NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 7160, 28 October 1884, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Population of Tasmania in ISB3, 126,230.. Ornamental tobacco pipes are now made in Melbourne. The quiet mild rain of last night will be of great benefit to the country. An intercolonial chess match will be played between Sydney and Melbourne on November 9. Mr. Kerry Nicholls, author of the King Country, sketches almost as well as he writes. The present outbreak of small-pox in Victoria will probably coat the colony £10,000 before it ends. During the quarter ending Juno, ISB4, New Zealand exported 12,039,9341b5. of wool, valued at £526,121. Mr. Peter Laing, confectioner, an old and respected resident of Wellington, has died suddenly from apoplexy. A monograph ou New Guinea, from the pen oi Mr. Clements R. Markham, is announced as shortly to appear. | The Rev. Charles Strong, late minister of tho Scots Church, Melbourne, has sailed for Australia, in the R.M.S. Ganges. There never was a time when such great transforming improvements were in progress or in prospect iu the city of Melbourne. Under the head " South Australian News" an English paper announoes with startling suddenness—"The weather has been rather cold at JBurra." The Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society has become the purchaser of a block of buildings in Brisbane, adjoining the Po3t Office, for £14,000. An Australian paper thinks that tho immediate effect of Sir Julius Vogel's South Sea Islands Scheme will be to excite a widespread epirit of gambling in the community. The Bishop of Melbourne stated, a short time ago, that he had received a letter from a gentleman, "Asking him to appoint a prayer that God would strike all rabbits with sterility." An illustrated advertisement of the "Argoßy" brace appeared in the laßt issue of the Weekly News. We may mention that the "Argosy" was patented in America by X. O. Potter on August 28th, 1577. The other day Mr. Seddon lifted up Wahanui, who weighs over 3001b5., and carried him the length of a corridor in the Parliamentary Bnildings. Wahanui said: "No Maori conld have done that." At a late parade of the Invercargill Rifles Captaia Scandrett introduced Mr. Howard Vincent, Colonel-Commandant of the Regiment of Queen's Westminster Volunteers, the largest regiment in Britain, Colonel Vincent shortly addressed the men. A gentleman who has recently returned from Wellington, and who has considerable experience of New Zealand Parliaments, says that the present House is the worst he has seen. In mere thirst after money, in disposition to perpetrate jobs, in contempt for all sound principles of the present House is; worse than those of 1870 and 1871. ■' ■