LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEW.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 275, 10 March 1877, Page 2

LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEW.

(Duncdin " Evcn'ng- Star.") J y A girl, twelve years of age, was ovn-\ raged and murdered on 'the night of the 18th February, at Ulamanbri. The corpse was found with the face battered and the nose bitten off, and a rope round the neck. Heavy floods have occurred in various parts of South Australia—washing away bridges, horses, and cattle, and doinw much damage. The rainfall, however, is very acceptable, and all fears of drought have now passed away. Wilson's Circus was swamped by the rain, and cmld not perform on the night of the 14th February. The weather at Brisbane is extremely hot. T.;e thermometer in the sun on February 25 registered 149deg. There have been floods northwards. The Register, in summarising the circulars received from farmers, estimates that 950,000 acres have been reaped for wheat, averaging about six bushels per acre. The total yield is 5,730,973 bushels, and deducting enough for seed and food, leaves a surplus of 3,030,370 bush-Is, or 80,91S tons of wheat available for export. The return All-England match in Adelaide has been fixed for the middle of April. It is alleged that there are many signs that the present year will show a revival in the mining prospects of the Colony. Ophthalmia appears to be prevalent in some parts of the country at present. There are several cases at Preston, and a good many at Northcote. It appears that a number of gentlemen in Melbourne, annoyed at the illiberality displayed by the majority of subscribers to the AtlieiiEeum, are desirous of starting another reading room, which would be open on Sundays for all who might desire to use it. t Professor Pearson has resigned the head mastership of the Ladies' Presbyterian College in order to enter public life. Although a freetrader, he advocates a penal land tax. Mr. Whisker, the English chess-player, won only two out of six games in Sydney, playing blindfold. Brisbane advices by the Somerset report the loss by fire of the ship Harvey Mills, at Port Royal, with 7000 bales of cotton. Offices for the sale of tickets have been opened by the department of Victorian Railways near the Opera House in Bourkestreet, and at the Flinders-street station, but the public, not used to extra facilities like these, have as yet resorted only moderately to them. A man named Martin M'Hale committed suicide by hanging himself at Ravenswood, Victoria. Tiie deceased was a widower, aged 63 j-ears, and had been suffering from a bad leg for sometime. This appeared to prgy upon his mind, and he became despondent and religious, spending his time mostly in prayer. A mailed nnwied Dmcan lias been arrested by the police at Orange, N.S.W. for having bjen concern d in a robbery! On searching him a nu.nb T 0 f 110 t es we re found in his possession, be U g portion of those recently stolen from the bank at Coola. He also answers to t!q description of one of the perpetrators of x\ & rokiKfi^^.The .schooner Douglas, w '- Xlli: „T* Cairns, reports the Inhere of three of x the crew, named Patrick Troy, Hnmpnrey ( Coimhlar., cm! Alexander M'xniosh, by blacks engage* £, onl Dj.uk Uaudto assist to load vessel with g™o. They also wounded the captain and four others, leaving only two men and a buy unhurt, who worked the vessel back to port. Mr. Dumpier, while dressing for Hamlet, at Sydney, on the nig it of the loth February, fell down in a fit, supposed to be caused by sunstroke. The performance was postponed. The New South Wales Assembly nega* t'ved the Bill providing for the strict closing of public-houses on Sundays. A fatal affray is reported fifty miles south of Cooktown, at Schnapps Point, during which a party of Kanakas killed three and badly wounded two white men. 'The' New South Wales Assembly negatived a resolution to give to the majority of the Assembly the power to exclude strangers, instead of to individual members, as at present. iEneas Hf-ad, aged 45 years, living in Faraday-street, Carlton, attempted to commit suicide by cutting his throat witjA a table-knife, while under the influence of liquor. A telegram has been received from the Secretary of State for- the Colonies informing the Goyi.rnor. that Sir William, Jervois and Colonel Scratchley leave England on the 2nd April, to advise on the defences of the Colonies. The Argus has received the following intelligence from Hay by telegraph:— "The weather is cool, but very dry, and the river is lower than ever previously known. Stock is dying from starvation in hundreds. Special prayers for rain were publicly offered on Thursday." The ship 'St'-athdon, in 39deg. south, passed a quantity of corks and sawn boards, together with other wreckage, supposed to have drifted from the wreck about Tristan d'Acunha. It is supposed to indicate the loss of an immigrant ship. The publication of the correspondence between the Judges of Tasmania, the Governor, and the Ministry, in which the judges firmly take exception to Ministers constituting themselves a Court of Appeal from the Supreme Court, has created much interest. The eclipse of the moon was distinctly seen at Sydney. Two deaths from lightning were reported at Deniliquin Police Station ,on February 16. A handsome gold croier has been presented to Archbishop Vaughan, of New South Wales. The English Opera Company are playing to large houses at Adelaide, and the per\i fqrmance3 are well received,