INTERCOLONIAL

Southland Times, Issue 2677, 7 February 1877, Page 2

INTERCOLONIAL

Melboubnb, Jan. 31

Parliament, which was prorogued to February Ist, has been further prorogued for another month, aad will be dissolved about the end of Marob.

The attention of the political world is chiefly occupied with the proceedings of the opposition leagues, the _. rae Trade and the Protection League, and by the movements of the candidates coming forward for the various electoral districts.

Mr G-. O. Duncan, the Inspector General of Penal Establishments, has left by the mail steamer for Europe to Attend the Conference on penal discipline at Stockholm.

His Excellency the Governor has addressed a despatch to the Secretary of State for the Colonies calling attention to Mr Ernest Giles's services as an explorer, and expressing an opinion that he should be rewarded with a grant of land.

A grand banquet has been given at Blackwood to Dr Madden, the Minister of Justice, by his late constituents.

A cricket match iB to be played shortly on the East Melbourne ground between eleven clergymen and eleven students of the University.

A respectable looking man, named Frederick Blackburn, has been committed for trial at Echuca for forging the signature of Mr Hugh George, the publisher of the Argus, to a cheque for L 7 15s. He got the cheque cashed by passing himself off as the writer of the "Vagabond" papers in the Argus. Ten trained native polo players have been brought over from Munipore, in India, by Mr E. W. Parsons, of Lethbridge, near Geelong.

The larrikins at Geelong have been amusing themselves by rolling down the 321 b shot from the batteries into the water below. Abeut 30 of the shot have disappeared in this way. The hon. Captain Cole, M.L.C., has written a letter to the Argus, recommending that Melbourne should be defended by transforming the Nelson into a floating battery and ram, at a cost of LIO.OOO.

The Italian Opera season is to commence on the 17th February. The company is an entirely new one. A Eoyal Commission has been ap* pointed to enquire into tbe condition of the aborigines (of the colony, and to advise aa to the best means of dealing with tbem. Sir William Stawell is chairman of the commission. In reply to a request made by the Victorian Government, Commodore Hosting has pent Lieutenant Dogdale, of H.AL&

"jrrwtmer hcixs im Ffmrfcv**vaa "' ra P ro P« r * an tendered to subvert *he administration of justice." After a long debate, it was carried by the easting vote of the Speaker, who said that the advice was not calculated to promote the en a of justice or inspire respect fo" tbe law. The Council almost unanimously passed a resolution censuring the Government for tbe release of Louisa Hunt.

ofthej>ort. j "•*' ';* ThecabTe raeaaag-ayfrom-Lonaon now arrive in ten hours',, making allowance for the diffetettce of time between Melbourne and London. , _. '■ ' ' - StdN-IT, Jan. 30. In the Assembly on th& night of the 25th, on a motion for adjournment, the charge hinted at last night of the attempted corruption of a member by the Minister of Land, to obtain his vote on the recent bank deposit question, was repeated, and gave occasion for an excited debate. Mr Robertson condemned the manner of bringing forward charges in the absence and during the serious illness of the Minister of Lands, and expressed hie disbelief of the statements made. Mr Stuart (the Treasurer) said that he would not withdraw his confidence in Mr Garrett, but if the charge was proved he or the Minister of Lands would have to leave the Ministry. The motion for adjournment was negatived. It is expected that the intercolonial hand-ball team will leave for xMelbourne at the end of February. The Wallsend Company bave declared a dividend of Ll per share, leaving a balance to the credit of profit and loss of L 14.000. . , _,_ The weather was fine for the holiday. Trickett beat Laycock easily at the regatta. __ H.M.S. Ifymphe sailed for Western Australia on the 25th. The Customs officials and others who were on board the Brisbane in quarantine were released on the 26th.

Parliament has b_en prorogued until February 9. The Compulsory Vaccination Act is to be enforced.

„ . Launceston. A portion of the general hospital has been destroyed by fire, and the remainder tiarrowly escaped destruction.

