ENGLAND AND AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 220, 27 November 1875, Page 10

ENGLAND AND AUSTRALIA.

I*EE EASBY AND VASCO DE GAMA. ♦ London, November 12. The English and foreign Press attach great importance to the speech delivered by the Hon. 13. Disraeli at the Lord Mayor’s banquet. The Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone of the new dock at Bombay with Masonic ceremonies. Singapore, November 18. There has been a good deal of fighting at Perata. The English troops captured some stockades, repulsed Malays, took six cannon, and burnt the villages along the line of march. AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY. Melbourne, November 15. The Northumberland has arrived. She is out fifty days from London. The Arawata, a new steamer for the New Zealand trade, also arrived, after a fine passage. An unpleasant circumstance happened on the course on Saturday. Some bookmakers accused Mr. Mason, M.L.A., of being a defaulter, and wanted him turned off tlie course. The matter is now under investigation. He was afterwards shown to have been wrongfully accused. Sir Redmond Barry is likely to accept the position of Honorary Commissioner to the Philadelphia Exhibition. The settling on the races is proceeding satisfactorily. Wheat is quiet, and unchanged. New currants, sqd. Mr. George Fairbairn’s Till Till Station, in Riverina, lias been sold, with 70,000 sheep, to tlie New Zealand Land Association. It appears there is some misapprehension as to Lady Darling’s death, telegraphed from London on 25tli. A letter received by the mail up to the Ist of October from near relatives makes no mention of it, and no notice of it appears in the Home papers. 16th November. Tlie public won about £30,000 on Sir. Sharpe’s Wollomai ; but settling generally is rather against the backers of horses. The Victorian Racing Club has made over £6OOO by the late meeting. The Government are making reductions in the public service. The intercolonial small-bore rifle match resulted as follows:—Victoria, 1229; New South Wales. 1182. The exhibition was closed to-day by bis Excellency tlie Acting-Governor with some ceremony. There was a large attendance. Sir Redmond Barry stated that the exhibits numbered four thousand, and the attendance had reached nearly a quarter of a million. Very little business doing. Flour is rather stiffer, at £3O 10s. 18th November. Thomas Dalby, Collingwood (Registrar), and Ross, concerned in illegal marriage, were found guilty, but recommended to mercy. Sentence deferred. A telegram lias been received, stating that the barque Formosa, bound from Newcastle to Manilla, was wrecked on the Phillipine Islands on the 29th October. The crew were saved. Adelaide, November 18. A successful trial was made on Saturday of Westinghouse’s air-brake, fitted to a special train. A stoppage was effected in thirty-four seconds, when the train was travelling at the rate of fifty-three miles per hour. John Sheriff, boatswain of the St. Vincent, jumped overboard, and was drowned during the passage. An emergency sale of wheat took place at ss. SUL afloat. A dreadful murder has been committed on Morarus station, near Wentworth. Richard Anderson, station-man, quarrelled with the cook, G. Brown, knocked him down, dragged him into the river, and both were drowned.

A telegram says that Brogden’s railway contractor is negotiating with the Government in reference to railway construction. Sydney, November 17. The following items are from the Ecemmj News of the 17th :

The strike which existed among the lumpers, owing to shipowners and others having refused to give them ten hours’ pay for eight hours labor, virtually ceased some few days ago. There was no probability of the masters conceding what was asked, and as the requirements of the port were being met by sailors on the ships arriving here, and by working men who flocked iu from the country, several of the men on strike, who were all through opposed to the movement, turned to work, and they were’soon followed by large numbers, till there was a general desire for employment. The result of the strike has been that tlie men return to work on former terms as to hours of labor and pay, and a thing not dreamt of before, consent to work with non-union men. It was generally admitted by the men they did not find themselves penniless till they went on strike—a result which often finds its parallel in such matters. The motion in the Legislative Assembly last night for adopting the address in reply to tlie Governor’s speecli was carried without amendment, though not without a somewhat spirited debate. The appointment of what were termed “ political judges,” the visit of the Colonial Treasurer to England, and certain alleged laches on the part of the Government in connection with the administration of justice, wore the pegs upon which the Opposition hung their principal arguments against the Government; hut, as no obstruction was offered to the passing of the motion, it may be assumed that there is no disposition on the part of the Opposition to harass the. Government by endeavoring to bring about a crisis. His Excellency tlie Governor will receive the address in reply to his opening speech at a

quarter-past four o’clock this afternoon. For the purpose .of presenting the address, the House, last night, adjourned till half-past three o’clock this day. Immediately after the House meets, lion, members will proceed to Government House to present the address.

The cable is interrupted between Penang and Madras and also between Negasaki and Uladinostoek. Business for India and countries to the west will be posted from Singapore or Penang, to Galle, Moulmein, Rangoon, or Calcutta, as opportunities, which are frequent, offer. The mail steamer leaves Penang for Galle on Friday, about noon. Will carry business over the fault.

The opinion of Messrs. Brown, Q.C., and Gordon, respecting the possibility of our recovering anything from the Park Gate Company, for the supply of tlie infamously had iron supplied to this colony, at the highest price of good material, was laid upon the table of the Assembly yesterday, as a Parliamentary Paper. The counsel named are of opinion that as the contract was not entered into with the Commissioner for Railways, an officer this colony does not possess, there is nothing valid to sue upon. The approval also of tlie Superintending Engineer in England would preclude the possibility of a verdict against the company, —as to returning the unnsed rails. Messrs. Brown and Gordon are of opinion that such an offer could be made only, and would inevitably be refused, and they advise the Government to quietly put up with their loss.

November 19.

It was stated by Burns, in answer to a question put by Hoskins in the Legislative Assembly yesterday, that the Government had refused to sanction any deviation from the terms of the contract for the Pacific mail service, and that in taking this course they were acting with the concurrence of the New Zealand Government. The PostmasterGeneral also stated that in the event of the Vasco de Gama proceeding by any other than the direct route, the same mails only would be given her as would be given to any private vessel.

Hall, manager for the Pacific Mail Company, has consented to convey New Zealand exhibits for Philadelphia to San Francisco free of charge.

Gladstone, November 15.

Captain Delamarque reports that the barque Camilla arrived yesterday, from Noumea, sth November. Ho landed ninety-six bullocks at the Isle of Pines on 22nd October, without loss. On 30tli October, picked up a ship’s longboat with two men (Swedes), named OUaf Brand and Carl Petersen, who reported that they had been seventeen days at sea. They ran away from the Danish sliip, Dr. Grant, at Apollo Island. They said the ship was in bad order, the captain dead, and a common sailor was acting mate; The old mate’s name was not known by them, who had been nine months in the ship Camilla. The men were destitute, and had only one biscuit left. On the return of the ship to Noumea, they will be handed over to the French authorities.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. (Via Melbourne.) The rebellion at the diamond-fields has collapsed. The rebels contemplated seizing Lieu-tenant-Governor Southey and a Secretary. An expedition was sent to the fever-haunted marshes, North-western Africa, to punish a horde of pirates for plundering English vessels early iu the year.