INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Volume 25, Issue 2321, 25 August 1898, Page 16

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, August 18. Rev. Mr Puckle, formerly of New Zealand j setal 98. August 20. ! The cutter Emily was wrecked at Mallacoota. Captain Mortimer and a man named Lawson'were drowned. August 21. The Union Company have begun an action against the owners of the Edina to recover £3750 damages in connection with the. sinking of the Manawatu. August 22. j Over £12,000 was paid as probate duty [ in the estate of the late James Crofcty*.

. | SYDNEY, August 16: . I A section of the Opposition aro advocati> ing a fusion of parties on the federation i question. : In order to mark the termination of iha l Waikare's Island tiip the Australian pasj songers entertained Captain Itichardson Mid ; the oflicers of tke ship at the Hotel Ausira- , j lia. Mr Tricketl, Legislative Councillor, - I preAidod, and presented them with v, handsomely - designed testimonial, signed by the whole of the passengers. The i i speeches were highly laudatory of the im- • ; tiring energy of the captain and thoso under I him to secure the safety and piomote tl"-e i comfort of Ihe passengers, and of the mag- ; ; nificont enterprise of the Union Company. '\ r lQ l ness publishes flattering notices. j 'Ihe Herald devotes a leader to the oxcurj sion, calling the attention of tourists to the , • resorts lying handy to their doois which the j Waikare exploited. i- j August 18. ! i A Chinese npmed Ming Wung stnbbed i ' a woman named Alice Spong at the Chinese i : camp, Whitcii. Another Chinaman inler- ; fered with Ming, who chased and stabbed : him to death in the street. Ming then stabbed hinvelf. ' Ming and the woman aro in a precarious \ state. : At an Opposition caucus yesterday Mr i Lyne was re-elected leader. It was understood that if Mr Barton obtains a seat he will take the leadership. \ Tho police traced the wife of Pieseley, • one of the men who shot a policeman at. Cabramatta, to a cave at Sutherland, and surprised her husband. Shots were cxi changed without any Imrm being done, and Pieseley made his escape into the bush in an almost nude state, but was captured after i an exciting chase. Mrs I'ieseley has been L arrested. August 19. Justice A. H. Simpson replaces the late . Mr Justice Manning as Chief Judge in, Equitj. Mr Walker, Queen's Counsel, has been raised to the bench, and succeeds Mr ! Justice Simpson in the bankruptcy division. SYDNEY, August 20. Mr Byrnes (Premier of Queensland) has s arrived here to attend the Premiers' Conference. On being interviewed he said that there were general indications of increasing i prosperity in Queensland. The scarcity of i labour was so pronounced that they would ; probably have to revive assisted irnmigra- ■ tion. The sugar crop would be a record one this year. There was a growing sentiment in favour of federation. August 22. The Wool-scouring Company's works at Botany were seriously damaged by fire. One hundred and sixty bales of wool were burned. In connection with the Bruce claim to the dukedom of Portland, Sydney George Druce, the alleged heir, is being inquired for throughout the colonies. BRISBANE, August 16. The New Guinea correspondence lias been laid on the table of the Housfe. It appears Mr Chamberlain, replying to" Mr Byrnes's strongly-worded objection, stated that the ordinance was now in force. August 17. The New Guinea Land Syndicate threaten proceedings against the Queensland Government if they interfere with the syndicate's concession. August 18. The Financial Statement shows that the revenue for the year was £3,768,000, exceeding tho estimate by £41.000. The expenditure was £3,748.000. The surplus of £20,000 would be handed to trustees for the reduction of the public debt. The value of wold won was two and a-half millions. Dealj ing with loan expenditure the Treasurer this I year asks for £1,500,000 compared with £1,220,000 last year ; £22,000 will be devoted to assisted immigration. It having been found that America and Canada, owing to the cheapness of the passage, attract people, the Government have decided to make the. cost of passage to Queensland the same as to those countries. The Treasurer , estimates the revenue for next year at j £3,882,000, and the expenditure afe £3,860,000. ADELAIDE, August 16. 1 Good rains have fallen in the agriculi tural areas, and the harvest prospects are j consequently bright. ! August 18. j In the Legislative Assembly the" Treasurer ! delivered the Budget speech. The year had l closed with a debit of £28.000, reckoning the ! £56,000 paid off the public debt. The j revenue had decreased by £61,000 compared I with the previous year.* Allowing for the ; debit, he estimated that the present year would show a surplus of £2000. No new laxation is proposed. The conversion of loans had resulted in a saving of £25,000 in interest annually. PERTH, August 19. In the Budget speech delivered by the Premier (Sir J. Forrest) in the Assembly last night, he estimated the surplus for the coming year at about £8000. The total trade of the colony last year was £10,358,000, and the exports had increased over £2,500,000. He introduced the proposed tariff. The reductions, which total £45,000, include a decrea&e in the duties on cattle, horses, pigs, chilled and tinned meats, hams, bacon, cheese, oatmeal, clothing, and hemp. These were partially reimbursed by the imposition of 5 per cent, duty on machinery and of 2d per gallon on local beer. The Government do not intend at present to ask the House to authorise loans for the construe-* tion of railwaj r s, which will have to wait. The Government propose to make extensive reductions in and dismissals from the public service. Tho Public Works Esti-> mates have been reduced from a million to less than half a million.

According to the Daily News, a new way "with autograph hunters has been devised by Lord Charlea Beresford, whose secretary now replies to them that Lord Charles's autograph can only be had in exchange for a contribution to the Royal Naval Benevolent Society— the minimum sum recoguised being half-a-crown.

Dbab Sib,— Please inform your readers that I have been cured of Debility by a simple »na inexpensive remedy, and will bo pleased to( sand the means of cur© to all sufferers. I do this entirely out of gratitude, and make nq charge whatever. Send stamped addressed envelopo to Mr WILBER KELLOGG, 89 Pitjj fcticet, Sydjiqfo