AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IX, Issue 2543, 20 March 1872, Page 5

A USTR ALIA.

SYnNEY. Mauch 12.—The elections are occupying all the public ulLenliou.—Three seamen from 11..U.5. Kosario broke into n house ut Biloebi, and savagely assaulted the i iniales.—ll r. iienjniiiiii, a storekeeper at Gulgou!;, has boon fined £5 for publicly horsewhipping Dr. Bel infante, ii candidate" for the Western goldfields.— The steward of the steamer City of lloburt has been lined £30 for selling liquor in lr.irbour. —The Fiiu< Arts Exhibition Im, been much admired.—The Onief Justiceship of Fiji has been offered to Air. St. Julian, l:i\v reporter on the Sydney Herald, and is likely to be accepted by him. LAUi\ T CESrON.-[Vii Mkldouuxe.] February 21. —We had copious rains hist night.—The wife of a rural municipal councillor has been committed on a charge of cruelty to a servant girl. Tlw medical evidence disclosed nearly thirty scars, from burns with a red-hot poker. ADELAIDE. March I.—The new .Ministry uro sworn inMr. Avers is Chief Secretary ; Mr. Barrow, Treasurer; Mr. Reynolds, Minister for Crown Lands; -Mr. Cavanagh, Minister of Public Works ; and Mr. Stevenson, Attorney-General. March 11.—The whrat market is strengthening. There was a sale to-day at 5s 4UI. March 15.—The Komnn Catholic Bishop Sheill died at-1 o'clock this morning.—Archbishop folding, of Sydney (metropolitan), has confirmed iheappuintinent of Father .Reynolds as administrator of all'airs of the diocese. MELBOURNE. February 22. —Mr. Hardy has been fined for gross cruelly to the racehorse Spartan.— The Ministry were feted at Stawell yesterday, and are gone to Ararat to-day.—The Government have announced that they intend to support the Eight Hours' I3ill introduced lust session.—A co-operative store, on a largo scale, has been projected by working-men. A prospectus will be issued in a few ihiys. —A new political association is in course of formation in the intercuts of the Ministry, for eleeti'ral purposes.—James Lawrence, of Lloyd's rooms, ship agent, lias called a meeting of Ins creditors.—Hy a private Ulegmm from Adelaide, iidvicos are received from Mauritius to the 13lli of January. White crystals, No. 20 to finest, .-even and iihalf to eight dollars. Freights to England are declining ; handy ships wnnte I for Australia. Exchange, 1 per cent, premium.

February 26. —At Ararat, Mr. Vale, when replying to the toa*l, " i'he .Ministry," said that the Government would try to make Melbourne the terminus of the great mail routes, and get a purely distinct service via Suez.

February 20.—Tiiere was a (ire at Tnglewood on Saturday. It is estimalcl that the damages amount t"o .eSOOO.- LSarwon Park has been leased to Mr. Uulliviint at, the rate of 3s lOid per acre, the mansion not, included.

February 27.-Tile Jane Marie, from Hongkong, brings a cargo uftea, rice, and oil. The Fairy Queen, for Melbourne, left, on the same day.—The. Mutual Assurai.ee riocirt y hss nreseated a satisfactory report. —1 leirules, colt, sold for three hundred and twenty guin -as.—

The five nuns recently arrived from I,oi-.d.m have proceeded to Now Zealand. Father J,e Furestier, who c.mie out in charge of them, leaves for Sydney at the end of the week.— Mr. Vogcl hud an interview to-duy with Ihe Chief Secretary in reference to the Californian mail service, and the Cabinet held a meeting afterwards, but the result has not transpired. --All tlii) Volunteers arc to be in;iss.ed in Melbourne atKa-tcr for li 1.1 operations. They will be bivouacked in the barra-l;s and orderly rooms. On Eas'.cr Monday ..rand operation's on the bay. The Nelson," Cerberus, and Victoria are to take, part in the demonstration.

February 2S.—Mr. Vogel, it is believed, asks .C2S.UUO as an annual subsidy, and stipulates that New Zealand shall be 'the. terminus of the California.! line.—Kight shorthorn bulls brought 14U0 guineas, or an average of 170 guineas each —Arrived: The Northumberland, a new steamer (Wigram's line), in 5-1 days from Knglaud.

February U , .).—Dr. Wall, of Sandhurst, has beeu committed for trial, on a charge of manslaughter, in consequence of his treatment cf a chilil.—Mr. Vogcl lias had another interview with Mr. l.'iill'y, but no result, has been arrived at, and Ihe. matter is still under c )usider.ition.

March I.—The Baroda cleared with 95,000 ounces of gold, and 23,000 sovereigns.—A house in -Bourke-strtet fell this moi'ning. No personal injury was received, but the stock und furniture arc buried.

March !i. —A lire occiirr.'d on tlie premises of John Ueiily, wholesale grocer, Flinderslane. The damage caused thereby is not much.—-The pedestrian sports took place on the ILjlbotirne ground, ilahony won the 300 yards trophy in 33J seconds. Mahony beat Harris in the 100 yards race, which he ran in 10 seconds. Hewitt won tho mile .race in splendid style, in the fastest time on record, viz., 4 minutes 30 seconds.

