AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2209, 2 July 1896, Page 40

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Sydnet-j June 28. > THE SNOWSTORM. Up to la9t week the weather wee most mild— : in fact, rather like apriug than obill -winter. We bad begun to regard it as a recompense for Ihe bitter winter of 1895 and the iate .burning Bummer. 'However, Monday saw 7a sudden ' - change. A cutting westerly gale sprang np, ■ rain and snow fell heavily on the high.' lands, and, coming off snonclad ranges, the wind chilled one to the bone. Reports from inland tell of an excellent growth of feed and young crops,' bnt Monday's blizzard, it is ' feared, will do incalculable damage. The week broke badly over the south-east highlands, the descending snow changing to heavy rain on the low-ljing country. The strong wind brought drenchiog eqnalls. Parkes had enow for the first time for 17 years. At Lawson and' Btrrima the snowfall was the heaviest" known. At Boural. no such storm bad' been, witnessed for a quarter of a century. At Mittsgong it is stated to have been heavier than for 20 years. A few flakes only were reported from Parramatta.and Sydney. In the Blue mountains the effects were magnificent, range after range being clad in wintry vestments. Under the weight of ico and snow trees were stripped of their limbs. Stock suffered severely from the bitter cold and inability to get feed. On the railways, it was impossible to ran to time, and trains had to be delayed till the .lines were cleared of scow. In all directions the telegraph. lines were snapped owing to the cold and the weight of the ice, and the poles were shattered «r bent. At Lawson the wires' resembled gaspipes, suob was the accre- ,' tion- of >cc they had to bear. ' ThusSydney found fceraelf completely shut off from the resfc< of the* world for about. 14 hours. A special train was 'despatched,* carrying telegrams to the nearest .station- . beyond the storm's ravages. Along the coast monntainons seas reared their crests, effectually blockading the more exposed ports to. traffic. The greatest fall of enow ever known occurred at Bathurst. Business was practically suspended and traffic ' ttopped, the roadways . being partially blocked. The whole day wa* spent snowballing passers-by, vtitbout iespect for persons. The snow descended till dark, and when the night closed nothing was to be seen but a vast expanse of white country for miles east and west. , TEE AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS. Even- the heavy rain and intense cold failed co dampen interest in the first test match. Large crowds patiently hung round \he newspaper offices to watch the posting of the scores, doing their best by heated argument to keep the blood'.circnlating. After the Marylebone collapse the people were prepared for almost anything, but with the honour of Australia at Etake 53 on a perfect wicket was a sorrier 6ur. . render than* even the least sanguine coasidered possible. Kalgoorlie (Westralia), oryst&llised< the universal disappointment into a cable to Sir Mnsgrove worded : " For honour Australia knock off; ' bring them home. (Signed) Australia." The hope of patriotism was revived a little by the splendid rallying stand of Gregory and Trott, only to. be finally dashed. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. Parliament treated itself to a crisis. The reault was such as might have bs'en expected. The Opposition sustained an overwhelming defeat. There is, however, no room to dispute' the good- service rendered to the country by the Opposition bringing the matter into prominence. Neither can there be any questionthat the charges imposed on the Government -—■by the' Dean case are indefensible and unwarrantable. From the figures quoted by the leader of the Opposition it would appear . - the secretary drew the enormous fee ot £21 15s 9d per day. The general disclaimer of the Government that they were not aware of these exorbitant charges hardly mended the matter. It certainly put the responsibility on the offioiala who passed the items, but the country is entitled to know why public officers ihonld apparently pass without query suoh extravagant charges. The gentleman who made oub «&,«

bill of costs certainly killed the goose that laid the golden egg, for the very name of a shorthand writer may be said to cause the Premier to desire to give such individuals the happy despatch. The outoome of the Opposition's motion will be to trim down the expenses of fatare commissions.

RETRENCHMENT.

In both the Assembly and Council adjournments were moved in order to criticise the act of the Civil Service Board Commissioners. In the Lower House there was an attack on the retrenchment in the Education department, while the Upper House found the Justice ■department a convenient peg whereon to hang grievances on. In both oases the motions were negatived without much apparent good resulting.

PERSONAL.

