Australian.

Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1807, 8 September 1874, Page 3

Australian.

[from the melboueite papers.]

Melbotjenb, August 29. On Thursday the Treasurer made his Financial Statement. He stated that the Colony commenced the year with a bahcce of £170,358 from laßt year. The estimated revenue was £4,259,135, which together and with, a recoup from advances made a gross revenue of £4,515,182, being nearly £200,000 more than was received in the previous year. The expenditure was £4,478,000, which was also in excess of last year. This would leave a sum of £37,102 to be carried forward to next year. He proposed to change the ad valorem duties on half a million's worth of goods to fi*ed duties, and to place I some of the 10 per cent, goods in the 20 per cent, list, and remit duties on a few articles. An additional I duty will be placed on wine. The result of these alterations would occasion a loss to the revenue of £470,000, but £130,000 more was expected from wine. The Statement has not given satisfaction, especially to the free traders. The boot importers have already held a meeting, and protested against fixed duties instead of ad valorem. Lady Bowen proceeds to Europe by the mail steamer next month. The libel action, the proprietors of the Theatre Boyal v. Eerald, resulted in a verdict for the plaintiffs with a farthing damages. A small sheep farmer, named John Moriarty, has been murdered near Schnapper Point. The murderer is yet undiscovered. The Oalifornian mail steamer left San Francisco on i the 17th August. j The Hon. Mr Parkes, Premier of Sydney, is at present visiting Melbourne. The brig Prairie, from Port Darwin, has arrived. On the way dosvn she stayed at Bowse Island, where the whaleboat was swamped, with eight men on board. All were drowned except the mate, who, with the assistance of the cook and four boys, brought the brig down. The names of those drowned are Captain Macfarlane, Win. Clark, Martin and Thos. Burgess, William Harburgh, Henry Womby, and Charles Johnson. London telegrams of August 27 report an advance on scoured wool of l|d ; greasy, unaltered ; cross breds' higher j lambs' selling well. English buyers principally. 680 guineas were paid for a single sheep yesterday. The yield of the Eaglehawk Union (at Maldon) for the past fortnight was 1709uzs retorted, gold from 300 tons quartz. Sydney, August 27. A great fire occrrued at Newcastle this morning. Gardiner's draper's shop and Wood Brothers' wholesale grocers' stores were burned to the ground. The loss is £20,000, but only insured for £6500 in the Victoria office, and £3500 in the Liverpool, London, and Globe. £323,905 worth of tin has been exported hence since Ist January. A sum of £1785 was collected on the evening of August 24th at a Catholic meeting in aid of the Cathedral Funds. Mdlle. Kekel has left for Noumea, New Caledoaia, having retired from the profession. The Yarramin and Boree stations, in the Dubbo district, have been sold privately for over £60,000. Hops are being held for fancy prices. His Excellency the Governor leaves for Fiji on the 7th proximo. A heavy flood at Goulburn has submerged the racecourse, and the races have been postponed. Mr Owen, Chief Clerk at the Supreme Court, died suddenly on August 23. Mdlle. Jenny Claus appeared at the Victoria Theatre and received a perfect ovation. The se!ection from Lombardi was enthusiastically encored. Bbisbane, August 28. The latest official news from the Palmer states that the goldfield is prosperous, and it is fast extending in the direction of the Mitchell river. The Chinese are arriving in large numbers. Provisions are both scarce and dear. The blacks are very troublesome ; they have speared saveral horses, and are driving in prospectors. Carriers from Cooktown to Palmer demand £100 per ton, which the merchants decline to give, and offer £75. The Whyenbah and Wooberend stations at Maranoa, with 19,000 sheep, have been sold for £18,000. Adelaide, August 24. The ship City of Adelaide, which has arrived here with immigrants, is embedded in the sand two hundred yards from the shore at Henly beach, in ten feet of water. A lumper, named John Thomas, swam from the shore to her, but was not allowed to board, being informed that fever was 'on board. It is expected, as the vessel stands high and dry on the beach this afternoon, that she will not be likely to get off until the cargo is discharged. The gale on Sunday night, it is supposed, snapped the cable and blew the vessel ashore. August 25. Eight deaths occurred on board the immigrant ship City of Adelaide through scarlet fever. The passengers were landed to-day. Measles are prevalent in Adelaide, and no less than 470 children are absent from the Model school in cousequence. The " bluecoafcs" are doing great damage amongst the crops in the south, A new wheat-cleaning machine, to clean from 500 to 800 bushels per day, was exhibited at the show. Fifty rams sold at auction averaged £40 eaoh, one fetching as high as £177Dr Schomburgk, the director of the Botanic Gardens, has successfully grown tussock grass, which is regarded as most nutritious. The exports of breadstuff's for the week amounted to 850 tons. Wheat is dull at 5s 6d. Mrs Lyndsay has proceeded to Melbourne to learn sericulture under Mrs Bladen Neill. The Gothenburg has arrived at Port Darwin. A boat containing twenty persons capsized on boarding, but all were saved. Mr J. H, Barrow, editor of the Advertiser, died on August 22. Hobabt Towk, August 25, The Bacing Club Meeting is fixed for 11th and 12th February, oa the Brighton Course, sixteen miles

om town. There are altogether twelve events, and the added money amounts to £925. The first piece of woollen cloth manufactured in Launceston sold for £2 a yard. The total of the sale amounted to £1140. English &o Foreign. London, August 25. Austria recognises the Spanish Government, but Eussia refuses to do co. The foreign arrivals of wheat are abundant, and there is a fall in price in consequence. At a sale of new wheat yesterday, purchases were made reluctantly at 7s, but a reduction took place on shipping parcels. * At the wool sales, competition continues extremely . vigorous, and prices show a general advance, as compared with previous Bales, of a half-penny to a penny half-penny. The corn market has experienced a considerable fall, and the weather is favorable for harvest operations. T)r Haast, of Canterbury, New Zealand, has received the Order of the Iron Cross. The London Colonial Wool Sales opened on the evening of August 18. The arrivals amounted to 260,000 bales, and upwards of 5000 bales were offered. The attendance of both home and foreign buyers was large, and the biddings commenced with great spirit. The closing rates of last sales were well maintained. Arrived : Warwiok, Harvest Home, Earl of Mar and Kellie, Java. The death of Sir William Pairbairn is announced. The rate of discount is 3 per cent. Paeis, August 18. A BonaparMst deputy has been elected for Caldados by a large majority. Singapore, August 20. A rupture is threatened between China and Japan, on account of the Formosa expedition, and China is making immense preparations for war.