March 4.—Sir James M'Culloch has resigned his seat in tho Assembly, nnd visits England by the Northumberland.— Robert Taylor was killed in a prize fight last night at Back Creek, near Sandhurst, after thirteen rounds with George Kobinson. The latter is in custody.—Latest Mauritius news is to i January 26th. Tho latest, departures reported for the colonies are —<'aballe, for Melbourne ; llenard, for Port Chalmers ; Ophir, Daphne, and Chateaubriand, loading for Melbourne ; Surah Kngleberr,, for Adelaide ; E.lith Havilund, for Port Chalmers. Oountors and brewing crystals are extremely scarce. March 5. — Pure Lincoln ranu, at the Barwon Park sale, realised from £16 to £112. —Several houses were destroyed at Kast Collingwood jesterday evening. They are insured in tho Queen, Sydney, and in the Imperial, Victoria. —Mr. Vogel has submitted modified proposals in reference to the mail service.—There has been an attempted murder and suicide at, Saiulridge, in the case of a husband and wifu.—Mr. Vogel has concluded negotiations with the Associated Press, on behalf of the New Zealand G-overnmeut, to supply to them telegrams they distribute to the Press.—A handsome testimonial for presentation to Captain Gowlland is or: view.—A tragic event took place this afternoon in the Treasury Gardens. Edward Finney and Charles Marks, discharged wardsmen from the Hospital, are the principals. Shots were fired, and Marks found eipiring; he had received nine wounds from kho pistol besidu kiiUi Jftuunj »uua thai.

Marks attempted to shoot him, and then sbot himself. He has been arrested.

March. 6.—There is greater probability of an arrangement beiog arrived at with Mr. Vogel than was yesterday thought to exist.— There is very little hutting on the Autumn Meeting.—A purse has been presented lo Captain Fraser, late of the Dayspring.— A meeting has been c.illed of the creditors of Messrs. Ilaxail, drapers. Liabilities, £90GG ; assets, £5520. March 7. —The cargo saved from the wreck of the Susses lias realized £2),000. A -h-ire, whijh originally cost £450, has realized £700.—An inquest has been held on Murks, the vielim of the Treasury Gardens affair, and a verdict of wilful murder has been given against Feney.—Captain Lnwrence, of Lloyd's Rooms, died this morning. March 8. —A deputation .viuted upon the Commissioner of Trade and Customs to-Juv in reference to the question of drawbacks. -Mr. Vale promised curtain concessions Lo foster and encourage intercolonial trade. V.R.C. AUTUMN MEEITNGK The iirst day's racing tooK place to day, under the auspices of the Victorian ftaciii" Club. The St. Leges Stakes.—Hamlet, 1; Mhs Jessie, 2 ; C'jnlessa, ;j. Time, a minutes 20 seconds. Australian Cup.—A sweepstake of 20 sovereigns each, 10 ft, or o if declared, with 300 sovereigns added. Tlio winner of any handicap of the value of 100 sovereigns, after the declaration of the weights, to carry 3 lbs extra ; if two or more such rac.'S, 5 lbs extra. Tho second horse to receive 5J and the third to save his stake. Two miles and a quarter. For this contest eight started, and it was a splendid race. Time, 4 lninuti'S and 12 seconds. There was a dead heat between Dutchman and Saladin. Mermaid came in third. The deciding lie.-.t. between Dutchman and Saludiii was won by the latter. It was a name race, and Sulii'liii won by only a head. The Dutchman is lame.

The Ascoit V.\t,i; stakes. —King of the Ring 1 ; Argus Scandal, 2 ; Blue Peter, a. A fracas o-curred to-day outside the Supreme Court. Mr. a. P. Smith, barrister, w.is assaulted by Mr. Donahoe, a solicitor. On complaint of the assault being made to the Judge h.- committed Donahue to twenty-four hours' imprisonment.

March 9. Gkan-d Stand Staicks. —Won by Warrior. Nphskky ILiNiiiCAt'. — J3elphegor, 1 ; Argus Scandal, 2 ; Miss Walton, 3.

An extensive fire occurred at NV>rth Melbourne, on Saturday night, in Lee's timber yard. The damage i.- estimated at £-1000. Tho insurances reach £2300, in the following oflices: — National, £iXi ; Adelai :e, £700; Sydney, £700 ; oilier u-.liees, £-1-67.

March 11.—The Clu--.es waterworks, having a, storage reservoir of gallons, were opened on Saturday last.—A complimentary dinner is to sie given to Mr. Webb on Tuesday.—Associated Vineyards brandy is quoted at. 5s l.'.d, Ueniussy's case at 25s Gd ; holders ask 2Gs. 3ardir.es (halves) are scarce at 7s. Gd. Portland cement, 15s Od.—Very little husiness doing. Cornsacks ut 12s are in fair demand. Hops and m dt. are firm iu anticipation of an advance. —Florence nud Javelin are most in favour for the Gold Cup and Leger.—Ollieers of the Bank of Victoria are exonerated from the statement by a witness in a laic case in the Supreme Court, of drawing on branches where they had no ajcount.