AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3610, 27 April 1886, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

(By Telegraph.) Melbourne, April 20. Admiral Tryon arrived from Sydney on Friday r and Had a long conversation with the Premier on the subject of naval defences of the colonies. It. was agreed' that Mr Gillie* Bhonld proceed to Sydney on April 26th for the purpoae of informally discussing ' the matter with the Admiral and . Premiers of Hew South Wales and 1 Queensland. It is understood that^New. Guinea will be one of the subjects of discussion. At a meeting of the Presbyterian body, convened by the Melbourne Presbytery for the purpose of protesting against the* pro* posed annexation by France of the New Hebrides, several prominent members of the church were present. The first resolution, wbich was carried unanimously, was as follows i — " This meeting protest* against the proposed annexation of the' New Hebrides Islands by France as a cruel injustice to the natives and a grave and serious wrong to tha Presbyterian missions." The second resold tion expresses sympathy with the Presbyterians of New South Wales m their present painful position m being misrepresented on this question by their Premier and Parliament, and expresses the hope that they will be successful m inducing their Government to join with the other colonies m disagreeing with the proposed annexation. Another, important meeting, under the auspices of the Australian Natives' Association, was held m the Town Hall last night, when similar resolutions to the above were passed. Adelaide, April 20. Dr Tole, Health Officer, has visited the quarantine Btation. Everything is going .on well. The patient who was landed from the Chimborazo is a young man, aged 26 yeaw. He is now convalescent. He went aboard tbe Chimborazo at Naples on March 26th, and fell ill two days later. He was removed to the hospital, aboard the ship, and four days later was isolated m a boat. The other passengers, being isolated from him, were quite free from infection. There are 24 passengers m quarantine. . The ninth half-yearly meeting of the Town and Country Sank shows, that for the half year the ordinary profits were £11,200. The Directors recommend that this amount together with £24,000 of a reserve T be appropriated to provide 'for bad arid doubtful debts. The Directors stated that their reasons for this recommendation was the desirability of providing for the shrinking m value of securities generally. The soundness and stability of the bank is unimpeachable, as the figures giv'en -show, the assets, after 'making the above provision, amounts to £800,000, and the reserve and liabilities on shares £470,000, total one and one-fifth millions against half a million of a liability. The Directors recommend the Bank to act so as to prohibit any advances being made to the Directors or' officers of the Bank. The Directors, have taken special core to verify etcurkies.