INTERCOLONIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 2136, 23 June 1875, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL.

Melbourne, June 17. An Amending Land Bill has been introduced in the Assembly. Its fundamental propositions are these : — 1. To increase the area of selection from 320 to 640 acres. 2. To extend the time of probation from three to six years, and, at the expiration of that term, to issue a lease which shall not be transferable for a period of seven years. 3. To provide for nonresidential selection in certain proclaimed areas in the immediate vicinity of large towns 4. To throw upon the Legislative Assembly the responsibility of defining both the quantity and the quality of the land which shall be annually sold by auction, instead of authorising the Minister, as at present, , to dispose of not more than 200,000 acres in this way during the currency , of each year. 5. To try the experiment of leasing Crown lands for long terms within a given area, on the north and south bauka of the Yarra, in Melbourne, with power to extend the application of the principle to other parts of the colony if the principle should be found to work well. G. To confer upon the country courts jurisdiction in matters of dispute arising between any two or more claimants under the Land Act of 1869, should the Minister decide upon the reference of such casea to those tribunals. 7. The raising of the assessment on stock from 8d to Is per head on sheep, and from Is to 5s per head on cattle. Parliamentary proceedings have been characterised by dulnees. The Land Bill has formed the subject of debate in the Assembly for the paßt week, but it has eicited no interest either inside or outside the House. A point of order raised that the Bill should have origiuated in committee, as it dealt with taxation in raising the pastoral assessment, was overruled In anticipation of Customs changes there has been a great falling off in the quantities of goods cleared, but it has been announced that the remissions of duty will not come into operation for some months. Michael Dawson's property has been sworn at £337,000. At Vaughan, near Castlemaine, a Chinaman was murdered in a hut by his mate, another Chinaman, who has been arreßted. Duncan Longden, a Justice of the Peace, haß been committed for trial on a second charge of forgery. Mining matters are improving in some parts of the colony. M'Ewan and Co., wholesale grocers, have suspended payment. The deficiency is believed to be about £38,000. The handicaps for the Melbourne Cup hare been published. The top weight is 9st Bibs. Lurline comes next with 9st 7lbs ; Calumny has Set 121bs, and Castaway 7st 131bs. In the Metropolitan Lurline is also second weight with 9st 61b ; Calumny Sat 81bs. Sydney. The liabilities in Wearne's estate are stated to be £75,000. C. J. Hoyt is insolvent, with liabilities £16,000, assets £35 ; and Ununack's liabilities amount to £17,000, Untnack's estate is assigned to Messrs Montefiore and Collett. Churchill's liabilities, independently of the partners' private estate, amount to £20,000, and the assets to about half that sum. The Government ha 3 sent a telegram to England closing the contract for the New Zealand cable. The resolution submitted by Mr Burns, the Postmaster. General, in the Assembly, with reference to the proposed New Zealand cable, assents to a subsidy of £7,500 per annum for ten years, twothirds to be paid by New Zealand, and one-third by New South Wales ; the mimimum message of 10 words to coot 7s 6d, and the cable to be laid within 12 months. The company (construction and maintenance) are prepared to accept the contract on these terms. Signor Pompei, of the Opera Company, has filed his sclaedule. His liabilities are £600, assets, £25 The Commissioner of Lands in Fiji has invited holders of land and^ others having an interest in land to forward particulars in order to test the validity or otherwise of titles. Adelaide. The new Government has enuni niat.pfl a, viPOTOiifl nnliflv. Tt incliidflS-

the borrowing of two millions for railways and harbor works, and the expenditure of £100,000 on immigration. If taxation is necessary, it will be direct, but the tariff will be altered next year in the direction of free trade. A motion for the payment of members was negatived. The ministerial policy is generally approved, A nugget of 21oz. has been found at Stewart's Chilly, Palmerston. Latjnceston. The agricultural returns show a surplus for export of 44j7,000 bushels of wheat. The average of the wheat crop was 18| bushels to the acre. The increase in the yield of wheat is 119,000 bushels, and of oats 316,000 bushels.