AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 394, 2 August 1877, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN NOTES.

The testimonial to Harry Kelly promises to be a success. A fair amount lias already been subscribed. The Australian Mutual Fire Insurance Society has declared a bonus of 20 per cent, per annum. A telegram from Brisbane states that the Mount Percy copper mine has slopped operations in consequence of trie h>w price of copper. Two hundred persons are thus thrown out of work. News lias been received by the Torres Straits mail of ihe death of Captain Pile, of the ship Patriarch. A subscription has been opened on behalf of the suu'ereis by the Yarra Yarra disaster. On the morning of the IGth ult., a child was found in a house near Honiebnsh in a very weak slate, having been lying four days by the dead body of its grandmother. News from New Caledonia states that mining operations are e- l ending, and that numbers of applicat : ons for permission to mine are published. At Bendemere. New South "Wales, on the afternoon of ihe 14th ult., a man supposed to be named Crawley, stuck up Avery's Hotel. He fired at Mrs. Avery, demanded money, ransacked a chest of drawers, and helped himself to drink. Constable Bowen was sent for, and met Crawley at the hotel door. The latter covered the constable with his revolver, and, upon being summoned to surrender, fired, but missed. Bowen returned the fire, but missed Crawley. Crawley again missed his aim, and the next shot from the constable took cfl'ect in Crawley's chest, and he fell dead while in ihe act of taking a third aim. A man was also arrested at the same time as an accomplice. On deceased were lound a yard of crape and some ammunition. At the inquest a verdict of jusluiable homicide was returned, and Consiuble Bowen was recommended for promotion. Mr. Black. Inspector of the Peninsular and Oriental Company, is expected by the next mail, with full powers to make arrangements for a new mail contract. A sum of LJOO has been received from Mr. T. G. Waterhouse, in England, towards the Prince Alfred College. It is not expected that West Australia will have finished her portion of the telegraph line until November, but she hopes to bridge ihe gap by horse carriage at the end of next month. A motion has been carried in the South Australian Assembly granting a bonus of LIO,OOO for the discovery of coal. The Government are in communication •with the Cable Company on the subject of a duplicate line to Port Darwin. The total number of volunteers enrolled is 750, being 230 short of the required number. The South Australian Government have opened up communication with Victoria with reference to a renewal of the Suez Canal contract. A stupid hoax regarding the supposed bombardment of Melbourne by Russian ironclads, published on Saturday, caused some excitement. Captain Griffiths, of the Sydney whaler Onward, has been arrested on the charge of murdering a seaman named Black.