AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3582, 24 March 1886, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

■ ■ ♦ (Per Press .Association.) (Per b.s, Manapouri at the Bluff.) Melbourne, March 17. Bishop Moorhouse Bailod on Thursday last for England, per the mail steamer Bengal, a very large crowd of friends and admirers accompanying him to the vessel. 'lhe Premier has forwarded to Admiral Tryon a report of tho conclusions arrived at by tho Steam Navigation Board m reference to tho accident to the Waihora, and has requested that Her Majesty's ship Myrmidon may mako a Burvey of the locality where the vessel struck. Ho pointed out that the rock which the steamer is alleged to have struck is situated directly m the fairway of navigation. The agricultural statistics, compiled by Mr Hayter, have been published. They show that the wheat yield is considerably less than last year's, the average for the past season being 0.01, as against 9.5 I for the previous season. The gross yield from 1,000,530 acres wns 9,073,227 bushels. At the instanco of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, negotiations have for some time been m progress with tho view of bringing together tho Governors and Premiers of the whole of th<? Australian Colonies. Tho primary object of tho meeting would be to consider tho echemo of naval defenco proposed by Admiral Tryon. Xho relations of the colonies to tho New Guinea Protectorate, the attitude of Germany regarding Samoa, and the designs of France on tho iS r ew Hebrides would also form subjects for discussion. The Governor of Victoria ha 3 been for some time m communication with the Governors of other colonies, but with only partial success. South Australia, New Zoaland, and Queensland were at first willing to meet, but New Zealand subsequently changed its mind, and decided not to attend ; and two other colonies aro only willing to join on the condition that either New South Wales or New Zealand bo represented at the gathering. Tho negotiations arc thereforo at a standstill. Adeiaide, March 17. Wilson, accountant m the Commercial Bank, was declared insolvent yesterday, under instructions from tho Directors' solicitors, who have instituted proceedings against him for misappropriating funds. A meeting of the creditors of James Cowan, one of the persons to whom Crooks advanced money, was held to-day. His contingent assets amount to £572,000. Cowan's assets consist chiefly of intere-ts m land syndicates, and mining ventures. The Commercial Bank is a secured creditor.