INTERCOLONIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 13

INTERCOLONIAL.

MELBOURNE, August 29. Earl Hopetoun' expresses his intention of residing in Sydney during tlie Federal Parliament recess. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a well-known solicitor and his managing clerk. The former was trustee of an Oddfellows' lodge, and the latter the paid secretary of the lodge. The solicitor is charged with fraud and the clerk with embezzlement of the lodge funds. Both have been missing for several weeks. August 30. At the stud sheep sales over £17,000 was realised during the day. The highest price paid was 800gs for Mr Gibson's Koyal Esk. August 31. In the divorce case of Wilkie v. Wilkie, of New Zealand, the court granted a decree nisi on the grounds of the husband's adultery. September 3. The Premier states that as soon as he is officially informed regarding the tender for the Pacific cable he will introduce a bill into the Assembly providing for Victoria's share of the cost. SYDNEY, August 28. Only three plague patients remain under treatment. Out of a total of 303 cases, 103 died. Serious charges of collusion between Government officials and the tiovernment stores contractors were brought up in the Assembly by Mr Griffiths, Avho asserted that putrid fish, decayed vegetables, and other produce unfit for human consumption hsd Jjeen supplied to .Little 3s}y_ Hospjtal t

I and similar institutions ; while rations had I been drawn for discharged and dead ' patients. The Public Service Board, after ' having the facts clearly proved, had' i sought;,) to condone the matter. ,The president of ; the Board of Health came in for a" severe ! | handling in connection .with the case, as I I well as for his action "during tire, plague .epidemic, Mr Hughes saying that it death's ! , had not occurred by thousands it was rot j ' any fault of the president of the Boarl ' of Health. He had never seen such an inane display of incompetency as during the course of the epidemic. August 29. The Government geologist confirms the wonderful richness of the gold discovery at Gmidagai mine, and considers that similar rich patches will be found at intervals in the working of the mine. j Sir -W. J. Lyne promises a full investigation of -the charges made against officials j and contractors of supplying bad stores to the hospital. i The Moana sailed for San Francisco with ! I specie valued at £550,000. i At the Anglican General Synod it was I resolved to appoint a committee to set on foot a scheme for united action on the ' part of the church upon a large scale, and j extending over a term of years, the objects of ihe same to embrace such questions as pensions for the clergy, religious education, and the training of clergymen. The Church Expansion Committee are also to report whether it is . advisable to obtain the co--operation .of the churches, in New Zealand", L@anada,t "a&d. South Africa to w6r.k onB^arallel, lines;"" but in "■'touch with' A eaclt f ofc'her. -><'."■ . , -, -> „ , . , * * AugustT-30r ' • The House have amended the Arbitration' Bill by substituting " for a fixed" trk bunal " a court " consisting of a, Supreme Court judge and six members appointed by the parties." The Legislative Council have amended the City Council Bill by striking out the vote to lodgers and the provision that citij zens should elect the mayor. . • j The Anglican Synod have resolved to give power for the election of the Primate to the bishops of Australia and Tasmania, thus removing Sydney's hold over the Primacy. News has been received that the Futami Maru, Avhich went ashore on one of the Philippine Islands, has been abandoned as a total wreck. She is breaking up. In the Sydney Harbour Trust Bill the Assembly decided to reduce the number of commissioners to three, instead of seven. The salary of the Chief Commmissioner will be £2000, and the others £1500. Mr Donald Macdonald was a passenger to New Zealand by the steamer Zealandia, which sailed for Auckland to-day. August 31. A private cable announces the destruction by fire at sea of the. barque Almora, bound from Liverpool to Sydney. No ' details are to hand.' The vessel was 105 j days out. It is supposed that the disaster happened in the Southern Ocean. The Government intend to introduce . a bill into the Assembly to expedite and cheapen litigation. It is provided that the plaintiff or defendant may seek advice of a judge sitting in Chambers as to the ccurse of action to be taken, the decision of the judge to be final. The judge, when requested for direction, may order a trial with or without a jury. The Assembly sat the greater part of the forenoon, when the Arbitration Bill went through committee. An amendment was carried reducing the payment of members of the court from sgs to £1 a day. A provision was also made, under a penalty of £500, against the disclosure of any evidence relating to the profits oi financial position of any of the witnesses or party to a dispute, and the hearing, if requested, of any such evidence in camera. The amendment to the Arbitration Bill that the Piesident of the Court should hold office under the same conditions as a judge of the Supreme Court was rejected. The House has reduced the salary of the two assistant Harbour Commissioners to £JOOO a year each. September 2. There was an impressive ceremony in "the Town Hall in memory of the late King Humbert. . Some 5000 were present. The 'Italian consul, Sir W. J. Lyne, Messrs Barton, and Reid delivered eulogiums. of sympathy- with. - Queen Margherita, the King and Queen, and the Italian nation • were ' carried. A troop of little maids, robed in , white, laid wreaths of immortelles in front of a life-size paintIng of the late King.

