AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIII, Issue 4444, 10 February 1876, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

By the barquentine Pairlie we have Sydney papers to the 20th. The new rash at Berlin is turning out well. Several good finds are reported. The woman Hanley, shot a Hawthorne, is progressing favourably. Several (twentyeight) shot holes were found in her body. The Land and Mortgage Bank declared a dividend of 9 per cent., and £700 was carried forward. ' Mary Hanley was shot at Hawthorn by a fellow-servant, but not fatally. No cause has been assigned." The following are the acceptances for the Geelong Gold Cup Wollomai, Melbourne, Haricot, Bichmond, Maid-of-all-Work, Benjiroo, Jupiter, Feu d'Artifice, Barmaid, Battler, Emulation, Mountain Deer. Geelong Handicap: WoHomai, Melbourne, Newbold, Haricot, ifeotsfield, Maid of Avenel, Feu d'Artifice, Maid-of-all-Work, Break-o'- : Day, Tarrack, Miss Alfred, Battler, Jupiter, Emulation, "Veteran, Mountain Deer. Flour, 12s sd; wheat, 5s to 5s 3d ; oats, 3s 3d to 33 4d. Geneva (15-bottles) is very scarce; sales at 13s 3d. During the last few days the Chief Secretary of South Australia has been in communication with the Governments of the other colonies with a view to some arrangement for crrrying out intercolonial free trade. The Act passed last session enables the South Australian Government to make arrangements with other colonial Governments for the admission, duty free, of the products ,of the colony. Mr. Morgan has forwarded a copy .of this Act to the Governments of the neighbouring provinces, and sought their co-operation to give effect to its provisions. On January 19 a number of boys were playing cricket in Slado's paddock, Bedfern. One boy, named William Berry, was bowling to another named Frederick Prescott. The latter struck the ball with a bat, and the ball hit a little fellow, eleven years of age, named Washington Henry Mogridge, on the side of the head, and killed him on the spot. The case against James Sproule, an attendant at the Kandwick Destitute Children's Asylum, for ill-treating a little boy— one of the inmates of the institution—was heard at the Water Police Court, on the 19 th of January, before a full Bench of Magistrates, and resulted in Sproule being found guilty and sentenced to four months' imprisonment in Darlinghurst gaol, with hard labour. The evidence shewed that the boy, who is a mere mite, extremely small for his , age, was shockingly ill-treated by the defendant, who, while holding the child's head between this knees, beat him with excessive severity with a strap, and then administered a number of blows on his head with a cane. The case excited a good deal of interest, the Court being filled with spectators during the day; and when the Bench announced their decision, several expressions -of approval were heard; but, of course, they were immediately checked. One very unfortunate circumstance in the affair is, that the prisoner lias a wife and eight children, so that the punishment will not fall on him alone. Po Tie, a Chinese prisoner, died at Paramatta on the 19th January, in the gaol, from a stab inflicted by Ah Cliong, another prisoner, without provocation. Chong stands committed for the murder. The Sumner, iron steamer, from Glasgow to New Zealand, arrived at Brisbane on the 19th January. On the 12th inst., a man having the appearance of a respectable digger (says the Inverell Despatch), camped on a spot within about a mile of Newstead head station. He proceeded to light his fire against a largo tree, and then retired to rest. In the morning the unfortunate man was discovered quite dead, with the tree lying across his body. It is conjectured that, owing to the wind blowing rather fresh at night, the fire burnt the tree through quickly, a casualty which the deceased never could have contemplated. In regard to the movement for making a shipment of meat nnder the freezing process to England, tho honorary secretaries report a daily increasing interest in this undertaking :—" The squatters," they say, " and others in New South Wales, are rapidly sending in their names as contributors, aud there is no doubt now felt as to the required sum being raised within the time proposed. In Queensland the matter has been warmly taken up, and the leading stockholders there are evincing great interest. The difficulty of communicating with the "Victorian and South Australian squatters is, no doubt, the cause that their names are still absent from the list of contributors; circulars are, however, being issued to every one whose address can be obtained. The more the subject is ventilated the more does every stockholder in the colonies see that his interest is closely identified with the successful establishment of a frozen meat trade. Advices have been sent to England to prepare the pubile mind there, and to create an interest among the future consumers of what must ultimately be a large export from these colonies." A foot-race for £50 was run lately at Parkes, New South Wales, between Aplitt, an Australian, and H.' Manning, of New Zealand, 400 yards, over four hurdles of 3 feet 6 inches high. Aplitt was the w.'uner by three yards. Another match is arranged between the same runners for £3CD, 400 yards, over four hurdles, 3 feet 6 inches ; to take place on the Parkes race-course, on 19th February next. A miner, named Bobert Prior, attempted to take the life of John Holden, by shooting him in Gulgong. He missed the first shot; then rushed Holder, and knocked him on the head with the pistol. The prisoner was brought before the Court to-day ; seven witnesses were examined and Prior was - committed for trial. Alexander M'Mullan, who was shot by Daniel Boon at Wagga Wagga, has died. His funeral was largely attended. Boon will be brought np charged with wilful murder. Although the Palmer has continued to send down its accustomed quota of gold, yet since there have been no startling finds, and no new rushes, we have found a good many who can, without the slightest reason for their statements or knowledge of the state of the field generally, oracularly declare that the Palmer is "playedout." It is v/ith pleasure that we ( Cookslown Herald) have to announee that there is a new rush, and the report is from too reliable a source to doubt; and that is a good one, as good, as some say, as ever Sandy and Oakey turned out. The parties who brought the news into Byer's Town state that the rush is good, but water being scarce, they are merely stacking dirt till the rains afford them an opportunity of washing up. The washdirt is plentiful, aud _ shews very rich, and a good number are on the ground, which is reported as extensive. One of our informants says that the prospectors came into Byer's Town, and took half a-ton of meat, with proportionate stores with them; that the gold was very coarse, and that they had then over 25 lbs. weight, with some very large nuggets. Another indicates the locality of the rush, as follows : —Follow the main Palmer on northern bank for a distance of twenty miles towards its source; the river must then be crossed at the granite range, and at a distance of fifteen miles from the point of crossing the river the new rush is reached. In Byer's Town rations are at Cookstown rates with the cost of carriage,' 6d per lb. added, and beef is a shilling. The latter commodity will, however, soon fall in price, as an opposition has started in the shape of a Chinese butcher, who with his cattle and pigs has arrived on the scene." The same rule as to'prices holds good at ilaytowu, but. the carriage is 2d more. Byer's, Town* i; - , quite a busy place. vri£h stores,. <xc. ? - ami goes on briskly. — 1 gal :if&U a-. ": ,-r- ,:i •!. - ;•> *VT 1 . _ .t f jL