AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7827, 22 December 1886, Page 6

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Melbourne, December 15. Mxssbs. Chitty Bros , the Amerioan firm who were about to undertake extensive irrigation works in the Malice Country, on the oondition of obtaining a grant of land, state thai owing to the Legislative Assembly throwing oat the Bill authorising the agreement, they are unlikely to pr ooeed further with the seheme. The City Council are going to spend *10,000 in Improving and decorating the Town Hall. Mr. C. S. Symonds, TJnder-Treasnrer, who has boon thirty-five years in the Victorian publle service, retires at the end of the year, oat the Government will retain his services m Controlling Officer for another twelve months. Messrs. Williamson, Garner, and Musgrove's Royal Comedy Company are passengers for New Zealand by the Manapouri. They will present a number of new plays, including " The Magistrate " and " Jim, the Penman." Mr. George Fetheridge, the wellknown Melbourne favourite, is among the number, as well as G. W. Anson and W. Coates. The New Princess Theatre, which hss cost over forty thousand pounds, will be opened on Saturday with 44 The Mikado." The seats for the dress oirole were sold by auction on Friday, and fetched as high as 22«, the average being over 12s, the ordinary price being 4s. . , Joe Thompson, the bookmaker, on hearing that Hanlan had challenged Beach to row on the Nepean River, at onee wired to the champion asking him to acoepfc and on receiving an affirmative reply, he deposited £250 with the sportlag editor of the Australasian, and at once cabled home accepting the challenge. Thompson la prepared to stake £1000 or £2000, as Hanlan's backers wish, Hanlan to aocept a matob for £600 a side, to be rowed in June, Ht "l» to receive £100 for expenses. Simonsen's Italian Opera Company opened on Saturday at the Alexandra, and nad a great success. They are unanimously declared to be the finest organisation of the kind that ever visited the colonies. A proposal has been made in the Legislative Assembly to grant an annuity to Mr. 1 Peter Laton, the Speaker, as be is in failing health. The matter, however, was not received favourably by the Opposition, and wm withdrawn. , M . A select committee of the Assembly has presented a report on the daily Hansard proposal. They reoommend the acceptance of the Age tender to publish 66,000 copies daily for the payment of £700 per annum. It is proposed to have ten Hansard reporters, for whom £5000 per annum additional will be required. . , . . . . A Central Board of Culture is about to be , established, on a basis similar to those in 1 California and at the Cape of Good Hope. Among other things, it will try to establish « uniform nomenclature among vines. ' Btdhk*, December 15. Wflby Morton and OUivier, found guilty of land office frauds, have been sentenced, the former to three and the latter to ten 7t Tht Government have decided to hold an Exhibition in connection with the Centennial Celebration, but it is not yet decided whether the Exhibition will be intercolonial or inter"upfco the present only two bodies of the victims of the Keilawarra have been found. An official enquiry into the collision has commenced, and is iifcely to last some time. The Associated Banks have agreed to reduoe their rates of interest on deposits to 3, 4, and 8 per cent, on three, 4 six* ana twelve months respectively after the let J *By a the new contract the steamers of the Meuageriea Company will steam thirteen knots instead of eleven as »t present. It is believed that the exhibition here will be limited to the production* of the British has been enquire into the working of the Public Works Department with a view to greater •ffioiency and possibly « reduction in the •tafi.