AUSTRALIAN.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4979, 11 April 1889, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN.

( Pbr Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Per Press Association.) (Received 1 a.m., April 11th.) THE FINANCES OF NEW SOUTH WALES. Sydney, April 10, In the Assembly this evening, the Hon, W. McMillan, Colonial Treasurer, delivered his financial statement. He said that Government did not intend to interfere with the existing tariff at present but that next session he would submit proposals for simplifying the tariff with a view to making it as nearly a freetrade tariff as that possessed by any country in the world. At the same time he would present a scheme of direct taxation. No duties would be removed till the House had assented to the new taxation. The deficit stood at £1,608,236, and there was also a deficit of £37,000 from last year. The estimated revenue and expenditure for the year 1889 as made by the Hon. Mr Burns in his last statement would still hold good. Mr McMillan said farther that the Government expected a credit balance at the end of the financial year of £25,192. The Government propose to deal with the deficit by issuing Treasury bills in the colony on tho security of suburban lands, and hoped to extinguish them in five years.

LORD ONSLOW IN VICTORIA. Melbourne, April 10. Lord Onslow is still tho guest of His Excellency the Acting-Governor, Sir Wm, Robinson, and is employing himself in a view of all that is to be seen of the colony. A ROWDY MEETING. A meeting was held in the Town Hall this evening, in the interests of the Chinese famine fund. A large number of Socialists and freethinkers and members of other societies wore present, and created a great disturbance. They moved an amendment affirming that until tho distress at homo is relieved the colony had no right to busy itself about the distress in China. Tho amendment was ultimately rejected and a largo sum was subscribed in the room towards tho object in view.