AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 209, 11 December 1879, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY.

VICTORIA

October the first is definitely fixed for the inauguration of the *■ Exhibition. It is probable that a premium of fifty guineas will be offered for words for an inaugural cantata, and. one hundred guineas for the best musical composition.'- ■■■

A motion declaring it criminal forth© Ministry to use the 'powers of offieaC% influence elections was negatived after a warm debate, in which the Government were freely accused of abusing their powers during the recent election contest.

Very little of interest for outside the colnny has transpired during the week?. Mr Berry has commenced his tour through the ■ country in supphmf

of his Reform Bill, and has addressed meetings at Lancofield and Maryborough but has not added much to his 'previous utterances. He is evidently not enamoured of the Plebiscite, which he regards only as a necessary evil, and , although his Bill is not unanimously approved of by the Liberal party as a whole, he declines to alter it in any one ■particular. For this reason he has incurred the displeasure of the Ministerial journals. , The fact of Sir Bryan O’Loghlin giving public telegrams to the Ministerial Press only was brought before the House, and Ministers openly avowed the practice, and attempted to defend it,, but the practice was strongly reprobated by the House. Mr Dwyer, member for Villiers and Heylesbury, having Green adjudged insolvent, his seat has been declared vacant. .

Amusements continue fairly patronised Arthur Sketch ley is now giving his entertainment at the Academy of Music. Counsel has been assigned to the Gundagai bushrangers, excepting to Moonlight, who prefers defending himself. The prisoners look haggard, and there is no trace of bravado left.

Mr Darley’s Bill to enable a woman to sue for divorce on the adultery of her husband, was read a second time in the Council.

NEW SOUTH ..WALES

The new coffee palace at Sydney it a great financial success.The receipts for .the carnage of live stock on the Southern line last year was over 400 per cent more than the previous year, owing to the Victoria stock tax diverting the : live stock traffic from Melbourne to Sydney. Sir H. Parkes, by direction of Lord L°ftus, wrote to Constable Bowen expressing hisi. admiration of the way the police behaved in' their encounter with the' bushrangers. It is probable that the Government and public will provide for Bowen’s widow and child. Sir H. Gordon, High Commissioner of Western Polynesia, has written, ro. specting the : Bey; Mr Brown. Kv considers that there is no evidence .Adduced enabling him to recommend the mstitii .v, tion of a crimnd prosecution in tion with the chastisement of Nep, Britain murderers, but the Judical Cojji----missioner has'taken the matter out of his hands.

A war schooner in a conflict burnt a Native village and crops at Politicos! Islands' as a punishment for the murder of the seamen of, the schooner Agnes McDonald.

Rust has appeared s'nmltaueouslv in ■several places,'and is expected to ailecfc the crops. 1 .A large fire at Greenfield destroyed property worth LIO,OOO ; the township was aav ed with difficulty. Twelve hovues were burnt. • d% , Air Alexander-. Stuart, member for j v East Sydney, has accepted the' AgentGeneralship. A Bill to legalise the use of the totalisator on racecourses was introduced. Dent, late paymaster of Sydney City ■ Council, embezzled LSOO. The Catholic agitation in opposition to the Education Bill is unabated. 'QUEENSLAND. The wreck of the cutter Firefly has been discovered .north of Frankland Isle. Tnere are ao signs of the crew, and the track of blacks have been seen in the vicinity. It is intended to establish a coffee tavern in Brisbane. Nearly 3500 tons of sugar were exported between July and November by the Sydney Refining Company, who purchased the principal crops of: white sugars from the first hands. SOUTH AUSTRALIA Great apprehension exists that pleuropneumonia has been introduced by a mob of cattle from Queensland,-: Strong winds have diiven the red rust out of the crops. The crops in the nc rthern districts are expected to yield twelve or fourteen bushels per acre. ' TASMANIA. An extraordinary attempt at murder lias taken place in the Cambridge ■district. A lad named Johnson, returndug heme on Sunday evening, was suddenly attacked by a man armed with a rifle, who, knocking him down and kneeling on his stomach, commenced to stab the lad, driving the knife through the thick collars ot two coa’s, and through his hat repeatedly. Believing the boy dead, the vil.ian decamped. The lad Johnrton was simply unconscious,and was not seriously injured. Mr ChristophtTson, many years chief engineer to the water supply in Victoria and more recently director of the water works in Hobart Town, was sentenced to three months for pawning some mathematical instruments. WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Edward Slime has been appointed Attorney-Genera}. Docking, Acting Chief Justice of Gibraltar, will probably succeed Burt.