AUSTRALIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10595, 2 March 1895, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

[Special to Peess Association.] LAND SETTLEMENT. BRISBANE, Maech *l. One million and a half acres of farm land, hitherto unavailable, were thrown open for selection to-day, RECONSTRUCTION ADOPTED. A meeting of the creditors of Alfred Shaw and Co. adopted the re-construction scheme. ■ SWIMMING. SYDNEY, Maech 1. The one thousand yards swimming championship was won by Cavill. J. Helliugs retired exhausted at 600yds. Time—lsmin SB|sec. A CYCLONE. The steamer Emu, from the New Hebrides- encountered the fringe of a cyclone After leaving the group. It ia feared that the islands have fared badly. THE NEW HEBRIDES. The settlers about Vila, learning that trouble was brewing in certain quarters, Sidi. werSitbrenteniiig one another with Sniders, elected two magistrates, one French and the other English, to take steps-to peaceably settle all disputes without recourse to arms. NEW SOUTH WALES POLITICS. ' Tho debate on the no confidence motion has been adjourned to Tuesday, when the division will be taken. Government expected a majority of forty, but there ia now soma doubt about the solidarity of the Labour party, who may vote against the Government. This would reduce the majority to ton only. It is understood that the Labour party only venture on this course because they believe that the Government is secure. If it really came to a question of ousting the Ministry, they would vote for the Ministry, but the position, aa it is at present, permits them to express their objection to Mr Eddy’s reappointment without necessarily defeating the Government. , DISCHARGED FROM CUSTODY. The Rev J. Clarke has been discharged from custody, tho Government medical officer, who examined him, testifying that he is of sound mind. A CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION. John Morton applied to the full court to-day for an order to restrain the Premier from discharging the functions of Attorney-General, and remove him from the office of Solicitor-General. The ground of tho application was that the section of the Constitution Aot allowing a member of the Legislative Assembly to hold these offices had been repealed, aud that Mr Reid therefore was acting illegally. The Chief Justice said that the Court had no power to deal with the matter, and refused to hear argument. INCITING TO MURDER, Henry Boyd was convicted of inciting to murder under sensational circumstances, related in a message of Feb. 7. and was sentenced to tea years’ penal servitude. [Boyd was charged with having incited a man named Henry Roylsnce to murder a young woman named Dolly Jones and her adopted father and guardian, in order that he might secure a sum of £2OOO, to which Mies Jones was entitled.] / THS TOBACCO ROBBERS. 4 .. MELBOURNE, Maech 1. ,Xhe tobacco robbers have been sentenced, O’Neill to eight years, Colquhoun to five years and Marks to two years. Mulligan and Carragh were discharged. A CHAIR OF MUSIC. A Censor vatorium of Music in connection with the University, under the endowment for a Chair of Music, left by the late Francis Ormond, has been inaugurated. EXPORT OF PRODUCE, Mr J. W. Taverner, Minister of Agriculture, told a deputation of dairymen that the colony would be beat served by the abolition of the office of Agent-General and tbe substitution of a staff of experts to supervise Victorian produce on tho London market. He intended to consult the other colonies with a view to inducing them to dovote some of tha money paid for, mail contracts to providing better accommodation for the export of produce. The present rates, he said, were absurdly high, GOLDMINING, PERTH, Maech 1. It is stated that the Londonderry Company is negotiating for the purchase of a number of blocks surrounding its, claim ; £40,000 ia said to be involved. SPRING-BLOSSOM TEA.