AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 28 December 1880, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

[Peb Wi^™ 17 AT Wellington.] jnEW SOUTH WALES. meeting of Irishmen was held at j.*mora yesterday, and resolutions adopted in favpr of ' Mr: Parnell and the land leaguers. Subscriptions were opened in aid of the Parnell defence fund. , The directors of the Milburn Creek t/bpper Mine are so favorably impressed with the prospects that they have determined on starting smelting furnaces at £he. ; beginning of the year. - .-VICTORIA. In th'e Assembly. Mr. Berry stated that the Id beer duty would next year realise LIOO,OOO, but the financial arrangements this year would not permit" reducing the duty from 2d to Id per gallon at present. QUEENSLAND. " : Mr. Griffiths, leader of the Opposition, left for Sydney yesterday, en route for England. A large crowd witnessed his departure. It is rumored that Mr. Drury, General Manager of the . Queensland National Bank, is going to England on business connected with the Government.

Mr. Perkin, Minister for Lands, will probably -.act as Treasurer during Mr. M'lhvraith's absence.

The New Caledonian escapees refuse to admit that they are the persons described in the extradition papers, and cannot be identified. They are therefore still detained. Their counsel insists that the Bench has not power to surrender them to the French authorities without the personal identification of each. SOUTH AUSTRALIA. A sale of old wheat, fifteen hundred bags, f.o.b. at Port Victoria, is reported at 4s 3|d, and 4s s£d is asked for new wheat, with brisk business. (Per Steamer at Russell.) NEW SOUTH WALES.

Mr. Parkes has received a telegram from Mr. Berry stating, that he will be able to attend the Conference on the 30th January. A portion of drillings from a bore hole made on the Caledonian Reef, Temora, has been assayed, and produced 9oz. to the ton. Forty loads from Tait and Hall's party gave 17oz. to the ton, after pioking out the coarse pieces. At Wagga Wagga, a man named Wilkinson, who was committed for trial on a charge of murder at Albury, arrived yesterday. The police recognise him as Burt, who was tried before Judge Hargreaves in 1870 for robbery under arms arid sentenced' to ten years. His Honor remarked that the prisoner had the worst countenance he had ever seen. Burt replied, "If I come before you again it will be for a far more serious offence."

Horner, alias M'Guire, alias Kelly, was committed for trial yesterday for horsestealing. He is supposed to be Thomas Hart, brother of the late outlaw. VICTORIA. In the Assembly, Mr. Berry stated that the 15th of February was named as the day to meet in conference at Sydney. Mr. Berry accepted the proposal. A Supply Rill of L935,GQ0 has been passed. The tobacco duties have been debated. It was resolved that they be continued till the 31st August. It is intended to place a temporary patch on the Sorata so as to be able to take her out of dock and bring her up to the pier. QUEENSLAND. Ten thousand six hundred sheep have perished from want of water while travelling. A French warship has ai-rived at Cooktown en route for New Guinea to punish the'murderers of a French naturalist.