AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4400, 20 December 1875, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Mr. Mason, M.L.A., has commenced iegal proceedings. to vindicate his character. He has instructed his solicitor (yesterday) to bring an action against the Age, newspaper, for an article in which it is said of him that he has been ejected from the course. Damages are laid at £2000. A fortunate rescue from death by drowning was made during the passage of the s.s. Albion from New Zealand to Melbourne. At 5.25 p.m. on the 27th ult., while the steamer was going 114 knots, with a strong S.E. breeze and all sail set, a Bteerage passenger named F. Woolf, while under the influence of drink, or suffering a recovery from its effects, deliberately jumped overboard. On the alarm being given the engines were reversed, sail taken in, and a boat manned and lowered a3 quickly as possible. The boat succeeded in reaching the wouldbe suicide just as he was sinking, and in 12 minutes after the engines were reversed he was safe on board again, a wetter if not a wiser man. H.M.S.S. corvette Pearl, the flag-ship of the late Commodore J. G. Goodenough, has again arrived at Melbourne, to be in readiness to receive Captain Anthony H. Hoskins, who has been appointed to the command of the squadron on the Australian station, in room of the late Commodore Goodenough, and' who is expected there shortly by the incoming It.M.S.S. Sumatra. The annual meeting of the Australian Wesleyan Missionary Society was held, in Melbourne, on the Ist December. The annual report stated that there were nnder the direction of the Conference, in the Friendly Islands, Fiji, and Samoa, 16 circuits, 861 churches, 298 other preaching places, 20 missionaries, 72 native ministers and assistant missionaries, 1019 catechists and head teachers, 3018 day-school teachers, -3796 Sabbath-schoolteachers, 1836 local preachers, 4175 class leaders, 33,895 full and accredited church members, 5495 on trial for membership, 2147 catechumens, 1322 Sabbath-schools, 58,543 Sabbath - schools : scholars, 1601 day-schools, 56,142 day-school scholars, and 148,488 attendants at public worship. A new mission had been established- on the islands of New Britain and New Ireland, and as there were still many islands on which the gospel had not yet been preached, a great dead yet remained to be done, and the, expenditure of much labour) ,and .much money would be necessary.'" Regarding the Chinese mission in Victoria, the report stated that the Chinese ministers at Castlemaine and Melbourne were labouring faithfully, and with cheering signs of success. The financial statement shewed that the

contributions received during the year 1874 had amounted to £14,667 3s 10d, of which Victoria had subscribed £2519 4s sd; Ne-n; South Wales, £1717, 7a 7d ; South Australia, £718 13s J and tha mission districts, £6457 15s Id. There had been received from legacies £1200; and the fact of a consider-; able credit balance being in existence was attributed more to the largeness of that item of income than to any increase from ordinary collections.

It is reported on good authority that the New South Wales Government intend to repeal a number of Customs duties, and that the financial policy will be further in the direction of free trade. It is also reported that upwards of twenty articles will disappear from the Customs duties. The Assembly is debating the Contagious Diseases Bill, and they will probably pass the second reading. The duty on manufactured tobacco lias beeu increased to 2s Gd per lb., being an increase of 3d; aud leaf tobacco t6 Is Gd, being an increase of Gd per lb., which increases are now being collected. It is said that other alterations are contemplated. A fatal mining accident has occurred at the Golden Lion claim, Garden Gully line of reef, by which the mining manager, Mr. James Eddy, was killed, and a miner named John Iviiismore injured. They were working at the bottom of the shaft sinking, at the same time that a miner named Pollard had put a shot in the i»se above them. The explosion sent a quantity of timbering down the shaft upon the two men, Eddy and I\.insmore. Eddy died about two hours and ahalf after he had been raised to the surface. Kinsmore is in the hospital, and is not considered to be in danger. The loan estimate for railway extension in New South Wales is £2,900,000, and the total of the loan estimate is over £3,000,000, and of this amount £50,003 is provided for immigration. A debate on the Pacific mail service was started in the Assembly on a motion for adjournment. The Government stated that Mr. Hall owed £3000 for over-payment, and £50,000 for penalties. The following telegram has been posted at the Sydney Exchange: —"Brisbane, 2nd December. The Pekina, loading for London, is now discharging heated wool. The Romer will probably have to discharge wool from the same cause."