AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2954, 13 September 1882, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(Per,City of New York at Auckland.)

Melbocbne, Sept. 6. At a meeting of clergy and others to consider the social, evil question, a Social Purity Association was formed. The receipts of the Melbourne Cricket Club last year amounted to £2809. .The Police Commission to-day recom. mended that Superintendent Winch and Sub, Inspector.,,Lamer who,' it' was alleged, bad had improper monetary dealings with publicans, should be suspended pending an investigation of the charges. The recommendation has been given effect to. An indignation .meeting of (police was held subsequently, at which sixty wore present. It was decided to take steps to repudiate the aspersions cast on the police, of blackmailing publicans. A , clause . is „.to be inserted in the specifications. of new railway lines, permitting the employment pf American tracklayers in constructing lines: A large majority of the Tariff Commission are in favor of an absolute remission of the stock tax as concerns store sheep and cattle. At the recent sale of stud sheep, the highest price realised was for a two year old merino ram, .Young Wonder,, purchased: for 500 guineas. Buyer's were present .from all the colonies, ior cludingNeW Zealand. J In the Assembly Mr Munro submitted a motion in favor ’ of inviting a conference of representatives from the various Australian Colonies to take the necessary measures to secure a federal union. Sir B. O’Loghlen opposed the , motion, as he thought the proposal premature. Public opinion, he said, was steadily growing in favor of a union of the Colonies, but the time had not yet arrived to form the Colonies into a (Republic. Mr Berry thought the view taken by the Government a right one. Ho did not think under the existing circumstances that it would be wise to invite a conference. The debate was adjourned. ■ The first vessel of the Messageries Maritimes line leaves for the Australian colonics in Novembor. Brisbane. The No. 1 North Phoenix mine at Gympio has. crushed 417 tons of quartz for 1015 ounces of gold. ; Pbbth. ; A railway on the land grants system, through the Kimberley district, is proposed, * Sydney. .. Three Frenchmen and one-Kanaka haye been murdered : at Port- Resolution. The captain of the schooner Port Villo and two others, narrowly escaped being tomahawked, and in making their escape were compelled to swim to tho schooner. The French war steamer Distress has been ordered to tho scene of tho outrage with instructions to administer severe punishment to the offenders. , la the Assembly last night tho Disease in Sheep Act Amendment Bill wasiagrefcd to after a long discussion, raised by Mr Moll hone. , . . The Committee of tho City Council have concluded their investigation re the charges against Alderman John

Davies, and. agreed to .report that the charges of obtaining moneys from the Mayor on account of ■ the hire of a steamer for a picnic, have been sustained.

The steamer Nelson, while'entering Newcastle to-day, collided with the powder magazine and did some damage to it. : She had" some 1 200 tons of dynamite aboard, and some fears were entertained'at the time of the collision. The total amount of the stakes run for at the Hawkesbury meeting was £1799. The victory of -Masquerade in the Metropolitan Stakes was somewhat a surprise, as Lord Burghley to be the stable horse, but the owner of Masquerade bad backed In’s horse for a considerable sum the previous night.