The blacks with Governor, who are b» iiig pursued for the murders at.Breelong, have robbed '> several raore., homesteads. '\A \ party of civilians exchanged shots- with the : murderers, who escaped before the, -police "got to the scene. , t . - „ - "* The 18ft yacht Ruby,' with 13 persons ; on board, cap.sized in a- sudden squall at | North Head, Four young 'men named ( Robert Morris, Charles Rush, Aubrey, Owen, ■ and Thomas Connors were drowned.' "" A fifth, named Han-is, is in a serious condition. The Austrian consul interviewed Sir W. J. Lyne with reference to about '50 Austrians who have reached Sydney, en route for New Zealand. The shipping companies refuse to carry them to their destination. Sir W. J. Lyne cabled to Mr Seddon, who replied that he had warned the shipping | companies several times that they were not allowed to land the men in Neiv Zealand. The Austrians have money, and there is no objection to their landing and remaining in Sydney. September 3. It was recently stated that the dilator} ! action of the Australian Governments in settling the New Guinea Land Syndicate's j claims, as recommended by the Agents- | general, has created an unfavourable impression of Australian integrity in London. Sir W. J. Lyne says that he is strongly opposed to using the New Guinea subsidy for paying, the syndicate^ and that he will not do so without express parliamentary sanction. - . ' . *'■ S?S" ADELAIDE, August 30. _ v, Mr\Jgolo~mon moved a .vote ,qf censure en jthOGovernmenfe for. -balancing the, year's -accounts '"by taking" as revenue . £15,0G0, the. balance .of a. gift by "private -citizens for - the erection of a school of- mines. The' Treasurer replied that the money was nob held in trust, but as a gift to the Government. -The motion was rejected by a majority of 11. BRISBANE, August 30. The Treasurer delivered his Budget tonight. The year, on the whole was satisfactory. The Treasurer estimated tha revenue last year at £4,588,000; but the- estimate was exceeded by £199,000, and_was above that of the previous year by £414,000. The expenditure fell below the revenue by £47,789, and that amount was handed to the debt reduction fund. During the last six years surpluses to the amount of £445,000 had been" paid into the fund. The South African contingents cost £147,000. The revenue for the current financial yeai is estimated at £4,594,000, and the expenditure at £4,571,000. ' TOWNSVILLE, August 31. A boy named Kennedy is down with a mild attack of plague. FREMANTLE, August 28.The -barque Socotra, bound from Hamburg to Kicochou, China, with coal" and cement, ' lias arrived with -her cargo on , fire. The fire was discovered ten days ago, while of St. Paul Island. The extent ox the damage is unknown. ; PERTH, Aiigust 31.; ' Last night the accumulated gas from some burning coal blew off the hatches of the Socotra. The vessel is beached, and is being pumped full of: water. The want-of-confidence motion was negatived by both Houses. HOBART, September 3. The search party, after endtfring great hardships, found Larkins's body in the. snow, but it was so heavy that~they wcr* compelled to bury it on the mountain.