • Argus' that a great

public meeting has been held at Brisbane, to prevent the landing of a shipload of, Chinese, just arrived. It is understood that the Government :will prohibit them landing until'the feeling of the Legislature has been ascertained. The strike among the Newcastle (New South Wales) coal miners continues. The Newcastle miners ha,ve:issued t a : ,notice urging, miners coming there from Victoria to meet arid hear xhetri before going to work. The Melbourne ' Argus' of June 14, aays A letter received from Jerusalem by the hon. secretary to the Jerusalem Mission in Melbourne has the following interesting intelligence In digging the foundations we hit'on^'-'a inMlnteresting object. "It is the ruins of a wall; the stories of which are of a high antiquity, being evidentlyjof Jewish workman- : ship. It is supposed to be one of the three walls by which Jerusalem was surrounded in the time of Nehemiah, and of which the renowned historian Josephus gives such an admirable description in, his history, Be Bello Judaico. The European consuls have each in turn come and examined the stones of , the wall, and pronounce the discovery to be of such importance that they have determined to' hold' conferences inviting niany other persons initiated inithe ancient topography ,of Jerusalem, which may result in proving the high antiquity of tliat wall. At all events, it would be worth while to take a more extensive view from that discovery. In digging further we hit also upon a splendid reservoir, about twerity-' five yards in length, eight yards highland width 1 in ; proportion." ; ; : ; - Already " country " is being taken up in the north of Australia, the scene of Burke's discoveries. A Bendigo paper says—" Messrs. Degreaves, and Co. have taken up a station on the river Darling, near Menindie, and sharp on Burke's track, 'which they at present intend to use as a cattle station, and ultimately as a sheep station. Mr. Hugh Glass, has, we understand, some interest in it. Mr. Lewis goes out as manager. - It has a frontage of thirty-two miles to the river Darling, and comprises a large extent of fine country. On Monday, four gentlemen, including, we believe, Mr. Lewis, started from Sandhurst en route to Menindie, to commence operations. They went in an American concord waggon, drawn by four horses, were well victualled, and took with them any number of fine dogs.; The . distance ; from Ssndhurst is about six hundred miles." , :