AUSTRALIAN.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1247, 23 January 1896, Page 36

AUSTRALIAN.

Sydney, January 15. Dr Lamb, writing from the New Hebrides, describes the diabolical murder of a boy belonging to the Mission Station. The method pursued i 3 to garrot the victim, and then when he is unconscious lay him on his face and twist his neck from behind sufficiently to crush the larynx without dislocating the cervical vertebrae. The victim recovers consciousness, but is unable to speak, and dies within 21 hours from effusion of blood from the soine into the cranium and the lungs, without being able to indicate his murderer. Among the passengers by the Waihora, which sailed to-day for Auckland, are : —Mr F. W. Webb, Clerk of the Legislative Assembly ; Mr R. A. Arnold, Clerk-Assistant; Rev J. Ferguson, late of Invercargill, and Mr E. T. Gill on. The weather is comparatively cool. Yesterday’s death-list is largely supplemented by deaths in the country districts. Sydney, January 1(3. Drizzling rain has been falling all day, and is gradually extending to the interior. The heat is still oppressive far inland. At Brcwarrina to-day the thermometer registered 122. The Imperial authorities have requeste d the Now South Wales Government to assume control and administer the affairs of the Norfolk Island and its dependencies. January 17. There are four more deaths from heat at Bourke, where 118 deg. was registered in the shade yesterday. Sydney, January 18. Tremendous heat continues in the interior, any many additional deaths have been recorded. The Quarter-mile Swimming Championship of Australasia resulted —Gormley, 1 : Leo, 2 ; Holmes, '6. Won easily. Time, Ginin Bsec, which establishes an Australian record. Stratton and Hoey also started. The Daily Telegraph says the settlement of the New Zealand Midland Railway case forms an excellent object lesson for the colonies, because had it been sent to the Law Courts if would probably have kept an army of lawyers in regular and profitable employment for months, perhaps years. Perth, January 15. The Government has decided to spend .£IOO,OOO in sinking well tanks in the chief centres at the Coolgardie goldfields. Perth, January 10. The Premier has been entertained at a banquet by the residents of Perth in recognition of his services to the colony . In reply to the toast of the evening, he_ said that from being practically unknown VY estern Australia had become one of the most flourishing parts of the Queen’s dominions. Since the opening of the goldfields in 1880 it has exported gold “worth £2,000,000. A murder is reported from an Afghan camp ht Coolgardie. Tagh Mahomet, a well-known merchant, wa3 shot dead by a countryman ■While at prayers. It is supposed the cause of the crime is an old grudge. The murderer walked to town and surrendered himselt, stating that ho was satisfied. Pee-TH, January 17. Six inches of-rain

along Dundas road, but at Coolgardie it was only light. Melbourne, January 16. i The damage to the steamer Cintra is estimated at ,£4OO. Three forward decks wefe burned through, and the stringer plates of the bulkhead twisted. Melbourne, January 17. A tragedy is reported from Oakleigh. Mrs Moylen, wife of a local publican, in a fit of dementia attacked her two children, aged five and seven, with a hammer, battering in their skulls. There is but little hope of their recovery. The woman escaped to the bush, and has not yet been found. In the Legislative Assembly, the Railway Trust Bill was considered in committee. The Government proposal to form a Trust Board to manage the lines was struck out on the suggestion of the Premier, and the appointment of a single Commissioner, who will act as general manager, having with him a board of advice composed of the heads of the subdepartments, was adopted. Melbourne, January 18. The case in which the firo on the Cintra is supposed to have originated contained nitric, sulphuric and muriatic acid, as well as two tons of sodium. It is estimated that during the past two years over 20,000 men have left Victoria for Western Australia. The half-yearly report of the Bank of Victoria shows the profits for the six months to be .£20,600, to which is to be added .£16,500 from the previous half-year. It is proposed to pay a dividend of 5 per cent, on preference shares and carry £126,700 forward. The directors have decided to continue the policy of streuthening the reserves instead of distributing the profits, hence they pay no dividends on ordinary shares. The Bank’s gold reserve amounts to £1,668,000. One of the Moylan children has died at Oakleigh from the injuries inflicted by her mother. Mrs Moylan has been captured. Adelaide, January 17. The intense heat continues, especially in the interior. At Farina it was 122 yesterday. Several more deaths are reported. Adelaide, January 18. Storms arc causing much interruption of the overland telegraph lines and delaying the cable service. Brisbane, January 18. The imports of the colony last quarter were £1,210,000, an increase of £250,000 compared with the corresponding quarter last year. The exports were £3,166,000, a decrease of £267,000 compared with the last quarter of 1891. Hobart, January IS. At the half-yearly meeting of the Bank of Tasmania, the chairman stated that the liquid assets were £517,000, equal to nearly 8s in the pound of the total liabilities. Owing to the depression they could not find profitable investments for money. Concurrent with the payment of the reduced dividend of 5 per cent., he said, there would be a graduated reduction of the salaries of all the officers of the Bank. Hobart, January 19. The yacht Sunbeam, with Lord Brassey, Lady Brassey and party on board, while returning from Hobart to Melbourne, grounded on a rock on the Tasmanian coast. The warship Karrakatta has gone to her assistance.