AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 7, 17 November 1877, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN ITEMS.

— — (From the latest N.Z. Papers.) Ten thousand bushels of maize were sold at 10s. in Melbourne. The torpedo defence channels at the entrance to the harbor of Sydney, are nearly completed, Eleven hundred emigrants arc now 'en route 1 from England to Adelaide. The South Australian Legislative Council have thrown out the Vaeeinati in' Bill by a majority of nine, on the after-1 noon of the lttth ult. The Speaker of the South Australian ' Parliament has deeided that the motion] Kanctioning the payment of £2500 to \V. I T. Dalwood is informal, and .should be rescinded. The ship Ambassador, from New Y'ork to Melbourne, had a disastrous passage. On June 10, she was struck by a terrific sea, causing great destruction, with loss of the captain, second officer, and three of the crew washed overboard ami drowned. The vessel put into the I Jape to refit. Portions of wreckage have 1 oen en near Apollo Hay. It is said two men ! ... ■' x clinging to a spar ".'> fc ! ! : :Le . ■ .•! Pharoah bus been : . ' in ! :arch. Three women, natives of the Kingsmill Group, arrived at Sydney by the Bowen, having lien driven out to sea, and picked up by the French barque Daphne, and taken on to Hong Kong. They will remain in Sydney until there j is in ' " rtnnity of sending them back! to the Islands. A farmer residing in the neighbourhood cf Kyueton, Victoria, for the last ;.' rears informs the "Observer" that ■ ,-er luring that peri,id has he sen the growing crops, so far, in such splendid condition as they are at the present moment. The last heavy rains he describes as " crowning the edifice," or, in other words, as filling up the measure of agricultural and pastoral content almost to overflowing. The Victorian Government have an Amending Land Uill under consideration. The leading principles of the measure are said to be the extension of the area of selection to C4O acres, and to increase the time of occupation under license to ten years. It is also proposed to redu« the anm-il mvtnent to Is ■ era-re '.' hj : ': : ;• -.. L:in-is is oi opinion that the extension of the probationary term oi holding will be un effectual cheek on dummyism. and that til' 1 reduction of the anno;'! rental will enable se'.e tors to hnorovT their lands without being forced,

si-sat present, to borrow money for tli, purpose.