AUSTRALIAN

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 126, 31 October 1885, Page 4

AUSTRALIAN

Melbourne Oct 20. —A trial of the new 8 inch gun cent from England to the order of the Victorian Governmentfor Fort Phillip defences took place on Tuesday, in the presence of the Minister of Defenoe and a large number of offioers. The trial proved a complete success, the new hydro-pneu-matic vanishing gun-carriage working perfectly. _ . , .. Melbourios, Oct 21.— 1n the Legislative Assembly last night, the Federal Council Bill was read a second time without division. Sydney, Oct 23.-— The prospects of the supporter's of the present Government being returned for the new Parliament in a majority are improving, but parties are not well defiued at present. Sir John Kobertson and Mr A. G. Taylor have been elected for Mudgee, defeating Messrs DeCourcey and Brown. Sydney, Oct. 28.— The dispute between the Lambton colliers and coal trimmers at Newcastle and their employers is still un- , settled, and there is every prospect of the strike being a prolonged one. Brisbane, Oct. 27.— Two hundred and fifty Japanese labourers have arrived by steamer at Cooktown. They have been engaged to work on the sugar plantations of Northern Queensland in lieu of^ Polynesian labourers, who are now unobtainable.

(Special to Melbourne " Age.") London, October 14. The Russian Government has declared it°elf to be in favour of reverting to the status quo. Prince Alexander of Bulgaria, however, has adopted a defiant attitude till Austria is decided as to the line 01 policy to be pursued. There is little hope 1 now of a peaceful settlement of the difficulty, and bloodshed, it is considered, will inevitably result.

London, October 18. Mr W. B. Gladstone condemns the demands of Greece and Servia for additional territory as untenable. It is reported that Bulgaria is willing to cede Widdin, a fortified town on the River Danube to Servia as a means of conciliating that State.

London, October 19. Prince Alexander of Bulgaria has tendered hid formal submission to the authority of the Great Powers, and the outlook of the situation has consequently greatly improved. The settlement of this difficulty, which arose out of the revolution in Roumelia, will now probably be arrived at en the basis of modified unity in Bulgaria and Roumelia, with some trifling concession to the other provinces.