INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2206, 11 June 1896, Page 16

INTERCOLONIAL.

Mbeboubne; June 3,

In tbe: libel action Mirams v. Argus, the court allowed 1 both parties costs on the issaos on which tuey succeeded. June 5. Batler, the ex-New Zealand convict, has been, sentenced to. 12 months on a charge of heing; illegally, at large. The woman. Aline.- Trait haabeun acquitted on thro charge of the murder of Mrs M'Oarthy, who was found dead on March 18 i*r a cowshed at Canadian, near BiUlarat, with two> deep woundß in her head and' her leg' broken. The revenue for. 11 months of l tha financial year is L3OO;P0O below the Treasurer's estimate. The Riilway. dfpartment is responsible, for nearly- L200.0G0. It 18 expeoted, that, the jear will end' with, ads* Aoienoy of. oven L350,0Q0. The comparative dEcreasa- last montß. was- LIO2',QOO. The Bank, ot Victoria and National Bank of Anetralasia' are giving notice of tbeir. intention- to- reFease- a farther portion^ of deferred 1 - deposits about the middle of September.. Tbe National' Bank proposes to release the amount of one million sterling, and'tne Bank of Victoria toree-qnarters of a million. June 6. Theihalf-jearLpreportof the London Bank of Australia shows a prost; of L5670i which, added to L 10.200 brooght forward, leaves an available amount to declara a dividend of s.^' per cant, and oarny forward L 4700. Since December 1898 the deferred deposits badi been reduced' by; L 98 3,000. The University Students' Christian Congrefß&as'bsen opened. Delegates ate pra*

sent from all the colonies, including New ' Zealand. The annual report of tbe liquidators of the Mercantile Bank of Australasia shows that the losses 1 written off have increased from, L 4. 91,00- to L 780.000.. It ia estimated that the total losses will be about L 1,000,000, June 8. Owing to a shortage in< tbe revenue the Premier will probably ask Parliament to alter the Income' Tax AcK in the direction of reducing the exemption from L2OO toLlsoand increasing tbe tax on large incomes. Sidney, Jane 4. At the Kennel Club's show, Mr Rogen, of Nflw Zealand, secured two first prizes and two special) prizes with, bis' dog Firab Shot Jane 5. The report of the P- ablic Service Board, on the Education- department recommends tbe saving* of j0i37,500, chiefly by means of the realaasification of higher grade teachers and the discontinuance of allowances. No teacher whose salary and allowances am on dor L2OO is touched. A number of veliiem -hts of high officials ia recommended. The Manly ferry steamer Brlghtside sank at her moorings in the harbour to-day. No lives were lost. The steamer bad a trial spin yesterday; and it is supposed the' seacock was inadvertently left open. Jane 6. The agricultural returns are : — Area under crop last year, 2,348,000 acrea; increase, 22,600. Wtieat yield, 5,195,000 bushels (a.verag«, 87 bnshela); compared with, 7,041,000 bushels (average; 109 bushels) for tbe previous year. All other grai«. crops shaw a dwciea»ed yields The number of hraraes decreased by over 18,000, cattle by 388,000, sheep by 10,500,000, Jpmba by 5, 179,000, and' p!g3 by 52,000. Tha decrease is chiefly the result of the. drought. June 8. The Government have engaged Colonel Home, a distinguished Indian authority on irrigation, to report on waters conservation and irrigation throughout the. colony. The engagement ia for 12 months, at £2000 per i annnm. ! Wright,, an officer of tbe Union Bank, has been sentenced to two years and nine months.' imprisonment for larceny, and two years fox falsify ing the- books, tbe sentenced to run concurrently. ADELA-tDB, June- 3. The sum 'of L 45 300 was tendered' for the L 20.000 worth of State B.tnk bonds at i per ! cent., the price ranging from par to L 5 1i 6d premium. June 8. Returns show tbat 66 33 pec cent, of the males oa the electoral roll and 66 61 per ' cent, of the females voted at the recent general election. The cable guarantee account for the year ended April 30 showed a total of L 369.970 on LI3i,OOQ in excas3 of the amount guaranteed, The number of words cabled to and from all thfr. colonies was 2,111,000, compared with 1,^59,000' in the previous y«ar;. Nesv/Z^landte share-was 221-.700, compared; with- 154,950' Ea5t? year. Brisbane, June 3. | Governor Lamington,, replying, at Rookbampton to- an. address from the Separation League, said be regretted they were dissatisfied, at Mr Chamberlain's refusal to grant | separation. The refusal was clearly, based upon a due regard for tbe liberties o£ Pariia- [ menband the people,, any interference with which ciroamstan^a of a most actions nature alone- could justify. He firmly hoped that thar< accomplishment of Australian Federation was nearer than the Separationista' supposed^ and hoped that Federation would satisfy their political aspirations. Jane 4. Walsh's large stores at Mareoba have bean totally destroyed by flee. The damage is estimated at L6OOO. Jane 5L Mr Wragge warns vessels bound to Newi Zealand from Sydney tbat rhoy will meet with beavy squalls and' rough sea, during the next f*w days. June 8, Four prisoners, charged- with setting fire to the- Ayrshire Downs woolshed, were found , guilty; of. arson. Martin was sentenced to. 15 years, and Loyola, Bowes, and Orawley each to 10 years! penal servitude. TntrngDAY' lseand, June' 3. The maii steamer brings news of a severe famine in the- province of Kwandoi; in Frencfi Tonquin. Mothers were- selling' tbeir infants for a few cents in order to buy food,