LATE AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 334, 19 May 1877, Page 3

LATE AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(From the Melbourne Correspondent o: the "Daily Tirnj-.) 3ri:Li:yr!:XF.. May 0. The 'nominations for the general elections took pla.ee last Friday. In four instances only were candidates returned unopposed, :uul these were Sir James M'Cuiioch, Mr. M'Pherson (the C.uef Secretary). Mr. James Service, ami Mr. John Dully. In all the renniminy districts there is to be ji contest. For ti:e six seats there axe 200 candidate, and 70 out of 7S of the old members are seeking re-election ; the t.v.o retirements bei;:j; Mr. Edward Cohen (deceased), and Mr. H. Wrixon, who, having been away from his old district;, after having it for nine years, could iu<r, even np to the last moment, muke up I:is liund to contest another. T.ie j-rineipal speech of the week has of Mr. John O'Shannassy, at B a:ul lie went in baldheaded '' free trade, and showed that

by proper management of the finances, there was no occasion for any fresh taxation. There is just now a goo;! deal of excitement over the elections, bat everybody will be heartily glad when they are over, which will be ere you receive this. A short time ago, foar men, having some petty spite against some squatters in the western district, set lire to miles of fencing and grass on several runs. They were tried last week, and got oft very lightly with four years each. "The offices of the Belfastshire Council were burned down last Friday morning, and under very suspicious circumstances. For some time past there has been a dispute about the salaries accounts. Now, it appears that a sum of L2j us., paid as a premium on the insurance to the local agent in July last, has never readied the 'head omce, and the building remains uncharged. Dr. Kield was annoyed and insulted the other night by one T. P. Hill, a teacher of elocution. The doctor knocked the man down in the street, and the next morning was lined 40s. for the assault. Mr. Thomas, the gentleman who writes in the Ar</>is under the num. deplume of The Vagabond," has got himself into trouble l>v giving a piece of tobacco to a prisoner in the Pentridge Stockade while on a visit there recently. Mr. Thomas had been summoned to the Police Court, and the case comes on to-day. Mr. Justice Stephen lias for some time past been siilil-ring from ill-health, and he is now going on twelve months' leave to Europe, in order to obtain the benefits of a sea voyage. Sir Redmond Parry has been communicated with by teleyraph, and requested to curtail his holiday. Quite a plentiful crop of libel actions are pending. The most interesting is that of Davies (Chairman of Committes) v. Graham over the corruption business. Then there are two or three over the election proceedings, and that most eccentric alderman, Gatehouse, is being proceeded against for sonic rash words of his, in which he characterised some scheme as a swindle. Theatrical matters are very dull, and all the theatres poorly attended. Eunnett has returned to the Opera House, where there is the additional attraction of Jem Mace in lis statuesque illustrations. The Acad Liny of Music lias the best company in the city, but it is not made the bfcSt of. Commercial matters are getting very brisk, and advances have taken plac; in wheat (which is now at 7s. 4J. to 7s. 6.1.), brandies (31s. (>.l. ixf ,i>-o I for Hennessy's ease. to arrive), sugar, cornsacks, and nearly ail descriptions of timber.