AUSTRALIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCIII, Issue 10600, 8 March 1895, Page 5

AUSTRALIA.

[Special to Press Association.] NEW SOUTH WALES SYDNEY, March 7. The Opposition party is very sore over Sir G. B. Dibbs’a action in voting against Mr O’Sullivan’s amendment. It ia stated that several members have refused to follow’ Sir G. R. Dibbs’s lead any longer, and there is a probability of a new leader being chosen. Government is very strongly opposing the amendment Mr Reid, in a condemnatory speech, said he recognised in the amendment a fiend which might damn their whole policy. It was designed to boom the interests of big land monopolists, aud he declined to moke it a party matter. ACTION FOE DAMAGES. The wife of Captain Matbieaon has instituted proceedings to recover the sum of £3OOO damages for the lose of her husband by .the foundering of the steamer Alert. RETRENCHMENT. MELBOURNE, March 7. Of one hundred and seventy members of the Victorian Artillery stationed at QueoUscliff,over one hundred have already accepted tho Government offer of six months’ compensation to take their discharge. A VICTORIAN ON NEW ZEALAND. At tha meeting of the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, Mr Poolman reported that on a recent visit to New Zealand he did not find the position of affairs so good as he had been lod to expect. Business was no better than in Victoria, nor was the general prosperity of the country so great. SMALL-POX. < lb is reported that another ease of smallpox has developed. The previous one is of a very bad type. THE VICTORIAN TIMBER TRADE. Government has announced its intention to take active steps for developing the timber export trade, and is considering the appointment of an expert to visit Europe and America to secure markets. STEAM SERVICE TO ENGLAND. Negotiations are proceeding for the establishment of a weakly ateamer service to England from October to May, outside of the mail steamer service, for the export of produce. WESLEYAN CONFERENCE. ADELAIDE, March 7. The Wesleyan Conference has passed a resolution favouring scriptural education in State schools’, and urging the Christian public to resist to tho utmost the growing tendency towards a Continental Sunday. * AN uncharted reef. On tho last voyage of the Gabo from West Australia, she discovered a reef between Pollock's Reef and South-east IMand in the Recherche Archipelago, and which ia not marked on the chart. Steps are being taken to properly locate the reef..