Captain Balfour, of the steamer Brisbane, has been fined LIOO, or three months' imprisonment, for a breach of the quarantine regulations.

The Governor has received a message from Lord Carnarvon that Colonel R. M. Laffan, commander Royal Engineers at Gibraltar, and Colonel Scratchley, director of works at Woolwich Arsenal, had been selected, in compliance with the wish of the Australian colonies, to report on the defences. One or both were to sail in February, but on this point the message is not clear. The cable conference met on the 29 th ult., but nothing was allowed to transpire, and complaints were made of tbe disclosure of proceedings after the resolution not to make anything public until the termination of the conference. It will most likely be decided to have a submarine cable from Singapore to Banjoewangie, avoiding Java, in order to escape the risk of errors in repetition, and possibly to duplicate the cable from Banjoewangie to Port Darwin.

The remaining child of the Holden family died of smallpox on the night of the 27th. The father and the oilier patients are doing well. In the Assembly, on the night of the 30th, the Minister of Lands defended himself from the charge of attempted corruption, and disproved the statements by showing that weeks before the bank deposit question came on, the appointment to which reference had been made was filled up. He also referred to his conduct while iv Melbourne, and admitted that there was some ground of complaint. After a short discussion with reference to the explanation offered, the subject dropped, and the House proceeded to a discussion on the proposed railway to Bourke. The English eleven will probably play another match here after their return from New Zealand. The schooner Eoyal Duke, from Normantown, brings a quantity of pearl shell and copper ore, the latter, from the Cloncurry mine, Carpentaria, being about the richest ever brought here.

The Conference Bat five hours on the 30th, but has decided nothing. The ■ittingß are expected to close on the Ist inst., but from what has transpired, the results aaticipated from the deliberations ere not likely to be realised. Conflicting interests appear to have come in, and the conclusions will probably be indefinite. Adelaide. The wheat market is excited, 8000 bushels have been sold at 6s for shipment to England, freight having been Becured at 22s 6d. The Bank of Adelaide shows a net profit for the year of L 48.174. A dividend of 10 per cent, is declared, and the reserve fund increased to L 105,000.

A splendid diamond suite was presented to Lady Musgrave on tbe 25th. A complimentary banquet wan given to Mr Henry Taylor on the night of the 25th by tbe trades unions. Two thousand sheep were Bold in the Adelaide market on the 24tb, at Is per h eft d- , ,•_._! It is feared tbat the general wheat average will not exceed five bushels, leaving a surplus for export of about 70,000 t°ns. _ rr . , Chief Justice Way was sworn m on the 29th as Acting Governor. The Government bave received a telegram stating that Mr Dutton, the AgentGeneral, had died in London from erysi pelas. Mr H. B. T. Stiangways, formerly Attorney-General, but now in England, is an applicant for the office. Mr Villeneuve Smith was released on the 29th. Wheat is very firm at 6s 2d to 6s 3d. Flour, Ll4 to Ll4 15s. Bbisbane. Sir Arthur Kennedy will probably , arrive here on tbe 2nd of February. The Chamber of Commerce holds a | meeting shortly witb reference to the passible termination of the Torres Straits mail contract. Advices by the Bowen state that tbe Leonora steamer ran into the brig A. F. Levy in Formosa Channel. The latter instantly sank, and all lives were lost. Une hundred of the ringleaders in the Japanese insurrection have been executed. A large fire in the suburbs of rooChow destroyed 2,000 houses, and 100 people were killed. The educational movement is rapidly spreading over Japan. Chipli (?) advices state that there are prospects of a great famine. Winter had already set in, and parents were selling and giving away young girls in exchange for food. The wool sales in London closed on December 2nd. The closing sales will be lons remembered by all connected with the trade, on account of the rapid and enormous advance in prices. All sorts closed at the highest quotations, and with a firm tone. There is every indication of wool being consumed on a large scale, and the trade generally is much improved, Hobart Toira. In the Assembly on the night of the 24th, Mr Douglas moved— "That the advice tendered by Ministers to the SfTprnw, whicb led to the release of tbe