AUSTRALIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10214, 7 December 1893, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

THE NEW HEBRIDES. SYDNEY Dec. 6. A steam service will again shortly be established with the New Hebrides. LOCAL OPTION. Mr Kidd has re-ia traduced the Local Option Bill. It has been decided by 47 to 35 to retain the compensation clause. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. The Premier is doubtful if Parliament will ba able to prorogue before Christmas. He declares that Government baa no intention of dropping the Sinking Fundßill. • A CLERICAL CRUSADE. -At a special meeting of the Sydney Presbytery it was decided that ail ministers should preach to their congregations specially with a view of securing the return of God-fearing men to Parliament, FIRE ON A VESSEL. The brigantine Marshall S. waa severely damaged by fire last night. She had no cargo on board. The cause of the fire is unknown. MINING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. The Mining on Private Property Bill has passed the Legislative Assembly. EMBEZZLEMENT. Davis, an accountant, charged with embezzling £BOOO from a local firm, was sentenced to three years’ penal servitude, and ordered to pay a fine of £IOOO out of his estate. A CURIOUS CASE. A curious case is reported from Dubbo. The Secretary and Manager of refrigerating works were charged with slaughtering sheep without a license. The Bench had no option but to impose tho full penalty of £lO for every sheep killed, and consequently fined each cf the defendants £16,870. Under the Ac?- the fine must bo paid within three days, failing which the defendants will have to go to gaol.

THE AGE LIBEL.CASE,

MELBOURNE. Dec. 6. The case for the plaintiff in the libel action Speight v. Syme has concluded. The Chairman of the South Australian Eailway Gommiaaiohers will be examined shortly in favour of the system of management pursued by Mr Speight. Tho Jury will visit certain country lines before hearing the addressee Of counsel. • THE VICTORIA In AGSNCTGSNEEAL. If Mr Eeid goes to the Canadian Conference ha will probably go oa to London to reconstruct the Agency-General and attend to the proper supervision of the Victorian court at tbe Imperial Institute. JULGE KEEPEED’S ESTATE. Tho trustees in the estate of tho lata Judge Kerferd invested a sum of £BSOO in tho stocks of certain Banka '.which have undergone reconstruction. The estate is liable for .£SOOO in calls. An action has beehtakon to compel the trustees to pay the capital and amount of calls, it bc-iug alleged that they had not exorcised proper discretion in investing. Tha Judge held that tho tmateea had acted honestly, and therefore were not liable. THE MELBOURNE FREEHOLD INVESTMENT COMPANY. The liquidators of the Freehold Investment and Banking Company have applied to tho Court for permission to accept r. compromise in the notion brought against the Hon James Balfour, ox-director, to recover the amounts of dividends aud bonuses alleged to have been wrongfully paid. Mr Balfour, while denying liability, offered to pay the sum of £SOOO in settlamontof the claim. Tha members of tho Committee of Advice opposed the application, aud complained that the Directors had advanced the firm or Balfour, Elliott and Co., a firm in which were the principal shareholders of the Bank, .£59,000 on property which the Company had purchased for £25,000, enabling them tr, receive a profit of £SOOO esch, and further that no part of the capital or interest had been repaid. ALLEGED FRAUD. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Johnson, manager of the Melbourne Permanent Building Society, on a charge of manipulating shares to the extent of tluwonfauc thousand pounds. Johnston

•is sying dangerously ill, and under the circumstances the warrant has not been pub'into effect. TAXATION OF STOCK. HOBART, Dec. 6. Government has received a despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, stating that its request for an increased number of delegates to the Federal Council muse stand over until similar addresses have been received from Other Colonies. THE FEDERAL COUNCIL. ADELAIDE, Dec. 6. At a meeting of influential pasboraiists and graziers, to ooneider the question of legislation in connection with the frozen meat trade, a resolution against the adoption of the Queensland system of compulsory taxing of stock herds was carried, it being argued that the conditioas prevailing in this Colony were entirely different.