There passed through this week en route for Auckland Mrs Seymour George, who had been attending Sir George Grey in London. The veteran statesmen, though physically feeble, has hopes of seeing Australasia again. At present he is solely taken up with the denunciation of the Chartered Company and Jameson's raid. Melbourne, June 28.

VICTORIAN POLITICS..

Both Houses found sufficient in passing tho Address-in-Reply to keep them occupied. In the Assembly a wearisome debate was enlivened bjr a smart passage of arms over the prosecution of Rappiport and Baxter. The leader. of the Opposition 'warmly attacked tha Attorneygeneral for the way he handled the prosecution, and Mr Straughton hintsd.that the Attorneygeneral wanted the two 'tx-magistrates- to get off; ' The Attorney-general hotly replied? <<ond declared that any members who insinuated he acted otherwise than in the public interest told a foul, abominable lie. He said the decision to prosecute was taken egainst the advice of three Crown prosecutors. '

AN AGED PIANIST.

Melbournians have at list in their midst a' lion they delight to honour. - To come into the pretence of a man who was a pupil and intimate friend of Beethoven is calculated to affect hero- worshippers awesomely. Such a man is Chevalier Koutaki, a Polish pianist, a man over 80 years of age, yet vigorous and alert in mind and body — a man who, wedded to ' his art of peace, yet bears the scar of stirring times. He was in Paris in 1848, when he took part in the street fighting. The great maestro w»b a man of 50 when young De Kouteki went to him as a pupil. After the latter had played a sonata Bf ethoven set down himself and played his own " Moonlight" sonata. As the composer played the sensitive feelings of the boy swept away the music, ftfod he fell on his knees and kissed the mae\trfrs hand. Then Beethoven lifted him upon his knee, saying : " Gome to me as often as you wish ; I will teach you." This was his introduction to the master, whom he now reverently serves. . Adelaide, Jane 28. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN POLITICS. ■ The chief item of parliamentary interest this week is the formation of. a third - party in the Assembly, cangisting o? 10 members, with Mr Burgoyne as chairman, -to be known as the Independent party. The objects are' to promote the -true producing interests, encourage land settlement, discourage nndue centralisation, and oppose parliamentary representation on the basis of population only. The Assembly made •teady progress with a number of bills. Brisbane, June 27. QUEENSLAND POLITICS. The time of Parliament this week was consumed in debating the Address-in-Reply and the preliminary stages of new bills. The Government opened the ball bjr introducing a batch of the nine principal measures'mentioned in the Ministerial programme, including Federation, payment of members, and a bill creating an eighth portfolio. The new Minister will have charge of the Agricultural department and pay special attention to agricultural and pastoral development and produce export, which was nude a prominent feature in the Governor's Bpeech. Tho Payment of Members Bill provides a solatium to rnembars of the Assembly at the rate of £300 per annum with travelling expanses at tha rate of Is 6cl per mile on land' and actual expenses by nea The Federation B:ll in its main lines follows the measures already enacted in the southern colonies. It provides 10 representatives to the proposed convention. Only these entitled to vote for members of the Assembly are to be allowed to vote. The representatives' contingent vote is not to apply. In the event of equnl voting tho matter will be decided by the Assembly.' The representatives will .be paid £3 each for every sitting day^ of the convention, the -colony "to contribute to the expeascs of -the convention on the basis of population. The Federation Bill is likely to meet with determined opposition. A caucus was held daring the week at which Mr Drake *as elected to lead both the Labour party and his own contingeut as a combined opposition to the measure. Th°y promised unswerving support. The P*ymeut of Member 3, fcfce New Minister Bills, "and the bill authorising the Government (if necessary) to redace interest on deposits in tbe Government Savings Bank to or below 3 per rant, paused in Committee without material amendment. A HOME SECRETARY. Hitherto the term Chief or Colonial Secretary has been considered good enough bo dignify the occupant of the State secretarial department, but the newly knighted Ptemier is credited with a desire for an alteration, and is responsible for a ffieble imitation of tha English office by designating the holder of the Secretary's portfolio as Home Secretary. This alteration is provided for in the bill which creates the new portfolio. Another provision of the bill is^hat in future Ministers acting in a dual Ministerial capacity are debarred from taking salaries for the two offloes.