AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 705, 20 June 1878, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[PSR AIBIOX AT HOKITIKA.] Mei/botjksk, June 13. j Parliament me'eia on tise 9i.li July. ! wlkti a. stormy .session is anticipated. ; The leading fe.-itnivs of the Hcforni Bill to be hit-rod ueyd by the Government have been suu'iuu.-ntly indicated to make it , doubtful if it will be approved by tlio Council. The Castleniaine election resulted in the return of Professor Pearson against 'lis two opponents, Chapman and Gaunson ; the latter of whom lost his LSO deposit, not having obtained one-fifth of the votes cf the successful candidate. Professor Pearson is a fellow of Oriel. Ox£ord ; and an historian of some note. He is a warm supporter of the Government, and is spoken of as the future Minister of Education. South Gippsiand has now half-a-dozen candidates, including -Gaunson, the defeated candidate at GasLlemaiue. There have been no ■ public utterances of note during the week. Ministers are

mostly engaged In preparation -for !the': coming 1 session, -and.pbtainihgXdepart-: mental returns, with aview to: an econbmical 'preparation' of - the estimates,!or ;the coming■ year. ■ -There' have ) -'.beensrumors of, misunderstandings'ln the Cabinetyebut not such as', are likely "to'lead to ;open rupture. It is also reported that if two .of .theMiiii3terscwerej;to!.-.,retire,-:-iliie step. would hot be regretted-bytlie remainder. There is some little .hitclr regarding^the .final settlement, of the terms ': of. the cable contracts Colonel-Glo'yer, in acceding to reductions in Press and Government, rates.v could only arrange for -such reductions over the company's cable, but Mr.-"Berry stands out that the specified reduction (75'-,-:per--.cent, for Press, and 50 for Government messages) must include the through ..passage from: London' to Port .Darwin, including the laud lines through' India and Java.- There are also one or two other little, matters which it is hoped, ■will, be amicably settled. The -reduced Press rate's - ''will ; come into operation so soon as the contract is signed. Zealand has not yet replied in regard to her share of thegoueral agreement,. There is nothing further in reference to the Loch Ard disaster. Jso more survivors have-been found,, and very litti;: cargo saved. Subscriptions for Thomas Pearce, the brave young midshipman; are now.'being raised in this and o'th-;r Colonies. Miss Carinichael is improving, but still remains at Gibson's Station.

The" unemployed continue to .give some trouble, and meetings have been ;held in oil parts of. i-hfr Col'-'Vy. '. . : .As --iii ijistane'! .of the duIiKSS of the '-iiiiliiing' Ira.de it maybe mentioned that ii -cavgo of Oregon timber was ollered ai. auction on Tuesday, when tiie bidding' did not nearly the cost, of the original plica and freight, In-the present ur.s'-Uiod state of ailitirs, capital will not invest, and no doubt is tight. Still, all places of amusement are wonderfully well patronised, many places being crowded nightly. "Our Girls," at the Academy of Music, with J. L Hall, is proving a, great success. The Italian Opera is doing fairiy well. Business generally dull. ■The weather during the past few days has been very boisterous and cold, wit!; rain. l-.ichard Hehaghty, who was condemned for execution at Ballarat for the most brutal murder of his paramour, -was 'reprieved at the last moment,: a ml a special train was despatched on Sunday announcing that the sentence had., been commuted to life imprisonment, the first three years in irons. The wreck of. the Loch Ard sold for L 2020, a very:' high price considering ■ there is little likely to be saved; James Pnrvis, a .yery;Y.iM 'Colonist, who imj,K)i.'t;Kd Sfcveral ..w-iil-kuowii racehorses, died last■■niglit.'..'...'.-■'.:•' ■;',-.' '.>V ; ;' : '. ; C'';.^j; ; ;::.VSrp.KEY, ;: ;'. A brillir-'nfc"'-inetebr. ■•"has : '.'been sueii,'the. size of the sun. ;Jt exploded with alond report. ' ': V..;"-"- : -';■/'■ """' 'Adblaiiie.- ' The address in reply was agreed to in the Assembly.;' Mr.. Towiiisend; has been re-elected Chairman of Committees. Pain has been general throughout, the country.. '