AUSTRALIAN INTELLIGENCE. (REUTER'S- PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Melbourne, December 24.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2082, 4 January 1879, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN INTELLIGENCE. (REUTERS- PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Melbourne, December 24.

The Victorian Embassy to England it the absorbing topic in political circlet /The full text of the despatch received from the Secretary of State for the colonies upon the Embassy was published in the Government Gazette on the 19th inst. The despatch is regarded as unfavorable to the success of the Embassy, inasmuch as the Secretary of State specifically declared that the rejection by the Council of the Ministerial Reform Bill would not be a step justifying Imperial interference, even if all the circumstances attending such rejection were such as were stated by Ministers in the memo, which they ad* dressed to the Government on the sub - % ject The Secretary of State says that be-* fore an appeal is made all means of •fleeting a settlement within the colony ought to be exhausted, but if constitutional means have been exhausted Great Britain, as the dominant poorer, might feel it a duty to interfere. If there is still a prospect of a settlement within the colony, then all that the Secretary of State will be prepared to do is to offer advice, but both Council and Assembly ought to be represented. The Kelly gang is still at large, antfthe police appear to be quite at fault. In the Utter written by Edward Kelly to D. Cameron, M.LC, he pretends to be sorry for having shot Kennedy and Scanlan, but expresses no regret for the murder of Loniean. Towards the end of the letter he makes a number of horrible threats, the principal of which are against the rail way department, and,declares he will carry them out if justice is not done to his relations and friends, who, h« alleges, have been grievously wronged by several members of the police force. Precautions have been taken on the railways. X is proposed to erect a monument in memory of the three murdered constables. Dr Youal has been reinstated as City Coroner, and Mr James Farrell, ex-M L A , has been made Parliamentary librarian. The Melbourne Hospital Sunday aid, amounting to L 5784, has been distributed. The Evening Herald Office "was burned on December 21st. The Rev. Charles Clark delivered his first lecture at the Melbourne Town Hall on the 19th inst., and was presented with an address by the Hon. J. G. Davies on behalf of a number of admirers. Mr Clark stated that his intention was to return to Victoria to settle within three of four years. There hss been a political crisis in Tasmania. The Giblin Ministry were defeated by two votes, and resigned. Mr Reiby has formed a new Ministry, with Dr Crowther, L.L.D., as Premier ; Mr Keiby, Colonial Secretary ; Mr David Lewis, Treasurer ; Mr Dodds, Attorney General; and Mr O'Reilly, Minister of Lands and VVorks. The Council refuse to vote three months' supplies to the new Ministry. The Main Line of Railway Company have commenced proceedings against the Tasmanian Government for L 28,000, the alleged balanoe for arrears of interest and damages. TheTasmauian Parliament House adjourned to the 28th of January. The Australian Eleven received an enthusiastic reception in Adelaide.

Hokitika, January 2nd. The following U a summary of newt to December 27th, per «. i. Claud Hamilton, at Hokitika :—

Melbourne, December 27th. The Henderson parody on the embassy has had an amusing ending. It was in* tended tha*. he should be sent home by the mail steamer with the other ambassadors, but Ihe agent of the P. and O. Co. refused to receive him as a passenger. The Government brought pressure to bear on the Company, who, in view of the fact that the new mail contract will shortly have to be considered, were open to con* viction. The police seem to be no nearer capturing the Kelly gang ; nor has Weiberg, the Avooa gold robber, been re-captured. Mr S. P. Winter, of Mnrudal, a colonist of 44 yean, standing, died on Christmas Day ; and the Rev. Donald Louden, of St. Francis's Church, died on the same day. On the 24th December a collision be* tween the Essendon passenger train and a pilot engine with carriages took place. Though the trains were not travelling at a great speed the shock was s sharp one, and several of the passengers were a good deal shaken. The Argus in its summary for England has published a return of all the measures rejected by the Legislative Council, since the inauguration of responsible Government, concerning which it says that it is shown that the Council has done no more than exercise a suspensive veto, and has done even that with marked modification and good sense. An extensive fire occurred at Sydney on Christmas morning at Grossman and Harling's Swiss fancy warehouse, George street. The damage done is estimated at 1 2500. The premises were gutted, and the stock all destroyed except the contents of the windows, which were saved by exertions of the police.